Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £20,629 to £27,417
Smart looks, 4-wheel steering's added agility, V6 diesel's refinement.
Not that engaging to drive, steering lacks feel.
Renault Coupe majors on style but lacks the ultimate handling edge over the competition.
Glamour was always a weak point for the Renault Laguna. The French brand concentrated on improving the reliability and quality for so long it forgot to do anything about the looks.
Enter the new Coupe. With the quality sorted, Renault finally gave its designers free reign to inject some style into the Laguna. It's about time.
An unmistakable Aston Martin influence means that it's a success when viewed from the rear three-quarters, but the Coupe isn't the stylistic slam-dunk we hoped for. The regular Laguna's nose carries over to the Coupe, and the standard 18" wheels seem lost in the huge wheelarches. But it's a far better effort than the ugly hatch.
Four engines are initially available with the Coupe. There are 148bhp and 178bhp versions of the firm's diesel 2.0, an all-new 232bhp 3.0-litre diesel V6, the 202bhp 2.0 petrol turbo and a detuned version of the petrol 3.5-litre V6 that powers the Nissan 350Z.
To sharpen up handling, the range-topping GT models gain the 4Control four-wheel steering that made its debut on the Laguna GT Hatch and Sport Tourer earlier this year.
The Laguna Coupe begins at £20,995 and stretches to £27,995. It therefore undercuts the Peugeot 407 Coupe and BMW 3-Series Coupe on pricing, but can it outdrive its more prestigious rivals?
