Renault Thinks Big, Green with Talisman Flagship

The Talisman, which replaces the Latitude large car and Laguna midsize, is 4848mm long and its 2808mm wheelbase gives the rear passengers legroom typical of a chauffeur-driven limousine.

The Talisman starts at 27,900 euros in France, making it less expensive than the Citroen C5 and Peugeot 508. One way that Renault kept the price down was limiting the Talisman’s engine family to four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines. The entry 110-hp 1.5-liter diesel uses just 3.6 liters of fuel per 100km.

The Talisman also has Renault’s Multi-Sense driving control system that offers five settings: neutral, comfort, sport, eco and personal. Each setting affects the performance of the engine, steering and electronic damping as well as the colors of the ambient lighting and instrument panel graphics.

“With the Multi-Sense system the Talisman buyer has five vehicle setting modes he could chose from, a feature typical of premium models but unique for a volume brand,” Talisman product manager Stefan Renard said. The Talisman station wagon is expected to cover about half of the model line’s sales. The wagon launches in March. The Talisman will not be offered in the UK and Ireland.

FAST FACTS

New technology: The 4CONTROL four-wheel-steering system is permanently active. At speeds below 80kph, the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels, which improves maneuverability. At speeds above 80kph the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the front wheel to improve stability.

Connectivity: Renault’s optional R-Link 2 offers the driver and front-seat passenger tablet-style operation of the Talisman’s 8.7-inch portrait display. R-Link 2 provides access to applications such as Coyote (for traffic radar alerts) Michelin (for hotel, restaurant and travel information), Twitter and email reading services.

Engines: Three four-cylinder turbocharged units. The 1.6-liter gasoline unit delivers 150 hp and 200 hp; a 1.6-liter diesel offers 130 hp and 160 hp. The car’s entry-level engine is a 110-hp 1.5-liter diesel.

Target buyers: Fleet buyers will ac­count for 50 percent to 70 percent of the car’s European sales depending on the market, Renault says.

THE BASICS

Launch date: November (France); January-February (rest of continental Europe)

Base price: 27,900 euros (France)

Where built: Douai, France

Lowest CO2 emissions: 95g/km (1.5-liter diesel)

Main rivals: Ford Mondeo, Opel Insignia, Peugeot 508, VW Passat