I think we all accept the fact that Renault is in the business of producing and providing cars for the mass market place.

It doesn’t venture too often in to what you could categorise as the premium sector but, and it is a big but, the arrival of the new Laguna Coupe is I believe an attempt by Renault to move its goalposts just a little.

Without doubt the new Laguna Coupe is a stunning vehicle, in fact you could say it is a sensational vehicle. Just standing still the coupe”s styling has a genuine head turning effect.

It offers a sporty look that should appeal to business, upper market category of buyers, somebody who wants something with a bit of a different feel and a different look, probably with a little bit of a charismatic feel and I certainly believe this to be true with the coupe.

A touch of Aston Martin

At the back of the car for example, the lights spread across the rear and on to the boot lid, the twin exhaust pipes at each corner indicate the potential sporty nature of this vehicle and on occasions more than one person suggested that it had a bit of an Aston Martin look about it, and from a distance I can agree.

The coupe really is a stunning vehicle to look at.

Some rather cynical people have suggested that this could be the middle life crisis car for you, because after all it is a svelte four-seater but also it is practical and if you are a little bit bored with saloons and hatchbacks this could be the vehicle that takes you forward.

The Laguna Coupe is a four/five seater with a multi choice of engines; my test vehicle was equipped with the huge 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine, which produced 240 bhp.

This is one of the four engines available, the others are the entry level 2-litre turbo petrol, producing 205 bhp, and two diesels from the well proven Renault stable.

Hefty road tax

Both are 2-litre one produces 150 bhp and the other 180 bhp. A 3-litre V6 diesel will follow.

The down side of a 3.5 litre V6 petrol is the economics of running it, with a CO2 at a huge 238 making your tax over £400 a year and I only managed marginally over 19 mpg during my week.

This is not for the squeamish and for those without a particularly deep pocket.

However the cost of buying this vehicle as opposed to similar looking and equipped BMWs or Mercedes does leave you with a few pounds in the pocket.

Equipment on the Coupe GT is comprehensive, and includes a plethora of equipment items as standard.

It has automatic lights and wipers, dual zone climate control, cruise control, a 3D sound audio system with an MP3 player, eight air bags and the almost essential rear parking sensors.

Automatic parking brakes

The 18-inch alloy wheels add to the overall impression of the vehicle. I have never been a lover of automatic parking brakes but with the Renault I did start to get used to it.

If you left it in Drive mode which on my automatic is my preferred choice and then gently squeezed the accelerator the brake automatically went off but with a bit of a jolt, so it was far better to tap the electric switch before you are ready to move off and this gave a much smoother result.

Renault’s well known key-less central locking and starting system is a bonus when you get used to it.

Women can leave the key in their handbag and men just leave it in a pocket and when you get within a certain distance of the vehicle it detects you and allows you to open the car.

You then drive away and don’t have to fumble anymore for keys or point things.

Toot toot!

When you move away from the car it gives a little reassuring toot toot almost like Mr Toad in Wind in the Willows poop pooping, just to let you know: “Excuse me you forgot to lock the car, I’ve done it for you”.

The driving dynamics are very good, the seats offered excellent support and getting a decent driving position was easy to achieve and the visibility was pretty good although rearwards was a little bit on the downside hence the need for the rear parking aids.

Four adults can be comfortably accommodated, five with a little bit of a squeeze. The vehicle is primarily a four-seater and don’t forget the sloping roof line will effect and reduce rear headroom in the back for six-footers like myself.

The huge front doors were heavy but did enable easy access to the rear seats because the front seats fold and slide forward quite effortlessly.

With a vehicle of this size you expect the boot capacity to be reasonable and it is and the rear seats have the advantage of being able to drop the back rests forward to allow for more bulky items.

Improved manoeuvrability

One particular feature on the Coupe specifically on the GT model is Renault’s four-control system, which improves manoeuvrability.

At speeds below 37 mph the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to those in the front enabling the vehicle to create a tighter turning circle and it makes it easier when you are trying to get in to that restricted parking space.

It amazed me, I had to visit the local train station car park and the Renault Laguna is a big vehicle but I was astounded by the tightness of its turning circle and a U-turn was done without effort whosoever.

When the speed lifts above 37 mph the rear wheels now decide that they will turn simultaneously but in the same direction as the front wheels and this really does give an extremely sharp and precise steering effect and enhances the driver pleasure.

Exceptional performance

In addition to a sharp, rewarding, handling vehicle you also have performance that is exceptional.

With the 3.5 litre engine it is possible to accelerate to 62 mph in a mere 7.4 seconds and if you feel like doing it and you are able to find a road on your holiday to do so it has a top speed of 151 mph.

However this performance as I previously mentioned comes at a price and 19 mpg for me is a little bit too high a price to pay.

If you like the look of what you see and, let’s be honest about it, who can fail to be impressed by the looks of this vehicle, then be prepared to pay from £20,585 for 150 bhp 2-litre diesel up to £26,910 for the Coupe GT with the 3.5 litre V6 engine which I had on test.

By Bob Hickman