Renault enters the Australian diesel passenger car market with a stylish new Laguna offering the highest levels of safety, comfort and dynamic driving in its class.

The Laguna 2.2dCi will spearhead Renault’s passenger car diesel campaign, which will grow over the coming months to include the Megane and Scenic models.

The first-generation Renault Laguna set a new standard in safety. New Laguna further advances this standard with improved active and passive safety features; it is equipped with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection and a more efficient braking system.

Laguna 2.2dCi also features all-new styling, illustrated by its new front design, advances in comfort and chassis modifications which result in improved dynamic behaviour.

In its original form, the 2.2dCi 16-valve direct injection common-rail turbo-diesel first appeared in the Renault Espace. Adapted for the Laguna, the 2.2dCi unit produces a maximum power output of 140 bhp at 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 320 Nm at 2,000rpm.

A smooth pro-active five-speed automatic matched to the high-torque output of the engine, provides the best balance between performance and economy.

Perceived and actual build quality lie at the heart of Renault’s approach. The standard of fit and finish has been further improved. With its use of richer materials, the new dashboard contributes to this trend.

From the user-friendly controls to the use of the most innovative technologies, everything has been planned for the traveling pleasure of the driver and passengers.

A new front design

Two objectives guided the choice of Renault’s designers and engineers: strengthen perceived quality and retain a dynamic appearance. The changes made to the Laguna mainly concern the car’s front design, which has been completely revamped. It now reflects the visual identity of the other models in the Renault range and includes a new one-piece component which integrates the front bumper and the grille. The bonnet line is shortened and convex, the new headlamps extend along the sides, and the Renault badge is now more vertical. The V-shaped air intake in its lower section renders the whole effect more dynamic. The bright finished trim strips emphasize elegance.

The rear lamp clusters, now translucent, bring depth and modernism by comparison with the previous version. As on Renault’s other recently introduced models, the Renault diamond now sits at the apex of a triangle whose base is formed by the Laguna badge.

Particular care taken over the cabin interior finish

One of the main aims was to meets the needs of customers when it comes to quality and achieve a significantly better quality of appearance. The Laguna 2.2dCi accommodates its occupants in a more refined atmosphere. Special focus was placed on perceived and actual build quality, underscored by the new design of the dashboard, with its new materials, the higher standard of fit and finish and new technologies.

The dashboard, featuring 70% of all-new components, is simple and user-friendly. The centre section has been completely revised to ease access to controls. The radio is better integrated and more flush-fitting installation in the panel. Housed in the base of the centre console, a new cubby-hole is ideal for accommodating small objects (keys, pens, mobile phones, etc). The centre elbow rest is now equipped with assisted opening.

Laguna 2.2dCi also introduces a new generation steering wheel and a moulding surrounding the upper part of the dashboard. This moulding contributes to the fluidity and the quality of the cabin interior finish. The trip computer information, appearing in the centre of the instrument panel, is displayed in the order of their level of priority. Three types of information are identified: status messages (in white), risk warnings (orange) and danger warnings (red). The aim of displaying textual messages or pictograms is to help and inform the driver without diverting attention from the road.

Myriad top-range features

Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with an assisted parking brake. It is automatically applied when the engine is switched off in addition to all the usual functions of a conventional handbrake, so often space-consuming and less ergonomic. When starting from rest, the parking brake is automatically released as soon as the necessary torque is applied to the driven wheels. A manual selector, situated to the right of the dashboard, provides all the functions of a conventional handbrake. It can be used, for example, to hold the car on a slope without switching off the engine. This assisted parking brake provides the double advantage of improved driving comfort and a more functional layout. In effect, it frees the space between the front seats for a central stowage space.

Laguna 2.2dCi provides the Renault card. This card provides several extra functions: manual locking and unlocking and external “see you indoors” illumination. The latter switches on the headlights for 30 seconds by a single push on a button.

Additional features found on the Laguna 2.2dCi include automatic operation of the headlamps and of the windscreen wipers via a rain sensor, plus there is cruise control and speed limiter, and automatic climate control with separate controls for the driver and front passenger.

In addition to the design changes and the new technologies installed, Laguna 2.2dCi benefits from noise reduction improvements to its powertrains and chassis.

High-performance

The new Laguna is equipped with a 2.2dCi 16-valve direct injection common-rail turbo diesel producing a maximum power output of 140 bhp at 4,000rpm and maximum torque of 320Nm at 2,000 rpm.

The latest generation of common-rail with variable-quantity injection pump delivers only the fuel quantity actually needed with an injection pressure of 1,350 bar.

The aluminium 16-valve cylinder head provides separate inlet ports for each valve. Through the action of a flow control valve, the degree of 'swirl' is controlled according to load and engine speed, by allowing more or less flow through one port compared to the other in each cylinder. This 'swirl' effect improves the mixture of air and fuel and ensures better combustion at low speeds. The valve gear with its 16 valves retains hollow camshafts and roller cam followers helping to reduce friction losses.

The engine is supercharged by means of a turbocharger with 'multi-vane' variable geometry, pneumatically controlled via a variable cyclic-ratio valve. Varying the angle at which the exhaust gas hits the turbine according to load and engine speed allows the variable-nozzle turbo to function as a small turbo with very low inertia and very short response time at low speed and load. At higher engine speeds it behaves like a larger turbo, allowing the engine to be pressure-fed. Thanks to the continuous variation of the vane position, the change in performance is progressive.

An EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve allows burned exhaust gas to be mixed with incoming air at medium speeds to reduce the formation of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), reducing emissions. In addition to the conventional catalytic converter, an oxidising pre-catalyst installed close to the turbocharger results in better emissions performance from cold.

Reduction of the amount of engine rattle when cold is achieved through pre-injection which allows combustion to take place progressively, avoiding too steep a rate of pressure rise. Balancer shafts, weighing only 7 kg and housed in the cylinder block significantly reduce the acyclic phenomena associated with the four-cylinder in-line layout.

To reduce fuel consumption, the engineers also improved the aerodynamics. Thus the SCd of Laguna is 0.030 lower and achieves a value of 0.620 with a Cd of 0.29. The installation of 40 mm high deflectors in the front wheel arches produced a gain of 0.010 in the SCd. The reduced area of the air intake and improved sealing of the front end delivered a saving of 0.015. Finally, some redesign of the area around the silencer resulted in a saving of 0.005 at the rear of the car.

A more dynamic chassis

The layout of the chassis is a determining factor in driving enjoyment. Especially demanding for a phase-two model, the product specification for 2.2dCi Laguna included two main points: provide the driver with more “feel” while maintaining a high level of comfort and improve the performance of both chassis and powertrain.

The Laguna uses MacPherson-type front suspension and an H-shaped torsion beam at the rear. These two systems proved themselves in terms of comfort and handling in the first-generation model. The changes made concentrate on better control of body movements for the sake of both precision of control and comfort, on all roads including poorly surfaced ones. This involved changes to the anti-roll bars and the damper settings. Rolls stiffness has been increased by the fitting or larger-diameter anti-roll bars, 20.5 mm instead of 19.5 mm at the front and 27 mm or 28.5 mm at the rear. The adoption of pressurised dampers at the front allows road irregularities to be more efficiently filtered. The new damper settings also ensure better body support during cornering. Finally, the Laguna 2.2dCi provides more feel, yet with less disturbing vibration.

SAFETY WITHOUT COMPROMISE

Renault provides an uncompromising level of safety. The objective is to capitalise on the performance of its predecessor, the first car in the world to achieve the maximum 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests. According to the Accidentology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Laguna achieves results which are well in advance of those from the previous model. The rapid development of protective systems, structures and active safety features (emergency brake assist and ESP) in the last 10 or more years has greatly contributed to a halving in the number of accidents and to diminishing the severity of injuries. Since its international launch in 2001, Laguna has also been half as often involved in fatal accidents as cars of the previous generation.

A complete passive safety system

Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection. This comprises close-contact head restraints at the front and folding supports in the back, a double pretensioner for the driver’s seat, 3-point safety belts for all seats, load limiters calibrated at 400 daN in the front and 600 daN for the rear side seats, anti-submarining provision for all seats and six airbags: two adaptive and two side thorax at the front and two curtain airbags for head protection.

Laguna provides improved protection for its occupants during a violent frontal impact. The improvements come from optimised calibration of the different airbag levels, to provide better energy absorption over a wider range of impact configurations. The Laguna is equipped with an adaptive airbag with three chambers and two gas generators. The first chamber has a small inflated volume of 45 litres for the driver and 90 litres for the front passenger (only one gas generator fires). The second stage involves larger volumes, 60 litres for the driver and 120 litres for the passenger (both gas generators fire). The third chamber operates internally and avoids any danger of burning by hot gas. It also ensures progressive reduction of the pressure in the airbag.

To protect the driver’s knees, Renault addresses the problem at the source. Thanks to the double pretensioner, the occupant is held firmly against the seat before movement can begin. Together with the load limiter, this arrangement controls and limits movement of the pelvis and the load imposed on the thorax; it prevents the occupant from picking up speed.

For front and side impacts, Renault engineers have worked on the inflation and deflation of the airbags involved; these extend the “bottom of the bag” limit in the event of high-speed impact.

A new-generation head restraint with integral adjustment appears in Laguna. It is notable for the fact that its support runners now slide within the head restraint rather than within the upper section of the backrest. This new head restraint improves the positioning of the back against the backrest and the support for and comfort of the head. Its adjustment is made easier by a new built-in control which avoids the need for driver contortion in use, and unrequired movements.

The performance of Laguna’s programmed-deformation structure has been retained. Thus the controlled sequence of collapse ensures that the front and back end components compact as much as possible while leaving the cabin space intact; the fold-away mounting of the brake pedal reduces the risk of injuries to the ankles; the use of padding and a passive-retraction steering column completes the work on the structure.

Active safety further improved

Since the launch of the prime-generation of Laguna in 2001, the braking performance of Laguna has been among the best in class. Laguna 2.2dCi improves and consolidates this position.

The car is fitted as standard in all its versions with ESP with understeer control. The system now takes into account the changes in the elasto-kinematics of the suspension and wear in the tyres. A new-generation ABS/ESP valve block (MK 60 P), with a built-in pressure sensor, a new processor and a new hydraulic block, also ensures optimum trajectory control system reaction.

Like its predecessor, Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with emergency brake assist, EBD, automatic illumination of the hazard warning lights during heavy braking, and large-diameter brake discs: ventilated 280 mm to 308 mm discs at the front, and plain 274 mm discs at the rear.

Additional Laguna News

27th October, 2006