The new Renault Laguna unveiled

The new Renault Laguna unveiled

Since it was fi rst launched in January 1994, more than 2.3 million of the first two generations of Laguna have been sold. New Laguna is manufactured in the Sandouville factory in France with a level of quality never seen before. Preparing for Renault??™s return to the luxury car segment, New Laguna has been manufactured to be both robust and reliable. The stated objective is to be in the top three of its segment for product and service quality.

New Renault Laguna was designed from the outset to give true driving pleasure. It has a dynamic, streamlined and elegant form, positioning it naturally in the realm of grand tourers, with an even more exclusive and distinctive profi le for the Sport Tourer. Its class-leading dynamic performance is a benchmark. Its chassis is responsive and its steering is particularly precise. Whilst being bigger and more spacious than its predecessor, New Renault Laguna is notably lighter by an average of 15 kg and is available with a wide range of powerful and economical engines from launch, all with six-speed manual and automatic gearboxes.

New Renault Laguna provides a real sense of peace of mind for all its occupants. In terms of protection, it benefi ts from Renault??™s acclaimed real-world accident knowledge and all of the latest technologies, in particular, side impact with an innovative thorax double airbag. The sophisticated air conditioning system offers class-leading thermal comfort. Equally, much attention has been focused on New Renault Laguna??™s acoustics which are again top-of-the-class. With an economical and ecological ???Renault eco2??™

version, New Renault Laguna dCi 110 hp only consumes 5.1 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle, or 136 g of CO2 emissions per km. New Renault Laguna is respectful of the environment right from its production through to the end of its lifecycle. New Renault Laguna will be launched from 12 October 2007 as the future reference point for the family saloon segment in terms of usage, maintenance and repair costs.

A reactive chassis

Developed to go beyond the dynamic qualities for which its predecessor was recognised, the New Renault Laguna??™s chassis offers outstanding roadholding around bends. The steering is more sensitive to the touch, while maintaining its suspension quality through its vertical dampening. Renault??™s engineers have paid particular attention to the exact nature of the trajectory and the roadholding qualities of the car??™s body.

One characteristic of its turning capability is the specifi c roll which characterises the turning angle taken by the car vis?*-vis the road. With the New Renault Laguna, it is 1.9?° (the segment average is 2.2?°) for a transversal acceleration of 5m/s2. This situation corresponds to driving conditions on a winding road or at a roundabout outside of the city with a diameter of 400 m, driven at a speed of 60 km per hour.

The front axle is the pseudo McPherson type. The diameter of its anti-roll bar has been increased from 19.5 to 24 mm. Light and compact, the supple rear axle is in the form of an H, with anti-roll bars varying in diameter from 28.8 to 30.5 mm. The springs are 20% stiffer at the front and 50% stiffer at the rear, resulting in better control during vertical movements ??“ without the vehicle being too sporty. New Renault Laguna is still astonishingly comfortable, thanks to greatly improved suspension: in association with helicoidal springs of varying fl exibility, the dampeners are pressurised at the front and in the form of bi-tubes at the rear. The reinforcements are situated at the appropriate points in the body, strengthening the body mass and increasing the capacity to withstand impact: in short, impeccable reliability.

A leading range of engines for performance and efficiency

The petrol range will be launched on the market gradually, starting with the dynamic, smooth and quiet 2.0 litre 16 valve petrol engine 140 hp (103.4 kW) and 195 Nm (M4R). Lively, with good torque in low gears and a spirited drive in higher gears, with sound-dampening across the range of engine speeds, it is the product of a joint Renault-Nissan operation, offering enhanced driving pleasure and impressive acoustic performance.

The fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle (185 g of CO2 per km), gives New Renault Laguna an acceleration time from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1 seconds. It offers the advantage of a maintenance-free distribution chain with a lifetime guarantee.

The Turbo, 2.0 litre 16 valve 170 hp (125 KW) and 270 Nm (F4Rt) petrol engine completes the petrol range. It has a proactive automatic gear box with six speeds (AJ0). With fuel consumption of 8.9 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle (210 g of CO2 per km driven), New Renault Laguna offers particular driving pleasure, reaching 1000 m from a standing start in barely 30 seconds.

New Renault Laguna will be available at entry level with the 1.6 16v engine 110 hp (81 kW) and 151 Nm, offering excellent fuel consumption and running costs. Lastly, a new evolution of the current Alliance V6 petrol engine (V4Y) will be positioned at the top of this comprehensive and high-performance range.

The diesel range is based on the two market benchmarks, the 1.5 dCi engine which has a maximum power of 110 hp (81 kW) and maximum torque of 240 Nm at 2000 rpm. It is

yet another illustration of Renault??™s expertise in the domain of engine down-sizing, producing the same performance and thus replacing, the old 1.9 dCi engine, which was heavier and less economical. It offers the best balance of performance versus consumption in the segment (136g CO2 per km).

Equipped with a manual gearbox which has a specially confi gured range, it boasts fuel consumption of 5.1 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle, meaning that you should not have to refuel your New Renault Laguna for around 1300 km. Within the framework of Renault Commitment 2009, New Renault Laguna dCi 110 hp will make an important contribution to the Renault eco2 environmental programme.

A leader in the fi eld of performance, driving pleasure and reduced cabin noise, the 2.0 dCi engine comes with three power outputs: 130, 150 and 175 hp (96, 110 and 127 kW), available with particulate fi lter. With maximum torque levels respectively of 320, 340 and 380 Nm, it is capable of rapid and continuous acceleration up to 5200 rpm. The 150 hp (110 kW) version also has a proactive automatic gearbox.

With ultra-rapid preheating spark plugs, it bursts into life from the second the ?« Start ?» button is pressed, even in extremely cold conditions (-23?°C). With a variable geometry turbo engine, it offers improvements at a low engine speed, while the engine reaches its peak in the 175 hp version of the New Renault Laguna. With utilisation costs among the most competitive in the market, New Renault Laguna 2.0 dCi 150 hp BVM6 has fuel consumption of only 6 litres / 100 km on full cycle (158 g of

CO2 per km covered). In the automatic version, the engine allows the driver to cover 400 metres from a standing start in less than 17 seconds, with a fuel consumption of just 7 litres / 100 km (185 g of CO2 per km). Soon, the engine will be available with a range of technologies (particulate fi lters, new valve for the recycling of exhaust gas recirculation gases, development of the fuel injection system), which will enable it to meet the Euro5 emissions standard two years before the due date.

Other developments will soon be added to the allencompassing and all-purpose engine range of the New Renault Laguna, in each of the countries in which it will be marketed.

AJO gearbox

Developed within the framework of the Alliance, in conjunction with the Japanese partner Jatco, the AJ0 was offered on the New Scenic at the end of 2006 and, at the

start of 2007, on the Espace. It is an auto-adaptive logical gearbox which identifies the type of driving and the gradient of the road. The fi rst gear is shorter (18%) and the sixth longer (7%) than the former BVA5. The gearbox offers a feature which goes from 5 to 6.1 (ratio between the reductions of the 1st and 6th speeds).

In this way, it contributes to the dynamic improvement of starting up, while reducing the fuel consumption (8% on average) and the ambient noise, especially during motorway driving (2500 rpm at 130 km per hour). It is astonishingly smooth, due to the automatic transmission gear change, which gives improved fuel consumption and driving pleasure. With smooth intermediary changes, the gear speeds are lowered which limits the noise effect and offers greater driving and acoustic comfort. At the same time, this BVA6 offers a button command which contributes to driving pleasure (when driving faster or on a slippery road, when braking or changing down a gear for example). Renault has made great efforts to reduce braking distance and an optimised gear system and system of internal friction results in reduced fuel consumption on all engines equipped with it.

Leadership in safety

New Renault Laguna has taken full advantage of Renault??™s acclaimed expertise in the fi eld of safety, both active and passive. Complementing the impressive dynamic performance of its chassis, New Renault Laguna can boast the best braking performance of its category, particularly in the endurance test while braking when hot (only 40 metres distance measured with 16 inch wheels performing 10 consecutive braking operations from 100 to 0 km/h). The brake discs and callipers are sized accordingly,

with defi nitions ?? 57 280/24 to 296/26, ventilated at the front, and ?? 38 300/11 at the rear.

A new calculator / hydraulic block now integrates the electronic emergency brake assistance (EBA), which is more exact when operated since it does not react to mechanical variations. The chassis quality, combined with a numerical model more sensitive and auto-adaptive to the vehicle dynamics, enables the driver to react more

swiftly and appropriately to emergency situations. The ABS and ESP systems, fi tted as standard on the car, are more efficient, reacting at just the right moment without the driver having to anticipate and thus avoiding violent jerking when braking.

Available as an option from the second trim level, the bi-xenon headlights change direction according to the speed and the angle of the steering wheel. They add a

useful technological extra, offering up to 90% more light on a bend, compared with halogen headlights. Complementing the system, the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is available as an option.

Laguna II was the first car in history to be awarded five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests. New Renault Laguna owes it to itself to maintain this leadership and the bar, in the meantime, has been raised even higher. In the fi eld of passive safety, Renault has developed solutions which take into account accident research and real-life driving behaviour, within the framework of a more global, more effective approach to passenger safety. In order to guarantee optimum passenger protection, New Renault Laguna??™s electronic architecture has evolved with the result that the most recent generation of protection equipment is activated at an earlier stage. A triple algorithm now operates all confi gurations in order to optimise their performance in response to all the different impact situations (complex situations of frontal, rear and side impact).

Maximum comfort: silence is golden...

New Renault Laguna is the quietest five-door saloon in its sector. This is due to three elements: treatment in the level of engine noise, most notably at low speed, insulation from driving noise and, above all, work carried out to reduce aerodynamic noise. The level of acoustic comfort in the diesel versions will be equivalent to that of the petrol, largely due to the intrinsic qualities of the actual engines. Work has been carried out on the engine suspension with increased strokes with innovative solutions such as a fi xing device between the gearbox and the battery, which enables the latter to be used as an acoustic mass (patented).

Engine noise at high speed has been reduced by 40%. Special attention has been given to the dashboard and the section below the windscreen, with the hollow parts uncoupled by structures similar to those used on the wings of an aeroplane (also patented). The aerodynamics of New Renault Laguna were the object of study from an early stage, with integrated windscreen wipers under the bonnet and a unique design for the body shell of external wing mirrors and window pillars which limit turbulence and thus aerodynamic noise.

Improved interior space

With an innovative triple system, the air-conditioning commands ?« Soft-Auto-Fast ?» are intuitive and situated between the air vents. The automated system can be personalised to fi t the taste and needs of the customer. The Auto function serves as a point of reference, inspired by the best systems to be found on the market (optimisation between thermal and acoustic comfort and speed of the operating system). The Soft programme prioritises a quiet fl ow of air, with a gentle action especially benefi cial to the front passengers, with a reduction of noise of up 15 dB compared to the best systems on the market. With a rapid, dynamic reaction which

also benefi ts those in the back seats, the Fast mode swiftly creates an effi ciently ventilated atmosphere.

New Renault Laguna is the first vehicle to benefit from customer surveys carried out in 2001 and 2002 on the subject of thermal comfort. This survey gave Renault a better understanding of customer requirements. A second factor was the development of a new air-conditioning system, working in conjunction with Nissan, for the American market where it was evaluated. These two factors have enabled Renault to position itself at the top of the category. The use, moreover, of a compressor with large cylinders controlled externally, enable the customer to lower the temperature rapidly, while still managing use of the air conditioning system at a minimum, thus

reducing consumption.

In less than 10 minutes, the temperature in a cabin which has reached over 50?°C (a vehicle left in 40?°C heat for one hour in direct sunlight) can be reduced to 22?°C. As far as the heating system is concerned, the increase in air temperature is faster thanks to the electric resistance of 1000 W of power in the diesel engine systems.

Enhanced ease of use

New Renault Laguna offers enhanced on board comfort. The position and accessibility of all the controls have been studied and simplifi ed, especially on the new dashboard. The instrument display has been set up with a view to making it easy to use and to personalise. The user preference menu offers seven functions : door-locking when the car is moving, locking the door of the driver only, automatic headlights during the daytime (to be activated in those countries where it is obligatory), rear-window wiping, parking assistance, sound adjustment, choice of language for the dashboard commands (nine options).

The Power-Assisted Parking Brake is located on the centre console (standard from Privil??ge upwards, with the mechanical version at entry level) along with the switch for the speed-limiter / cruise control (standard from Dynamique upwards) and the joystick for the Carminat Navigation and Communication system (as an option). A benchmark on the market, this system has won praise from customers and the press alike : GPS navigation with 3D birdview function, panoramic seven-inch screen, Bluetooth telephony, 6 CD player with MP3 compatibility and ergonomic system controls, which can also be used by voice control.

New Renault Laguna debuts a new Carminat CD Bluetooth system, which offers the basics of multimedia with a 2D screen with voice control and Bluetooth telephony. These two

systems have a triple tuner with dual antennae with offera particularly high standard of reception. All radio versions offer the possibility of a hands-free Bluetooth telephone kit. Available as an option in the glovebox away from prying eyes, the Audio Connection Box and audio jack/line-in plugs enable a portable multimedia player or similar to be plugged in.

New Renault Laguna has masses of storage spaces, not only in the central armrest, but also in the form of a practical pocket for the driver near the steering wheel, and has one of the most capacious refrigerated glove boxes on the market (9.2 litres). There are drink holders on the dashboard fascia and in the rear central armrest (from Expression upwards) with a special shape that can be adapted to different containers.

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