According to today's online Autocar (autocar.co.uk):
"Renault is poised to scrap the next generation Laguna and could virtually pull out of the large car market altogether, senior company sources have revealed."
"Production of the current Laguna model is set to end in late 2010 and the factory that builds it will switch to building commercial vehicles in 2011, the sources told Autocar."
Renault chief executive Carlos Ghosn said, "We will have to adapt to new market conditions, rethink individual mobility and adapt to the new trends."
"However, Renault has not prospered in the large car market in recent years and sales of the newly facelifted Laguna have been much slower than Renault predicted."
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HJ praised the latest Laguna model when he tested it recently and gave it a four star rating.
If Renault does drop the Laguna next year then won't it mean a disastrous drop in residual values for the existing model(s) ?
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Ive only driven the Facelifted MK1, model and it was a lovely car to drive, only it kept going wrong all the time it was silly electrical things that kept going , on the Car By car HJ said due to the electric problems could not recommend it as a second hand buy.
If it was properly screwed together then it would have been a perfect car for me, but it wasnt and the 2nd Generation (by all accounts) was not any better. as Richard Hammond said "when they launched it, they left the testing for the customers to do"
However apperntly they where to take no chances with the 3rd generation which i really like and if its as reliable as they say it is - then it would be a wonderfull car, but impresions and experiences stick - and thats probably one of the reasons the 3rd one isnt selling as well*
my point is that if they had built it right in the 1st place then people would not be weary of it a car like that is a lot of money, and there is no excuse for rubbish build quality these days
*not neccsarly fact, but IMO
Ste
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Pity. They make very capable rep mobiles. Perhaps if they hadnt made the front look worse than a pigs bottom at feeding time people may have bought it.
I would love to grab Carlos by the hand, take him to the front of the car, and say "you wonder why its not selling carlos? look at it - just look at it. How did you let this out? you want to improve sales? Give me a job to vet your designers output".
Edited by Altea Ego on 12/02/2009 at 13:00
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Agreed AE and i'll lead him round the back of it whilst trying not to wince at those rear lights and the body lines around them which must have been copied from some 70's monstrosity.
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So the Goona's a goner ;)
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And the Espace too, apparently.
I can't believe the Laguna was planned to be killed off as early as 2010 - it was only introduced a year or so ago, wasn't it?
But as AE says the problem with it is the looks - especially the front. Surely Renault of all people know that if a car isn't a looker, it isn't a seller!
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Nissan Primera died 2 yrs ago - Qashqai a success
Laguna dying - replacement ?
Goshn obviously makes a decision and sticks to it - if it was right 2 years ago why not do the same again.
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FB that's exactly what I was thinking on the way into work this morning!
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I can't see them scrapping the Laguna for their own domestic market. Zillions of French public sector workers and civil servants are compelled to run Renaults as company cars (Renault is partly state-owned remember?), and they need something bigger than a Megane for the "upper-middle management" segment.
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And now they are facelifting the Clio and putting the Laguna front on it!!
Nicole becomes the Bride of Wildenstein.
Regie, what are you doing!?
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They must have nicked the design bloke from Subaru
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