NEW RENAULT LAGUNA COUPE EXPERIENCE

This new Laguna Coupe is awesome. It is simply beautiful and sexy (especially from the back). It looks much better in the metal than in this picture. Taken from FLUENCE concept with minor modifications, we can say it looks as an Aston Martin.. nice.

see.. the best angle and most beautiful is from the rear

sexy.. even the cameraman loves to takes it rear pictures

the front also looks nice and contemporary, not the usual kind of vehicle

Just brought in Malaysia recently, it was launched and sold in Europe in last year. It is a 2+2 coupe, with the main function as a grand tourer rather than a sports car. This is a car that you buy with your heart and not with your head. It maybe not that practical with only 2 doors, quite limited space at rear seats for big adult, hgher maintenance due to its exclusivity and horrendous depreciation because of the badge and 2 door, but if you take that into account when you wanna buy this car, then it maybe you do not deserve to buy it. Simply, you buy it because you like it, that's all.

 "This is a car that you buy with your heart and not with your head."

DESIGN & EXTERIOR

Beautiful. That is the word suitable for this car. It is very well built, significantly better build quality than any Renault models previously. The design looks very beautiful, modern and well made. It is more beautiful from the rear rather than the front (my personal opinion). The front looks ok, but the back looks fantastic. The front headlamp is xenon while the rear is LED , which is automatic (or can be manual override). The twin exhaust at the back also looks sporty yet classy. It is simply the most premium line up models in Renault stable and you can just see it just by its exterior.

INTERIOR

    

Fit & finish is top notch, even nearly as good as its German rivals (BMW, AUDI, Mercedes). No cheap plastic here, all is premium. It feels premium, looks premium and have a premium price tag. The interior; dashboard, seats, linings, steering wheel , all of them are very well made, and feel can easily withstand 15-20 years of usual usage. Comes with premium leather seats (with electric adjustments), polished aluminium (not fake aluminium here) in the centre dash, climate control, keyless entry and start-stop, 6 speed auto gearbox with manual override, flat bottom steering wheel, cruise control, speed limiter, awesome BOSE sound system (with iPod and AUX input), etc. The list of goodies are vast and premium. One of my friend who drove this car recently just say " I just feel want to buy this car now".

"No cheap plastic here, all is premium. It feels premium, looks premium and have a premium price tag."

The rear seats is suprisingly comfortable for most Malaysian's sized people but 6' and taller, you will be cramped at the back and risking your head banging the roof. As the beautiful roof swooping down, it limits the headroom at the back. It can be tilted down for more boot space if needed, so it is quite practical actually. The seats can be remotely tilted down from 2 buttons inside the bonnet, so it is convenient when you want to fold the seat when putting some big items inside the bonnet without having to unlatch the seat from inside the cabin. It is more of a 2+2 rather than can seat 5 people. The centre rear armrest also can functions as cupholders. Not bad for a 2 door car.


ON THE MOVE



It feels tight, solid, comfortable but on the firmer side. This helps a lot on long distance driving whether on motorway or trunk roads or twisty roads but potholes and bad surface can give some minor vibrations inside the cabin. It corners also very good for a grand tourer, not as sporty as a sports car. Feels very natural and no drama on twisty roads. Simply superb comfort for its main role. Johor to Perlis (10 hours driving), my pleasure. That what differentiate a good European car and a good Japanese/Asian car here. It is the journey that counts, not the destinations. This car makes driving and seating in it a pleasurable experience. The balance of comfort, ride, handling, power, etc that differentiate a very good car and a normal car. I can say this is a very good car for its price in Malaysia. It do its job tremendously well which is a beautiful grand tourer.

Its 2.0 litre turbo engine with 170 bhp, 270Nm torque, 4 cylinder, 16 valve petrol engine; it will not set your heart racing but adequate enough for most its users and owners. It has that relax surge of power and torque that gives its nature of relax cruiser, but still some power to use with. Do not expect the Megane r26 or Subaru Impreza or Golf GTi performance. It has that relax character in it, driving at 145 kmh, the engine is at just 3000 rpm. A normal 2.0 litre car normally have about 20% higher rpm than this. Therefore, lower rpm means lower noise, relaxing engine and improve fuel consumption. Mated to its 6 speed auto sequential gearbox that is smooth and well sorted, it loves to drive you around and long distance travel.

"It is the journey that counts, not the destinations. This car makes driving and seating in it a pleasurable experience."




SAFETY, COMFORT 

my friend, Zainul driving the Laguna Coupe (and smiling) along the Ulu Yam road to Tanjung Malim. 

Laguna Coupe has the highest 5 star Safety Ratings by EURONCAP (well, most of Renault models have the most highest safety ratings now). for active safety (means = helps to avoid crash/accident) is well equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking), EBD (electronic brake distribution), EBA (electronic brake assistance), ESP (electronic stability control), ASR Traction Control (wow.. so many!) , not to mention its Passive Safety (means when accident is happening and cannot be avoided) , equipped with 6 airbags (dual volume adaptive airbags), double pretensioner seatbelts with load limiter, anti submarining seat, ISOFIX attachment, etc. It also has a system which shut down and cut the fuel supply to the engine if an accident or if the car turn turtle to reduce risk of burning or fire. Renault has taken active and passive safety very seriously and has the most models to gain the highest safety rating by EURONCAP in the world ( 5 model with 5 star EuroNCAP).

"..well equipped with ABS (anti-lock braking), EBD (electronic brake distribution), EBA (electronic brake assistance), ESP (electronic stability control), ASR Traction Control (wow.. so many!)"

Creature comfort is well taken care. The seat is awesome, just nice. Air-conditioning Climate control with individual settings for both driver and passenger, and two blowers for the rear occupants keeps you cool in our hot Malaysian sun. NVH (Noise, Vibration & Harshness) is also very well taken care of. It feels so quiet for a pillar-less door vehicle. Even driving at 120-140kmh, it feels very relax and you can still whisper to your passenger. The BOSE Sound system (with iPod connectivity) gives an outstanding performance with settings for settings your personal taste. Bluetooth connectivity also flawless. Cruise control and speed limiter helps for long distance driving and the latter to reduce speed tickets. As usual, the radio/audio, cruise control functions is controlled via fingertips at the steering (behind the steering actually for the audio functions). Keyless start stop is another plus features. Plus, the electronic tire pressure monitor will help to tell the owner/driver the optimum tyre pressure and whether need some more air or not for optimum performance and safety. What I can say, it will keep you comfortable for short, medium and long distance cruising.

Furthermore, with automatic bi-xenon headlamp with level adjustment, automatic wiper, automatic handbrake, automatic driving (the last one is a joke la.. he he), it improves comfort by many degrees. Nearly forgotten, the rear proximity sensor (rear sensor that beep beep), is also standard. Just wish that it has a rear reverse camera because it "buttocks" are quite high and quite tricky to reverse actually.



OWNING & MAINTENANCE
Owning an exclusive and premium 2 door car is a subjective topic. As said earlier, you buy with your heart and not with head. However, to be realistic, cost of ownership for this kind of car is quite higher than normal cars, so for general reference, here are the main rule (in Malaysia la)

• Budget RM4000-5500 / year for scheduled & non-schedule maintenance (depends on mileage)
• Expect it will depreciate 50% for the 1st 3 years and 55-65% for the 1st 5 years
• Prepare to get a lot of stares (not because of you but because of the car)

At the selling price of RM260,000 it is not cheap. However, compare it to it rivals, it is value for money.
- BMW 325i 2 door about RM380-420K (new)
- MERC CLK200 2 door about RM400K (new)
- Audi A5 2.0 tfsi  RM400k
- Peugeot 407 coupe ( not in Malaysia)
- VW Scirocco (this is a hot hatch actually) RM230K

VERDICT
A very well sorted 2 door long distance cruiser (GT), comfortable and beautiful.


LIKES
- simply beautiful and premium feel
- practical and rear space realistic
- safety, comfortable, relax GT (Grand Tourer)
- value for money (sort of)


DISLIKES
- firmness not good for bad road
- depreciation and maintenance may higher than normal

RENAULT ESPACE IV 2.0 (a) Turbo & RENAULT LAGUNA TEST DRIVE & OUR IMPRESSION

On a lovely Sunday, me & some of my friends gather to test two Renaults for some photo shoots and test drives; the premium MPV called RENAULT ESPACE IV 2.0(A) Turbo & the new lovely RENAULT LAGUNA COUPE 2.0T (a).

Firstly, many thanks to Mr.Azmi and his team from TC Euro Cars for their support and full cooperation.

We head to Hartamas, Gombak, Ulu Yam, Tanjung Malim and back to KL for some video and photo shots. Our night shots have to wait for next week due to time constraint.

Anyway, lets talk and share about the driving experience, people expectations and so on.

RENAULT GRAND ESPACE 2.0T (A) Mk IV

BRIEF HISTORY

The 1st model that Renault built it actually (previously, the body and final assembly is actually made by MATRA from Mk I to Mk III). Launched in France in 2003, imported  in Malaysia from 2008, priced at a premium RM290K+. Maintain the previous Espace concept of a premium 7 seater (2+3+2 layout) MPV, movable & detachable chair, big windows, big windscreen, airline dashboard, etc but added with some more power, better handling and improved safety.

DESIGN & EXTERIOR

Grand Espace (as it names suggest) is much longer than the standard version (about 1 feet), so you have more luggage space (normal issues in MPVs). Design is "hate it or love it" affair. IMHO, the previous model have better looking, the new version (not so new actually) looks more modern and muscular but a little weird in the front.

Size is actually not that big from the outside if you compare to other "luxury MPVs" in Malaysia such as Toyota Alphard, Estimas, Honda Elyssion or Nissan Elgrand. Inside it roomier but not that significant due to the bigger sized chairs. Inside is quite spacious , a little better than previous Espace but by a small margin. The big windows and the cockpit style dashboard gives it an airy feel and that spaciousness feeling. I can say the design is a little unique and non-conventional and it stands out of the crowd. As there are so many Estimas, Alphards, and other Japanese MPVs, the Espace is different.

As Renault is from France, they love being different.

 the design is a little unique and non-conventional and it stands out of the crowd. As there are so many Estimas, Alphards, and other Japanese MPVs, the Espace is different

INTERIOR

The dashboard is quite unique and vast compared to normal MPVs but if you are an owner of a previous Renault Espace III, all the controls and design will be right at home and will be familiar in no time. However, new drivers to this model will need to take about 1-3 days to familiarize its buttons and location of switches that are grouped; airconds on the right door, audio buttons behind the steering wheel, starter button and start card/key is low (near the gear stick). However, some positioning takes a while to familiarize and maybe the location of the buttons or switchgear is not suitable such as the cruise control/speed limiter on off is low below the right side of dashboard, hidden among other switches (lamp leveller), which can be dangerous if you try to switch it while on the move. The auto handbrake also was put on the same location, which is a little awkward to operate sometimes, IMHO put on the centre console or using of foot brake is more suitable.

"new drivers to this model will need to take about 1-3 days to familiarize its buttons and location of switches that are grouped"



All the plastics on the dashboard and other components inside it using much better plastics compared to previous Renaults and other Japanese/Korean vehicles. However, it does not have the same level of quality feel and fit & finish of the newer post 2009 models of Renaults (Laguna, megane) or its German rivals such as Audi or Mercedes yet.

Its vast & very big sunroof makes it feels special and spacious. It also come with curtain to stop heat to enter the Espace cabin.

The unit on the move. Looks different, feel different and priced differently.. he he

The centre digital speedometer concept was carried over from the previous Espace model started in 1997, then copied by other manufacturers

No, ESSO did not sponsor this blog. We are actually waiting for the Laguna coupe to be washed for photo shoot session. 

The buttons are placed quite uniquely here and there (but at its normal place for Renault Espace owners), but once you remember all the places and feel comfortable with it, you will feel or wonder why does other cars or MPVs was not designed like this, it just feel practical and easily accessible.. ha ha.

 

"buttons are placed quite uniquely here and there , but once you remember all the places and feel comfortable with it, will be ok"

The seats are semi leather and very comfortable in a firmer way. Firmer seats give better support for long distance driving to the body, but still very comfy. All the rear seats come with its own seat belts and can be slide, recline and detach individually. This seating positions configurations is preferred by most European MPVs (2+3+2) compared to Asia/Japan/Korean MPV (2+2+3) due to the MULTI PURPOSE function rather than the MULTI PEOPLE VEHICLE which is popular in Malaysia. As they do many DIY stuffs, this 2+3+2 helps with multiple configuration of seats and different size of loads, but you need to take away the seats and store it somewhere which is a disadvantage.

The party piece is its huge sunroof. The biggest for an MPV. It really helps for all the passenger to feel the space especially once the sunroof curtain is opened. The glass can also be opened, which is cool especially for the kids.


RIDE & HANDLING

The Espace on our favourite route (Ulu Yam - Batang Kali - Tg Malim). 

It did not look GRAND but looks sportier and quite compact if compared to its rival within its price range (RM295,000 without insurance)

Ride is comfortable but a little firmer compared to previous models. Handling aka cornering is significantly better than its previous versions and even compared to other models of MPVs in the market. Bad roads can send some vibrations inside the cabin due to its firmer suspension. On highway, it feels so planted and at home even at higher speed than the legal limit. It wins hands down compared to most of other Korean or Japanese MPVs in feeling very solid and secured.

"comfortable but a little firmer compared to previous models. cornering is significantly better than its previous versions"


SAFETY
5 star Rating from EURONCAP proves that this is a very safe MPV. It comes with 6 airbags as standard, ESP, ABS, EBD and ISOFIX for baby seat, not to mention pretensioner seat belts.

COMFORT
People buy Renault because of this. With rear airconds on every row as standard, it helps a lot in our hot climate. Seats are very comfortable especially long journey (but bulky & heavy if dismantle). Comes with climate control and its good actually. The extra space at rear helps a lot in luggage areas or if an adult need to seat on the last row.

RELIABILITY, DURABILITY & MAINTENANCE

We do not have database on this because it is sold in Malaysia since 2008 and most of the owners of this version did not yet share their experience on this matter yet. But we expect and hope the reliability record will be improved compared to the previous models, with better maintenance and reduced ownership costs.





CONCLUSION
If you or your friend which drives a Japanese or local cars, I believe his/her 1st impression os "WOW!! Like a spacecraft or spaceship.." this is what I got from many friends who get inside an Espace from this version or the previous version. It is simply an awesome MPV.

The improvement may not significant compared to the previous ESPACE III model it replaced, but from a non owner of a Renault Espace, it makes a lot of differences, and I believe most of them will appreciate its uniqueness.


VERDICT :
- design that is different from the masses of MPVs
- comfortable but a little firm suspension
- spacious, futuristic and quite expensive
- stick to most of previous Espace traits and tricks
- premium MPV with unconventional design
- seats bulky and comfortable but quite tricky to get inside/outside last row with all seats inside

OUR RATING
Design & Exterior = 3.5 out of 5
Interior = 4 out of 5
Ride = 3.5 out of 5
Handling = 4 out of 5
Comfort = 4.5 out of 5
Safety = 5 out of 5