Comfortable travel is not a principle only for luxury brands; Renault also has a long tradition.
The Renault 30, Renault 25 and Safran are Renault models which a few decades ago were synonymous with comfort and prestige. The French car-maker many times in its history has had the courage to bring a risky pioneering model to the market. The Vel Satis or Avantime were not great successes, but many times things worked out.
The Renault 16 shocked the world in 1965, and the Renault 5 seven years later in 1972; the Espace came out in 1984, and the Scenic started the MPV boom in 1996. It was shown that people’s notions about the ideal car of a higher class are much more conservative. A classic sedan, at most a combi, is a certain bet. The Talisman, with a length of 4.8 metres, is a typical mid-size car, which, however, today is leading the battle with a SUV category.
The French car-maker many times in its history has had the courage to bring a risky pioneering model to the market.
Nothing Matches a Sedan
For the Talisman’s designers, however, it was important. A ride in a sedan is still the most comfortable available, and not only for passengers, but the driver, too. The first thing you notice on the Talisman is the design. Renault could not have done better than to entrust it to the hands of the phenomenal Laurens van den Acker, who made the Talisman a gallery of mobile art. The Talisman can be admired from every angle. In addition, design is the thing by which the Talisman captures every motorist. The design is visible, but comfort needs to be tested. The Talisman does not need to be locked, unlocked or started with a key. And the luggage space opens by itself; then you just sit in the big comfortable seats and enjoy the ride.
Economical Diesel with Two Turbos
When the makers developed the engine, they looked for inspiration in Formula 1. The 1.6-liter diesel quad-cylinder is extremely efficient and powerful. Direct injection of diesel fuel into the cylinders by 1800-bars of pressure, a variable-effect oil pump, and low-friction piston rings, should not suffice, however. The 160 hp (118 kW) dCi engine has two turbos. The first is smaller and ensures the pressure in the cylinders even at low speeds. The maximum torque of 380 Nm is available at 1,750 revolutions per minute, but at 1100 the engine has half and at 1250 already 80 percent of the maximum torque. The larger turbo takes over at higher speeds. The smaller four-cylinder version with a two-litre engine lowers performance, but consumption is lowered by a quarter.
Rear-Wheel Drive, Too
A unique solution in the Talisman is the 4Control system. The rear axle also helps with the steering. At a speed of about 60 km/h, the rear wheels are skewed at an opposite angle of about 2.5 degrees, at higher speeds, in conformity with the front wheels, by about 1 degree. The Talisman therefore has an exceptionally small turning circle and can be driven and parked very comfortably in the city. It is also stable on the motorway at high speeds.
Text: Martin Vasiľ, photo: Renault
