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our test drives or view them all

Renault Laguna Coupe GT 2.0 dCi FAP

HAS there ever been a more sensuous Renault than the new Laguna Coupe?

If there has, it’s passed me by. The new four-seat mid-range car is by far the best-looking Renault I’ve clapped eyes on and it drives well too.

While the Megane Coupe I reviewed a few weeks ago turned heads, it is brash. The Laguna is a far more elegant proposition, graceful and sleek, where the smaller Megane is pugnacious and bold.

Launched on the UK market in January, there are only six models and two trim levels in the Laguna Coupe family. Priced from £20,585 to £27,460 they are significantly more expensive than the smaller and lighter Megane Coupe, but undercut upmarket rivals like the BMW Coupe by thousands.

Of course it’s not as easy as that.

The Laguna Coupe lacks the "class" image of the BMW and may not fare so well when it comes to value retention – but if you are in the market for a comfortable, superbly-equipped grand tourer with a sensible spread of engine, fuel choice and power, the new Laguna is worth a very close look.

A pair of two-litre engines props up the range – one diesel, one petrol. The 205bhp petrol is a turbocharged unit that’s fitted to the £21,910 2.0 Turbo while the least expensive Coupe gets a 150bhp two-litre dCi turbodiesel at just £20,585 – fantastic value for a sporting coupe that’s really well appointed and has an enviable five star safety package.

That two-litre dCi is a magnificent power plant that is shared by Nissan. It comes in a choice of power outputs – 150bhp and the punchy 180bhp version that equipped my Ness Motors test car, a £23,910 2.0 dCi GT 180 complete with standard FAP exhaust particulate filter.

But if power is your "thing" you don’t have to stop at two-litres. Renault has shoehorned a pair of V6s into the front-drive coupe – a silky-smooth 3.5 litre 240bhp V6 petrol costing £26,910 in GT guise with six-speed automatic transmission, and the range-leading 235bhp three-litre dCi GT FAP automatic turbodiesel costing £27,460.

While the idea of a smooth 3.5 litre V6 appeals, I cannot see why anyone would want the Coupe with that tug-boat three-litre diesel. There’s no place for it in a car like this – brute power and this pretty coupe make odd bedfellows.

This is a car built for petrol power – but if you must have diesel it has to be the two-litre. And if it was me, I’d opt for the entry-level 150bhp version simply because it’s a smoother and quieter unit than the gruff £3325 more expensive 180bhp GT I tested.

There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with an eager two-litre dCi under your right toe – it’s just that my experience of the lesser output version sets it apart when it comes to overall refinement. And refinement is what a coupe in this class is all about.

While my 180bhp test car punched out 296lb.ft of pulling power at 2000rpm, there is little in the acceleration stakes when you compare it with the 150bhp engine’s impressive 251lb.ft at the same revs.

On paper the test car reaches 62mph from rest a second faster – in the real world it makes no noticeable difference. What’s more, that extra horsepower is expensive not just on refinement, but fuel consumption. The GT 180 averaged 43.4mpg while the 150 stretched that to 47.1mpg. Round town the lesser powered two-litre dCi added almost four miles in range to every gallon and might even have managed 60mpg with a very light right foot.

The whole point of diesel is to maximise range and economy – so why compromise that with unnecessary extra power?

The Laguna Coupe 150 dCi also creates less emissions at 157g/km and falls into £150 Band G since March 1 this year while the GT 180 generates 172g/km to slip it into Band H and a £175 annual bill. You’ll also find the smaller horsepower engine cheaper to insure at Group 14 compared to the GT 180's Group 16.

But I have to say the GT 180 I had on test was a satisfying drive. With a slightly longer wheelbase, a kerb weight just over 1.5 tonnes and 4.63 metres overall it feels more substantial than the more compact Megane Coupe. But these coupes are for different markets – the Megane for the younger buyer on a budget while the Laguna is for a more mature profile with more to spend.

All Laguna Coupes come with high levels of standard equipment, including 18-inch alloys; Arkamys 3D Sound 140Watt audio system with MP3 CD reader; eight airbags; automatic lights and wipers; dual zone climate control; rear parking sensors and xenon headlights.

My top-of-the-range Coupé GT specification added Renault’s brilliant 4Control chassis; automatic parking brake; cruise control; speed limiter; auto-dip rear view mirror; full leather interior; leather rimmed flat-bottomed steering wheel; electrically heated and folding door mirrors and Renault’s hands-free keycard.

On a twisty section of the A835 from the Gorstan junction to Lubfearn and north past Loch Glascarnoch the excellent 4Control chassis came into its own. Already seen on the Laguna GT hatchback and Sport Tourer it sharpens the car’s response and makes it corner as if it’s on rails.

That’s down to four-wheel-steering that delivers great precision on a demanding road. The car nestles into corners with a feeling of solidity and confidence – there’s precious little roll and even the firm GT suspension felt comfortable and compliant despite the best efforts of winter road surface deterioration.

Renault’s 4Control chassis has built-in active safety. Under difficult braking conditions it delivers impressive control as weight shifts fore and aft and from side to side thanks to the ESP being matched to a more sporting driving style. The car also feels pin-sharp and responsive if you have to take emergency avoiding action – like ducking a wayward deer!

With a big boot that’s wide and can swallow 423 litres of luggage it’s a great “grand tourer” and has levers in the bootspace that automatically tumble the rear seats forward to boost cargo capacity.

The Laguna Coupe is not just a pretty face, it’s clever too.

Rating: 8/10

FINAL THOUGHT: Renault’s most elegant model. The Laguna Coupe is a spacious and sensible grand tourer that may not have the prestige and excitement of its German rivals, but is very comfortable and has them beat on value and specification. Relaxed in the cruise and fitted with Renault’s excellent 4Control, chassis that includes four-wheel-steering, it’s a precise coupe on twisting side roads and stable at speed in the cruise.

Renault Laguna Coupe GT 2.0 dCi FAP

• Price: £23,910
• Capacity: 1995cc
• Power: 180bhp
• 0-62mph: 8.5 seconds
• Maximum speed: 138mph
• Economy: Combined 43.4mpg; Urban 32.8mpg
• CO2 emissions: 172g/km
• ESP: Standard
• Insurance: Group 16