Renault Laguna Coupe

STORY TOOLS
Digg this	del.icio.us

FRANKFURT, Germany — When Renault unveiled its redesigned Laguna sedan, it also pulled the wraps off a stylish new Laguna Coupe Concept that appears to be directly inspired by the earlier Fluence concept.

When the Fluence made its debut three years ago, design boss Patrick le Quément suggested it would point the way toward Renault's future styling direction.

The Laguna Coupe, which is slated to reach production in another year, shares its platform with the Laguna sedan. Renault says the two-door, which is painted Aluminum White, is intended to appeal to "40-somethings who are passionate about automobiles and motorsport."

Design features include adaptive LED headlamps, scissors-style doors and an airy greenhouse with lots of flush-mounted glass.

As with any le Quément design, the Laguna coupe has a sumptuous cockpit, with sophisticated technology and many intriguing elements.

There are four asymmetrical seats; the front buckets slide and swivel to permit access to the rear. Materials are both rich and unusual. The roof, dashboard, central tunnel and lower door panels are covered with gray faux leather. Seats, door pillars, instrument cluster and central armrest are trimmed in leather, with copper and metal highlights and copper-colored stitching. The floor is covered with a contemporary, protective metal mesh.

Power is supplied by a new "clean" turbodiesel that will be shared with the 2010 Nissan Maxima. The 3.0-liter common-rail unit develops up to 265 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, depending on the application. In the Laguna Coupe, it is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than 7 seconds.

Ride and handling are enhanced by the new Active Drive chassis, which features four-wheel steering and 245/35R20 Michelin Pilot Sport tires on 20-inch alloy wheels.

What this means to you: The powerful influence of Patrick le Quément continues to permeate Renault design.