Renault is going to replace the Laguna and Espace, company marketing boss Stephen Norman has revealed to What Car? in direct contradiction to previous speculation that they would be axed.
The Espace replacement was postponed during the global economic downturn, but Norman claims that a new one is back on the agenda and will be a 'major innovation in what it looks like and what it will do'.
A new Laguna is also on the way – probably in 2013 - despite the current car not selling as well as the company hoped.
Norman admitted that Renault needed to 'restate its offer' in the family-car sector and that the current version 'needs a lot more attention as the design isn't edgy enough'.
He also revealed that the fourth-generation Laguna would not be a three-box saloon and that it would be powered by small-capacity engines, with some electrification to boost power. There may be a full electric version, too, as a bigger alternative to the forthcoming Fluence EV saloon.
Finally, Norman admitted that plans to bring back an Alpine sports car were also back on the agenda. It will be a 'high performance car, but not ecologically absurd'.
Renault ditched plans to make a new Alpine at the same time as the Espace. It was expected to be a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive sports car around the same size and price as the Mazda MX-5.
- Renault's family car and MPV not axed
- Next Laguna to have 'more edgy' design
- May be an all-electric Laguna, too
