The Renault Laguna is a
large family car
The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars".
It is equivalent to the Euro NCAP "large family car" size class, and the present-day definition of the mid-size car category use ...
that was manufactured and marketed by
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...
for 21 years in three body styles:
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
,
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
, and
estate. The first generation Laguna was launched in 1994, the second generation was introduced in 2000, and the third generation was built from October 2007 until 2015.
Concept car
The production Renault passenger models are unrelated to the
concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
of the same name, the Laguna, a two seater
roadster presented by the automaker during the 1990
Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
. The name was also previously used from 1973 to 1976 by
Chevrolet
Chevrolet ( ), colloquially referred to as Chevy and formally the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors Company, is an American automobile division of the American manufacturer General Motors (GM). Louis Chevrolet (1878–1941) and ou ...
, for a top-of-the-line Chevelle model, the
Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna
The Chevrolet Chevelle Laguna is a mid-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet for the 1973 through 1976 model years. Part of the GM A-Body platform, the 1973 Laguna series included coupes, sedans and station wagons. It was the top-line Chev ...
.
First generation (X56; 1993)
With development underway from 1987, design work under
Patrick Le Quément began in 1988, with a final design approval in March 1989, and a design freeze by the beginning of 1990. Road testing commenced in 1991 and continued through 1993. The first generation Renault Laguna was unveiled in November 1993, and launched in January 1994, as a replacement for the
Renault 21
The Renault 21 is a large family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1986 and 1994. It was also sold in North America initially through American Motors dealers as the Renault Medallion and later through Jeep-Eagle dealers as the Ea ...
, initially coming as a
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
only.
At the
Frankfurt Motor Show
The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
in September 1995, an
estate version was introduced. This was known in some markets as the Laguna Sports Tourer, and replaced the 21 based
Renault Savanna/Nevada. It was initially launched as a 1.8 RN/RT, 2.0RT/RXE, and 3.0V6. A sports pack with deep front
spoiler
Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. ...
, rear spoiler, and
alloy wheels was available on 2.0 versions.
A limited-edition of 500 1.8RT Sport was made available in 1996, one hundred each of five colours including a metallic blue normally reserved for 2.0 models.
These limited editions sold out very quickly and so (to the annoyance of those who bought one of the original 500), the RT Sport was incorporated into the standard range at a cheaper price but having
ABS,
air conditioning
Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, CD/Radio, and high-level brake light added as standard (all these were options on the more expensive, original 500). This coincided with Renault's participation in
European Touring Car Championship
The European Touring Car Championship was an international touring car racing series organised by the FIA. It had two incarnations, the first one between 1963 and 1988, and the second between 2000 and 2004. In 2005 it was superseded by the World ...
s.
The Laguna's equipment levels were generally much higher than the Renault 21. From launch, all models came with
power steering
A power steering is a mechanical device equipped on a motor vehicle that helps drivers steer the vehicle by reducing steering effort needed to turn the steering wheel, making it easier for the vehicle to turn or maneuver at lower speeds.
Hydra ...
, electric front windows, and remote central locking as standard. Most of the range had a driver's
airbag
An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. T ...
. Later twin airbags, an anti-lock braking system, air conditioning, and a
CD player
A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audio ...
became either optional extras or standard equipment.
In September 1996, minor upgrades included a new ''Laguna'' nameplate at the rear.
File:1997 Renault Laguna RT 2.0 Rear.jpg, 1994–1998 Renault Laguna (hatchback)
File:Renault Laguna (22037467020).jpg, 1995–1998 Renault Laguna (estate)
File:Laguna1p1w.jpg, Interior
File:Will Hoy 1996 BTCC.jpg, BTCC
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA. It was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and was renamed as ...
Renault Laguna built to Super Touring
Super Touring, Class 2 or Class II was a motor racing Touring Cars category defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) for national touring car racing in 1993. It was based on the "2 litre Touring Car Formula" created ...
regulations
Engines
Facelift
The Laguna received a moderate facelift in April 1998, including a restyling of the hatchback and the sports tourer versions, and a redesigned front. This also included a different facelifted design of the taillights, most noticeable are the circular fog lights in the front.
The engines were updated and, in some markets, equipment levels were enhanced again. Five new engines featured in the completed facelifted lineup:
* K4M 1.6 16v (109 hp)
* F4P 1.8 16v (120 hp)
* F3R 2.0 (114 hp)
* N7Q 2.0 S (140 hp)
* F4R 2.0 16v (139 hp)
* L7X 3.0 V6 24v (190 hp)
* F9Q turbo 1.9 dTi (turbocharged direct injection) (98 hp)
* F9Q turbo 1.9 dCi (turbocharged
common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a direct fuel injection system built around a high-pressure (over ) fuel rail feeding solenoid valves, as opposed to a low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors (or pump nozzles). High-pressure injecti ...
direct injection) (107 hp)
* G8T turbo 2.2 dT (turbocharged indirect injection) (113 hp)
For 2000, the final edition of this Laguna, the ''Laguna Concorde'', was introduced. It included semi-leather seats and vocal warnings like "Welcome. The vehicle computer... is now checking systems for you". The onboard computer would notify the driver of any doors not being closed, lights left on, etc., weather ("Please brake carefully the road is watery"), or other faults in the electrical or mechanical circuits.
The onboard voice synthesizer warnings system was also available on the earlier 1998 RXE and V6 models. This is the same basic unit as used in the
Renault Safrane
The Renault Safrane is an executive car (E-segment in Europe) designed and built by the French manufacturer Renault from 1992 until 2000. Throughout its production it remained the most expensive and most luxurious Renault available, although i ...
.
The Mark 1 model has many bad reviews and reliability issues with everything from rear wheel bearing problems (a common Renault problem over several models) and heavy depreciation to problems with the bonnet latches (Renault uses an unusual system that is difficult to set up properly).
The reviews tended to be worse for the hatchback, with it suffering many more complaints and breakdowns than the estate variant, although no reasoning for this has been found.
The model of the Laguna Concorde was the last guise of the "old" Laguna to be marketed, prior to the release of the Laguna II at the end of 2000. The last of the Mk.1 Laguna's were registered in February 2001, and the Concorde range all feature a cream letter "C" on a dark green background. This was with the outline of an actual
Concorde
The Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde () is a retired Franco-British supersonic airliner jointly developed and manufactured by Sud Aviation (later Aérospatiale) and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC).
Studies started in 1954, and France an ...
above the letter.
Second generation (X74; 2000)
![Laguna card montage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Laguna_card_montage.jpg)
After almost seven years in production, the original Laguna was replaced by an all new model in December 2000 for the 2001 model year. The engines were upgraded, and the equipment list made longer.
It was the first vehicle available in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
to achieve five stars in the
Euro NCAP
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in Februa ...
crash test
A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation (see automobile safety) or related systems and comp ...
results, a feature that was soon followed by all other models in Renault's range. This generation was made available in hatchback or estate (Grandtour) styles only.
The Laguna was the first European family car, and the second European car to feature "keyless" entry and ignition, developed by
Valeo
Valeo is a French global automotive supplier headquartered in France, listed on the Paris Stock Exchange ( CAC-40 Index). It supplies a wide range of products to automakers and the aftermarket. The Group employs 113,600 people in 33 countries wo ...
.
Instead of a
key, it used a
credit card
A credit card is a payment card issued to users (cardholders) to enable the cardholder to pay a merchant for goods and services based on the cardholder's accrued debt (i.e., promise to the card issuer to pay them for the amounts plus the ...
style device to unlock the car and start the engine. The initial unreliability of this keyless system hurt Laguna's reputation as well as Renault's reputation in general.
The styling of the second generation Laguna was heavily influenced by the
Initiale concept car
A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
.
The Laguna II won the title
Semperit Irish Car of the Year
The Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year award was established in 1978 based on similar Car of the Year awards. It is organised and judged by the Motoring Media Association of Ireland (MMAI), a grouping of motoring journalists in Ireland. The aw ...
in November 2001.
The Laguna estate was only available with five seats, unlike the previous model which had seven seats as an option on some versions. It was badged as Sports Tourer or Grandtour, depending on the country. It was also marketed as a lifestyle vehicle, rather than a load carrier.
Facelift
![Renault Laguna rear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Renault_Laguna_rear.JPG)
The Laguna II was facelifted in March 2005, being launched in the ''
Amsterdam Motor Show'', according to Renault with improved security, driving performance, and comfort. It also had a moderate redesign of the air intake at the front of the car, now matching the design of the
Megane. Sales commenced on 18 March 2005.
An electronic handbrake was also introduced, this was previously seen on the
Scénic and
Espace
Espace may refer to:
* ESPACE, a complexity class in computational complexity theory
* Espace musique, a Canadian radio service
* Espace 2, a Swiss radio station
* Radio Espace, a French radio station
*Espace Group, a French media company
*Group Es ...
. The engines were much the same as before, with the 1.6 and 1.8 petrol units being offered in some markets, while other countries get a 2.0 petrol unit (turbo or non-turbo) and two diesels (1.9 or 2.2 direct injection).
After the facelift, a whole new diesel engine was introduced, the 2.0 dCi with and another variant of the engine which produced , In May 2007, this variant was the most powerful 2 litre diesel engine in the world.
Engines
Third generation (X91; 2007)
![Renault Laguna 2008 Dashboard 20080122](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Renault_Laguna_2008_Dashboard_20080122.jpg)
The Renault Laguna III was officially announced in a press release on June 4, 2007. The car was unveiled to the public at the
Frankfurt Motor Show
The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
in September, and it went on sale in October 2007 for the 2008 model year. The car comes as a five-door
hatchback
A hatchback is a car body configuration with a rear door that swings upward to provide access to a cargo area. Hatchbacks may feature fold-down second row seating, where the interior can be reconfigured to prioritize passenger or cargo volume. ...
, as a five-door
estate and a two-door
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
.
This third generation is based on the
platform D, shared with the
Nissan Altima
The Nissan Altima is a mid-size car that has been manufactured by Nissan since 1992. It is a continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line, which began in 1955.
The Altima has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Niss ...
, the
Nissan Teana
The is a mid-size sedan produced by Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan. It was exported as the Nissan Maxima and Nissan Cefiro to certain markets. It replaces the Nissan Bluebird, Laurel and Cefiro. It shares a platform with the Nissan ...
, and the
Nissan Murano
The is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured and marketed by Nissan since May 2002 for the 2003 model year, and currently in its third generation.
As Nissan's first crossover SUV for the United States and Canada, the Murano was designed at Nissan ...
. The Laguna III was the first car to have gone through the Aubevoye Technical Centre's ''Electro Magnetic Compatibility'' unit, in the course of its development.
It was first presented as a concept car, at the
2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, which followed some styling cues of the previous concept car, the
Renault Fluence
The Renault Fluence is a compact sedan produced by the French automaker Renault. The car was produced until 2016 at the Oyak-Renault plant in Bursa, Turkey. It was produced until the end of 2018 in Santa Isabel, Argentina, for the Latin Ameri ...
. The production version was revealed at the 2008
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...
, coinciding with the
Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix to take the wraps off.
The brand new
V6 dCi engine delivers 235 hp (173 kW), while the new 3.5 litre petrol powered V6 offers 240 hp (175 kW). The Laguna Coupé later appeared before the general public at the
Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
in October 2008. In January 2008, spy images of a then possible Laguna Sedan appeared on the internet.
It was expected the car having appeared at the
2008 Paris Motor Show
The 2008 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 19 October 2008, in Paris expo Porte de Versailles.
This edition of the Paris Motor Show featured a high number of hybrid and electric vehicles (EVs), that led a blogger with ''The New York Ti ...
. However, this never made it to production. The
Renault Latitude and the third generation (L43)
Renault Samsung SM5
The Renault Samsung SM5 is a mid-size car or large family car (D-segment in Europe) produced by the South Korean manufacturer Renault Samsung Motors, with technical assistance from Japanese automaker Nissan. Between 1998 and 2012, Renault Samsung ...
, which is made by
Renault Samsung Motors,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
is based on the Laguna III.
Facelift
A facelifted version of the Laguna III, called the Phase 2, débuted at the
2010 Paris Motor Show
The 2010 Paris Motor Show took place from 2 October to 17 October 2010, in Paris expo Porte de Versailles.
For 2010, the theme of the special exhibition was "The Incredible Collection 2: automobile manufacturers collections and museums."
Introdu ...
, and sales began in November 2010.
It has an aggressive front end compared to the older model. The range has been redesigned around six trim levels: Expression, Black Edition, Eco Business, Bose, GT 4Control, and Initiale. Engine side, the only change is the engine 1.5 dCi 110 hp, with CO2 emissions, decreased from 130 to 120g/km.
Engines
* 1.5 L (1461 cc) 8 valve dCi I4; 110 bhp (81 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 12.1 s; 2007–2015
* 1.6 L (1598 cc) 16 valve I4; 110 bhp (81 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 11.7 s; 2007–2010
* 2.0 L (1997 cc) 16 valve I4; 140 bhp (103 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 10.1 s; 2007–2015
* 2.0 L (1998 cc) 16 valve Turbo I4; 170 bhp (125 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 9.2 s; 2007–2015
* 2.0 L (1998 cc) 16 valve Turbo I4; 205 bhp (150 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 7.8 s; 2008–2015
* 2.0 L (1995 cc) 16 valve dCi I4; 130 bhp (96 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 10.6 s; 2007–2015
* 2.0 L (1995 cc) 16 valve dCi I4; 150 bhp (110 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 9.5 s; 2007–2015
* 2.0 L (1995 cc) 16 valve dCi I4; 175 bhp (127 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 8.7 ; 2007–2015
* 2.0 L (1995 cc) 16 valve dCi I4; 180 bhp (131 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 8.5 s; 2008–2015
* 3.0 L (2993 cc) 24 valve dCi V6; 235 bhp (172 kW); top speed: ; 0–100 km/h; 7.3 s; 2008–2015
* 3.5 L (3498 cc) 24 valve V6; 238 bhp (175 kW); ; 0–100 km/h; 7.4 s; 2008–2015
In February 2012, Renault discontinued the Laguna,
Espace
Espace may refer to:
* ESPACE, a complexity class in computational complexity theory
* Espace musique, a Canadian radio service
* Espace 2, a Swiss radio station
* Radio Espace, a French radio station
*Espace Group, a French media company
*Group Es ...
,
Kangoo,
Modus, and
Wind
Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few ...
lines in the United Kingdom. In 2015, both the Laguna and the
Latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...
were replaced by the
Talisman
A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
.
Successor
Renault was rumoured considering changing the Laguna name to Atalans for the successor. In May 2015, ''Worldcarfans'' reported the successor would première on July 6, 2015, and would also replace the
Latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...
in the European market.
The coupé version would also be discontinued, due to low demand. On 6 July 2015, Renault announced the successor will be called
Talisman
A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...
, as part of its intention of unifying nameplates worldwide.
References
{{Authority control
Laguna
Hatchbacks
Station wagons
Coupés
Euro NCAP large family cars
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
Vehicles with four-wheel steering
2000s cars
2010s cars
Cars introduced in 1993
Touring cars