After almost seven years in production the original Laguna was replaced by an allnew model in December 2000, which shared its chassis with the Nissan Primera (which arrived a year later). The engines were upgraded, and the equipment list made longer. It was the first vehicle available in Europe to achieve five stars in the EuroNCAP crash test results, a feature which was soon followed by all other models in Renault's range. This generation was made available in liftback or estate (Grandtour) styles only.

The Laguna featured a 'keyless' ignition system which, instead of a key, used a credit card style device to unlock the car and start the engine. The styling of the second generation Laguna was heavily influenced by the Initiale concept car. This was the 2002 Semperit Irish Car of the Year in Ireland.

The Laguna estate was only available with five seats, unlike the previous model which had seven seats as an option on some versions. It was badged as Sports Tourer or Grandtour, depending on the country. It was also marketed as a lifestyle vehicle, rather than a load carrier.

Unlike its predecessor, the Japanese spec Laguna II was not available at any Yanase Co., Ltd. dealership location, as Yanase had ended its import rights for Renault after Renault had acquired a stake in Nissan when the Laguna I was still in production. Instead, the Laguna II was sold exclusively through Nissan Red Stage Store locations.

Facelift

Facelifted Renault Laguna II (2005–2007)

Facelifted Renault Laguna (2005-2007)

The Laguna II was facelifted in March 2005, according to Renault with improved security, driving performance and comfort.

It also had a moderate redesign of the air intake at the front of the car, now matching the design of the Megane. An electronic handbrake was also introduced, this was previously seen on the Scenic and Espace. The engines were much the same as before, with the 1.6 and 1.8 petrol units being offered in some markets, while other countries get a 2.0 petrol unit (turbo or non-turbo) and two diesels (1.9 or 2.2 direct-injection).

After the facelift, a whole new diesel engine was introduced, the 2.0 dCi with 150 hp (112 kW) and another variant of the engine which produced 175 hp (130 kW), In May 2007, this variant was the most powerful 2 litre diesel engine in the world.