French seduction
Only the French can pull it off in style and the Laguna Coupe is an excellent example
Beautiful exterior, high quality interior, amount of kit 
Non-linear power delivery, price, not as established as its more premium rivals The Renault Laguna Coupe’s mix of good looks and sorted drivetrain make it a worthy adversary to its established rivals
By Justin Lee
THE FRENCH JUST have their own distinctive way of doing things. Take Renault for example, the design of its last generation Megane hatchback looked anything but mundane with its avant garde lines inspired by the Avantime coupe. The latter was a car ahead of its time not only in terms of exterior styling but also execution, as it was conceived to be a large two-door coupe that had the flexibility of a large multi-purpose vehicle.
Predictably, nobody bought it – such is the sometime fate of those ahead of their time. But the recently introduced Laguna Coupe probably won’t go the same way, as it’s a stunner. Based on Laguna hatch but shorter, lower and wider, it has many recognisable design cues from the hatch but its exterior design is noticeably sharper.
As befitting its coupe tag, it has a sporty, low-slung profile and delicious looking rims that fill out the wheel arches nicely. The front looks like it came from an Aston Martin with its large single piece air-intake and the inspiration from the revered British carmaker continues with the muscular rear haunches that have more than a hint of DB9 about them.
Coupes are expected to perform and handle well and on both fronts the Laguna Coupe does not disappoint. The turbocharged 2.0-litre unit (shared with the Laguna hatch) makes a respectable 170bhp and is able to propel the car from 0-100km/h in 9.2 seconds. Top speed is rated at 220km/h.
The Laguna Coupe is quick off the line and overtaking manoeuvres are dispatched with ease. But the engine’s power delivery does frustrate a little as it is non-linear due to the slight hint of turbo lag that makes for abrupt acceleration. The six-speed automatic gearbox has silky smooth shifts and is intuitive as it learns your driving style and shifts gears accordingly. Handling is competent rather than exhilarating around the corners and body roll is nicely controlled. The steering is reasonably meaty but ultimately lacks feel, though.
Inside, the dashboard is exactly the same as the one in the Laguna hatch with no effort made to differentiate the two. This is a little disappointing really after all the lengths Renault has gone to distinguish the two visually. But at least everything in the interior is a paragon of quality and ergonomics. The plastics covering every surface feel supple to the touch and the buttons work with a pleasing tactility. All the major controls are well sited and fall easily to hand.
At $135,999 with COE, the Laguna Coupe commands a sizeable premium over its more practical hatchback brethren. It has plenty of kit like 18-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable driver and passenger seats and a superb sounding factory-fitted audio system. Still not convinced? There is hardly a car in the market at this price range now that has the Laguna Coupe’s combination of good looks, refined powertrain, competent chassis and high quality interior. It is hard to resist the seduction by this French car.
NEED TO KNOW
Renault Laguna Coupe 2.0 (A)
ENGINE TYPE 1,998cc, 16V turbocharged inline four
MAX POWER 170bhp at 5,000rpm
MAX TORQUE 270Nm at 3,250rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed automatic
TOP SPEED 220km/h
0-100KM/H 9.2 seconds
PRICE $135,999 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years/100,000km
CONTACT Wearnes Automotive
TELEPHONE 6471-3313