THE Renault Laguna has always been a refined beast - but the latest Sport Tourer adds reduced running costs to a winning recipe.

The French motor manufacturer has made a series of engine enhancements for the 2011 range resulting in the welcome double whammy to running costs of reduced emissions and greater fuel economy.

The engines are Euro 5-compliant and the ones including the natty moniker ‘eco2' - present on this car - achieve impressively low carbon dioxide emissions with the 1.5dCi the most environmentally friendly of the range emitting just 123g/km of the greenhouse gas.

On the economy front the 110bhp oil burner is now able to breach 60mpg on the combined cycle.

The Laguna is a comfortable car with lightly-weighted steering helping manoeuvrability at low speeds although it is a little vague in corners.

The stiff suspension ensures a firm but not uncomfortable ride while the humps and hollows masquerading as modern roads are dealt with efficiently.

The Sport Tourer does a good job of excluding the majority of wind and road noise while the diesel engine is remarkably quiet - even when cruising on the motorway.

The ambience of the interior is enhanced by the use of plush materials that link up with an attractive dash design to give a luxury feel.

The front seats are supportive and fully adjustable with the driver also able to set the rake and reach of the steering wheel to the perfect position.

Space is plentiful with the sloping roof not impinging as much as you might think on headroom at the back. The sloped tailgate does reduce boot space a tad but the rear seats can be dropped at the push of a button - without removing the headrests - to create more room.

The Dynamique model sits in the middle of a simplified range structure which includes three trim levels - Expression, Dynamique TomTom and GT Line TomTom.

The entry-level Expression is well kitted out with air conditioning, an Arkamys 3D Sound single CD/radio MP3 stereo system with Bluetooth and fingertip control, front fog lights, aux input and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Renault expects the Dynamique TomTom to be the most popular choice and it gets extra goodies such as dual-zone climate control, hands-free keycard, automatic parking brake, headlights and wiper plus cruise control, electrically heated and folding door mirrors, speed limiter and rear parking sensors.

It is also fitted with the latest edition of Renault's integrated satellite navigation system - Carminat TomTom Live - which also offers traffic info, weather forecasts and speed camera locations.

The flagship GT Line TomTom sports 18-inch Interlagos dark-finish alloy wheels, BOSE sound system with 10 speakers and amplifier, pearl black electric folding door mirrors with memory, and leather and alcantara upholstery with electrically adjustable heated front seats. There are also several option packs available.