2009 Renault Laguna Coupe Black Edition Review

Following the success encountered in France by the Black Edition limited editions of New Laguna Hatch and Estate, Renault has decided to extend this attractive series with the introduction of a coupé version. In addition to its distinctive looks, Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition features a comprehensive equipment package.

The latest addition to the Black Edition family is powered by the dCi 150 engine and is based on the Laguna Coupé equipment package. Like the Hatch and Estate versions, it delivers unrivalled driving pleasure for its price, which is €29,500 in France, and order books open this month.

Racy, head-turning looks
Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition's flowing, uncluttered lines express a blend of elegance and timeless beauty, while the nicely balanced proportions of the Laguna line-up's most recent addition and flagship version suggest refinement and power. The front-end styling features the dynamic cues of the Black Edition GT Look Pack, and the waistline continues the model's distinctive appeal along its flanks to the rear which features hallmark design and lighting signatures thanks to a particularly short overhang and broad, slim LED-based light clusters. The standard twin exhaust tailpipes point to the efficiency of the quiet, smooth, fuel-efficient dCi 150 engine. Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition sits squarely on its 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels and instantly stands out from the rest of the range thanks to a choice of three metallic body colours, while the interior is based on the same features as the two other body types.

The quality of the materials and finish inside the car is immediately apparent, and the harmoniouslyappointed cabin exudes an unmistakable sense of well-being. For optimal comfort, the design and positioning of all the controls and displays are particularly occupant-friendly, while the colours of the warp and weft upholstery are carried over to the rest of the cabin, notably at the rear, to produce a reassuring and protective 'lounge' effect.

The sound spatialization of Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition's standard 3D Sound by Arkamys® audio system delivers an exceptional three-dimensional sound experience.

An exclusive equipment package for its price
Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition dCi 150 is attractively priced at €29,500 (which is €4,250 less than the entry level version) and order books open across the sales network in France this month. With this unique and mouth-watering core range series now available in Hatch, Estate and Coupé form, Renault Laguna Black Edition has every intention of building on the promising start it has enjoyed so far this year. The hatch version's CO2 emissions performance (130g/km) qualifies it for the French state's €200 eco-bonus, while the country's 'trade-in for scrap' rebate of €1,000 '“ to which Renault makes an additional contribution '“ can bring the price of Laguna Hatch Black Edition down to just €20,600 in April.

Reassuring driving pleasure
New Renault Laguna is robust and reliable and, from launch, stood out among the very best models in its segment in terms of product and service quality. Indeed, customers were swiftly won over by its threeyear/150,000km warranty and build quality. Powered by the smooth, quiet and responsive dCi 150 engine, which drives through a six-speed manual gearbox for class-topping performance and motoring enjoyment, Laguna Coupé (157g of CO2/km) is one of the few coupés which do not qualify for an ecosurcharge (in France) for a car of this level of performance. Meanwhile, its favourable combined-cycle fuel consumption of 6.0 litres/100km gives it a theoretical range of more than 1,000km. Driving pleasure is further enhanced by its precise, responsive chassis and steering, as well as by its comprehensive equipment package. In addition to the fundamental features expected of a model from this segment (dualzone automatic climate control, ABS/ESC, automatic headlamp and windscreen-wiper activation, cruise control with speed limiter, Bluetooth® telephony and 3D Sound by Arkamys radio-CD/MP3), Renault Laguna Coupé Black Edition also comes with the third-generation Renault card, bi-Xenon lighting, headlamp washers and rear parking proximity sensors.