Renault LAGUNA EXTREME RANGE
Stylish - Yes, Safe - Certainly, But Sporty Isnt An Adjective Youd Necessarily Use In Connection With Renaults Laguna. Its The Tricky Job Of The Extreme Trim Level To Change All That, As Steve Walker Reports
Aesthetically speaking, which is the most attractive of the UK markets medium range family cars? By medium range we mean Mondeos, Vectras and their ilk so although selecting the prettiest vehicle in any sector is very much a matter of personal taste, its a safe bet that the
Renault Laguna will feature high in the reckoning. Safety too is an area where the Laguna excels. It was the first vehicle to gain a 5-star rating from Euro NCAP and its positively brimming with features designed to protect its own occupants as well as other road users. On style and safety, the Laguna is always going to be at or near the top of the pile but buyers after a sporty image and dynamic ability may have felt inclined to look elsewhere.
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With the Extreme trim level,
Renault hope to keep more of these people looking at the Laguna.
Theres no overpowering reason why the Laguna should be considered a dullard when it comes to driver enjoyment. All right, so the Renault cant match the sharp, sporty feel thats common to all Mondeo models and it palpably isnt the most inspiring vehicle to drive but this car is no slowcoach. With a surefooted chassis and a range including some powerful engines, the Laguna is at least on a par with most of the direct competition. Despite this, it remains easier for Renaults marketing men to tell us about their cars impressive looks, class-leading safety and high equipment levels than for them to go in heavy on dynamic attributes that are not such a strong suit for the car.
The result is that the Lagunas sporting pretensions have been largely overshadowed in the eyes of buyers. The Extreme designation, Renault hope, will go some way towards redressing the balance.
"The Laguna didnt get a 5-star NCAP rating by accident"
Keeping track of Renault trim levels can be a thankless task: Expression, Dynamique, Privilege, Initiale and GT205 - the Laguna is offered in all of them and Extreme slots in below Dynamique in the Sport Collection section of the range to complicate things further. Theres nothing particularly extreme about its position in the lower echelons of the line-up but the Laguna Extreme attempts to live up to its name in other ways. Alloy wheels and spoilers are staples of sporty derivatives in model ranges everywhere and the Laguna Extreme is no exception. It gets 17" Impulsion alloys and either a rear spoiler on the hatchback or a set of alloy-effect roof bars if you go for the Sport Tourer. Part-leather sports seats in the front bring the better bolstering youll need during more spirited cornering manoeuvres and the drivers
seat gains lumbar support while the passengers gets a height adjustment facility. Then theres the three-spoke leather-covered sports steering wheel and a Category 1 alarm in case the Laguna Extremes sporty looks attract unwanted attention from the criminal fraternity. Extreme trim itself comes well stocked with air-conditioning, electric heated door mirrors and a CD-player plus all the other standard kit.
Of the engines available in the wider Laguna range, just three are offered with the Laguna Extreme. The absence of the 210bhp V6 unit and the 2.0-litre turbo means that things are never going to get really rapid but a 135bhp 2.0-litre 16-valve engine is offered.
This engine is respectably quick - it takes less than 10 seconds to reach 60mph and can reach a 129mph top speed. The diesels are better; the 120bhp 1.9dCi performs the 60mph sprint in a more sedate time to the 2.0-litre petrol but gives much improved in-gear performance.
Torque on this engine has also been increased from 270Nm to a nice round 300Nm. Finally, theres the 130bhp dCi 130 which is quicker still, Euro IV compliant and probably the pick of the range. Without the 2.0-litre Turbo engine the Laguna Extreme cant lay claim to anything approaching performance car prowess but the dCi engines represent a sensible balance between speed and economy.
The £15,975 asking price for the Extreme hatchback with the 2.0-litre petrol engine seems reasonable enough. If you want 1.9-litre dCi 120 power, youll pay £800 in addition to this and the dCi 130 engine is a further £300 on top of that.
In all cases, the equivalent Sports Tourer estate models are £1,000 more expensive and if you want to push the boat out further, there are options packs available to spec-up your Laguna Extreme. Choose from the packs entitled Comfort, Relax, Technology and Safety. Youll get a variety of extras and pay a price thats less than the sum of each collections constituent parts. The Laguna didnt get a 5-star NCAP rating by accident, unless you count the numerous times it was driven into walls and T-boned by battering rams during the testing process, Renault have put huge amounts of time and money into making all their cars as safe as houses.
So it is that the Lagunas core specification is awash with airbags and other safety systems. Some of the highlights include ABS with EBV brake proportioning valve and emergency brake assist, three-point safety belts throughout and doors that lock automatically as the car pulls away. The car is also exceedingly strongly constructed to ensure that the passenger compartment remains intact in the event of a collision. Unfortunately for Renault, a set of alloy wheels, a spoiler and a leather-wrapped steering wheel does not a sporty car make.
The Laguna isnt the best drivers car in its class and no amount of cosmetic tinkering is going to change that. On the other hand, though, a lack of any real sporting character has never stopped other manufacturers from sticking on a spoiler or two and trying to endow their family saloons with a little performance pedigree. The Laguna range was already strong on style, safety and specification, the Extreme at least provides something a bit different that might catch the eye of family buyers in search of something sporty.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Renault Laguna Extreme range
PRICES: £15,975-£16,975 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 8-12
CO2 EMISSIONS: 150-196g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0 16v] 0-60mph 9.7s / Max Speed 129mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9dCi 120] (Combined) 51.4mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS
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