Renault CEO says customers will determine the future of the Laguna ...

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - Renault SA Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said customers will determine the fate of the new Laguna, on which so much of the company's hope rests, when the revamped family sedan goes on sale in October.

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Motor Show in Frankfurt where the new model had its world premiere, he said industry criticism that Renault lacks a new model is ?«fair,?» but misses the point.

?«We don't want to do an innovative design,?» he said. ?«We want to design a car that people will want to buy.

Ghosn has big plans for its new Laguna upscale sedan, which he wants to position as one of the top three in its class in the next two years. The replacement for the mid-sized Laguna is part of a planned offensive which will see the launch of 26 new models between 2006 and 2009.

In the first half of this year, Renault's share of the western European market fell to 8.7 percent from 9.2 percent, one of its lowest levels in recent memory. As part of his turnaround plan launched last year, Ghosn vowed to add 200,000 to its European sales figures by 2009, with the Laguna accounting for 100,000.

Ghosn is also pinning his hopes on the rapid expansion of the low-cost Logan sedan _ launching this year in India, Iran and Brazil _ as well as the launch of a new Twingo super-mini.

He described the new palette of products as a ?«balanced mix?» that will help Renault achieve its goal of a 6 percent operating margin by 2009, compared to 2.6 percent in 2005.

The new Laguna goes on sale on Oct. 12.

At Nissan, the Japanese car maker that Ghosn also runs, models such as the Altima and Infiniti G35 are rolling into showrooms. Nissan is launching 11 new global products this year.

Executive Vice President Carlos Tavares said the company plans to develop its business outside the U.S. in booming markers such as China, Russia and India.

Demand for Nissan's pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles has been slipping as Americans turn to smaller models to compensate for higher gas prices.

?«This year we are going to do a much better result than last year,?» Tavares said of the U.S. market.

In China, Nissan is also seeking to enlarge its portfolio beyond the hatchbacks and sedans it currently produces there, he said.

Asked if there are any plans to even up the cross-shareholding arrangement of the Nissan-Renault alliance, Tavares said it is ?«not a point of discussion.

Renault has amassed a 44.3 percent stake in the Japanese automaker since the two companies linked up in 1999, while Nissan owns only 15 percent of its French counterpart.

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