The new Renault Laguna offers fuel-sipping diesel options
As our colleagues from Autoblog have published, the new Renault Laguna is not going to be officially shown off until the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show in October. Renault did, however, release some photos (before someone posted videos of the model, without the permission of Renault) and some engine information. Let's discuss here the base diesel model which has a lot of good ecological implications.
First, the 1.5L 110 HP diesel that get over 46 MPG and has 136g/km of CO2. This engine currently powers the sportier versions of the Clio and the middle Megane. With such an engine, the Laguna becomes a direct competitor of the VW Passat Blue Motion. This diesel Laguna also is labeled with Renault's ECO2 label, and it contains more than 35kg of recycled plastic and also more than 15kg of renewable materials.
It might sound surprising that such a small engine is used for a relatively large car. There is a similar trend at VW with their TSI engines. It's all related to motor taxing in Europe. In places such as France or the Germany United Kingdom, cars are taxed depending on displacement. That translates roughly to this simple rule: the bigger the engine, the higher the tax you pay for owning the car (usually on a yearly basis). However, it's also benefits everybody, since the smaller an engine is, the less it pollutes.
Correction: Thanks to our readers for the tips on the different taxing systems. In the UK cars are taxed not by displacement but rather by CO2 emissions. For example, this car will attract 115 GBP (roughly 230 USD) road tax per year. Compare it to 140GBP/year for current Laguna 1.9 dCi or 205GBP for Laguna 2.2 dCi.
Gallery: 2008 Renault Laguna
[Source: Renault]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
TheRookie 6:09PM (6/04/2007)
In the UK cars are taxed not by displacement but rather by CO2 emissions. For example, this car will attract 115 GBP (roughly 230 USD) road tax per year. Compare it to 140GBP/year for current Laguna 1.9 dCi or 205GBP for Laguna 2.2 dCi.
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gouzizi 8:27AM (6/05/2007)
If the car is not for professionals purpose (like cabs), you do not have any taxes to pay each year for cars in France. You just pay a fee for registration depending meanly on horsepower and not anymore on displacement. Around 300€/400$ for a 140cv/240lb/ft diesel family car.
(Due that taxes are base on Hp and note on torque, diesel with lower hp number are best choice)
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Mattias 8:36AM (6/05/2007)
In Germany cars are taxed by displacement. But the difference between a Golf (gas, not diesel) with 2.0l and 1.4l is roughly 40€/year, so you have reasons not to drive big V8s while the impact on four cylinders of different size is not so high.
But prices for gas/diesel are relatively high, so smaller more efficient engines that save 1l/100km can easily save 300 to 500€/year...
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RJN 3:06PM (6/05/2007)
Instead of short sighted tiny annual car tax savings, I hope the reasoning behind the use of a smaller engine more progressive. Hopefully Renault is setting their sights on the future EU restrictions on average CO2 emissions and developing better technology because they know how. Higher capacity engines are less efficient under partial load and since diesel technology and turbo charging allow us to benefit from good performance and great economy every car manufacturer should aim to to downsize and up the turbo pressures! We also shouldn't forget that a gallon of diesel has beaten the ecological pants off a gallon of gasoline already by the time it hits the pumps, because refining diesel requires so much less energy than refining gas.
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Joe 3:39PM (6/05/2007)
>Instead of short sighted tiny annual car tax savings
Well why is the saving a problem for you? Protecting the environment will only work for the average man on the road if it saves him cash. Hence the German displacement tax.
Alining economic incentive with ecological objective is the way to go!
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Don 5:57PM (6/05/2007)
Yeah. Great. Do we get it here? No?
Then who cares?
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RJN 7:32AM (6/06/2007)
Joe,
I have nothing against financial incentives. Tax sticker/disc prices are just not enough of an incentive. The real incentive to the driver comes from up to 50% savings on fuel using diesel in favour of gas with the similar or better real life performance, namely mid range torque. The real incentive to manufacturers comes from the proposed penalties if their fleets don't reach the low average CO2 emissions. Don't get me wrong I very much enjoy the fact that I pay GBP 35 per year in car tax because my car emits less than 120g/km CO2. But the real incentive is the 600-700 pound (1300 USD)annual saving in fuel compared to a "normal" car. Yes, lower tax is good but other greater savings are what will make the difference.
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joe fitzpatrick 11:42AM (8/16/2007)
In ireland (south) there is a racket called registration tax and this was introduced when import duties was supp[ose to end. The EU let them away with it so much for the benefits of the EU tax collectors
For example one model of the BMW retailing at 43,000 euros is actally 25,000 euros before tax.
then there is teh annual motor tax of 220.euros on this model there is tax and VAT on petrol
as soon as the Brussells politicians LUXERY clubs ENDS THE BETTER
It surprised me that German and other car producers allow this to continue
joe
dublin
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Geoff Potter 12:24PM (10/20/2007)
On the subject of CO2 emissions the New Laguna 1.5DCI is most impressive at 136g/km. However even its 1.5 litre engine is no match for the latest 2.0 litre BMW 320d, with its CO2 output of 128g/km. This is a fantactic achievement for a car with a sub 8 second 0-60.
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