With a powerful V6 engine...
With a powerful V6 engine and four- wheel drive, a spokesman told us: "It"s a car to test the market reaction to new design trends." That means features such as the triangular exhaust pipes and polished metal sills could make it to future Suzuki models, such as the Jimny or Grand Vitara.
Oval lights and the...
Oval lights and the pronounced ridge down the centre of the bonnet mark a departure from the sharp lines of Renault"s current styling philosophy. But they certainly add character and drama to the new Laguna"s nose. Another unique feature is the carefully sculpted front wings, which sport a curved line sitting above the rest of the newcomer"s waistline.
The mag"s pictures are likely to silence critics who expected the manufacturer"s stylists to take a more conservative approach to its next-generation cars following the failure of the Avantime. The coup탩/MPV was a brave move and stirred interest from design purists, but failed to find buyers. Interestingly, the Laguna appears to take its inspiration from Renault"s sister company, Nissan. The nose, with its winged grille, is remarkably similar to the current Primera.
Crucially, the Laguna is also the first of an all-new generation of family models to break cover on the pages of Auto Express. Expected to hit the road late in 2006, it will line up against new versions of cars such as the Ford Mondeo, VW Passat and Citroen C5.
Sharing a platform with the next Primera, the Renault will offer a choice of front and four-wheel drive. Gearboxes, likely to be developed in conjunction with Nissan, will give a choice of CVT auto and six-speed manual units.
Diesel engines, including the 1.5 and 1.9-litre dCi currently on sale, will be further developed for the top-selling versions. Large petrol engines such as the 3.2 V6 are likely to give way to hybrid powerplants as increasingly tough emissions regulations begin to bite in 2007. While the car in our picture is a hatchback, Renault will develop a new estate variant of the Laguna, too. As with the current machine, this is expected to be more of a sport tourer than an outright load-lugger, putting style ahead of practicality. Although dates for the introduction of the all-new machine are still vague, our spies report it could arrive in showrooms here by 2007.