Renault Laguna Coupe GT 2.0 Turbo 205

May 3 2009 Jonathan Smith

THE coupe was consigned to the grave the best part of a decade ago - replaced by a trend towards SUVs, hatches and roadsters.

Or was it? After the demise of mini-greats like the Ford Puma, flashy Celica and Scirocco, we are now seeing a renaissance. And guess whatthe racy VW is back with us, and it's even kept its name.

One of the VW's main rivals is the recently launched Renault Laguna Coupe, a four seater based on the bread-and-butter saloon and aimed at the driver who wants to stand out from the crowd but isn't willing to lose out too much in accommodation or economy.

In usual Renault style, there's a multi-choice of engines including petrol and diesel, four cylinder and six-pot.

The 2.0 turbo petrol GT I drove fits around centre of the range and comes in at £24,960.

For a coupe, which is almost always dearer than its saloon variant, to work it must look striking. And this one does, particularly from the hind-quarters where it has an unmistakable Aston Martin appearance about it which can't be a bad thing.

The front, though bearing a few Laguna hallmarks, is quite rakish with its deep slatted grille and faired-in headlights. Overall, the effect is impressive and pleasing.

It could have been a hatchback but in the interests of strength and rigidity, designers have opted for a conventional boot which though roomy enough with 420-litres of cargo space, has a narrow opening.

The engine may only be a two-litre but with the help of turbocharging it pumps out a useful 205bhp giving it a top speed of 147mph and acceleration to 62mph in 7.8 seconds. As a point of perspective that's less than half a second slower than 3.5-litre V6 version.

Economy is about average with a combined figure of 34.5mpg - about 22 percent better than the V6. In real terms expect around the 30 mark, which was my average.

The Coupe feels far more nimble than the saloon, partly thanks to its stiffer body and also due to the GT being fitted as standard with Renault's version of four-wheel steering called 4Control which allows the back wheels to steer against the front ones up to a speed of 37mph. After that the back wheels steer the same way as the front. It may sound strange, but it really does work and allows better manoeuvrability around town and improved stability at high speeds. Sudden lane changes are completed more securely too.

So that vital element of sportiness is present along with substantial performance. However, the sharp handling isn't matched by a fluid and compliant ride. It tends to bridle at poor surfaces and passes on too many road imperfections to its occupants, although roll angles are well checked.

Renault has tried hard to differentiate the cabin details from the standard model with well finished switchgear, a flat bottomed, leather trimmed steering wheel and flashes of aluminium-look plastic - not so effective.

Renault doesn't lack any experience in the coupe market - remember the Fuego and more recently the radical Avantime - so it's good to see the firm back in the sector offering their own interpretation of a fast reviving style.

FAST FACTS

Renault Laguna Coupe GT 2.0 Turbo 205

Price: £24,960

Mechanical: 205bhp, 1,998cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox

Max speed: 147mph

0-62mph: 7.8 seconds

Combined mpg: 34.5

Insurance group: 17

CO2 emissions: 194g/km

BiK rating: 26%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 100,000 miles