Category: Large Family 
Price Range: No data available
Precise steering, refined engines, quiet, well packaged.
Not the prettiest car, jury out on reliability.
Renault has built a solid, well-packaged car - but it just lacks that certain je ne sais quoi to be able to beat the Mondeo.
The new Laguna is the third generation of Renault's large family car and it has at last evolved into a car that can really compete with the best in its class.
Succeeding a car that had its fair share of quality issues, the new Laguna is the product of a company that has been revitalised by its alliance with Nissan and is starting to benefit from the leadership of Carlos Ghosn. Indeed, the new car was singled out in Renault's Commitment 2009 plan, with the company aiming to make it one of the top three models in its segment in terms of product and service quality.
Early indications suggest that it could achieve its aim. The Laguna is a better car than its previous iteration in many ways and with Ghosn's record, we wouldn't bet against Renault having finally got the quality right, too.
Launched with five engines - three diesel and two petrol - and four trim levels in the UK, the Laguna will impress a lot of prospective buyers with its refinement and all-round package.
However, Renault has not one, but two elephants in the room to contend with. First is the fact that the new Mondeo, launched just a couple of months before the Laguna, has raised the bar again in the large family segment.
The second is that the Laguna is being launched into a market that's been shrinking for some years. Today, everyone wants a hatchback, so competition in the D segment (large family cars) is fiercer than ever.
All this means that Renault has a lot riding on the new Laguna - which is why it has pulled out all the stops in the development of the new car to get it right.
It's just a shame that they couldn't have made it look a bit better at the same time.
