|
Renault enters the Australian diesel passenger car market with a stylish new
Laguna offering the highest levels of safety, comfort and dynamic driving.
The Laguna 2.2dCi will spearhead Renault’s passenger car diesel campaign,
which will grow over the coming months to include the Megane and Scenic models.
The first-generation Renault Laguna set a new standard in safety. New Laguna
further advances this standard with improved active and passive safety features;
it is equipped with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and
Protection and a more efficient braking system.
Laguna 2.2dCi also features all new styling, illustrated by its new front
design, advances in comfort, and chassis modifications which result in improved
dynamic behaviour.
Available in one specification level, the Laguna 2.2dCi will offer a high
level of standard specification including an assisted parking brake, Renault
card, dual-zone climate control system and automatic headlamps and windscreen
wipers.
In its original form, the 2.2dCi 16-valve direct injection common-rail
turbo-diesel first appeared in the Renault Espace. Adapted for the Laguna, the
2.2dCi unit produces a maximum power output of 102kW at 4,000rpm and maximum
torque of 320Nm at 1,750rpm.
A smooth pro-active five-speed automatic transmission matched to the
high-torque output of the engine provides the best balance between performance
and economy.
Inside the new Laguna perceived and actual build quality lie at the heart of
Renault’s approach. The standard of fit and finish has been further improved.
With its use of richer materials, the new dashboard contributes to this trend.
From the user-friendly controls to the use of the most innovative technologies,
everything has been planned for the traveling pleasure of the driver and
passengers.
The Laguna 2.2dCi with standard five-speed automatic transmission is priced
at $46,990*.
According to Renault’s managing director, Rudi Koenig, the Laguna 2.2dCi
combines all the luxury customers expect in a Laguna with the performance and
economy benefits of a diesel.
“In this growing market segment, the Laguna 2.2dCi stands out for its
combination of value, safety and performance,” Mr Koening said.
*Recommended retails price excludes dealer delivery and on-road costs.
A new front design
The changes made when designing the new Laguna mainly concern the car’s front
design, which has been completely revamped. It now reflects the visual identity
of the other models in the Renault range, and includes a new one-piece component
which integrates the front bumper and the grille. The bonnet line is shortened
and convex, the new headlamps extend along the sides, and the Renault badge is
now more vertical. The V-shaped air intake in its lower section renders the
whole effect more dynamic. The bright finished trim strips emphasize elegance.
The rear lamp clusters, now translucent, bring depth and modernism by
comparison with the previous version. As on Renault’s other recently introduced
models, the Renault diamond now sits at the apex of a triangle whose base is
formed by the Laguna badge.
Particular care taken over the cabin interior finish
One of the main aims was to meets the needs of customers when it comes to
quality and achieve a significantly better quality of appearance, the Laguna
2.2dCi accommodates its occupants in a more refined atmosphere. Special focus
was placed on perceived and actual build quality, underscored by the new design
of the dashboard, with its new materials, the higher standard of fit and finish
and new technologies.
The dashboard, featuring 70% of all-new components, is simple and
user-friendly. The centre section has been completely revised to ease access to
controls. The radio is better integrated, and has more flush-fitting
installation in the panel. Housed in the base of the centre console, a new
cubby-hole is ideal for accommodating small objects (keys, pens, mobile phones,
etc.). The centre elbow rest is now equipped with assisted opening.
Laguna 2.2dCi also introduces a new generation steering wheel, and a moulding
surrounding the upper part of the dashboard. This moulding contributes to the
fluidity and the quality of the cabin interior finish. The trip computer
information, appearing in the centre of the instrument panel, is displayed in
the order of their level of priority. Three types of information are identified:
status messages (in white), risk warnings (orange) and danger warnings (red).
The aim of displaying textual messages or pictograms is to help and inform the
driver without diverting attention from the road.
Myriad top-range features
Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with an assisted parking brake. It is automatically
applied when the engine is switched off in addition to all the usual functions
of a conventional handbrake, so often space-consuming and less ergonomic. When
starting from rest, the parking brake is automatically released as soon as the
necessary torque is applied to the driven wheels. A manual selector, situated to
the right of the dashboard, provides all the functions of a conventional
handbrake. It can be used, for example, to hold the car on a slope without
switching off the engine. This assisted parking brake provides the double
advantage of improved driving comfort and a more functional layout. In effect,
it frees the space between the front seats for a central stowage space.
Laguna 2.2dCi comes with the latest generation of the Renault card. This card
provides several extra functions: manual locking and unlocking and external “see
you indoors” illumination. The latter switches on the headlights for 30 seconds
by a single push on a button.
Additional features found on the Laguna 2.2dCi include automatic operation of
the headlamps and of the windscreen wipers via a rain sensor, cruise control and
speed limiter, and automatic climate control with separate controls for the
driver and front passenger.
In addition to the design changes and the new technologies installed, Laguna
2.2dCi benefits from noise reduction improvements to its power trains and
chassis.
High-performance
The new Laguna is equipped with a 2.2dCi 16-valve direct injection
common-rail turbo diesel producing a maximum power output of 102kW at 4,000rpm
and maximum torque of 320Nm at 1,750rpm.
The latest generation of common-rail with variable-quantity injection pump
delivers only the fuel quantity actually needed with an injection pressure of
1,350 bar.
The aluminium 16-valve cylinder head provides separate inlet ports for each
valve. Through the action of a flow control valve, the degree of ‘swirl’ is
controlled according to load and engine speed, by allowing more or less flow
through one port compared to the other in each cylinder. This ‘swirl’ effect
improves the mixture of air and fuel and ensures better combustion at low
speeds. The valve gear with its 16 valves retains hollow camshafts and roller
cam followers helping to reduce friction losses.
The engine is supercharged by means of a turbocharger with ‘multi-vane’
variable geometry, pneumatically controlled via a variable cyclic-ratio valve.
Varying the angle at which the exhaust gas hits the turbine according to load
and engine speed allows the variable-nozzle turbo to function as a small turbo
with very low inertia and very short response time at low speed and load. At
higher engine speeds it behaves like a larger turbo, allowing the engine to be
pressure-fed. The continuous variation of the vane position ensures the change
in performance is progressive.
An EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve allows burned exhaust gas to be
mixed with incoming air at medium speeds to reduce the formation of oxides of
nitrogen (NOx), reducing emissions. In addition to the conventional catalytic
converter, an oxidising pre-catalyst installed close to the turbocharger results
in better emissions performance from cold.
Reduction of the amount of engine rattle when cold is achieved through
pre-injection which allows combustion to take place progressively, avoiding too
steep a rate of pressure rise. Balancer shafts, weighing only seven kilograms
and housed in the cylinder block significantly reduce the acyclic phenomena
associated with the four-cylinder in-line layout.
To reduce fuel consumption, the engineers also improved the aerodynamic and
the SCd of Laguna is 0.030 lower and achieves a value of 0.620 with a Cd of
0.29. The installation of 40mm high deflectors in the front wheel arches
produced a gain of 0.010 in the SCd. The reduced area of the air intake, and
improved sealing of the front end delivered a saving of 0.015. Finally, some
redesign of the area around the silencer resulted in a saving of 0.005 at the
rear of the car.
A more dynamic chassis
The layout of the chassis is a determining factor in driving enjoyment and
the product specification for 2.2dCi Laguna included two main points: provide
the driver with more “feel” while maintaining a high level of comfort, and
improve the performance of both chassis and power train.
The Laguna uses MacPherson-type front suspension and an H-shaped torsion beam
at the rear. These two systems proved themselves in terms of comfort and
handling in the first-generation model. The changes made concentrate on better
control of body movements for the sake of both precision of control and comfort,
on all roads including poorly surfaced ones. This involved changes to the
anti-roll bars and the damper settings. The adoption of pressurized dampers at
the front allows road irregularities to be more efficiently filtered. The new
damper settings also ensure better body support during cornering and provides
more feel, yet with less vibration.
SAFETY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Renault provides an uncompromising level of safety. The objective of the new
Laguna is to capitalize on the performance of its predecessor, the first car in
the world to achieve the maximum 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP tests. According
to Renault’s Accidentology and Biomechanics Laboratory, Laguna achieves results
which are well in advance of those from the previous model. The rapid
development of protective systems, structures and active safety features
(emergency brake assist and ESP) in the last 10 or more years has greatly
contributed to a halving in the number of accidents and to diminishing the
severity of injuries.
A complete passive safety system
Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with the third-generation Renault System for
Restraint and Protection. This comprises close-contact head restraints at the
front and folding supports in the back, a double pretensioner for the driver’s
seat, 3-point safety belts for all seats, load limiters calibrated at 400daN in
the front and 600daN for the rear side seats, anti-submarining provision for all
seats, and six airbags: two adaptive and two side thorax at the front and two
curtain airbags for head protection.
Laguna provides improved protection for its occupants during a violent
frontal impact. The improvements come from optimized calibration of the
different airbag levels, to provide better energy absorption over a wider range
of impact configurations. The Laguna is equipped with an adaptive airbag with
three chambers and two gas generators. The first chamber has a small inflated
volume of 45 litres for the driver and 90 litres for the front passenger (only
one gas generator fires). The second stage involves larger volumes, 60 litres
for the driver and 120 litres for the passenger (both gas generators fire). The
third chamber operates internally and avoids any danger of burning by hot gas.
It also ensures progressive reduction of the pressure in the airbag.
To protect the driver’s knees, Renault addresses the problem at source.
Thanks to the double pretensioner, the occupant is held firmly against the seat
before movement can begin. Together with the load limiter, this arrangement
controls and limits movement of the pelvis and the load imposed on the thorax;
it prevents the occupant from picking up speed.
For front and side impacts, Renault engineers have worked on the inflation
and deflation of the airbags involved; these extend the “bottom of the bag”
limit in the event of high-speed impact.
A new-generation head restraint with integral adjustment appears in Laguna.
It is notable for the fact that its support runners now slide within the head
restraint rather than within the upper section of the backrest. This new head
restraint improves the positioning of the back against the backrest and the
support for and comfort of the head. Its adjustment is made easier by a new
built-in control which avoids the need for driver contortion in use, and
unrequired movements.
The performance of Laguna’s programmed-deformation structure has been
retained. Thus the controlled sequence of collapse ensures that the front and
back end components compact as much as possible while leaving the cabin space
intact; the fold-away mounting of the brake pedal reduces the risk of injuries
to the ankles; the use of padding and a passive-retraction steering column
completes the work on the structure.
Active safety further improved
Since the launch of the prime-generation of Laguna in 2001, the braking
performance of Laguna has been among the best in class. Laguna 2.2dCi improves
and consolidates this position.
The car is fitted as standard in all its versions with ESP with understeer
control. The system now takes into account the changes in the elasto-kinematics
of the suspension and wear in the tyres. A new-generation ABS/ESP valve block
(MK 60 P), with a built-in pressure sensor, a new processor and a new hydraulic
block, also ensures optimum trajectory control system reaction.
Like its predecessor, Laguna 2.2dCi is equipped with emergency brake assist,
EBD, automatic illumination of the hazard warning lights during heavy braking,
and large-diameter brake discs: ventilated 308mm discs at the front and plain
274mm discs at the rear.
|
