2010 RENAULT LAGUNA COUPE NOW AVAILABLE IN SA

RENAULT SAYS: The launch of the Renault Laguna Coupé in South Africa introduces an entirely new level of exclusivity, style and dynamism to the local Renault range – and the market as a whole.

Combining clean-cut coupé styling with exceptional levels of comfort, luxury and advanced technology, the Laguna Coupé stands out as a thoroughly contemporary offering, aimed at individuals that demand the ultimate in terms of sophistication, class and performance.

"The Renault Laguna Coupé expresses timeless beauty, linked to absolute driving enjoyment. The result is an athletic two-door flagship coupé with strong allure and a unique position in the local market," explains Renault SA managing director, Xavier Gobille.

"While we have already introduced 11 new Renault models in the past 12 months, most of the newcomers have been positioned in the budget, the compact and the midrange  segments of the market.”

Gobille adds that the arrival of the Laguna Coupé in SA adds an enticing and distinctly upmarket lustre to the Renault line-up, symbolising the stylistic excellence and technical fortitude of the brand.

The coupé also represents the ultimate in a premium offering that focuses on quality, comfort and the pleasure of driving, thanks to its design, accessible technologies (such as the 4Control Chassis and the Bose sound system), and peerless luxury in an all-in-one package.

"Accordingly, it's a fitting flagship model for the SA market, and one that will attract an entirely new calibre of discerning clientele to our showroom floors, while serving as a compelling image-builder for Renault in general," Gobille says.

The Laguna Coupé he adds, is the perfect epitome of Renault’s new pay-off line: ‘Renault – Drive The Change’.

Timeless beauty and the pleasure of movement
The Renault Laguna Coupé expresses the trend-setting spirit of several of the marque’s recent ground-breaking concept cars, most notably the Fluence, which was appropriately revealed at the Louis Vuitton Classic in England in 2004.

This sporty and upmarket four-seater coupé showcased the underlying theme of Renault's vision of a trend-setting coupé with liquid, wind-cheating lines and a welcoming interior expressed through simplicity and sensuality.

In its final execution, the Laguna Coupé achieves the ideal balance between contemporary attraction and timeless appeal, creating a genuine head-turning model with a silhouette that will never lose its appeal.

The fluidity and elegance of the styling is evident in the defining character line that originates from beneath the grille and rises confidently across the Coupé’s flanks like a wave of air.

It gracefully emphasises the form of the front fenders, then underlines the car's broad haunches as it progresses rearwards. From there, it flows around the rear and up over the roof, then extends along the length of the bonnet, towards the inside of the headlights.

The coupé’s unique light line is underpinned by a second contour, running flame-like along the base of the body to create a sense of prestige and authority.

The elegance and dynamic poise of the new Laguna Coupé's overall design expresses the unique appeal of a classic coupé. Its uncluttered styling is matched by the assertiveness and sporting character of the steeply raked bonnet, the broad mesh grille and its striking 18-inch alloy wheels.

Sumptuous interior
The plush interior of the Renault Laguna Coupé, and its sporting credentials, are the perfect counterpoint to its exclusive, avant garde exterior. The suspended sweeping design of the dashboard dominates the cabin, placing the emphasis firmly on an unparalleled level of perceived and tangible quality and luxury.

Immediately evident is the 'lounge'-effect soft-touch trim extending across the dashboard and throughout the entire cabin. This is reinforced by soft-touch controls and a chic combination of aluminium and chrome finishes.

Boasting exceptional comfort and refinement throughout, the seats are sporty and enveloping, offering an unsurpassed level of comfort and support. But it's the rear of the cabin that truly sets it apart.

In the absence of a conventional middle seating position, the two rear seats have been brought closer together, affording rear occupants high levels of airy, all-round spaciousness.

Innovative 4Control chassis with four-wheel steering
Renault's leading-edge 4Control chassis makes its SA debut in the Laguna Coupé. Jointly developed by Renault’s engineering team, in association with Renault Sport Technologies, this advanced system delivers the ultimate level of dynamic and sporty handling, while also  allowing exceptional manoeuvrability at low speed.

The innovative chassis technology electronically controls the vehicle's dynamics, using both vehicle data (such as speed and steering wheel angle) and dynamic information (steering wheel movements, yaw) into account.

These parameters are analysed to determine the effective turning angle of the rear wheels, which is implemented by an electric actuator on the rear axle.

At low speeds, the 4Control chassis with four-wheel steering provides enhanced manoeuvrability in town by turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts, thus creating a tighter, class-leading 10,1 m turning circle and requiring reduced steering wheel angles for more direct control.

From 60 km/h, the system offers greater steering precision and stability by simultaneously turning the rear wheels in the same direction as the fronts. Simulating the effect of a longer wheelbase, this gives the driver greater control, and creates an impression of cornering on rails.

The system also contributes to significantly higher active safety. In an emergency avoidance manoeuvre, or under harsh braking, the system automatically adjusts the angle of the rear wheels up to a maximum of 3,5 degrees in order to improve directional stability.

Furthermore, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) is calibrated to suit a sporty driving style, and is applied gradually in unison with the rear-wheel turning action.

Flagship performance
In line with its flagship status, the Renault Laguna Coupé is equipped with a powerful Euro 5-compliant 3,5-litre V6 engine, which is a perfect match for its dynamic potential.

Delivering a maximum power output of 175 kW at 6 000 r/min, accompanied by a mighty 330 Nm of torque at 4 000 r/min, this unit boasts outstanding levels of refinement, matched to a spirited nature and a lively, tell-tale exhaust note.

Mated to a responsive six-speed automatic gearbox, the V6 accelerates the Coupé from standstill to 100 km/h in just 7,4 sec, before attaining a 244 km/h top speed. Despite this obvious athletic ability, the Laguna flagship returns a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 10 litres/100 km. Emissions are rated at 238 g of CO2/km.

Premium technology
The Laguna Coupé's exclusive character also sets the tone for a genuinely premium level of technology. High-end audio enthusiasts will certainly relish the bespoke Bose sound system, which comprises 10 speakers, a Bose amplifier incorporating a digital signal processing system, and a six-channel personalised equaliser.

Allied to this is a complete range of connectivity solutions, including the Bluetooth telephony system, combined with Bluetooth audio streaming and voice recognition functions. Renault's digital Plug & Music terminal provides a USB port and a jack socket for iPod/MP3 player connections.

The Coupé follows Renault's popular navigation technology, which features a fully integrated Carminat TomTom satellite navigation system. The unit is built into the large in-dash multimedia screen, and provides all the functions of a high-end navigation system, including precise colour maps, voice guidance, traffic information, alternative routes, and much more.

Setting the safety standard
Renault maintains its proud record of safety, having obtained the maximum five-star rating in the stringent Euro NCAP crash tests for the Laguna Coupé with a score of 36 points out of a possible 37.

The Coupé's systematic approach to occupant safety is provided by a total of eight airbags, including two new-generation adaptive dual-volume front airbags coupled with a seat rail position on the driver's side.

Additional safety innovations include new double side-impact sensors that adapt the response time to the impact force, triggering the release of new-generation dual-chamber/dual-pressure lateral airbags.

Along with the innovative 4Control chassis with four-wheel steering, the Coupé is equipped with a latest-generation ABS all-disc braking system with EBD and EBA, as well as an advanced Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.

The Renault Laguna Coupé has a recommended retail price of R499 900, which includes an industry-leading after-sales customer support package. This combines a five-year/150 000 km warranty with a five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan. Service intervals are every 20 000 km.