It goes like this: if non-premium brands traditionally struggle for credibility and sales in the German- dominated 'E1' sector then why take them on at their own game in the first place? Why tool-up for another forgettable big saloon that will appeal to nobody but Parisian taxi drivers and French government ministers before becoming so undesirable secondhand that an Oxfam shop wouldn't touch it?

Thus Renault has decided to break the circle of big-car under-achievement and build something a bit braver. Indeed, by taking a more radical approach it hopes to attract those image-conscious customers who are now abandoning conventional luxury saloons in favour of posher MPVs and off-roaders.

Hence Vel Satis promo shots of chin-stroking, design-conscious metropolitan lifestylers wearing black polo necks and relaxing on designer furniture.
Whether you like it or not the Vel Satis's styling certainly stands apart from the competition. Eschewing the low-slung three-box profiles of its luxobarge contemporaries, the hatchback Vel Satis is tall and MPV-like in its proportions - 13cm taller than a regular big saloon says Renault - and built to a formula that puts comfort above all.

Certainly the proportions of the five-seater interior have dictated the car's look rather than the other way round. It's arresting rather than conventionally attractive with a big front overhang, wrap-around rear window (like the old R25) and strong, wide-eyed facial features that could only be French. But if the original Vel Satis showcar was Blade Runner then this is more like something out of Teletubbies - a car that exists in some kind of parallel universe.

Being on the inside looking out is the best place to be. The high-set seats and squared-off door apertures make getting in and out graceful since you sit on the seats rather than tumble down into them. The interior is spacious, airy and tasteful, a place where passengers are as important as the driver. The IKEA-like light wood trim gives it a cool vibe.

Renault had the Audi A6 as a quality benchmark and - while the Vel Satis fails to exude quite the same feeling of solidity, with some switchgear from lesser Renaults - the big glass area, high seating and generous head and legroom give the cabin a relaxed, lounge-like ambience. If you can't get comfortable in the front seats then there's probably something wrong with you and you shouldn't be driving anyway. They're wide, five-way adjustable armchairs with a double-hinged, electrically adjustable backrest and seatbelts integrated into the backrest so they're always close to the shoulder. And because the locking of the belt is handled electronically they don't have to sit tightly across the chest.

You use an electronic card to boot-up the ignition then a button to fire up (the card also remembers your seat position, climate control setting and so on). You don't have to worry about switching on wipers or lights nor fiddling with the air-con: this car does everything but wipe your bottom. Even the parking brake comes on and off automatically.

The range straddles four engines, from a 2.2-litre turbo diesel to an all-alloy 3.5 V6, with a 3.0 V6 turbo diesel and a 2-litre petrol turbo in between. All but the 2-litre are brand new designs. Only the two V6s were on-hand to try so we concentrated on the 3.5-litre range-topper, good for 245bhp and 147mph.

Swift and soothing, the Vel Satis is chilled-out like few other cars. It's quick enough too: plant your foot and the V6 - distant but not entirely silent - wafts this living room on wheels up the road on a creamy crest of torque and almost imperceptible shifts. It's only reasonably responsive in D but works well in sequential over-ride mode, although it will occasionally up-shift without asking.

Despite its lofty stance, the Vel Satis corners without too much roll, thanks in part to what Renault calls 'Trigonal' rear suspension - a light, compact multi-link affair that they say promotes stability whilst filtering noise and vibration. Turn-in is tidy and the steering has enough rim resistance to promote confidence without bombarding you with information.

On Renault's test track a sudden throttle lift mid-corner made the ESP work hard - but gently - as the back of the car drifted into the beginnings of lift-off oversteer but otherwise the handling is tidy, without ever seducing you into the outer reaches of what it's capable of. It's more likely to impress you with its ride which is wonderfully supple at high velocity, if slightly fussy at lower speeds.

The Vel Satis is likable and different but one wonders if its well-honed sybaritic sensibilities will cut much ice in luxobarge land. Renault says its targets for the car are realistic. The hope is to shift 3500 in 2003 - its first full year in the UK - each built to order.

So if your pub landlord doesn't abandon his 5-series in favour of a Vel Satis then Renault probably won't be too fussed: it's the hearts - and wallets - of the Islington chattering classes that they really want to capture with this car.