When Renault decided to change the nameplates from numbers to names, the 21 was replaced by the Laguna, which marked a new beginning for the French brand’s mid-size vehicle.
Unlike its predecessor, which was offered in three body shapes, the Laguna was available only as a hatchback and a station wagon named Estate. The 21 was designed at the beginning of the ’80s, and its wedge shape was already obsolete. Its technology was also outdated, so the carmaker started from scratch with the new model.

Patrick LeQuement was the chief designer for Renault, and he imagined the Laguna in the bio-design trend, which customers still appreciated. He made the Laguna Estate for families with children, who needed a big trunk in the back for bicycles and luggage for long travels. The raked-forward C-pillar was a design cue opposed to the German styling, which favored the vertical pillars (such as those from the Opel Vectra and Ford Mondeo). Its big tailgate was flanked on the sides by vertical taillights, mounted few inches above the rear bumper to keep them protected from small bumps in the parking lots.

Inside, the car looked modern for those times. Its instrument cluster was rounded and featured a center-mounted speedometer, flanked by the tachometer on the left and the fuel and temperature gauges on the right. Like Toyota, Renault chose to place the climate control dials above the radio cassette player. The front bucket seats offered little bolstering, while in the back, the carmaker opted for a split-folding rear bench. That expanded the trunk size from 520 liters (18.4 cu-ft) up to 1,782 liters (63 cu-ft).

Under the hood, Renault installed a choice of five engines ranged between 95 hp and 140 hp.