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| Road Test Renault Laguna Coupé GT 3.0 V6 dCi |
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Too Clever?
The car tested here is the 3.0 V6 dCi, and although my experience of Laguna Coupés isn't very wide I would not be surprised to find that it's the best of the lot. It has an excellent 235bhp three-litre turbo diesel engine, which is a good start - I have yet to come across a three-litre diesel I don't like, and this one is certainly up there with the best. Renault also offers a 3.0 petrol V6, but there seems to be little reason for buying that. The diesel is only £550 more expensive, it's every bit as quick, the fuel economy is much better, and significantly lower CO2 emissions means that it's cheaper to tax. If you go for this engine your choice is limited in other ways. The big diesel is available only with six-speed automatic transmission and in GT trim, which means you get extra equipment including leather upholstery, an automatic parking brake, folding door mirrors, an auto-dimming interior mirror, cruise control, a different style of 18" alloy wheel from those on the non-GT versions and a hands-free Renault card (instead of a key) but, unfortunately, no spare wheel. Instead, there's a tyre inflation kit, which is going to be a fat lot of use if the tyre you're trying to inflate is damaged beyond repair.
GT cars also get four-wheel steering, and the question I keep asking about this is, "Why?" The system is fairly conventional in that at low speeds (up to 37mph) the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction from the front ones. This is unarguably useful, as it makes the Coupé astonishingly manoeuvrable in tight situations. Above 37mph, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts, and the resulting behaviour is described by Renault in various ways. Phrases like "unrivalled directional precision", "exemplary handling with sound, reassuring response for greater driving pleasure" and "choosing the ideal cornering line becomes intuitive and increases the enjoyment to be had behind the wheel" appear throughout Renault's press material.
The thing is, none of those phrases, and none like them, occurred to me when I was driving the Laguna Coupé at speeds over 37mph. On the contrary, it felt awkward, and the reason is that what the car does as you turn the steering wheel does not give you an idea if what it will do further into the corner once the rear wheels have started shifting around. Nothing alarming happens. There is no major change in attitude. It's just that you have to second-guess what effect an action taken right now will have once the cars has travelled forward a few more lengths, and this can be quite tricky. Even after a week I was still finding in mid-bend that I had taken a line that was either too tight or not tight enough. Intuitive? Reassuring? No, not really. Oh, I'm sure I would improve with practice, but why should I have to? I want the car to suit me. I don't want to have to make adjustments to suit the car. And in any case, the major benefits of four-wheel steering at out-of-town speeds are most likely to be apparent when you are driving in a sporty manner, and the Laguna Coupé is not in any other respect sporty at all. I think that, in this case, Renault has tried to be too clever, and that there is no reason (other than the low-speed maneouvrability) why a standard rear axle with fixed wheels would not have done the job just as well.
In its outward appearance the Laguna Coupé is quite eye-catching - rather like a slightly angular version of a modern Aston Martin. You might expect it to be rather glamorous inside too, but in fact there is no magic to the interior, and in particular the plastics look and feel somewhat low-rent. There is, of course, a good reason for that; this, the most expensive car in the range, is after all nearly £5000 cheaper than the cheapest of the three-litre diesel Audi A5s. Still, I would be unhappy about paying not far short of £30,000 for something which, in terms of perceived quality, feels like an oversided Clio. Admittedly, it doesn't sound like one. Renault has gone to great lengths (including using the battery support as an acoustic damper, a feature it has patented) to reduce engine, road and wind noise, and the results are very impressive - only when you really push the engine hard does it became particularly noticeable, and even then it sounds pretty good. The ride is splendid too, thanks to some excellent suspension work, though it's spoiled by the unforgiving low-profile tyres on those 18" wheels. And you get quite a lot of equipment for your money, even if things like a tyre pressure monitor (£250), satellite navigation (anything from £450 to £2200 depending on the system) and heated front seats (£300) have to be paid for separately.
But I think you would have to be really impressed by the looks, and nothing short of wowed by the idea of four-wheel steering, to consider the Laguna Coupé. Otherwise, on this evidence, if you're determined to buy a Renault (of a conventional sort rather than an MPV), make it a small one. Comment on this story on Facebook or Twitter. Price: £28,555
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