Renault Laguna Sport Tourer 2.0 dCi 175 Dynamique S

Renault Laguna Sport Tourer 2.0 dCi 175 Dynamique S

How much?	£21,400
On sale in the UK:	Now
Engine:	1995cc turbodiesel 4-cyl, 175bhp @ 3750rpm, 280lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	8.7sec 0-62mph, 137mph, 42.8mpg, 174g/km CO2
How heavy / made of?	1513kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4803/1811/1445

Renault’s new Laguna hasn’t impressed us yet. Purposively conservative looks, a slightly cramped interior, and a drive that can’t touch that of the Mondeo all count against it. But maybe the Sport Tourer (nee estate) can do better. It’s clearly a ‘lifestyle’ car with a steeply raked almost hatchback like rear window. But to these eyes it’s definitely smarter to look at than the saloon.

So is that all the Sport Tourer is?

Yup. It’s a Laguna estate by another name. The result is a load bay that’s smaller than its rivals: seats up the boot will hold 501 litres to a Mondeo’s 542, and with the seats down the Mondeo bests the Renault’s 1593 litres by a whole 140. But the space you do get is quite usable with no intrusion from the wheel arches and a low lip for loading. The parcel shelf retracts when you tap it, but the release mechanism isn’t the sturdiest bit of kit we’ve ever come across. However it’s a neat idea to have the shelf slotting into the space beneath the boot floor when it’s not needed. The rear seats collapse flat at the push of a button and it’s even handier that there’s sufficient leg room to do it without retracting the head restraints.

Is the boot the only difference between it and the hatch?

Basically, yes. It’s identical to the hatch from the nose to the B pillar, though the more substantial rear end actually helps the side profile by balancing out the beaky front end. Sadly the profile isn’t where the Laguna is most wanting in the looks department. That’s reserved for the headlights which remain oversized and awkward. It’s a shame because the Laguna Sport Tourer has many decent attributes. While we couldn’t get it to unlock automatically the standard keyless start worked very well and locked the car as we walked away, even if the accompanying horn tone is reminiscent of remote locking early Nineties style.

Any other strengths?

Inside the cockpit looks clean and stylish, aided by the electric parking brake. And the seats are comfortable, although the driving position is on the high side. But the most positive part of our test car was its 2.0-litre turbodiesel. With 175bhp it’s got plenty of grunt and never strains so A-road overtaking sounds as calm and unflustered as it feels. It’s a shame they didn’t mate it with a slicker shifting gearbox. The change on the six-speeder is on the poor side of average and feels on the woolly side.

Any other wind ups?

Sadly there are plenty of irritations. Switching on the cruise control is more difficult than it needs to be because the on/off switch is mounted on the centre console, rather than the steering wheel or stalk as most makers do. Having two separate functions on the same stalk for turning on the rear wiper and washing the back window over complicates things. And having over enthusiastic headlight washers that go off and spray the windscreen after the wipers have finished their sweep makes a quick screen clean impossible.

If that’s it with the complaints, tell us what it’s like on the road?

As with the hatch the ride is great on smooth motorway surfaces. There’s plenty of insulation and not much in the way of wind noise so it’s an enjoyable long distance companion. Sadly it’s not so at home on bumpy B roads. The damping is overly keen and makes for a fidgety ride when the tarmac is anything other than billiard table smooth. The steering doesn’t help matters. Despite being accurate it has no feel at all and combined with a degree of body roll doesn’t make the Sport Tourer as much fun for keen drivers as rivals.

Verdict

The trouble with the Sport Tourer is it’s a compromise too far. By making it look sporty Renault has detracted from its ability as a load lugger. Yet it’s still not good looking enough to appeal to buyers who want a car to say all the right things about their image. Nevertheless the Sport Tourer is generally easy to live with although it could have been so much better if a bit more thought had been taken to rectify some of the more basic niggles. Of course it’s still got a large boot but there are other cars in the class that are better carriers. Crucially rivals such as the Ford Mondeo aren’t pretending to be anything other than honest workers, but are better to drive and just as user friendly as the Renault.

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Renault Grand Modus 1.2 TCE 100

Renault Grand Modus 1.2 TCE 100

How much?	£11,850
On sale in the UK:	February
Engine:	1149cc 16v turbo 4-cyl, 100bhp @ 5500rpm, 107lb ft @ 3000rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	11.4sec 0-62mph, 113mph, 48.0mpg, 140g/km CO2
How heavy / made of?	1160kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4034/1709/1586

You have to hand it to Renault. After the success of the original Espace, it didn’t sit on its laurels. The Scenic that followed had an even greater impact and had the kudos of being a truly original concept (the Espace owed more than a little something to Chrysler) while the Kangoo was designed as both a van and a car and is a massive success at the budget end of the market. With long wheelbase versions of the both the Espace and Scenic offering even more space, it was only a mater of time before the Modus got “Granded”.

The Modus hasn’t been the hoped for success, has it?

It did well when it was launched in 2004, but it then took the double hit of an increased number of rivals of which several were noticeably roomier. Since the Modus we have had the Meriva, Fiat Idea, and of course, the Modus platform-sharing Nissan Note. Even Ford’s miserable Fusion offers a packaging advantage over the Renault. There’s also the point that this market segment hasn’t taken off in the same way as it did for the Scenic. Even now just on in six supermini sales are mini MPV, with Fiat quietly dropping the Idea from its UK line up.

So how is the Grand Modus different to the regular one?

The big deal here is –­ no surprise – the extra length. Renault has added 160mm to the body, both by extending the wheelbase and adding more to the back end. But it’s not the anticipated direct lift of the Note’s underbody, for the Modus’s wheelbase is still 25mm less. There’s an extra set of windows along the side behind the rear doors and the tailgate it curvier which also adds to the luggage capacity in the regular Modus, which gets a facelift at the same time.

It’s more practical, then?

Significantly so. Luggage space with all the seats in place is up 50 percent over the short wheelbase car. There’s the same fold the backrest onto the cushion and then fold the whole lot up behind the back seat arrangement for maximum capacity, but there are easier, less physically demanding systems from other manufacturers. Indeed, the seat folding in the new Clio Sport Tourer is much easier and Renault admits that it’s this car that will have more appeal to those wanted to lug stuff around in a small car. Of equal importance is the legroom issue. Sliding rear seats are standard but you can only get the maximum rear legroom in the regular Modus in the optional four-seat configuration. With Grand Modus there’s the space to slide the rear seats right back and still provide room for three in the back.

Anything else?

The concurrent face-lift gives the Modus a new front end with punchier headlights, broader bumpers and that more rounded rear end. Not much but enough to look different. And this is proper MPV driving, with a seating position much higher than a Clio which should, in theory appeal to all those who like the dominant driving position of an SUV but don’t want or like the connotations of a 4x4. Renault’s 100bhp 1.2 turbocharged engine '“economy of a 1.2, power of a 1.4, torque of a 1.6') handles the Grand Modus’s bulk well, though dream on if you think you can achieve all these claimed targets in the same journey. Still, it does cost at least £800 less than the cheapest diesel.

Has Renault finally cracked this mini MPV thing?

It’s not so much Renault, it’s the fact that this sector hasn’t really taken off as expected. It certainly make some sense on paper. A mini-MPV offers almost all of the agility in town and easy parking of a supermini but with a commanding driving position, more space and loads more practicality. The Grand Modus offers all the things you’d expect form a bigger MPV – underseat storage, massive glovebox, easy access – plus clever details like the passenger front seat that flips forward to reveal a well for a handbag. There was never any real doubt that Renault was the real innovator when it came to MPVs, but it’s just that, in this particular sector, there are too few customers.

Verdict

With just a £600 premium for the Grand Modus over the standard model, there are few reasons not to pick it. Indeed, pricing for the Modus in either form makes it look a bargain alongside a five-door Clio. The short wheelbase Modus is actually cheaper, the Grand just a few pounds more. And it’s a nice car. Not one to provide much in the way of driving entertainment, but it’s decent enough even in that department and thoughtful in most others.

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Renault Clio Sport Tourer 1.5 dCi

Renault Clio Sport Tourer 1.5 dCi

How much?	£14,320
On sale in the UK:	April 2007
Engine:	1461cc 8v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 106bhp @ 4000rpm, 177lb ft @ 2000rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	11.4sec 0-62mph, 118mph, 61.0mpg, 123g/km CO2
How heavy / made of?	1230kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4202/1707/1497

The common sense answer to needing a supermini with more room is to buy a Megane-sized hatchback. And the Megane is an apt example here. Not only is it from Renault, it’s sufficiently dimensionally challenged to be closer in concept to the Clio than you might think. Though if you go the whole hog and pick a Megane Sport Tourer, you really do get loads of space. Buyers seem to agree. Estate sales take just three percent of the European supermini pie, divided currently divided between the only two contenders, the Skoda Fabia and the Peugeot 207SW.

Fair point. But it does looks a bit more practical than the Clio hatch...

That’s true, for Renault has actually done a fine job within the constraints of its envelope. An extra 384 mm has been grafted on behind the rear wheel arches and there’s a neat third window that manages to allow the Sport Tourer to retain most of the balance of the original. And there’s 50 percent more luggage space with the rear seats in place, which is certainly useful.

But what about serious load capacity?

Well, there isn’t any, not in a real estate car sense, a fact that’s compounded by the raked rear window – style is as important as substance here. Yet what is on offer is handled well. There’s a straight run in from the tailgate sill through the level floor to the back of the front seats. It’s a decent length and so sensibly squared off it’s hard to imagine more being made of the available space. Actually there is a drop inside the rear sill, but this is handled by a false floor that leaves a large concealed area a few centimetres deep beneath. You can slot the retractable parcel shelf in here, and fold the floor up against the rear seat to gain some extra space when the rear seats are in use.

Is the Clio Sport Tourer heavier and more cumbersome?

Renault has cleverly managed to ensure the estate weighs in at only 25kg more than the five-door hatch, which is a tidy trick to pull off. Thus the stiffer rear suspension is as much about dealing with the greater likelihood of heavier loading in day-to-day use, plus the fact that that load is pitched further back behind the rear wheels. Renault didn’t provide any ballast to evaluate the Sport Tourer loaded up, but lightly loaded it handles as well as regular Clios – which means enjoyably ­– without the change in suspension rates having a noticeable affect on ride quality.

Renault has some decent small engines these days, doesn’t it?

Like most manufacturers there’s much concentration on extracting power from lesser capacities. Renault’s 1.2-litre engines now give up to 100bhp in turbocharged form while there are three different outputs available in the 1.5dCi turbodiesel range. It seems probable that the entry-level 68bhp version won’t make it here until Renault needs a way to offer a budget entry-level diesel but the 86bhp derivative has sub-120g/km CO2 levels up it’s sleeve which add to the price-saving benefit over the 106bhp principal diesel.

How does this add-up on the road?

In Dynamic dCi 106 specification you might hope you are buying, if not a hot hatch, a decently warmed mini estate car. And in a way you are. This version of the Clio Sport Tourer offers 177lb ft of torque which provides pleasing levels of urge and throttle response. It’s a touch tardy off the line, though, which is where the petrol turbo Clio seems so much better, and the handling is prone to some serious bouts of body roll in the bends. With one of the better electric power steering systems around, that’s a pity but not altogether surprising. Want to go fast in a Clio? Buy a 197.

Verdict

We’re far from convinced by this whole supermini estate car niche. You need to have some pretty specific car requirements to end up going down this road. Dog-owning city-dwelling pensioners come to mind. Not that the Sport Tourer isn’t a pretty good car in many respects. But with diesel Megane estates on the Internet for under £11,000, this Clio has a hard time justifying its corner.

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Renault Laguna Coupe concept

Renault Laguna Coupe concept

How much?	£26,000
On sale in the UK:	Late 2008
Engine:	2993cc, 24v V6, 261bhp @ 4000rpm, 406lb ft @ 1750rpm
Transmission:	Six-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Performance:	7.0 sec 0-60mph, sub 200g/km
How heavy / made of?	1685kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4685/1964/1372

Ooo, shiny. What is this fine-looking thing?

This is – are you ready? – a Renault. Yes, honestly. The company that currently specialises in boring family carry-alls and hardcore hot hatches has actually turned out something sexy. It's the Laguna Coupe Concept, a debutante show car at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show. And we've just driven it. Alongside its swoopy, muscular bodywork, the Coupe Concept is also a showcase for the Laguna’s tricked-up 4RD all-wheel steer chassis, and an all-new 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine. This 261bhp, 406lb ft powerhouse is so good its first official appearance will be in an Infiniti, otherwise known as Nissan’s answer to Lexus, which launches in Europe next year. What's it like to drive? CAR was the first UK magazine to drive it, so click 'Next' to find out what it's like on the road.

But hold on. You said Laguna – that's one of those boring family cars you were just on about, isn't it?

Exactly. The whole point of this exercise is to show Renault can do style as well as the next manufacturer. Which, depending on the angle you catch the Coupe Concept at, could conceivably be any of the likely suspects from Italy. Or even - whisper it -Aston Martin, especially around the tail lamps. But with the swage line running from headlight to tail, there’s also something uniquely French about its design. Renault feels the new Laguna hatch and forthcoming Sport Tourer (nee estate) prove it now does quality and reliability in keeping with class expectations (time will tell on this). Privately, officials acknowledge the considerably less than stimulating looks, though. The Coupe is dedicated to redressing this balance. Forget practicality, it's a Renault you'll simply want to own.

So is it just a concept?

Far from it. The interior, with its madly asymmetric seats, three-dimensional see-through instrument binnacle and touch-screen display system incorporating 'light therapy' imagery, is as concept car wacky as you can get while still using conventional pedals and a steering wheel. But the exterior is a different matter entirely. We are here to tell you right now that Renault is building this car, and we've already scooped the production car. It will be on display at next year's Paris Motor Show. And 90 percent of the outside is staying exactly the same. This was confirmed by Renault's design director for concept cars, Stephane Janin, who was on hand to show us round the Coupe. Most of the shutlines and bodystyling is completely fixed, so just the unique show car details will change.

Like what exactly?

The lights for starters. The general outline won’t change but you'll have to imagine the rear ones fill the space completely, and say goodbye to the LED-only headlights. The alloys will get smaller – the concept rides on unique 'anodised dark-chrome' 20s – the exhaust won't be incorporated into the rear diffuser, and the production version won't have wheelarches quite this wide. The interior will be standard Laguna, too, but with higher quality materials. And although Janin says Renault is putting style before practicality for the first time in years (we reckon the last time was 1998's Renault Sport Spider, which only had a windscreen on the options list), you can forget about the scissor doors. Thank goodness. They rise up making access to the front pews easy enough, but it's tricky clambering in the back. Expect conventional hinges for production.

What about that 'four-wheel steer chassis', and the drivetrain?

The 4RD system, as Renault is calling it, uses active steering on the rear wheels to improve low speed manoeuvrability and high-speed dynamic response. Developed by Renaultsport – the separate division responsible for Renault's exceptional hot hatchbacks, not to mention the Formula 1 team – it'll appear first on a GT version of the ordinary Laguna in May. Although it sounds like another high-technology Renault reliability risk, initial reports from development mule drives are highly favourable, and it could transform the Laguna's sporting appeal. All Coupes will be front-wheel drive, with a range of manual and automatic gearboxes. Renault expects the 3.0-litre diesel to be the biggest hit, but the Coupe also borrows 2.0-litre petrol and diesel units from the Megane, plus the luscious 3.5-litre petrol V6 from Nissan's 350Z. However, this concept car is fitted with a rather more humble 1.6 petrol and a clunky auto gearbox. As ever with show cars, the driving impressions we gathered were nominal - it's slow, steers pretty badly and we were unable to go much above 20mph on Renault's private test track in Paris. But our drive was enough to prove that the Laguna Coupe has bags of presence, is roomy inside and has a great driving position (although the A-pillars create an annoying blindspot).

So another French prestige car... don't they always fail?

You could make that argument. But it seems Renault is genuinely interested in establishing a reputation for real style with this car. It's got some recent unpleasant experimental memories to banish, too – clearly someone important wants to forget Reanult’s last large coupe, the MPV-alike Avantime. Janin unashamedly cites classic GTs from the likes of Ferrari as an influence; this is about aesthetic proportion and sex appeal, not otherworldy quirkiness. Which ought to help sales. How do you define prestige? Renault sees its main competitor as Peugeot's 407 Coupe, and the pricing will be tailored to match. Let’s hope that means £25K or so, rather than nearly £30,000…

Fair enough. Any other exciting Renault news on the horizon?

The Koleos SUV goes into production in 2008, and is also set to look remarkably familiar to anyone who saw the concept version. Plus Janin is promising another desirable Renault ‘concept’ at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Let's hope that Renault is rediscovering its style. If this Laguna Coupe is anything to go by, it's well on the way. There's even word that Renault is preparing to revive the Alpine badge, for a new sports car at the end of the decade. Now that sounds exciting!

Verdict

We can’t say for sure how well the Laguna Coupe will drive – Renault wasn’t about to let us throw around its one-off show concept, even on a test track. But our brief drive shows that the concept is spot-on in terms of design and packaging. Dial in the standard Laguna driving experience and Renault has a sure hit on their hands. This car looks even better in the metal than the pictures, and Renaultsport’s involvement with the chassis is surely a positive sign. It’s definitely one to watch out for in 2008.

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