In these recessionary times it may seem ambitious of Renault to be launching an upmarket coupe costing up to £25,000 to put on the road, writes Peter Carroll.

But the dynamics of downsizing mean the Laguna Coupe could find itself with a whole new customer base made up of former drivers of premium German metal.

Nor need these driver feel short-changed if they end up with one of these sleek, almost sensuous-looking cars: the Coupe is well-built, handles superbly and turns out to be a deceptively quick tourer.

The stylish shape of the Coupe may come as something of a surprise bearing in mind the more humdrum lines of the standard Laguna.

Renault’s designers have succeeded in turning an ugly duckling into a very graceful swan.

The two-door, four-seater Coupe looks good from just about any angle. The front has a dramatic, shark-like snout, while the rear is a compelling mix of the curvy and the muscular.

The side profile bears a family resemblance to the old Megane CC (with its top up) but the lines are more elegantly resolved.

The rear lights come with fine LCD detailing which adds a premium touch. At the front are standard-fit bi-xenon headlamps, which offer exceptional illumination when needed.Inside, the cabin is on the sober side, but attractively designed and well-built.

The seats are supportive but softer than I was expecting and go some way towards compensating for the firm ride.

Visibility is reasonable for a car of this type though it can be awkward to see directly behind you because of the height of the rear window.

The doors are huge, so getting in and out of the back is relatively painless, and the front seats slide back to their original place too.

Legroom in the back is tolerable and the back seats fold down at the touch of a button thanks to Renault’s Super Fold system. Not that you should need to do this too often – the large (423 litre) boot is capable of swallowing most loads.

The Coupe comes in either standard or GT spec: the latter offers pretty much every option you might need, with the exception of the optional sat nav.

The test car, a GT, came with the more powerful 180hp version of the two 2.0 diesel options offered in the Coupe range.

While nothing special off the mark, it’s rapid in the mid-range, making over-taking a staight-forward affair.

Even better is the active four-wheel steering set-up that comes as standard on the GT.

At speeds of less than 37mph the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front ones. This creates a pivoting effect, meaning smaller steering angles are needed for the same effect.

At higher speeds all four wheels turn in the same direction to give greater stability and precision. The same system can be found in the GT version of the Laguna estate.

In practice this translates as ultra-quick, direct steering. Some may find it unnatural, as you do not need to move the wheel much to negotiate a bend or roundabout, but you soon get used to it.

In town, the steering feels light and you can negotiate tight spaces, like multi-storey car parks, with more confidence than usual.

On sweeping country roads the Coupe takes bends in its stride with a minimum of fuss and effort – and with markedly little roll through the corners.

I’d love to take a Coupe out on a track to test its steering system to its (or more likely ‘my’) limits but on regular roads it certainly seems to justify its star billing.

I wish I could say the same about the sat nav system but it still lags behind the best. It does not accept post codes, nor could it locate the tiny Warwickshire village of Bourton-on-Dunsmore when I needed to go there for a function.

And I daresay many potential customers for the Coupe are going to live in tiny hamlets like this.

On the whole though, there was much to like about this, the most graceful Laguna ever – and it has to rank as a serious challenger to the established premium marques.

I even found myself, against my natural inclination, warming to Renault’s ‘hands free’ key card.

The car detects the presence of the credit-card sized ‘key’ in your pocket or bag as you approach the vehicle and unlocks the door for you. You can hit the starter button and drive off straight away.

When you leave the car, it waits till you are a few yards away, locks the doors and then, rather endearingly, emits a gentle parp on the horn to let you know it is securely locked.

So any executives whose car budget has gone down from £40,000 to £25,000 because of the credit crunch have no need to feel sorry for themselves when they can drive cars like this – or, for that matter, Volkswagen’s similarly-priced and equally stylish Passat CC, if four doors are needed.

FACT FILE

Model: Coupe 2.0 D GT dCi 180Price: From £23,910 on the roadEngine: 1,998cc, four cyclinder, dieselPower: 180bhpTransmission: Six-speed manual, front wheel drive,Performance: 0-62mph in 8.5 secondsTop speed: 138mphEconomy: 43.4mpg on combined cycleCO2 emissions: 172g/kmLength: 4,643mmWeight: 1,539kgInsurance group: 16Servicing: 18,000 milesWarranty: Three years /100,000 miles