BloodHawk wrote:Any carmaker wishing to sell wagons (or “estates” as they are generally known across the pond) in Europe is going to have to think long and hard about how to take on the Volkswagen Auto Group. Between the VW brand handling mainstream markets and Audi offering a number of premium options, VAG is a huge market force in this segment. It might not seem so bad to look at it, plenty of carmakers sell wagons in Europe, but Renault must be feeling the pressure because there has never been a car more clearly designed to take on the Passat Estate then the new Renault Talisman Estate.
The new Talisman, in both Sedan and Estate forms, has such a German look to it that you might mistake it for a 2017 Volkswagen Passat at a glance. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; the Laguna , which the Talisman replaces, had a noticeable amount of that characteristically French weirdness to it and divisive styling isn’t always the best way to sell a lot of cars. Some will see this as the French automaker losing a bit of its charm, but it’s difficult to deny that the Talisman is an attractive vehicle.
The Talisman is a very noticeable improvement over the Laguna that it replaces. Just looking at the exterior lighting speaks volumes. The new horizontal layout for both the headlights and taillights, along with the C-shaped daytime running lights, give the car a more modern look than that of the Laguna’s face-lifted ’90s car look. The rest of the car looks restrained in that way that you’d expect for something that’s taking aim at the Passat. It’s attractive but not show-offy, probably what you want in a wagon. Not many will find it as attractive as the 2008 Citroen C5 Tourer , but the Citroen isn’t the one dominating the market. The Talisman is bigger than the outgoing Laguna, and the rear hatch can be opened by waving your foot under the rear bumper. Nice touch.
Both, Sedan and Estate will share the TCe 150 and TCe 200 turbocharged gasoline engines with 150 PS & 200 PS along with a trio of Energy dCi diesels: 110, 130 and 160 PS. A six-speed manual gearbox is available as well as an optional EDC dual-clutch auto for the TCe 200 and the dCi 130 while the dCi 160 gets a six-speed dual clutch.
The Renault Talisman Sedan and Estate are programmed to go on sale in mainland Europe in the first half of 2016.
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