We are with the Renault Talisman at Florence.
The Talisman is the new D class sedan model of the Renault.
With the Talisman, Renault is entering a class that has very strong rivals.
In here very strong rivals such as VW Passat, Skoda Superb, Opel Insignia and Ford Mondeo take part.
Of course if you ask me which one among them is the strongest and arbiter rival I can say that it will be VW Passat by a long shot.
The Talisman replaced the Latitude as the answer of the Renault to these strong rivals.
Let’s see what the Talisman, which replaced the Latitude, can do against these strong rivals.
As always let’s start analyzing from the exterior design of the car.
First of all, if you ask me, the Talisman looks much more modern and impressive than the Latitude it replaced.
When you look from the front, to begin with, the huge Renault logo and the C form daylights with LED, which were positioned at the edge of the car and therefore makes the car look much wider, attract attention.
When you observe the car from the sides, the metal pieces on the front bumper grabs attention.
Furthermore, due to the long body, wide axle span and the window line tapering towards the rear definitely give the car a dynamic appearance.
If you ask me which part of the car is diversified and looks athletic, I will definitely say, the rear.
Especially, with the distinct taillights design it succeeds to dissociate from the models we see on the roads.
Due to the horizontal form of the taillights, which almost completely cover the boot lid, it gives the sensation of wideness and sportive look.
Let’s see how the cockpit of the Talisman is?
For one thing, if we compare it with the Latitude it replaced, I can say that this place is completely brand new.
The quality of the materials used is good.
In here there is a soft plastic material. In here a wooden piece covered with leather is very pleasing to the eye.
But more important than all these is that, there is a vertically placed touchscreen here.
This 8.7 inch touchscreen is offered as standard in the full complement level Icon.
In the Touch version there is a 7 inch horizontal placed touchscreen here.
This touchscreen where R-Link2 system is loaded is used easily from the screen as well as from the controls here.
But I have one critic, that is, its working speed in my opinion is a bit slow.
For your small items very good places have been offered, moreover there is a small cubical in front of the gear lever.
Furthermore, beside the gear lever there are also two-cup holders with sliding lid and armrest.
In my opinion the comfort level offered in the front is good, the seats are comfortable and can be electrically adjusted and the driver’s seat has massage function.
Because I am tired from İstanbul-Bologna flight I am using the massage seat and it is very good.
As for the living space of the rear, it meets the class standards.
Of course if you wonder what the class standard is I can tell you that it is not the Skoda Superb, because the Skoda Superb offers much better knee room than its rivals by far.
But the knee and headroom the Talisman offers at the rear is also good enough to satisfy the expectations.
The most important alteration at the rear is that the seats have been positioned higher
and when you sit here your view of the road is good and as this will be a preference for the chauffeur-driven car I think it is a good feature.
The Talismans boot capacity has been stated as 608 liters and it looks as if it is wide enough to accommodate many of your loads.
Naturally, since the boot opens as sedan type, it does not have very wide loading bay, therefore I can say that it will be ineffective against some rivals especially the Superb in the matter of loading big articles.
Let us consider the engine and the driving features of the Talisman.
The Talisman will be sold in our country with 3 different diesel engine alternatives.
One of them, as you know is 1.5 liters diesel engine that develops 110 HP and 260 Nm of torque.
The other is also known from the other Renault models, 1.6 liters diesel engine that develops 130 HP and 320 Nm of torque.
In both of these two engine alternatives it can be purchased with 6 speed manual gearbox and also with 6 speed EDC double clutch automatic gearbox.
In the Talisman, the newest 1.6 liters diesel engine of the Renault Nissan alliance that develops 160 HP and 380 Nm of torque is also used and I am at the moment testing that engine.
The only difference of this engine from the others is that it is sold with only 6 speed EDC double clutch automatic gearbox.
We will probably see this engine in the many Renault Nissan models in the future but I am testing this engine for the first time in this car.
Just as the numerical values indicate I can also say that its power and traction is very good.
I have been driving the Talisman around Florence for a few hours and covered 120 kilometers.
I have driven on highway and on what I may call village mountain byroads.
Clearly, I can renew here that the engine answers well to the expectations.
Furthermore, I think it proves itself in the subject of economy, by being frugal as the trip computer indicates 5.8 liters fuel consumption averages, while offering performance.
The Talisman offers a system called 4Control that its rivals missing.
This means that four wheels are able to move together.
Primarily, it earns you mobility in the city maneuvers.
In other words, when you move the steering wheel to a certain angle the rear wheels move in the opposite angle, ease your turning, and bring the parking to easy terms.
However, in the normal driving instances the front and rear wheels working in coordinated fashion ensure you to take the corners more dynamically and faster.
You can also choose the driving modes in the Talisman.
With one touch here to the main control, you can switch from Sport to Comfort.
Furthermore, there are three different modes in the system called Eco, Neutral and Perso as well.
When you choose between these modes you are able to intervene to the engine as well as gearbox as well as steering
as well as the shock absorbers as well as the engine sound and as well as the interior lighting.
As a matter of fact, when you choose Comfort I can tell you that the massage seat comes into play.
During my drive I have used all of the modes but let me tell you shortly the differences between Comfort and Sport.
When you move to the Sport first of all the steering transmogrifies, becomes firmer just as the suspension.
The gearbox becomes more patient to change gears, in other words it changes on higher revs.
In this way the car attains more dynamism.
Of course, when you choose this mode, I think it is an advantage that the engine sound is artificially announced inside the cockpit.
Finally, as I have said earlier the Talisman is entering a struggle with very strong rivals in this class, in other words, it is clear that its job is not easy.
If we think in this context, it looks; as if the Renault will capture the success it embraced with the Laguna in the past similarly with the Talisman.
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