Test drive by Renault Laguna 2001 - 2005 hatchback

Beautiful Frenchwoman

In Russia, sales of Reno-Lagun II begin

The lagoon appeared in the Renault lineup in 1993, and in the fall of 2000 her second generation was shown. The body is a five -door hatchback and a station wagon, only the front drive. Equipped with gasoline engines 1.6; 1.8; 2.0; 3.0 liters or turbodiesels - 1.9 (three power options); 2.2 l. With gasoline motors and weaker diesel engines, five-speed mechanical (except 3.0 l) or four-speed automatic gearboxes, with powerful diesel engines, respectively, six- or five-speed boxes, are aggregated. Five levels of configuration are provided: Authentique, Expression, Dynamique, Privilege, Initiale.



The acquaintance began with the embarrassment: self -confidently sitting behind the wheel, I try to throw out the key to the key from the key fob - Eka Nonvidal, swimming, we know! - And I rummage with my eyes in search of the ignition lock. What the hell is this!? Neither the key nor the castle ... And only after finding somewhere in the ashtray a slot of the size of a keychain, I think - yes, here is a magnetic key! Yes, this is the last time I saw such on a luxurious limousine, at a price of $ 100 thousand. I inserted the key - the music sounded, the central display came to life; Slightly sent a card - on the instrument panel there were pictograms and the inscription Start. I pressed the button with the same inscription - silence ... Yeah, it is clear: the blocking of the starting when the transmission was turned on and the unexpressed clutch - it was smart Lagoon ... Having caught Renault from the new press garage, slowly heading along the embankment of the Seine to the center of Paris.
 
French machines, as a rule, are most popular in their homeland - most of one and a half million lagons released since 1993 were sold in France. Competition in the upper middle class (segment D) Ostra: if in 1995 the Laguna was the third in Europe in the number of sales (10.2%), then over the next four years it rolled into sixth place (7.2%). It is no accident that such a great importance is attached to the second generation of the machine: it is built on the new philosophy. It was decided to break the prevailing opinion about the station wagon as a household car - this is the traditional name Brik, single -rooted with a bike, replaced by a harmonious sport tourist.
 
On this, I’m going now - an elegant silver car spread along the road, there is no hint of universal heavyweight. Large 17-inch wheels on alloy disks seem to burst the wheel arches. Yes, and a two -liter engine provokes about one hundred and forty horses - not sound, no, it is just suddenly quiet - but perfectly pulls in the entire speed range, easily takes the car from the traffic light in front of the main stream and spins up to six thousand revolutions with excitement. However, the latter turned out already in the evening on the freeway. By the way: this unit is equipped with direct fuel injection into the cylinders, satisfies Euro IV norms and is not inferior in terms of economy with less powerful engines. But with the brakes you need to handle delicately: from touching the pedal, the body literally throws the safety belts - so intensively slowing down. Sports ambitions of Turuster, and even in the configuration, is confirmed by the ergonomics of the driver's seat. With the convenience of a thick one (it seems that the fingers barely converge on it) the steering wheel competes only the gearbox lever - I catch myself that I switch without need often to feel it in my hand once again.
 
On the opposite bank of the river, the famous creation of Gustav Eiffel appeared. It is curious that the tower built in 1899 at first caused the hostility of the townspeople, and Emil Zola called it the ugly brainchild of civilization. Where else to meet a French woman better, if not at the foot of this symbol of Paris! I go to the stones of the quiet pier: residential barges sway sleepily near the wall.
 
The beauty continues to surprise. Only now I noticed another small display: when the ignition is turned on, the inscription is displayed on the pressure and the pressure value in each wheel. On the left side - one ten more than on the right, in the expectation that only a driver drives in the car, as a rule. But the speedometer that is coming into fashion with a progressive scale and multibill -caliber digitization is puzzling for the first time. How good is the lever of the box, the handbrake is so inconvenient - it is to the right of the tunnel, and even bend towards the passenger. A slightly crowded shin of rounding of the massive central console.
 
Otherwise, the salon does not require adaptation: stylish, with wide comfortable seats, and soft head restraints of the original design are simply charm - they support the head more carefully than pillows! A person of medium dimensions in front is quite spacious: in the lower position of the chair you can sit if not in a hat, then in a bastard for sure. True, it is difficult to operate with the handle of lifting the chair in a narrow slit on the left is difficult - the door will have to open. At the back there is more than enough space in length and moderately - in height. There are many comfort elements that have become popular with the spread of mini-wen: a tray for small things under a passenger seat, a huge boxing box in the central armrest, stretching curtains on the rear windows, a case for glasses of the driver, additional containers in the doors, many different shelves.
 
However, the new name does not save the tourist from the duties of the station wagon - well, he is ready to carry them. A huge opening opens excellent access to a roomy cargo compartment, covered on top with a soft curtain. The back and seat are naturally cut and folding. And the castle of the fifth door is equipped with a servo. Actually, there are two locks: one opens only glass (to throw some trifle into the trunk), and the second - the entire door.
 
The next day, reluctantly - on duty, changed the silver Frenchwoman. Her sister ended up in a green hatchback cut dress, not so temperamental - a 1.8 liter engine - but with a richer dowry initial: here are xenon headlights, a navigator, and inflatable safety curtains, and much more. Incidentally, a very original solution has been used on the new lagoon - depending on the speed of the collision, a different number of pyropatrons and the driver’s pillow are triggered, due to the additional broken seam, is inflated to a smaller or larger volume. If we distract from the details of the secondary, the main differences between the hatchback only three: firstly, because of the sloping roof and the high-stlerus, the surveillance of the inner mirror is worse; Secondly, the smaller height of the salon behind - only the side passengers do not risk rising hairstyle, and the middle one, sitting on a high roller, does not raise their heads at all; Thirdly, the trunk is not so grandiose-a little shorter in length, smaller opening, the seat pillow is motionless, which is why the folding back does not form a flat platform.
 
However, there were also advantages - the hatchback was more assembled on the road, or rather reacts to the actions of the steering wheel. I did not like too bright displays - they cut their eyes in the dark. And the navigator was completely surprised - with the inclusion of dimensions, the image on it became negative. The background of light gray, almost white turned into black! In the evening, you can get used to it little by little (although the displays on the dashboard are all the same bright white!), But in the afternoon, when you dive into the tunnels, this kaleidoscope is annoying.
 
It's time to part with the French. It is a pity, with one of them I would not mind making a longer acquaintance. Moreover, she has every chance of becoming Miss Car 2002.
 

Renault Laguna II Sport Tourer 2.0 16V
(in brackets - different data of the hatchback 1.8 l)
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1370 (1315) kg; total mass - 1920 (1865) kg; maximum speed - 210 (203) km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 9.9 (10.7) s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 6.0; 10.5 (6.1; 10.0) l/100 km; fuel supply - 70 liters; Fuel is unhealthy gasoline AI -95. Dimensions, mm: length - 4695 (4576); width - 1772; height - 1443 (1429); base - 2748; Front track/back - 1525/1480; Road clearance - 120; trunk volume - 475/1500 (430) l; The radius of rotation is 5.7 m.
Engine: gasoline, four -cylinder, in order, with direct fuel injection into the cylinders (with multi -point injection), two camshafts in the head, adjustable phases of gas distribution, four valves per cylinder, is located in front of the front; working volume - 1998 (1783) SMZ; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 82.7x93.0 (82.7x83.0) mm; compression degree - 10.0 (9.8); Power - 103 (85) kW/140 (120) l. With. at 5500 (5750) rpm; The maximum torque is 200 (170) N.M at 4250 (3750) rpm.
Transmission: front wheel drive; gearbox - mechanical five -speed; Transporting numbers: I - 3.72; II - 2.05; III - 1.39; IV - 1.10; V - 0.90; h. X. - 3.55; The main program is 3.89 (4.09).
Suspension: a spring with stabilizers of the transverse stability, in front - such as McEferson, collected on a subframe; Behind - longitudinal levers connected by an elastic transverse beam.
Brakes: disk with an amplifier and ABS, in front - ventilated.
Steering: rheck with an amplifier. Tire size: 225/45R17 (205/55R16).
 

+The traction and economical motor (2.0 l), powerful brakes, excellent sound insulation, high level of equipment, convenient controls, comfortable head restraints.

-Al the height of the rear of the cabin near the hatchback, the lighting of the devices is unsuccessful.
 

SUMMARY
Functionality and elegance are quite compatible concepts. A convenient and comfortable car offers a little more than is customary in the classroom.

The F5R two -liter engine is the first in Europe with the direct injection of gasoline into the cylinders.

The external characteristics of the F5R 2.0 IDE motor.

The ignition is turned on with a magnetic card (below), and the engine is launched by the Start Stop button (left). The advanced lid hides an audio system from prying eyes.
The display shows the pressure in the wheels. The progressive speedometer scale requires addiction.
 
Text, photo / Yuri Nechetov
 
 
 

 
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"