New Laguna: better made, better equipped - Safety first

'The interior was built around the idea of peace of mind,' says Renault. The new Laguna is, the company claims, the quietest car in its class to travel in.

It's also expected to be one of the safest, building on the framework of today's model with its five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating, as well as more than 20 years of real-world crash analysis.

The brakes are said to shorten stopping distances and be more resistant to fade under repeated hard use, while stability control reduces the likelihood of skids.

If you still get into difficulties, there are more effective seatbelt pretensioners and improved side airbags. The electronic systems that trigger the seatbelts and airbags have also been changed so they activate at a precise split second to be at their most effective.