New Laguna: better made, better equipped - Engine range

The Laguna is more a product of Renault's alliance with Nissan than a purely French affair.

The two petrol engines at launch - a new 140bhp 2.0-litre and a 170bhp 2.0 turbo - were developed by Nissan, as was the six-speed automatic gearbox that's standard with the turbo and optional on one of the four diesels.

Renault also admits it has adopted best practices from Nissan to get build quality right.

There'll be a wider range than ever. The hatchback goes on sale on 19 October, with the Sport Tourer (estate) at the start of next year. By summer 2008, there'll also be a coupe.

More engines will be added, too. At launch, diesel fans will be well served.

There's a new 110bhp 1.5 aimed squarely at tax-conscious company car users (emissions of 136g/km put it in the lowest company car tax band for diesels, while 55.4mpg average economy will cheer fleet managers).

There's also a new 47mpg 130bhp 2.0 to add to the familiar 150bhp 2.0-litre unit.

Things aren't so good if you prefer petrol, so something smaller and less powerful than the 140bhp 2.0 surely can't be long in coming.

Renault also promises a couple of V6s - petrol and diesel - and a sporting flagship with four-wheel steering.

Every model has a six-speed gearbox and all the engines now feature Renault's oil control system, which reads how the car is being used and adjusts service intervals accordingly. It's said that the Laguna will go 18,000 miles between workshop visits as long as it's not thrashed.

Renault claims the car 'has been designed with driving pleasure in mind'. A lot of effort has gone into quelling the slushy responses of the current model and turning it into something people will enjoy driving, without wrecking the ride.

Body stiffness has been increased by 15% compared with the current car, but weight is down by an average of 15kg.

The new Laguna uses a reworked version of the current car's chassis, but features revised suspension that's said to control body movement better.

Stronger brakes and sharper steering are also part of the package. There's no lifeless all-electric power steering to save a bit of fuel, either.