The mid-size sedan segment was thought to be dead in Europe, but the French and Germans are still battling over it. This latest combatant is the Renault Talisman with its tweaked engine range.
Back in March, they presented the Talisman S-Edition at the Geneva Motor Show, with a 1.8-liter turbo similar to the Megane RS and Alpine A110. The unit produces 225 HP and 300 Nm of torque (221 lb-ft). It's hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which sends the power to the front wheels.
Last week, Renault held a launch event for the S-Edition models (sedan and wagon), where this photo and video footage comes from. The S-Edition is a weird way for Renault to say that it's the sporty, well equipped one, and the only other such model is based on the Captur.
Getting back the engine, we found that in Germany, it's already available on the top-spec Talisman Initiale Paris, where it costs €42,150. The fact that it replaces the 200 horsepower 1.6-liter also suggests the Clio RS will indeed receive a 1.8-liter turbo that's de-tuned to around 220-225 HP.
Regardless, we found a few interesting things while looking through the configurator. More specifically, the diesel engines which are the most common for the Talisman now produce 120 and 150 HP instead of the usual 130 and 160 HP.
Nither the consumer website nor the one for the media clarifies these powertrains, but we believe at least one of these units is new. You see, Renault is trying to phase out the 1.6-liter, whose twin-turbo configuration was responsible for delivering 160 HP. And in its place, the French automaker is likely to have installed a 1.8 dCi that made its debut with the Kadjar facelift.
Besides the new 1.8 turbo, the Talisman S-Edition comes with Renault’s 4Control (rear steering wheels) and Electronic Damper Control (adaptive suspension) systems. The cabin is covered in black leather with red stitching on the steering and seats.
“With S-Edition, Talisman adds the sporty touch waited for our customers in the range,” Sandra Gomez, D-segment Program Director at the French company, comments. “The new 1.8-liter 225-hp engine blends power with refinement to deliver even greater driving enjoyment.”
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News