Renault Master E-Tech Reviews

The Japanese and the Koreans hold sway in the small car segment, they have done for years, but there are now also a number of European brands, like Renault, fighting for a share of the highly competitive market.Renault returned to the market in its own right in 2001, but prior to that it had a somewhat chequered history under the control of independent importers.If you were to turn the clock back 30 years ago you’d find Renault was a well respected brand with a loyal following, but that was eroded through the ’80s and ’90s when it stuttered and stumbled along and lost the confidence of the market. Buyers could never be really sure their dealer would be there when they next took their car in for service.With that background Renault had plenty of ground to make up when it stepped in and took over the distribution of the brand itself in 2001.It hasn’t set the world on fire since it did take back control; instead it has gone along quietly without much fuss as it has worked to rebuild the brand in the eyes of the market.MODEL WATCH The Clio was a small hatch that was given a tough task when Renault launched it against the heavyweights of the small car market in a category that was traditionally price driven.To succeed Renault had to convince buyers that it was worth paying a little more for the features and refinement of a European brand.The problem for Renault was that the mostly Japanese competition had lifted their game considerably and brands like Mazda and Honda were selling some pretty hot little cars.But the Clio had plenty to offer anyone who cared to take a closer look. It was an attractive looking little car with a dash of French flair that made it stand out from the Japanese crowd; it was packed with plenty of features and was a fun little car to drive.The company first hit the market in 2001 with a handful of hot 2.0-litre Clio Sport three-door models to help kick-start the brand with a sporting image.They were followed a few months later by a facelifted model, and with that came the full range.There were three and five-door hatches, with three levels of equipment, and a number of limited edition models that came with a few extra features.Engine choices were 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre, but the 1.4-litre was the only one available with an automatic transmission.The engines were all double overhead camshaft units and willing little things if you were prepared to rev them.At the entry end of the range the 1.4-litre engine put out 72 kW at 6000 revs along with 127 Nm at 3750 revs.The 1.6-litre delivered a little more power and torque, with 79 kW and 148 Nm respectively, but it was the 2.0-litre that really provided the thrills with 124 kW and 200 Nm.The 1.4-litre auto Expression five-door hatch kicked off the range in style by winning the trophy for the best small car in the 2002 ‘Australia’s Best Cars’ award.When stacked up against other small cars it was well equipped with standard features like air, adjustable steering wheel, power front windows, six-speaker sound system with cassette player, remote central locking and an engine immobiliser.Step up to the five-door Privilege or three-door Dynamique and you got the 1.6-litre engine and a five-speed manual gearbox. You also got the extra comfort of climate control air, a trip computer, lumbar adjustment for the driver’s seat, and a CD player.At the top of the range was the fun-filled Sport three-door hatch that boasted the 2.0-litre engine. Light and powerful the Sport delivered high performance with go-kart like handling and powerful braking power courtesy of its disc brakes on all four wheels.The lesser models were more biased towards ride and quiet comfort, but still handled well if not quite as direct and precise as the Sport.Being small there isn’t heaps of room inside the Clio. It was fine for those sitting in the front that enjoyed a comfortable time in supportive seats, but those in the rear found themselves a little cramped.IN THE SHOP The Clio is mostly reliable without any major problems.Those problems it does have tend to be fairly minor ones, like electrical faults, warning lights staying on, and sometimes difficult starting.Other than those there can be the odd oil leak around the engine.The engines have a cam timing belt that requires changing at 100,000 km and it’s important that it is changed. A breakage can lead to major internal damage to the engine that’s expensive to repair.It’s also worth checking where you will get your Renault serviced as there aren’t as many dealers around as there are for other makes. The big cities are pretty well covered, but the country isn’t.IN A CRASH The Clio is pretty well equipped to handle a crash. All models had dual front airbags, along with the dynamic safety of ABS antiskid brakes and emergency brake assist.ESP was added to the Sport in 2003.AT THE PUMP Premium is the recommended fuel for all Clio models.The 1.4-litre models should return 6-8 L/100 km, the 1.6-litre 7-9 L/100 km, and the 2.0-litre Sport should get 8.5-10 L/100 km depending on how hard it’s driven.OWNERS SAY Tony Muir replaced his 2002 VW Polo, which he describes as a disaster, with a 2003 Renault Clio Expression Verve 1.4. He reckons the Clio was a great little car. The upsides, he says were the road holding and braking, which made him feel safe, the French style, the interior, firm supportive seats, and good-sized boot, and the fuel economy. The downsides were the noise through the gears, the sluggish acceleration, the lack of rear seat room and low roofline that cramped the rear seat passengers. Tony also had the expensive misfortune to break a timing belt at four years and six months when the car had done 67,000 km. It did considerable internal damage to the engine and he says owners should be aware of the potential consequences of not changing the belt.THE BOTTOM LINE Sweet driving hatch with French flair, but lacks interior room and comprehensive dealer network.RATING 70/100

The winners are undoubtedly the eight members of FOTA and especially the driving force behind the breakaway series – Ferrari.The big loser: Max Mosley, who has agreed to not stand for re-election and whose current duties will be taken on by Michael Boeri (current President of the FIA Senate). Flavio Briatore may also consider he has lost out to some degree, as he was considered a front runner to fulfil the role currently held by Bernie Ecclestone within the breakaway series. Ecclestone is undoubtedly relieved and would have played no small part in Mosley’s backdown.Mosley’s budget cap has been scrapped and the FOTA teams have now agreed to sign a new Concorde Agreement to the end of 2012.The proposed 2010 regulations have also been scrapped and the car will now use the existing regulations with some small changes to allow a move to cost-cutting of a much lesser degree.We will publish the full press details when they become available.Full list of Teams below – which now comprises 26 cars on the gridTEAM                        SCUDERIA FERRARI MARLBORO                     VODAFONE McLAREN MERCEDES     BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM                           RENAULT F1 TEAM                                       PANASONIC TOYOTA RACING                     SCUDERIA TORO ROSSO                              RED BULL RACING                                           AT&T WILLIAMS                                         FORCE INDIA F1 TEAM                            BRAWN GP FORMULA ONE TEAM            CAMPOS META TEAM                         MANOR GRAND PRIX                           TEAM US F1                                         

After a lengthy meeting last night to discuss the FIA’s compromise offer, all eight teams comprising FOTA have voted to set up the new breakaway series that has been threatened for the past year.Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, BMW, Sauber, Toyota, Brawn, Red Bull and Scuderia Toro Rosso have decided they cannot accept the compromises offered by Max Mosley and are now preparing for the establishment of the breakaway series.The implications of this decision are obviously massive, the establishment of a new series is a substantial undertaking and the logistics of the current Formula 1 series is simply the largest for any sport in the world. FOTA now have to go from ground zero to that scale in far less than a year.After the recent announcement of the three new teams to enter the F1 Championship – Campos Grand Prix, Manor Grand Prix, Team US F1 -- it leaves just Williams and Force India as the established teams in F1.Williams use a Toyota-sourced engine and Force India the Mercedes unit. Depending on the individual contracts, these two teams may find they will need to move to the Cosworth unit that the new entries will be using.Lola recently also announced it had withdrawn its request for entry into the F1 series, and given that within the statement issued by FOTA after the meeting that they will actively encourage other teams, we may yet see Lola and Prodrive/Aston Martin racing against Ferrari in a Grand Prix series.Bernie Ecclestone has issued a warning saying that he will actively sue any breakaway series that tries to sign TV rights.The battles are about to commence… unfortunately for some time they will be fought in the courtroom.Official FOTA Press ReleaseDate:19 June, 2009FOTA UNITED ON THE FUTURE  Silverstone, 18 June 2009 - Since the formation of FOTA last September the teams have worked together and sought to engage the FIA and commercial rights holder, to develop and improve the sport.Unprecedented worldwide financial turmoil has inevitably placed great challenges before the F1 community.  FOTA is proud that it has achieved the most substantial measures to reduce costs in the history of our sport.   In particular the manufacturer teams have provided assistance to the independent teams, a number of which would probably not be in the sport today without the FOTA initiatives.  The FOTA teams have further agreed upon a substantial voluntary cost reduction that provides a sustainable model for the future.Following these efforts all the teams have confirmed to the FIA and the commercial rights holder that they are willing to commit until the end of 2012.   The FIA and the commercial rights holder have campaigned to divide FOTA.  The wishes of the majority of the teams are ignored. Furthermore, tens of millions of dollars have been withheld from many teams by the commercial rights holder, going back as far as 2006. Despite this and the uncompromising environment, FOTA has genuinely sought compromise.It has become clear however, that the teams cannot continue to compromise on the fundamental values of the sport and have declined to alter their original conditional entries to the 2010 World Championship.These teams therefore have no alternative other than to commence the preparation for a new Championship which reflects the values of its participants and partners.  This series will have transparent governance, one set of regulations, encourage more entrants and listen to the wishes of the fans, including offering lower prices for spectators worldwide,   partners and other important stakeholders.   The major drivers, stars, brands, sponsors, promoters and companies historically associated with the highest level of motorsport will all feature in this new series. 

And there is likely to be more of it so with all the top resorts reporting big falls of crisp fresh white stuff, enthusiasts are dusting of their ski gear and talking snow talk.Carsguide this week takes a look at some of the newer off-roaders and others we think are some of the more desirable partners in snow.NISSAN DUALIS Price: From $28,990IT is a big seller overseas, but the compact Dualis has been slow to take off with buyers here.But it is a competent snow companion. It's not too big, nor too small, has composed on road manners and reasonable soft-road ability.In keeping with the current crop of smaller off-roaders, the Dualis has a wagon-style design, upright driving position and cabin that will swallow a decent amount of gear.The rear seats split fold 60/40 and the four-wheel drive system has a lock function that splits drive 50/50 front and rear when the going gets tough at lower speeds.The Dualis is powered by a 102kW/198Nm 2.0-litre four that delivers acceptable, but not outstanding performance.The Ti gets standard stability control, six airbags and heated leather front seats.Tick: Compact styling.Cross: Still relatively unknown. VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN Price: From $33,990THE Tiguan is essentially a grown up Golf and takes on all the attributes of its smaller brother, adding all-wheel drive into the mix with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol or turbo-diesel engines.It's slightly longer than the Golf and comes with the 4Motion Haldex all-wheel drive system.There is no low range but the Tig will get you out of most trouble in the snow.One of the impressive things about this off-roader is its handling. Anyone familiar with the Golf will be perfectly at home.Like all VW's the Tiguan is well equipped and gets standard stability control, six airbags and optional hill-descent system.Roof rails are standard and you will need them for a luggage pod because boot space is limited. However, the rear seats do fold almost flat. If you specify leather, the front seats are heated.Tick: Badge and handling.Cross: Luggage space and firm ride. SUBARU FORESTER Price: From $30,990LIKE the previous model, the Forester is a top seller and popular among skiers.The new-generation wagon answers the criticism of limited luggage and rear seat legroom by being bigger and even more practical.However, by growing 90mm in wheelbase and up in overall size the Forester has lost some of that on-road precision that marked the previous model as a standout. Some aspects of the cabin, like the dashboard execution, are not of the quality we expect from Subaru either.Pluses are its size and 2.5-litre boxer four cylinder engines. Subaru build quality is generally good too, as is the constant all-wheel drive system.The Forester has a five-star crash rating and raft of safety features that includes anti-skid brakes, stability control and brace of airbags. Manual Foresters get hill-start assist, which stops the car rolling backwards while first gear is engaged.Tick: It's a Subbie.Cross: Soggy SUV feel. RENAULT KOLEOS Price: From $29,990TO dismiss the Koleos as just a French car over the top of Nissan mechanicals is missing the point.The Koleos is well executed, solid and safe. It has six airbags, stability control and hazard lights that come on after an emergency stop.The "All-Mode 4x4i" all-wheel drive versions also get hill-start assist and hill-descent control.In auto mode, the torque split between the front and rear is automatically determined by the amount of available grip.Entry models are two-wheel drive while all-wheel drive buyers get a choice of the smooth Renault-sourced 2.0-litre dCi turbo diesel or 2.5-litre Nissan-sourced petrol four cylinder.There's plenty of room. The rear centre armrest is removable to allow skis to be pushed through and there are storage bins under the front seats and rear floor.Like the Tiguan, the range topping models with leather get heated front seats.Tick: Better looking than an X-Trail.Cross: Renault badge. AUDI Q5 Price: From: $59,900IT seems that just about any vehicle Audi launches at the moment is a sellout.The Q5 is one of them.Smaller than a Q7, the Q5 has the same off-road attributes in a smaller sharply styled package with good luggage space via the 40/20/40 split rear seats and optional cargo barrier that separates luggage.Two petrol and two turbo diesels are available and the S-tronic seven-speed gearbox contributes to good fuel figures.Audi's permanent quattro all-wheel drive system splits torque 40/60 front and rear, which gives the car relatively neutral handling.For those looking for something bigger, there's the A6 Allroad and the Q7.Unfortunately Audi is becoming just like its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz when it comes to equipment.Tick: Space and diesel.Cross: Expensive options. FORD TERRITORY Price: From $39,490THE Territory has just undergone a recent update to bring it into line with the rest of the Ford range.However, the cabin remains largely the same, and that's not a bad thing. It's good for a family and has seven-seater capacity.The Territory's cabin is well thought out and there is lots of storage space.Buyers have a choice of four AWD models or three rear-drive models.Stability control is standard, as are four airbags and anti-skid brakes.The TS and Ghia four-wheel drive models get seven seats as standard. Mum and Dad will also appreciate the standard DVD player in the Ghia.The reversible rear-load floor and compartment for storing wet items is handy.Tick: Practical and good looking.Cross: Getting on despite update. VOLVO XC60 Price: From $57,950THE XC60 is one of the best handling Volvo wagons around and one of the most attractive.The new City Safety feature is more than just a gimmick. The system applies the brakes if you are about to rear-end another car in low-speed situations up to 30km/h.Other Volvo strengths are the lane change warning system and blind-spot warning system. Volvo seats are renown for their comfort. 40/20/40 split rear seat is practical.There is a choice of either the 2.4-litre D5 turbo-diesel, which is about to be upgraded to a twin-turbo for better economy and efficiency, or the 3.0-litre turbo petrol six.Tick: Styling and equipment.Cross: Rattly diesel. LEXUS RX350 Price: From $81,900.THE RX350 has grown slightly, which translates into more interior room.This wagon, like all Lexus models, is packed with equipment that is optional on its rivals like satellite navigation, power rear hatch and rear reversing camera.The Sports Luxury gets active headlights that follow the curve of the road, plus a heads-up display.The safety package consists of stability control with cooperative steering function (VSC+), traction control, anti-skid brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist.There is also, hill-start assist, 10 airbags and a first-aid kit.The rear seats split 40/20/40 and there is a wet-storage area in the luggage load floor. Thule luggage pods are also available.Tick: Standard equipment.Cross: Looks bloated. MAZDA CX9 Price: From $51,990It looks big and feels big but once under way, the CX9 shrink-wraps around you.It's well sorted on the road, has a host of safety gear and with seven seats, has plenty of room for the family.The cabin quality is better than the CX9 too.The 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 has plenty of poke but slurps petrol like a celebrity lining up for a free drink during Melbourne Cup week.The 60/40 split fold rear seats can be released from the luggage area.Tick: Rear seating, quality.Cross: Fuel economy. TOYOTA PRADOPrice: From $48,600THE Prado is the ideal family load-lugger if you need serious space and room for the family.It comes with eight seats and long-range fuel tank of 180 litres.The full-time 4WD system has a low-range setting for heavy off-roading.However only the higher spec Prados get standard stability control, anti-skid brakes, hill-descent control and six airbags as standard so it pays to check the fineprint.GXL, VX and Grande buyers get foglights and roof rails with satellite navigation and height-adjustable air suspension standard only on the top-of-the-range Grande.Tick: Standard and GX lack standard safety gear.Cross: Clunky styling. NISSAN MURANO Price: From $45,990THE previous-generation Murano was a sleeper.In a lineup dominated by the Navara and Patrol, it never really stood out other than a competent family wagon and its soft curves alienated many potential buyers.But Nissan hopes to change that with the new-generation Murano.The styling is sharper, the 191kW/336Nm 3.5-litre V6 a sweet engine that delivers good fuel economy. The packaging is good. The automatic All Mode 4x4-i all-wheel drive system can distribute torque on demand to where its needed.The luxury Ti gets all the fruit, from navigation system to heated front seats, reversing camera, automatic rear hatch and Bose sound system. The 60/40 split rear seats on both the ST and Ti can be flipped forward from the back of the car.Tick: Engine, equipment.Cross: Cheese-cutter grille. RANGE ROVER SPORT Price: From $90,900THE Range Rover brand has a strong following and is the preferred luxury chariot for seriously well-heeled snowgoers.Like the bigger Range Rover the Sport gets the nifty "Terrain Response" off-road system which means you just have to twist the switch to get the required off-road mode.The Range Rover Sport has real off-road capability but we don't think too many owners would ever go bush bashing in the leather-line luxury off-roader, particularly with the stylish 20-inch wheels available some models.The 65/35 split rear seats also have folding cushions and the full-size spare is easily accessible under the car. However, some of the bigger wheel/tyre options make do with a spacesaver.Tick: Luxury.Cross: Reliability.

It wants to showcase the zero emission car here to remind consumers it has not been caught napping with new technology. It also believes a car like the Megane EV would work in well with neighbourhood "car share" rental schemes in use in Sydney and Melbourne. Managing director, Rudi Koenig, believes EV cars are perfect for these schemes, similar to the bicycle rental system in Paris where people can rent a bike for short trips around the city. Koenig believes that over the past 12 months, the electric car story has been dominated by Japanese and North America carmakers. He wants to grab back a slice of the action, reminding consumers that work on the Megane EV is well advanced. A version of the small sedan is expected to be on sale in the geographically smaller markets of Denmark and Israel next year. Renault says it will deliver similar performance to a petrol powered 1.6-litre Megane. The company expects the EV car to cost the same as a turbo-diesel, about $3000 more than a conventional petrol engine. The Megane EV is part of a collaboration between Renault-Nissan and venture company Better Place, which is also helping roll out EV infrastructure to several markets, including Australia. Initially this infrastructure is likely to be centred on Sydney and Melbourne. Better Place is working with AGL Energy and Macquarie Capital Group to develop a recharging grid for electric cars locally. Renault along with its alliance partner Nissan, has been at the forefront of the push for EV vehicles. The recently unveiled Renault bebop concept van and Nissan's EV-02 car share components. The bebop is powered by a 44kW electric motor that winds out to 12,000 revs and has a top speed of 130km/h. The concept's lithium-ion battery pack comes from a Nissan-NEC joint venture. Nissan says these batteries have 90 per cent better efficiency than a conventional petrol engine and are designed to deliver between 80 per cent and 100 per cent peak capacity for at least six years. Better Place is working with several battery manufacturers to develop new lithium-ion battery technology for a range of new Renault and Nissan vehicles expected to be on sale by 2012. Lithium-ion batteries store significantly more energy and generate twice the power per unit volume than nickel metal hydride batteries currently used in many hybrids. Renault is also working on a recycling program to make sure the new-generation batteries can be disposed of safely. The first mass-market electric cars are also likely to hit Australia by 2012. Mitsubishi Australia has already cleared the way to get its i-MIEV on our roads sometime next year, while minor players Blade Electric Vehicles already builds a $42,990 Hyundai Getz. GM-Holden is also pushing hard to get its hybrid ‘range-extender’ Volt on sale here by 2012. Toyota too will supplement its Prius hybrid next year with the locally build Camry hybrid and a plug-in Prius is also planned. One of the biggest issues facing EV cars is their short range and time it takes to recharge. Newer ‘fast-charge’ systems slash recharging times and the next-generation batteries are pushing the range beyond 150km between recharges.

That's because, if you want to establish some street credibility in the Australian market you need a halo car, preferably a coupe. So after eight years of battling to re-establish its local identity, Renault Australia finally has a car that could pitch the brand into the mainstream, the Megane coupe.The company's managing director, Rudi Koenig, this week confirmed that the coupe would join the line-up around June next year with a hatch and sedan to follow. Koenig believes the new-generation Megane has the potential to be a volume player. It wants to start with the coupe to establish some credibility and recognition, much like the impact the Koleos has had among buyers, he saysThe Megane will be pitched as a volume seller with keen pricing to attack the dominant Japanese players. "We will clearly be concentrating on these Japanese rivals," he says. That means pricing could start around $22,000 for an entry hatch, rising to VW Golf GTi territory for the performance-oriented coupe."Megane will be a car in both hatch and sedan form that will be very important for us," he says."The small car segment is vital and it's the segment that produces the highest volume selling cars. "We have to succeed in that segment."Renault could have introduced the European-built Megane sooner but it would have had a premium European price. "In that segment, let's face it, we are the weakest because our previous model's shape wasn't accepted in the market," Koenig says. "The new Megane has a mature, sporty shape that has global appeal."The coupe will be sourced from France. It has taken a long time to secure the new Megane because Koenig wanted the "international" version of the hatch and sedan, which will be built in both Turkey and South Korea."The basic design and DNA will be maintained but some features will be specific to Australia," he says.Renault Australia is now working out potential sourcing and has several options. It can import the hatch and sedan from Turkey or from its Renault-Samsung affiliate in South Korea."That will be decided before the end of this year," he says. "That's one of the pressing issues I will be discussing with Paris."The sedan and hatch may even end up coming from different plants and could have different names."That's to be sorted out," he says. "But we are determined to bring in a car that gives us a competitive edge, either in the vehicle itself or value proposition."The range-topping coupe arrives first, closely followed by a hatch and sedan by the end of 2010. In Europe the coupe is available with three petrol engines and three dCi turbo-diesel engines. Renault Australia is expected to go for one or two highly specified models.At the top-end the choices are a six-speed manual 134kW/300Nm 2.0-litre TCe petrol turbo or a 104kW/195Nm normally aspirated petrol four with CVT transmission, as well as a 96kW/300Nm 1.9-litre dCi with a six-speed manual.In Europe the even the entry model gets 16-inch alloys, air conditioning, electronic stability control with anti-skid regulation and understeer control, six airbags, electric heated body coloured door mirrors, cruise control and electric windows.

Let’s face it, Renault has had a tough time trying to re-establish its credentials in Australia since its return in 2001. Local buyers have not warmed to the French carmaker in big numbers despite the brand's reputation for quality, its enviable crash safety record and outstanding turbo-diesel engines.But today there is renewed enthusiasm for the brand and executives finally realise it must tackle the dominant Japanese players head-on on prices and equipment. To do this it has slashed prices and launched an expanded Laguna hatch and wagon range.Prices have come down between $1500 and $4000 depending on the model, without losing any equipment. A 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine now joins the model mix, complementing the competent 2.0-litre dCi turbo-diesel.Like the Koleos too, Renault has extended the warranty to three years and unlimited kilometres. It's clear the Renault France is helping the local operations adopt a more serious marketing attitude.Exterior Like many new-generation wagons, the Estate as Renault insists on calling it, looks very sporty and not at all like a tradition family wagon. Ahead of the B-pillar, the styling follows the Laguna III hatch, launched here last June. That means the front end gets the same streamlined headlights and long, sloping bonnet.On the hatch, the crease line extends along the boot, just below the rear LED lights, which give the car a distinctive rear profile at night. Diesel hatch models also get dual chrome-plated exhausts.Both the hatch and wagon share the same 2760mm wheelbase but the wagon has a bigger luggage area as befits its load-carrying design. The wagon has 501-litres of luggage space with the 60/40 split rear seats in place, increasing to 1593 litres when folded.At 4690mm long the, the hatch is 36mm wider than its predecessor, 10mm longer and 12mm taller. Although larger and more spacious the hatch 15kg lighter than the previous model.Chrome highlights on the side windows distinguish the Dynamique wagon and Privilege hatch. Depending upon the model, Laguna gets 16-inch or 18-inch alloys. Practical design features include an integrated fuel tank flap that replaces the cap, so you don't have to get your hands dirty when refueling. The wagon gets a steeply raked rear window, while the slightly elongated and curved side windows accentuate the car's sporty lines.PricingBoth the Laguna hatch and wagon are between $1500 and $4000 cheaper than previous incarnations. Hatch prices now start from $37,990 for the entry dCi hatch six-speed Expression manual, rising to $48,490 for the dCi hatch Privilege six-speed sequential automatic. This does not include on-road prices.Three new automatic-only wagons join the lineup, the Expression 2.0-litre petrol, Expression 2.0-litre dCi and luxury Dynamique 2.0-litre dCi. Wagon prices start at $41,990 for the Expression petrol, $43,990 for the Expression dCi and $46,990 for the Dynamique dCi. However, to get a final on-road price it's best to check with your local dealer.EquipmentThe Laguna has a five-star crashing rating and is well equipped. It has that polished European flare that will appeal to buyers looking for something different from the mainstream Japanese products.Both the Expression hatch and wagon get the full complement of safety gear from electronic stability control and traction control, eight airbags, automatic headlights and rain sensing wipers, front and rear foglights, cruise control with speed limiter, automatic parking brake, 16-inch alloys, leather steering wheel and gear knob, rear side sunblinds, dual-zone climate control with carbon and odour filter, heated door mirrors, cloth upholstery and a single CD player with MP3 compatibility and satellite audio controls.The Privilege is the range topper in the hatch lineup and adds a beige leather interior with electrically adjustable heated front seats, parking sensors, 18-inch alloys, chrome window surrounds, xenon directional headlights with washers, auto-folding mirrors, auto dimming rearview mirror and a premium in-dash six stack CD stereo.The Dynamique wagon ups the ante with dark-carbon leather/alcantra trim, 17-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, auto folding rearview mirrors, premium six-disc in-dash CD player and auto dimming rear-view mirror. Both the Privilege hatch and Dynamique wagon also get tyre pressure monitors.DrivetrainThe 2.0 litre dCi delivers 110kW at 4000 revs and 340Nm at just 2000 revs. Depending upon the model, the engine is matched to a six-speed manual or six-speed sequential automatic.The 2.0 dCi hatch's combined fuel economy figure is 6.0 litres/100km for the six speed-manual and 7.0 litres/100km the six-speed automatic. The dCi engine also complies with the Euro V emission requirements.Manual diesels get a dash-mounted gearshift indicator, called “eco-shift”, which tells the driver the best gear to select to improve fuel consumption.The 16-valve 2.0-litre petrol engine is turbo-charged, delivering 125kW at 5000 revs and 270Nm at 3250 revs mated to the automatic. The petrol engine delivers a combined fuel economy figure of 8.9 litres/100km.DrivingIn keeping with its French credentials, the Laguna wagon has a plush, supple ride and quiet, lavishly equipped high-quality cabin. However, the soft suspension comes at the expense of some damper control. An average roads north of Melbourne the wagon could be caught out over sharp bumps, sometimes crashing to its bump stops before recovering.It's not an issue on the highway, where the plush big-car ride will eat up the kilometres with ease. Despite the suspension, the wagon's overall dynamics are crisp, grip is reassuring and there's plenty of steering feedback.Both the 2.0-litre turbo petrol and turbo diesel are smooth and quiet and the six-speed automatic seamless and well mated to either engine. Those who appreciate the low-speed grunt of a diesel will opt for the dCi but the petrol is by no means a poor cousin.Adding the turbo petrol engine into the hatch lineup should broaden model's appeal. Renault expects it to account for 75 per cent of hatch and wagon sales.Snapshot Renault Laguna hatch and wagon Engines: 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre turbo-diesel driving the front wheels.Power: 125kW at 5000 revs (2.0 petrol); 110kW at 4000 revs (2.0 dCi)Torque: 270Nm at 3250 revs (2.0 petrol); 340Nm at 2000 revs (2.0 dCi)Economy: 8.9 litres/100km (2.0 petrol); 6.0 litres/100km (2.0 dCi)

The advertisement claims the Renault Clio makes you look good. Then shows that you don’t actually have to buy it if you have a pocketknife.         

A couple volleys back and forth about whether France or Britain is superior.                  

A couple volleys back and forth about whether France or Britain is superior.