New Renault Talisman Executive Saloon Review

Published Date: 8th Jul 2015

Renault’s New Talisman to take on BMW 5 Series, AUDI A6, VW Passat, FORD Vignale and MERCEDES E-Class in the Executive Saloon Sector

 

The New Renault TALISMAN key features:

•Sleek styling and elegant lines.                                         

•A warm, spacious cabin: more than enough room for all occupants and front seats among the very best in the TALISMAN’s class, and a huge boot.

•Comfort-enhancing innovations: a seven-inch digital instrument display under the dashboard cowling, R-Link2 with 8.7-inch screen, colour head-up display technology, BOSE® Surround Sound and hands-free parking.

•Innovations for intense enjoyment: Multi-Sense technology to match the mood of the driver. The TALISMAN is the only D-segment saloon car to combine 4Control® four-wheel steering with active damping, allowing it to deliver unique road manners, plus safe, dynamic, agile handling, and outstanding ride comfort.

 

talisman front

 

Renault Talisman Exterior

The new Renault Talisman looks powerful and solid at the front-end, with a newly-designed grill sporting the iconic Renault diamond badge. The side profile is enhanced by the dynamic shape of the third side window, evoking the world of luxury limousines and the visual promise of generous space inside.

The use of chrome underscores the elegance of the TALISMAN’s silhouette,with a strip running the perimeter ofthe side windows and another on the moulding that straddles the front wing and door. This arrow-shaped feature taps into the design language of sporting cars to suggest performance and aerodynamic efficiency.

front and back

 

As you can see from the Image above, Renault have come a long way since the Laguna and Alexis Martot, exterior designer of the Renault Talisman had this to say:

 

“My chief priority was to make sure the car had all the right fundamentals in terms of its proportions, the ratio of glazed areas to sheet metal and wheel size. The next task was to ensure that the TALISMAN always looked natural and balanced when seen from any angle.

In this type of exercise there will inevitably be areas where compromises have to be made: while it is important to ‘stretch the lines’ in order to give the body a well-planted stance in both length and width to visually lower the roofline, it is absolutely out of the question to do this if it impinges on occupant accommodation or headroom.

On a large family vehicle like this, it is also essential to recognise that buyers expect a large boot. Yet we need to avoid the ‘backpack’ effect. In other words, we must ensure that the rear boot section is neither too tall nor too dominant in order to ensure a balanced impression.

The lines must ‘tuck in’ at the back to achieve the desired elegance, but not excessively. And while the TALISMAN’s lines are sleek, we took great care to ensure it isn’t pitched too steeply forward merely to accentuate the dynamic effect.”

 

Renault Talisman Colours and Wheelswheel

Renault has announced 10 exterior body colours for the Talisman…….

Metallic Paints - Pearlescent White, Dune Beige, Cosmos Blue, Vison Brown, Cassiopée Grey, Platine Grey, Etoilé Black, Carmin Red and Améthyste Black

Non-Metallic Paints - Glacier White.

The paint finishes above all have a new high-durability lacquer finish, which offers higher levels of resistance

Wheels & Alloys -There are a total of 5 new alloy designs for the new Renault Talisman - 16-inch Sequence wheels, 17 inch Bayadere wheels, 18-inch Erbé Grey diamond-effect Duetto wheels, 19-inch Erbé Grey diamond-effect Alizarine wheels and 19-inch black Initiale Paris diamond effect wheels.

 

Renault Talisman Interior

The Renault Talisman has a sensor that recognises your Key Card, and when it does – the front and rear lights flash, the car unlocks and the ambient lighting comes on. In addition to this: the front seats move right back – so you don’t have to struggle to get in the car, and once you are seated the seat returns to its pre-set position.

interior

Below are just some of the new features announced by Renault for new Talisman:

  • In a world first, the front seat backs incorporate Cover Carving Technology which takes the form of a semi-rigid, resistant, flexible and lightweight shell. This ingenious Renault innovation provides designers with additional freedom, adds to the impression of quality, frees up space (extra 3cm knee room at the rear) and weighs 1kg less than a conventional plastic seat back shell.
  • Integrated ventilation for greater comfort in hot weather. Furthermore, TALISMAN’s front seats benefit from:
  • Generous dimensions and a stylish design,
  • Up to 10 possible adjustments (eight electrically, two manually),
  • Four-position electric lumbar adjustment (height/ depth),
  • Aviation-style six-way adjustable headrests,
  • Heated cushions and backs,
  • Massage function (adjustable intensity: two programmes/ five sequences),
  • Settings memory for up to six individual profiles.

The low seat cushion position ensures a comfortable, dynamic driving experience while freeing up appreciable headroom. The rear three-person bench seat comes with variable density mousse to pamper rear passengers. The 60/40-split bench has a hatch to enable skis to be carried. The two outer seats are equipped with a rotating headrest, which can be retracted and turned to free up the driver’s rearward line of sight.

steering wheel

 

New interior ambiences

There are three interior trims and five equipment levels:

LIFE: black dashboard, leather-trimmed steering wheel and black fabric seats inspired by men’s tailoring.

ZEN: same ambience as the Life equipment level but with lighter-coloured trim strips.

BUSINESS: same ambience as the Zen equipment level but with additional equipment.

INTENS: combined fabric/ semi leather seats, or optional dark brown or black Riviera leather upholstery and matching dashboard. Chocolate brown top-stitching.

INITIALE PARIS: black or sand grey dashboard with dark charcoal or silver top-stitching, Nappa full-grain leather upholstery in a graded grey pattern or solid black, and Nappa leather-trimmed steering wheel.

 

Renault Talisman Engines

All ofthe TALISMAN’s engines benefit from Renault’s knowledge and expertise as an engine manufacturer, honed through the brand’s participation in motorsport and Formula 1 in particular.

Boasting latest-generation technologies such as direct petrol injection and steel pistons, the TALISMAN’s engines offer both first-rate driving enjoyment and low fuel consumption. These downsized powerplants all bear the ‘Energy’ label through the fact that they incorporate either one or two turbochargers, Stop&Start technology and energy recovery under braking. The two petrol units and three diesel powerplants all comply with Euro6 emissions legislation and cover all the needs of European customers.

Two petrol engines:

The Energy TCe 150 and Energy TCe 200 units will be exclusively mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch EDC automatic transmission.

Three diesel engines:

The Energy dCi 110 unit can be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or to a six-speed dual-clutch EDC automatic transmission.

The Energy dCi 130 unit will similarly be available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed dual-clutch EDC transmission.

As in the new ESPACE, the Energy dCi 160 unit – equipped with twin turbos – will be exclusively mated to a six-speed dual-clutch EDC gearbox.

Just 95g of CO2 per km

Renault is tirelessly working to improve the efficiency of its petrol and diesel engines by consistently enhancing their performance and driving characteristics while at the same time reducing their fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This ongoing research and continuous quest for progress endows Renault’s conventional powertrains with a level of efficiency that it would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago. The 110hp Energy dCi unit offers an astonishing driving experience under the bonnet of the TALISMAN.

It emits just 95g/km of CO2, placing it amongst the most efficient vehicles in its segment. This performance is sufficient to qualify it for the latest ECO2 signature. From June 30, Renault’s ECO2 label has been applied to the most economical engine in each model range. This evolution also underlines the favourable positioning of the brand’s ECO2 versions in relation to their direct rivals.

renault Talisman

 

For a comparison of the latest and best new saloon cars click here