Yesterday I attended the national launch of the new Renault Talisman Sport Tourer. This is the family version Renault Talisman, together with the Mégane, one of the releases most important of Renault. In this test we were able to verify that the offer from Renault is strong, but it competes in a segment aggressive and contested, more than it seems. Their proposal combines design, quality and space, with a price content and the obligatory dowry technological. really, how is this a triumphant return to the big family?
is There a market for relatives in Spain?
The ground-breaking Renault 12 Break was the first family of the brand, back in the distant 60s.
According to Carlos Izquierdo, head of brand communication tells us, yes. And firm form. vehicles that Renault called historically “break” account for about 9% of the market in Spain – by adding up all the segments. And according to the figures provided by the brand, this percentage hardly been affected by the economic crisis or the emergence of the crossover. A segment resistant to the fashions, populated by individuals with purchasing power above the average and with a weight of the channel company of about 60-70%.
Is a profitable segment, in the final analysis. The Renault Talisman Sport Tourer plays in a niche market, the segment D. it Competes with rivals weight as the Peugeot 508 SW, the Volkswagen Passat Variant and the Audi A4 Avant, three institutions that Renault considered its closest competitors. Renault has been absent from the segment effectively from a few years ago: the Renault Laguna Grand Tour was a commercial failure, and two years ago they even sold. His aim is to return to be a competitor to be relevant.
The task of Renault is titanic: recovering the lost ground with the latest generation of the Laguna, whose sales were poor.
Within segment D, approximately 25% of the sales correspond to body family. We only talk about 23.000 units per year, but it is that 10 years ago only one out of every ten cars sold in the segment were family. According to estimates by Renault, very soon we will reach the 30%, european average in the segment D. The big challenge for Renault is to satisfy a demanding customer – both particular as a channel renting/business – that demand picture, and a equipment premium useful for the driver.
Dat look. Renault Talisman Sport Tourer. Very soon in motor. #carsofinstagram #renaulttalisman #renault #renaultespaña #mediadrive #carporn #motor
What does the Renault Talisman Sport Tourer? Space, much space.
To begin with, a design that I think very successful. Laurens van der Acker has been the designer for both of Mégane as Talisman, and has finally managed to give Renault a brand image consistent and appropriate to the current times. We were lucky to enjoy a sunny day in Asturias – where he spent the national presentation – and I have to say that the car draws the attention under the sun. It has presence, as often pray that hackneyed resource editorial. But it is the truth: is not out of place on the side of a Opel Insignia or Volkswagen Passat.
The Renault Talisman Initiale Paris extends equipment and design to fight against their rivals premium.
Both your front and your behind inherit the signature light of the saloon, and the conversion to body family is harmonic. Win live. The Renault Talisman Sport Tourer offers in the first place a size identical to the sedan: it is only 16 mm longer. Though it is only 2 mm more width, the interior space has been optimized considerably, increasing at 3 cm space to the ceiling for passengers in the rear seats. These passengers enjoy the same abundant space for the legs of the sedan.
To this interior space generous binds a trunk whose cubicaje is 572 litres. By itself the figure is good, is superior to that of the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer, but falls far short of the 650 litres of the Volkswagen Passat Variant – Skoda Superb Kombi or talk about. This cargo space is accessed by a mouth load very, very wide, of 1,037 mm width in its lower part, and 736 mm high. It has a very regular and several cargo spaces under its double bottom, for those objects that always go along.
With the rear bench in the doldrums, it is possible to load packages of 2 meters long. The cargo volume of 1700 litres.
If I miss details such as the FlexOrganizer of Opel, there are multiple fasteners to attach the load and the commercial network of Renault will offer extras such as floor mats rubber to protect the floor of the trunk. Like other rivals, offers a gate load power, which is activated by passing your foot under the bumper – when I wanted to test it the trick didn’t work, for some reason. The rear seats are folded in configuration 60/40 by means of a push-button electromechanical very comfortable.
Another interesting detail is the protective cover from the load. With the load completely covered, a single press of the retracts slightly, while another press of the replicates to the full. After that, roll it out by hand, but what is certain is that the mechanism is ingenious. Like other rivals, the height at which the electric gate is to be programmed, which is especially useful in some garages, low ceilings. All have spare wheel type cookie, even equipped Bose sound with subwoofer.
behind The wheel of a Renault Talisman Sport Tourer 1.6 dCi with 160 HP EDC Initiale Paris
On units that are equipped with, we can go to receive a massage while you drive, with up to three customizable profiles.
During the two days of the presentation, my travel companion was a Talisman family equipped with the a priori will be the engine most selling: a 1.6-litre dCi 160 HP supercharged by two turbochargers in series. This engine is currently the top-end diesel, and develops a maximum torque of 380 Nm at 1,750 rpm. Associated with a gearbox double clutch and six relations EDC, allows a 0 to 100 km/h of 9.6 seconds and a tip of 213 km/h. On paper, the average consumption approved is just 4.6 l/100 km.
The range diesel is complete down with a 1.6-litre dCi 130 HP and a 1.5 dCi 110 HP. In petrol there are two engines 1.6 Tec, with outputs of 150 HP and 200 HP. All Renault Talisman are front wheel drive, no option to four wheel drive. The Renault Talisman Sport Tourer has a behavior router, with an aplomb to be envied on the road and especially a roll-silent, thank you in the noisy, “And” asturiana. The engine always sounds very muffled, even at high regime. It is very well insulated.
The instrumentation of the Renault Talisman Sport Tourer combines a digital sphere with two sections, analog and is fully configurable.
Is an engine performance more than enough to 1.615 kg of family that you must drag. It is progressive, and does not have a kick awesome, but responds well if there is a advancement in secondary road or a recovery. What I don’t have the best impression of the gearbox EDC, despite being a dual clutch is a little snappy and something slow responses. Lacks the maximum power behind the wheel, it a essential detail if you want to practice driving more agile.
To test the system 4Control four-wheel steering Renault took us to a section of the rally. Of truth, a stretch of the Rally Príncipe de Asturias, with a bad firm and buzzard as he only. An ideal place to situate the Multi-Sense in Sport mode. Multi-Sense is a selector driving modes. five profiles (Auto, Comfort, Sport, Eco and Personal with more than 1,000 combinations) adapted from response of motor and gearbox to the tare of the cushioning piloted, passing by the configuration of the digital display.
4Control: “honey, I shrunk the car”
The system R-Link 2.0 to put on our center console screen difficult up to 8.7 seconds full of functions and information. Their use requires a certain adaptation period.
it Was time to put in Sport mode and had to get our pilot inside. I could speak of a firmer suspension or ato address with a touch of something more hard, but the experience differential is called 4Control. The system of four-wheel steering is what really separates the dynamics of the Renault Talisman of your competition. The rear wheels rotate in the opposite direction to the front and up to a maximum of 3.4 º, allowing an agility without equal in curves and low-speed manoeuvring.
The system is not switchable, and this is how it works up to 50 km/h in Comfort, 60 km/h in Auto mode or 80 km/h in Sport mode. Park is a kids game, and the maneuvers are unique to a utility 3.8 meters, not of a family of almost five. More quickly the wheels rotate in solidarity with the front up to a maximum of 1.9 degrees, making it effectively a greater poise and comfort. I promise you that the system 4Control makes a difference and transforms the driving experience of the car.
The cushioning piloted reads the road up to 100 times per second, adjusting his hardness in real-time.
With the knife between the teeth, did not believe possible such a step by a curve with a relative 4.86 meters in length. Clear that there is inertia, but the way in which the lagging round the curves – they getting slightly about the central axis of the car – it does not seem real. In fact, in sections slow, I was surprised myself by opening a few degrees of the rotation of the steering wheel, which instinctively closed more than necessary. In addition, it is a family member noble of reactions, which forgives driving errors, with composure and behavior solid.
Prices and range of Renault Talisman Sport Tourer
prices of the Renault Talisman Sport Tourer started at 25.400 euros for a version Life equipped with the engine 1.5 dCi 110 HP. This price does not include discounts for funding or Plan PIVE, so that more well-off you will go in a little more than 20,000 euros. It is a competitive price for a family whose version is more “stripped” already includes alloy wheels, climate control bizona, Bluetooth hands-free or cruise control. Prices culminating in more than 43,000 euros in a version Tec 200 with a finish butt-of-the-range Initiale Paris.
As you can see in this picture, the manual options are limited to the diesel of 110 HP and 130 HP, on the other hand will be two options best-sellers – cars of this type have a mix diesel-gasoline 90-10. The system R-Link 2.0 – not yet compatible with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay – of the images is not available in the finish Life, and only reaches to his to 8.7 inches from the finish Intens. Several equipment packs (Multimedia, Business, Visio, System, Full LED, Technology, Style, Bose, and Winter) complete the range Talisman to base of book.
version Initiale Paris has exclusive details of design and equipment that soon I will be detailed in an in-depth article. The conclusion which I draw after this making of contact is that Renault has the opportunity to retrieve one of his feuds with the Sport Tourer. With a design, behavior, ergonomics and qualities appropriate to their competence – the leap in quality of the interior is worthy of mention – this Sport Tourer has what it takes to succeed in this segment. Will he be able to overcome competition in a very able and very seated?