Renault offering two new V6 engines in Laguna

Following the lead taken from the Renault Laguna Coupe, both the hatchback and estate variants of the Renault Laguna will be available with a 3.5L petrol V6 and a 3.0L dCi diesel engine. Both of these engines will likely be based on Nissan's award winning VQ family of engines.

Both V6 engines are already available in the Laguna Coupe, however they will only make their way into the five door variants in early 2009. The 3.5L engine is already used by Renault in the Espace and Vel Satis models, however the power for the engine in the Laguna will be slightly lower than it is in these cars. Currently, the petrol V6 in the Laguna Coupe makes around 240hp (179kW) and 243lb-ft (330Nm) of torque, and these figures are unlikely to change for the hatchback and estate variants. Acceleration for the Laguna Coupe with the V6 petrol engine is brisk, with 0-62mph (100km/h) being dispensed with in 7.4 seconds, and a maximum speed of 152mph (244km/h) attainable, reports AutoTelegraaf.

Meanwhile, the 3.0L diesel V6 is a brand new engine developed in co-operation with Nissan. The diesel is slightly down on power compared to the petrol engine, with 235hp (175kW) at its disposal, however it will likely be quicker to 100km/h thanks to its naturally high torque figures. Estimates put the diesel engine's fuel consumption at around 32mpg (7.2L/100km).

Prices for the new engines are still unknown.