Renault Laguna

The Renault Laguna is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Renault. The first Laguna was launched in 1993, the second generation was launched in 2000, and the third generation was made available for sale in October 2007.
The first generation Renault Laguna was launched in December 1993 as replacement for the Renault 21 liftback, initially also coming as a liftback only. Late 1995 it was introduced an estate version, known in some markets as the Laguna Grandtour, and replaced the 21-based Renault Savanna/Nevada.
The Laguna’s equipment levels were gradually getting more lavish, and soon all models came with power steering, electric front windows, driver’s airbag and remote central locking as standard. Most of the range had twin airbags, anti-lock braking system, air-conditioning and CD player as either optional or standard equipment.
At the start of 1998 the Laguna received a moderate facelift, including a restyling of the hatchback of the Grandtour version, and a redesigned front. This included different design of the lights, most noticeable are the circular fog-lights in the front.
More notably, the engines were updated and, in some markets, equipment levels enhanced again. Five new engines featured in the completed facelifted line-up:
The dTi versions were direct injection diesels, and replaced the old 2.2D and 2.2TD versions that were available prior to 1998.
2000 saw the final edition of this Laguna - the Laguna Concorde. It had many extras, including semi-leather seats and vocal warnings like “Welcome. The vehicle computer… is now checking systems for you”. The on-board computer was highly intelligent and would notify the driver of any doors not being closed, lights left on etc, or other serious fault in the vehicles entire electrical/mechanical circuit. It is a common complaint that on 1993-2000(Mk.1) Laguna’s the rear wheel bearings wear out and begin to ‘hum’ at approximately 45,000-55,000 miles and require renewal shortly afterwards. The Laguna “Concorde” model was the last guise of the ‘old’ Laguna’s to be marketed prior to the release of the Laguna II in 2001, the last of the Mk.1 Laguna’s were registered in February 2001 and the Concorde range all feature a cream letter “C” on a dark green background, with the outline of a Concorde aircraft above the letter.
At the end of 2000, after almost seven years of production, the original Laguna was replaced by an all-new model which shared its chassis with the Nissan primera (which arrived a year later). The engines were upgraded and the equipment list made longer. Widely regarded as one of the safest vehicles on the road today, it was the first vehicle available in Europe to achieve 5 stars in the EuroNCAp crash test results, a feat which was soon followed by all other models in Renault UK’s current model line-up. The Laguna featured a ‘keyless’ ignition system which, instead of a key, used a credit card style device to unlock the car and start the engine - although the card is expensive to replace. The styling of the second generation Laguna was heavily influenced by the Initiale concept car.
The Laguna estate was only available with five seats, unlike the previous model which has seven seats as an option on some versions. It was badged SportsTourer or Grandtour depending on the country, and was marketed as a lifestyle vehicle rather than a load carrier.
The Laguna II had relaunch in March 2005, according to Renault with improved security, driving performance and comfort. It also had a moderate redesign of the air intake at the front of the car, now matching the design of the Megane. A electronic handbrake was also introduced, this was previously seen on the Scenic and Espace The engines were much the same as before, with the 1.6 and 1.8 petrol units being offered in some markets, while other countries get a 2.0 petrol unit (turbo or non-turbo) and two diesels (1.9 or 2.2 direct-injection). After facelift Laguna comes with the third and whole new diesel engine 2.0 dCi with 150 hp (112 kW) and 175 hp (130 kW),this one the most powerful 2 liter diesel engine in the world as of May 2007.
The Renault Laguna III was officially announced in a press release on June 4, 2007. The car was unveiled to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and it went on sale in October 2007. The car comes both as a 5-door liftback and as a 5-door estate. This third generation is based on the platform D, shared with the Nissan Altima and the Nissan Murano.
Laguna III is the first car to have gone through Aubevoye Technical Centre’s Electro-Magnetic Compatibility unit in the course of its development.
Spy images of the Laguna Coupe appeared on the internet on the 01/22/2008 (http://www.caradvice.com.au/9709/renault-laguna-coupe-spy-photos/)