Renault's Laguna replacement, the Talisman, has been revealed in estate form ahead of its first public outing at the Frankfurt motor show. The Talisman will go on sale in Europe in the first half of 2016 in both saloon and estate forms, but won't be coming to the UK.
Design cues around the front end echo those of the next-generation Renault Megane, which is also due to arrive in 2016, while the Talisman’s overall shape is similar to traditional saloons like the Mazda 6 and Volkswagen Passat.
Renault says the Talisman nameplate was chosen as it “conjures up notions of both protection and power. At the same time, Talisman is an easy word to pronounce and understand the world over”.
The Talisman will come with a choice of two petrol and three diesel engine. The 108bhp 1.4-litre diesel engine is the most efficient of the range, with emissions starting at 95g/km when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox. A 1.6-litre dCi 130 and a dCi 160 are also offered, alongside a 147bhp and 197bhp petrol option.
Renault says that the new car will come with 4Control - a four-wheel steering system - and active dampers, which allow the driver to switch between Comfort, Sport, Eco and Neutral modes.
The Talisman name is already used on a four-door model sold in China. The aligning of the name with this new model shows Renault’s ambition to create a more global car.
The Talisman has been a long time coming, with plans for a more premium executive saloon to replace the Laguna stretching back to 2012. Renault bosses told Autocar in 2013 that the next Laguna would need to be a more adventurous model, and would need to incorporate the “fluid and emotional” styling seen in Renault’s smaller models. In particular, former Renault boss Carlos Tavares said inspiration would come from the Zoe, Captur and Clio models.
A Renault spokesman confirmed that the reason why Talisman would not be coming to the UK was the same reason why the new Espace won’t be seen in this country: because D-segment saloons and MPVs are not a growth area in the UK, with market trends instead showing a desire for SUVs and crossovers. By contrast, in Europe the saloon and MPV market is still relatively stable.
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