2009 Renault Laguna Estate – First Steer
May 27, 2009 by Matt Brogan
2009 Renault Laguna Estate – First Steer
- by Matt Brogan
Renault first launched the Laguna in 1994, though it wasn’t until 2002 that we saw the nameplate in Australia.
It’s been a popular car for the French brand globally selling some 2.3 million examples in the past 15 years. Though here down-under, sales have been, well… a little slow.
So will the launch of an Estate – or wagon – variant improve sales for the Laguna model? Or maybe it will be the introduction of a petrol variant to the range that will finally see Renault win some sales from the brand’s jaggernaut competitor Passat?
If yesterday’s drive is anything to go by then the answer is indeed a complex one.
Perhaps by means of an explanation it is best to take a moment to understand where the brand is coming from.
Selling relatively small numbers in Australia each year leaves a manufacturer with only a certain amount of leverage in specifying what combination of model, engine, transmission and equipment it can order - especially in a RHD country such as ours.
And when you compare the annual quantities that Laguna’s nearest competitor would sell in a few months, it isn’t hard to see how getting this combination just right can play havoc when trying to reach a wider audience.
So, does that mean Renault has been doing things wrong in past? Does it mean the cars weren’t any good? Or does it mean our wants as consumers are too specific? Well it means none of these.
As I see it, a lot comes back to an individual’s perception of the brand – which is quite often a misconceived one. If you’re able to break away from past thoughts of quirky French engineering and convince yourself to jump in the driver’s seat, a lot may change your mind about the product as a whole.
But what about the Laguna Estate specifically?
This is were things start to get interesting, for on the whole the car is a terrific package.
With 120 prototypes preceding Laguna Estate’s manufacture, and over six-million kilometres of testing (30,000km of which was carried out in Australia), it’s not hard to see the car as a well put together kit.
Of course there’s Renault’s commitment to safety, which, like almost its entire range, sees the Laguna with a five-star European NCAP rating – a feat the nameplate was first to achieve in 2001 – scoring 36 from a possible 37 points.
There’s ESP, Traction Control, ABS, EBA, EBD and eight airbags standard across the line-up. Laguna also offers new generation side-impact sensors which deploy the side airbags in around half the time of other systems.
But with so many rivals able to almost match Laguna’s safety credentials, what else does the car have going for it?
Renault’s Managing Director, Rudi Koenig summed it up as follows:
“In addition to extremely high standards of safety and excellent equipment levels the Laguna range now offers even more value for money,” Mr Koenig said. “In a market where many vehicles are becoming expensive, the Laguna range offers the best in European technology at a very affordable price. The increase in warranty to include unlimited kilometres, over a three year period, shows just how robust the car is.”
So we have a safe car backed by a decent warranty, but what about the all important question of what’s under the bonnet.
Laguna offers a choice of two engines in both its Estate and now in its Hatch models.
Firstly, and the engine I believe to be the pick of the pair, the existing 2.0-litre turbo diesel – or dCi – four-cylinder engine which produces a maximum power output of 110kW @ 4000rpm and a comfortable 340Nm from 2000rpm.
Matched to a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission the dCi model manages a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 6.0-litres per 100km (158g/km of CO2) for the manual variant and 7.0-litres per 100km (185g/km of CO2) for the automatic.
Incidentally this engine also meets Euro V emission standards, two years ahead of their formal introduction.
In listening to what Australian consumers want, Renault now offers a Laguna in a petrol variant.
This 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol (16 valve) engine manages 125kW at 5000rpm and an ample 270Nm from 3250rpm.
It’s mated exclusively to the ‘Pro-Active’ six-speed automatic transmission which is capable of producing fuel economy returns of 8.9-litres per 100km (210g/km of CO2) on the combined cycle.
To better achieve the posted fuel economy returns, manual variants of the Laguna are equipped with a dash-mounted ‘Eco-Shift’ light to advise when best to change gear for optimum fuel efficiency.
Roll on acceleration is good at speed though slower maneuvering, such as roundabouts, does see both engines suffer a little from turbo lag. The only downside to an otherwise smooth and capable powertrain line-up.
Both engines now offer 15,000km service intervals.
Externally the car is one that I believe will strike a love/hate accord with potential buyers, if only from a visual standpoint, and I’ve got to say at this point I believe the Estate to be far more attractive proportionally than the Hatch.
Fluid lines, a long sloping bonnet, large low-mounted intake grille, plunging shoulderlines and a crease mid-way through the tailgate make the Laguna Estate quite handsome, particularly in the Dynamique (upper-spec) models with chrome highlights around the glass and larger diametre alloy wheels.
Inside too the cabin compliments the car’s exterior form in providing a smooth and ergonomic feel as well as a blend of textures and tones – even if the lower spec model (not shown) is a little gloomy in colour.
It is however a comfortable and rather spacious cabin with seating for five and the usual run of options (refer below). Of one small bother though, I did find the brake pedal to sit a little too far aftward for comfortable positioning.
The features line-up is as follows:
Expression (Hatch & Estate):
16-inch alloy wheels; dusk sensing headlamps; rain sensing wipers; “see me home” headlamps; cruise control with speed limiter function; automatic electric park brake; leather steering wheel and gear knob; integrated rear door sunblinds; dual-zone climate control; cloth trim; power windows and mirrors; smart card entry (key); and a single CD tuner (no iPod / auxiliary plug-in available).
Available in Hatch as a diesel manual, diesel auto & petrol auto or in Estate as a diesel auto or petrol auto.
Dynamique (Estate only):
As above but with 17-inch alloy wheels; rear parking sensors; tyre pressure monitors; chrome window surrounds; auto-folding wing mirrors; leather/cloth blend upholstery and aluminium dash and steering wheel inlays.
Available in Estate only as a diesel auto.
Privilege (Hatch only):
As above but with 18-inch alloy wheels; leather upolstery; eletrically adjustable heated front seats; auto-dimming rear view mirror; auto-directional xenon headlamps and a six CD tuner.
Available in Hatch only as a petrol or diesel auto.
Of note, the Laguna is not available with factory iPod/auxiliary connectivity, Bluetooth mobile phone interface or satellite navigation.
In terms of how the car drives, the Laguna is a bit of a mixed bag and will appeal to some more than others.
The handling for example is superb and with the steering ratio reduced from the previous model it means less work for the driver and more time to enjoy the car’s dynamics – which are well above ordinary.
A responsive chassis offers excellent grip for a front-wheel drive though the ride is a little firm, especially on Dynamic and Expression models where the subtle ride and lack of road noise suffers at the hands of larger diametre rims and low profile tyres.
Aside from that the car is settled on the open road and manages to cruise very comfortably provided the roads are well sealed.
Up the back the Laguna Estate offers 501-litres of cargo space with the seats up (loaded to window height) which can be expanded at the flick of a lever to 1593 litres.
With the recent changes in legislation regarding vehicle pricing it’s very hard for Renault and indeed CarAdvice to provide you with an accurate figure for your exact location.
But if we take the example of a Victorian buyer living in an urban centre then the Laguna recommended drive-away pricing is as follows:
- Laguna Expression (Hatch) dCi manual – $41,660.00
- Laguna Expression (Hatch) 2.0 auto – $42,685.00
- Laguna Expression (Hatch) dCi auto – $44,735.00
- Laguna Privilege (Hatch) 2.0 auto – $50,375.00
- Laguna Privilege (Hatch) dCi auto – $52,425.00
- Laguna Expression (Estate) 2.0 auto – $45,760.00
- Laguna Espression (Estate) dCi auto – $47,810.00
- Laguna Dynamique (Estate) dCi auto – $50,885.00
CarAdvice will follow-up with a full review of the new Laguna Estate in the coming weeks.
In the mean time, a review of the Laguna dCi Hatch can be found by clicking here.
Print it: 
“In a market where many vehicles are becoming expensive, the Laguna range offers the best in European technology at a very affordable price.”
Just not in Australia. At best, it would seem the Laguna is on-par with Passat.
Besides that, I can’t get past the looks. They don’t impress me as European at all. More likely something you could see from Korea.
Where are all those that didn’t like the looks of the golf wagon??? ;-)
As for on par with the Passat the Euro don’t seem to think so, plus this makes the comming Zetec Mondeo wagon look great! both for valu and style!!!
I don’t mind the look of the wagon, its significantly better than the hatch. However I still think it should have a lower starting price, if Renault want to improve their sales in Australia.
Mmmmmmm………….I still dislike the front!!!!!
I like the interior though.
You would have to be mad to take on a downmarket European brand at these prices. Resale value will be in the toilet inside 3 years.
Apart from the bad looks, I can not forgo the bad reliability (Dog and lemon guide) and poor resale value on redbook, you can loose 40k in 3 years on a 50k car! Plus the 2006 Laguna drank 95RON so it cost more to fill too…
Crikey they pricey on your land, sure theres better thing for the money.
No don’t like the looks either and can’t say i’d even go near a Renault dealer now after having the last Laguna in Initial trim. Nothing but problems that even Renault could solve. Perhaps I should give it a chance but there better lookers elsewhere.
I saw a base-model wagon the other night, looks not very impressive with the crappy base wheels and no roof-rails. Also, at MIMS 09 the wagon with the panoramic roof stuggles to fit me (6.2″) in the back seat! Not good…
Wheels mag had Laguna v 159 v CC c 407 and I have to say it was so friggin boring to read. Of course, the 159 won (due to the excitement not offered by rivals) and the Laguna dCi came last due to the very slow performance among other bad things.
Other comments suggest a lower price for the Laguna to attract sales, but I think its a load of crap. Lower prices do not neccessarily mean larger sales. I heard Renault sold 26 cars up until the beginning of May. Ouch…
It’s interesting that people think it’s ugly. As I recall, it won best looking car at the Paris motor show last year. I can’t say I’m a big fan, but I don’t mind it.
If you’re buying a Renault, you have to plan on keeping it. They don’t hold their value. At all.
However, reliability on the new one really shouldn’t be a problem. The new one uses mainly Nissan electrics and has excellent build quality. The last one was the first of the previous generation Renault’s and every one of them has gotten better since. But still, it doesn’t get around the fact that the Passat is far better and this really is overpriced. It should be at least ten thousand less. It’s the same in the UK. The Passat and the Mondeo are the leaders and this only works in the UK because about 80% of them go to fleets.
I think Renault will probably pull out of Australia at some point in the next ten years. The only ones I really see on the road are the previous Clio and the Megane CC and thats not enough to keep them here. I’m seeing more of the Koleos these days but is that enough? I think I read that they have sold 36 of the new Laguna in Australia this year. That’s so low it’s funny.
I just think that people who want French cars in Australia buy Peugeots and Citroens. With good reason too, they’re more interesting.
It is a shame to see what people think of Renault at this point in time. The Koleos is fairing much better than the Laguna, I see so many of them around Sydney’s northern beaches (more than the Tiguan, first time Renault have topped or even come close to VW).
In my opinion the Laguna is a very nice looking car, especially in silver and top-spec in the metal. Matt is right that this car has a very love-it or hate-it appeal in its looks. At least he likes it. Their prices actually had dropped to a $36,990 base last time I checked (before the website had taken the prices off with a notice stating “We have temporarily removed all prices while we upgrade our website to comply with the new regulations. We apologise for any inconvenience. Please contact your nearest dealer”).
Hopefully they can lower it as much as possible because from some comments I have seen in the Laguna hatch article, there are people who like the Laguna but are just not willing to pay the asking price. There was actually a post from somebody who had gone out and bought it from that article, he was very happy with his new car.
Sorry if I seem a little too in-love with Renault, but they really do make some pretty good cars. Australians just don’t seem to like their French flair. Maybe if they were to try lower the pricing we may see more on our roads, I just hope they don’t pull out of Australia anytime soon.
Also Matt, I am looking forward to your full story on the Estate soon.
Cheers,
Steve.
For me, a bigger model range would see Renault sales on the up, and no they won’t pull out in the next ten years, as by then the whole range will be new and enough for people to focus on. They’re good cars, better than the stupidly more popular Peugeots anyway!
ke02 – Whay are Pugs “stupidly more popular”. Can’t say I’m a fan of Pugs but having recently driven a 308 1.56HDi I was well impressed and would say it was better (read different) than a Focus or Astra. My money would go on a Pug no problems.
sorry that was aimed at “Jake02″ & I didn’t realise Pug did a 1.56litre HDi its a 1.6. Still a fine engine though.
Cupid stunt,
Stupidly meant 10 times more popular, not that they’re shouldn’t be more popular than Renaults. Peugeots are successful down here, but I was put of buying a 308 2.0 HDi hatch last year as a 34k price turned into a 40k on-roads price. Waaaaay to much for a normal 5-door hatch! They’re not very good value once on-roads are put into the mix.
I’ve seen the Coupe version and its absolutely stunning. If Renault ever brought it over I’d be one of the first in line for a test-drive. Not sure about the Wagon and Hatch though – both are a bit of a non-event.
Perhaps if Renault offered a flagship car like the Laguna Coupe, there would be more interest in the brand as a whole. This might work in the same way the GT-R works for Nissan.
Looks too polarizing for my tastes. Admittedly it would probably look nicer in the flesh as I find with most Renaults. Pricewise it’s not good, as most have pointed out buyers are most likely gonna pick up a Passat than this.
There’s something about french cars though. They’re just odd in a strange way and kinda makes the roads more interesting provided they appear every now and then and not all the time.
Interesting read, the Renault brand in Australia is misunderstood I think, similar to Skoda, because they are fairly high volume European brands which have been around forever over here.
However, when most Aussies think European they think BMW, Merc, Audi and VW. Rather than these other brands which make very good cars also.
But like they say perception can be very hard to change.
If its one thing Car Advice does well its the images. These are brilliant guys, well done. After further thought I think this car will boost Laguna sales for Renault but I can’t see it doing much for the brand as a whole. Renault lacks a hero car that makes the brand desirable. In the same way the recent release of the Audi Q5 boosted sales of the Q7, and the release of the new Jaguar XF lifted sales of the old X-Type Renault needs a car that will impress people enough when they see it on the street to lure them into a showroom. No current Renault does this.
Someone I know recently bought a new Laguna at 10K less than the sticker price. He said he could not get this level of discount from other makes dealers. i guess this is the only good reason to choose the Laguna.
As much as I do appreciate the brand I just don’t see why you wouldn’t take an Accord or Mazda6 instead. More kit, same size, cheaper… just not a Euro brand.
I’d buy a Laguna petrol over the Mazda6, but not the diesel. The interior of the laguna really appears to have had alot of money spent on it, even more than the 6. Against other similarly priced rivals (passat, superb, accord euro, 407 maybe etc) I wouldn’t have a laguna because it has so many more flaws!
Yep I agree a Renault halo car needs to be launched. Laguna Coupe maybe but not as the halo car, the Espace possibly (I’ve seen two in Australia), the new Megane no but the RS possibly, the Modus no but it should be launched here regardless, maybe a Laguna V6 (or the GT model with 4WS they get overseas including NZ), maybe a proper Clio range (the majority of Renaults I see are old-model Clios and Megane RS’s) or the new Scenic with more than just the boring 2.0 petrol or 1.9 diesel (in Europe a low-blow 130kW turbo 2.0 petrol is available and apparently pulls very well)!
Renault make great cars, but they aren’t capitalising on this by leaving them in Europe. Renault Aus if you’re Reading this you will sell more cars if you bring a wider range of cars to Australia!
I could only imagine someone buying the Laguna if they wanted to be different. I can respect that: to me, Passats are so ubiquitous now they are starting to look like Camrys. However, I’m not convinced by the look nor the build quality of the Laguna. On the hatch at certain angles it seems that the front and rear door handles don’t follow the same line, as if a Ssangyong designer broke into Renault’s design lab and secretly sabotaged the original sketches. The wagon looks too small to be functional. On the build quality front, the last model was so poor it would be wise to be skeptical.
PS: Matt, you obviously forgot about the first model Laguna which was available in Australia around 1995/96.
T39, your mate who bought a Laguna with a 10K discount will find that he loses all that plus another 10K when he tries to trade it in. Smart guy.
Fiat seems to be going ok in auz so far, why, because their is a fun factor in their models. Renault needs cars which can distinguish themselves from other cars in this desirable way, not in a modern albeit unemotional abstract type of way. They need the Clio to be more unique like the 500, some Citroen concepts look like they are starting to bring back the X factor into their designs.
the problem for this car, is the all new liberty wagon will be out soon. And has a better known name in oz, as well as a reputation for reliability,resale and safety. the top level liberties will be fully loaded in features for simalar money as well.It is a safer bet for people to stick with something they know, especially in the current financial climate.
What is it with the spate of Weird Ugly lookin cars [particularly wagons] that are coming out of Europe at the moment or will be in the near future.. Have they been hit by the Design-Flu?
Ok First up I own a Reno Megane Turbo cup spec. I drove BMW, Golf GTI, $15,000 more ) WRX etc besides the fact I kept hitting my knees on the dash and consoles in the other three, the Reno to chuck around a corner not even a WRX can match it( STI yes) . Besides that I’m filling up at over 4 weeks. Not only that its costing me around $200 to service at a reno dealer. My parents are subie lovers. One new liberty the other a Impreza GT. Service bills… my god well over $800. THe Liberty has taken them nearly 6 months to get it to run on 5 and in the end it went to my old merc mechanic to fix it. Its had the leather seats replaced 3 times! The dash lights switch off, the trip computer passes out .. oh $900 for the part to fix that. They both eat tyres… What Im getting at is take a look at these French things, great drivers cars… wait till the new Magane RS gets here trust me it will be hero enough and looks amazing. The Laguna is so quiet you think its a Benz, something Passat does not match.
The new Liberty Wagon is fuglier IMO.
I once had a lemon of a Renault and yet I kept it for 8years. A Renault 19RT. After 3 year, CPU was changed. 5th year gearswitch was replaced. 7th year, power steering mechanism was changed. Throughout these years, engine kept dying on me when I make a 90degrees turn at low speed.
I loved the handling and ride but I hated the reliability. The body and interior were made with good materials but the parts kept failing. A real pity.
Till today, I don’t trust a Renault although I do fall in love with some of their good looking models. This is one.
Brett, by “I own a Reno” do you mean that you own a Western Nevadan town or did you just frequently misspell the name of the car you claim to own?
Murano, I thought I’d just let you know that Renault have put a lo of effort into making their new cars more reliable and a better quality of a product. All of their 2007-present cars have had massive amounts of work on reliability. Those issues you had in your Renault back in the day most likely aren’t present in any of their new cars. The Laguna II also had a lot of technical faults, thats why Renault worked extra hard on this car to improve their name. Also, the warranty of this car has been upgraded to unlimited kilometers, like the Koleos.
ALEX that the best you can do? SFB
Steve
Granted, Renault is constantly improving their products. I hope this good looking Laguna will benefit from their efforts. Personally, I do believe the Frenchies have a certain flair in designing cars-something the Koreans and even the Japanese know little about.
Ugly ugly ugly.
I do agree that French cars have a definite flair that is so uniquely French. I love Renault’s recent design language, maybe not as bold as a few years back but very handsome vehicles have been produced. Its hard to know if the quality work has paid off, I haven’t heard of negative reviews from owners posts and also there haven’t been any long termers with any new Laguna yet. I hope to see one soon. However, for now there is a good article on the lastest edition of Wheels magazine about that Mazda designer who has moved to Renault. He said that when Renault approached him, he was honoured and that he really liked their bold work from the past. It will be interesting to see how he influences Renault in terms of outgoing designs as well as quality.
Anyway, even though I know it won’t happen, I would love to see the V6 dCi and V6 petrol engines brought to the Aus Laguna range.
Cupid Stunt, I think you belong on a Holden/Ford forum… you don’t seem to have anything good to say about anything.
Yawn!! Dunno what you mean. refer to my comment above.”Can’t say I’m a fan of Pugs but having recently driven a 308 1.56HDi I was well impressed and would say it was better (read different) than a Focus or Astra.”
Seems your completely wrong in your observation.
Where is that full review we were promised?