RENAULT will supply Avis Rent A Car with 1,000 new Lagunas this year as part of a joint marketing initiative to support the launch of the upper medium contender. Avis estimates that each car will be driven by about 25 different customers during its six-month stay on the rental giant's fleet, promoting awareness of the new Laguna and acting as mini-test drives for potential customers.

Kim Baxter, national rental manager at Renault UK, said: 'This agreement with Avis allows Renault maximum exposure of the new Laguna to a whole cross-section of potential customers.' The two companies have worked on jointly branded promotional packs for every Avis customer who hires a Laguna, including a response card so that Renault can follow up potential sales leads.

Avis has also created a central display stand at its Heathrow location - the largest car rental station in Europe - to showcase the Laguna, and has sent out a dedicated mailing pack about the Laguna and the availability of the car on its fleet to its top 1,500 corporate customers.