First Pictures: Renault's Next Laguna

Renault's taste of new Laguna

RENAULT is to introduce three more new models this year, following the recent unveiling of the new Twingo.

Among the most important will be the new Laguna, which will face intense competition from Ford??™s impressive new Mondeo.

In order to generate interest in the French firm??™s rival, the drip-feed of teaser pictures and snippets of information has begun.

Renault will drag out the process for as long as possible until finally being forced to reveal the newcomer in all its glory at the beginning of June.

Until then there will be simply a selection of shots designed to whet the appetite in a desperate bid to steal some of Ford??™s thunder.

The French firm is on a mission to convince potential punters that the quality of the new family model will be just as high as that of the Belgian-made Mondeo.

Both Ford and Renault, together with several other mainstream contenders, are keen to lure buyers away from the premium German brands that are making fortunes out of the appeal of their designer badges.

They aim to do this by raising the quality and fit of materials as close as possible to the standards of Audi, BMW and Mercedes.

Renault says: "Developed with the most stringent quality requirements, the new Laguna shows elements reflecting the intensive work carried out in the cabin, with particular attention paid to the quality of materials used and the standard of fit and finish, which will undoubtedly draw comparison with those of premium rivals.

"The new Laguna boasts elegant lines and performance levels in keeping with the upper-medium segment, with the promise of genuine driving pleasure from its blend of outstanding ride quality and best-in-class active and passive safety features."

Full details of the car will be revealed on Monday, June 4, but in the meantime there is footage of the car being tested at www.insidenewlaguna.com.

Source: [url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=120731]Edmunds.com/Inside Line[/url]