2016 Renault Talisman Replaces the Laguna Sedan

A grand event at Château de Chantilly hosted by Renault-Nissan Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn and vice president of design Laurens van den Acker revealed the long-awaited 2016 Renault Talisman to the world. Dear God, the looks alone make this family-oriented sedan a far cry compared to the third-gen Renault Laguna we all know and admire.

Renault is now a diamond sculpter

As far as the front fascia is concerned, it’s a given that the design department borrowed styling cues from the all-new Espace people carrier and Kadjar crossover SUV, mixed these elements together, then turned the wow factor up to a solid 11. The horizontal bars of the front grille, the LED-accented headlights and L-shaped daytime running lights, together with the beautifully sculpted bonnet are just what the peeps from Renault need to challenge the Germans.

As for the rear fascia design, ignore the rearview parking camera that hides in the center of the Renault logo on the trunk door. Look at the shape of the LED-laden taillamps and the touch-sensitive trunk door release button subtly hidden under the S in Talisman. The integrated boot lid spoiler is another touch of subtle design that adds up to a thoroughly modern presence. As for the side profile view, the glasshouse is a tell-tale sign there’s more room inside.

Speaking of the cabin, the dashboard is dominated by a vertical tablet-like touchscreen infotainment system such as the one that equips the Renault Espace. On the center console there’s a rotary knob that acts as the controller of the R-Link infotainment system, flanked by four auxiliary buttons and the cluster that comprises of the electronic parking brake, speed limiter, and cruise control buttons.

Thanks to the Renault-Nissan CMF-CD architecture’s generous 2.81-meter wheelbase, the all-new Renault Talisman can accommodate the driver and four taller passengers in comfort. 4.85 meters long, 1.87 meters wide and 1.46 meters tall, the Talisman also boasts a gargantuan 608 liters (21.4 cuFT) of cargo space, a volume that’s rivals the Skoda Superb’s enormous boot.

Now here’s where the fun starts: as an option, customers can upgrade the 7-inch Renault R-Link 2 media system to an 8.7-inch touchscreen. Furthermore, the 2016 Renault Talisman is available with the manufacturer’s 4CONTROL all-wheel drive steering, a technology we’ve first put to the test with the Aston Martin-styled Renault Laguna Coupe. Engine and transmission options? Not so plenty, we’d say.

1.6 is the magic number

Starting with a 1.6-liter TCe turbocharged petrol with 200 horsepower, the front-wheel drive 2016 Renault Talisman can also be had with a 1.5 dCi turbo diesel with 110 HP and CO2 emissions as low as 95g per km.

The 1.6 dCi diesel, on the other hand, ups the ante to 130 or 160 horsepower, while the 1.6 TCe turbo petrol makes do with 150 HP and a Clio RS-rivaling 200 HP. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Renault Talisman wagon will debut, animated by the engines mentioned earlier. A six-speed manual as well as six and seven-speed EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions can be coupled to the powerplants.