Laguna Coupe Concept: Elegance and Driving Pleasure

Renault has chosen the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil Laguna Coupe Concept, its vision of a top-of-the-range grand tourer Coupe. Intended for the discerning motorist, who understands performance, driving pleasure, and refinement, Laguna Coupe Concept successfully marries high-tech with high cool. Underpinned by the Four-wheel Active Drive chassis, its boasts a brand new V6 dCi powertrain developed as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Built on the same platform as New Laguna, Laguna Coupe Concept is a powerful, elegant affirmation of the long tradition of classic coupes. Rooted in its grand touring heritage, Laguna Coupe Concept embodies Renault’s vision of the sports Coupe.

The look and lines of Laguna Coupe Concept share a common bond with the Fluence concept car (2004). It is distinguished by its flowing, thoroughbred profile, emphasized by a long nose and very short rear overhang. Its aerodynamic crease lines rise from below the grille then powerfully up on to the car’s flanks, elegantly underlining the wings. The lines sweep on to the rear of the car, where they come together over the boot, underscoring the muscularity of car’s shoulders. The glazed area is highlighted by the pure arc of its rim.

The low, wide, robust aluminum grille is visually original and hints at a powerful engine behind it. This sense of power is further reinforced by the long, centrally-ribbed bonnet that springs straight from the world of Coupe grand tourers. Its front end houses two headlamp units that give it a haughty look as they stretch back along the front fenders.

Premiered on the Nepta concept car in 2006, the LED headlamps use a technology based on the reflection and propagation of light. The light beams from the main headlamps are reflected by crystal-shaped transparent blocks. The intensity and distribution of the light automatically adapts to the driving conditions. The two LED foglamps blend perfectly with this powerfully modelled front end.

The two frameless doors boast their own lights and open on to a totally original cabin. The scissor doors have dedicated Stabilus hydraulic door stays, which hold doors open at any angle. The door sills are ideally placed to help occupants ease themselves in and out of their seats. They bear the etched acronym ‘4RD’ (French for four wheel steering), which denotes the Active Drive chassis.

Laguna Coupe Concept’s cabin is exactly how the cabin of a high-end Coupe should be. The dash draws on the principal stylistic features of New Laguna, albeit in a more exclusive manner. With its soft, pure lines, it appears weightless and airy. The wave-shape of the central strip is the guiding theme, while two side vents close off a long air-conditioning strip that runs the entire width of the windscreen.

The Bose sound system was tailor-made for Laguna Coupe Concept. The ten speakers treat the four occupants to sound whose standards of quality and power are akin to the acoustic clarity of a concert hall: the perfect accompaniment to the sheer energy of Laguna Coupe Concept.