THE Renault Laguna III Estate joined the mid-size European wagons such as the Citroen C5, Ford Mondeo, Peugeot 407 and Volkswagen Passat late last year, and like the other Europeans provides an interesting counterpoint to the Japanese wagons such as the Mazda6 and Subaru Liberty. Judging by appearances, the Estate is just the type of stylish wagon to appeal to those who have tired of bland SUV offerings and want to return to a more flavoursome chic European passenger wagon. Whether the Laguna offers a credible alternative to the more natural passenger wagon competition is the question.
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Laguna Renault Laguna Series 1
Released: March 2002
Ended: July 2003
Family Tree: LagunaUNDER Nissan Australia’s stewardship, Renault released its third model after the Scenic and Clio in early 2002. Initially, this second-generation Laguna hatch and wagon was offered only with a smooth and powerful 152kW/285Nm 3.0-litre V6 mated to a five-speed automatic gearbox, but a 99kW/191Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol unit – in four-speed auto or five-speed manual – joined the hatch range from September 2002. Sales started out healthily, especially as the Laguna was the world’s first ENCAP rated five-star crash-test performer, but its popularity soon waned as teething problems with reliability and sporadic dealer coverage issues reared their ugly heads. The Series II facelift from October 2006 was a single model, diesel-only hatch.
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