KEY POINTS:
When it comes to cars, you could say "rare" is a positive spin on "unpopular". In which case you might argue that Renault is one of the most rare brands in New Zealand.
Even limp-along makes like Skoda and Fiat outsold Renault last year (149 registrations, if you must know). And larger models, like the Laguna mid-sizer, are among the rarest of all Renaults around here.
What's new? Everything! The all-new Laguna was launched in Europe this year, in everything from a five-door hatchback to a sleek coupe. But newly appointed New Zealand Renault importer, Motorcorp Distributors Limited (MDL), has elected to keep things very simple with just a single Laguna model: a $54,990 wagon with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission.
The company line "The Laguna Wagon 2.0 dCi auto will provide an alternative for executive car buyers who don't want a Japanese brand and who cannot justify the extra expense of a German marque."
What we say So it's neither one thing nor the other? MDL's insistence on emphasising what the Laguna isn't is inevitable given the marque's worryingly low status in New Zealand.
But it is good value and it does work well as a family express. Nor is there any need to be scared of the way it looks: after the styling excesses of the Megane hatchback, the Laguna is almost conservative.
So where does it really fit in? At the end of the day, all you need to know is that the Laguna is exactly the same price as a Peugeot 407 SW HDi. Funny that.
On the road The diesel sounds a bit gruff but the Laguna is a genuinely good drive. The 2.0-litre engine has a lot of torque - 340Nm at just 2000rpm - and the six-speed automatic shifts smoothly. It's a stable companion on tight backroads, which is as it should be - because the ride is a lot more firm than you might expect from a French wagon.
Nice practical touches, too: you can flip the rear seats down from behind the car via a special lever and the tailgate has a separate-opening glass section. Build is outwardly impressive - lots of soft-touch plastics and solid switchgear - although the card-key on our test car was broken and there was an annoying rattle somewhere in the inner-workings of the dashboard.
So what's stopping you? This is a nice wagon: swish looking, nicely executed and economical. Theoretically it ticks all the boxes. Except it's a Renault which, although a major player in Europe, remains a marginal brand here. So it's only for those who do not fear depreciation and the occasional broken bit of plastic.
