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Renault Talisman Is Living Proof French Can Do a Passat Too

Like many other models that had their full debut in Frankfurt, the Renault Talisman was previously launched on the internet, so half the mystery was gone.
Renault Talisman in Frankfurt 25 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
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But not half the excitement. The Talisman is replacing the ageing Laguna and Latitude models, performing a double-swoop similar to that of the Peugeot 508 which sent both the 407 and 607 models into the history books. I'm guessing it's a French thing, then?

The important thing is the new Renault Talisman looks like a very competent car, with an exterior design that's just right - not too conservative, not too aggressive - a nice size and a very promising looking interior.

It would be pointless to start talking about similarities between the new Renault front end and those of other brands, and anyway, it's nothing too blatant. The big grille and even larger company logo prevent it from being mistaken with something else.

What size are you?

The Renault Talisman sits somewhat in between classes, being 70 mm longer than the Passat, for example, one of its main competitors. As it stands, it measures 4.85 metres in length and is 1.87 metres wide.

Features such as a fully digital instrument cluster are not new to this segment, but the Renault Talisman brings it as standard on all models, emphasizing once again Renault's intention to be seen as a brand that makes the latest technology available "to the masses".

But the elephant inside the Talisman's cabin is the huge - 8.7 inch - touchscreen dominating the centre of the dashboard. It sits in a portrait orientation, just like Tesla's or Volvo XC90's and is surrounded by a lacquered black frame with some touch sensitive "buttons" on its right. The only downside? Look at the pictures more closely and you'll already be able to spot a multitude of fingerprints. Also, touch sensitive commands are pretty bad while driving as they don't offer any haptic feedback.

A more powerful diesel is needed

Unfortunately, at the time of the car's launch, the engine department isn't sounding all that great. In total, there are two petrol engines and three diesel, all mated to either automatic or manual six-speed transmissions. On the petrol front there are 150 PS and 200 PS offerings that only go with the EDC six-speed dual-clutch transmission; the diesel versions come in three flavors with 110 PS, 130 PS and 160 PS, and can be connected to either manual or automatic transmissions.

Following the sedan, the estate version was launched on the 26th of August offering as much as 572 liters of boot space, which expands to almost 1,700 with the rear seats folded.

All in all, the Talisman looks like a very promising car that has all the hallmarks of becoming a real success for Renault. Its design has already spawned the very similar new Megane, but ultimately it all hangs on how Renault will price the new car.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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