New Laguna: better made, better equipped - The cabin

The premium-feel interior is intended to ensure your enjoyment of the car is just as great on more mundane journeys.

From the look and feel of the trim materials to the layout of the switches and controls, it's way ahead of the current model and closer to compact German saloons.

The cabin is neat, structured and perhaps a little conservative, reflecting the exterior styling, but as sales of compact BMWs, Audis and Mercedes show, that's no bad thing.

There are four trim levels in the UK, offering everything from a central control unit to work the stereo and sat-nav - like Audi's MMI system or BMW's iDrive - to a flat-bottomed Formula 1-style steering wheel.

Alloy wheels, air-conditioning, stability control and emergency braking assistance will be standard, and you'll also be able to get a panoramic sunroof, one of two multimedia satellite-navigation systems, and Renault's Tunepoint stereo, which allows portable music players and memory sticks to be plugged in.

There'll be a choice of wood and leather or metal and leather/Alcantara interior finishes.