Renault will soon be offering a new Laguna GT version with the new Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering. The system was developed jointly by Renault and Renault Sport Technologies and it is designed to give the ultimate in driving pleasure, handling, dynamic response and steering precision.

Renault has launched a new four-wheel steer Active Drive system as an option on the new Laguna models.

The Laguna GT is further enhanced by the availability of two exclusive, high-performance engines: 180hp two-litre turbo diesel and 205hp two-litre turbo petrol. Thanks to its combination of advanced driving pleasure and peace of mind with a three-year/100,000 mile warranty, Laguna GT stands out as an innovative offer in the sports saloon market.

Renault claims that the Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering brings many benefits. These start with improved manoeuvrability, sharpened dynamic response, and unrivalled steering precision giving the driver intuitive control over the cornering line. The system is claimed to achieve new heights in driveability and active safety. In town and on country roads, Renault claims that the car is easy to drive, highly manoeuvrable and precise.

The Laguna GT corners with very little body roll and a precise line is achieved with small steering inputs. The Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering also excels in active safety, both under difficult braking conditions (with a good control over asymmetrical grip and with the ESP matched to a more sporting driving style), and during avoidance manoeuvres at speed ('elk' test).

Four-wheel steering systems of the 1980s were essentially mechanical, with the front and rear wheels linked and pre-determined angles aimed at making up for shortcomings in the vehicle's handling (e.g. a tendency to understeer). Such systems were gradually superseded by the advent of ESP.

Meanwhile, towards the end of the 1990s, manufacturers such as Nissan were beginning to develop solutions based on electrically - and even hydraulically - operated actuators to take the dynamic performance of their vehicles forward. Electronic control of rear wheel steering has enabled handling to be fine-tuned even further, notably in the case of rear-wheel drive vehicles.

Renault claims that the Active Drive system builds on this approach by ensuring a more dynamic and more reactive response. This is claimed to make the most of the inherent qualities of Laguna GT's chassis and consequently deliver even greater driving enjoyment.

In addition, the high speed, real-time response to the driver's instructions (every 10 milliseconds) and its ability to adapt to different conditions, means that active safety systems are only required as a very last resort. This system is claimed to give the driver the benefit of more efficient and even more reassuring reactions when faced with an unexpected hazard.

Renault claims that the Active Drive chassis with four-wheel steering makes the Laguna GT easy to handle in town and agile on winding roads. At speeds of less than 60km/hr, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels, up to an angle of 3.5°. This brings two advantages: a smaller turning circle, for easy manoeuvring; and reduced steering wheel input required, thanks to the more direct, specially calibrated steering.