Review

Review: Renault X56 Laguna (1995-96)

3 stars

  • Refined 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine
  • Comfortable ride
  • Stable and predictable handling
  • Comfortable front seats
  • Overly assisted steering for Laguna V6
  • Poor rear visibility
  • For manual transmission, narrow gate for shifter and long travel clutch pedal

Overview

Released in May 1995, the Renault X56 Laguna was a mid-size liftback. Manufactured at Renault’s factory in Sandouville, France, the front-wheel drive X56 Laguna was available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (the ‘2.0 RXE’ variant) or a 3.0-litre V6 (‘3.0 V6’).

The X56 Laguna had independent front suspension with MacPherson struts, lower L-arms, offset coil springs and an anti-roll bar; the independent rear suspension had trailing arms with two torsion bars and an anti-roll bar.

Renault X56 Laguna specifications
Variant Engine Trans. Peak power Peak torque
2.0 RXE 2.0-litre petrol I4 5sp man.,
4sp auto
83 kW at 5250 rpm 168 Nm at 3500 rpm
3.0 V6 3.0-litre petrol V6 4sp auto 123 kW at 5500 rpm 235 Nm at 4500 rpm

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the X56 Laguna included a driver’s airbag, ABS and front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a 1997 Laguna – fitted with a 2.0-litre petrol engine – received a three star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 17, though the third star was struck out. In the offset crash test, there was moderate footwell intrusion and intrusion at the facia level posed further hazards – as such, protection of the driver’s legs and feet varied between weak and poor. Furthermore, the contact of the driver’s head with the airbag was unstable. In the side impact test, protection of the driver’s chest was rated as poor.

Features

Standard features for the Laguna 2.0 RXE included 14-inch alloy wheels, a six speaker sound system with a radio and cassette player, climate control air conditioning, front fog lights, remote central locking, power windows and mirrors, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

The Laguna 3.0 V6 was further equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels and a power adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings.

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