The new Renault Talisman 2021 burns through the last cartridges of a model in danger

Miguel Lorente 23 November 2020 4 min.

In order not to miss the train of sub-5-metre saloons with premium aspirations, the new Renault Talisman adds some improvements but no mechanical changes

The new Renault Talisman remains, barely, the last of the Mohicans, the last traditional saloon from the diamond-badged brand in showrooms. That is why, in its 2021 update, the elegant and sensational car receives an aesthetic update, but above all a technological one, to face a commercial end of cycle that could well be the cherry on top of its production run.

With a market and a catalogue crowded with crossovers of every kind and nature, one of the points that has not been updated and may, in the end, be a poor service to this model is the matter of engines.

New Renault Talisman hybrid, no news of it

While the new Renault Talisman keeps its commitment to offering diesel and petrol engines, it has not incorporated any powertrain based on hybrid systems, not even a mild-hybrid, or light hybridisation, as other models from the brand are already doing.

In any case, the 2021 Renault Talisman will have two petrol engines: on one hand, the 160 CV TCe 1.4 and, on the other, the most powerful of all, the 225 CV 1.8. As for the Renault Talisman diesel, starting from the 1,749 cc dCi block, it will be offered with either 120 CV or 150 CV, while the 1,997 cc unit comes in an electronic configuration of 160 or 200 horsepower.

More comfort and safety technology for the 2021 Renault Talisman

What does represent a significant boost to a vehicle that stands as the sole representative of an endangered species is its information, entertainment, safety and comfort systems.

According to the revision of a model we already had the pleasure of driving in its first batch and in its peak configuration, the 2021 version will offer an improvement on what a flagship, a heavyweight rival among saloons almost 5 metres long, with 5 homologated seats and a generously sized boot (608 litres), should provide.

Therefore, in the 2021 Renault Talisman we will find the 10.2-inch screen that serves as a digital instrument cluster, the same one already fitted as an option on the Renault Mégane, and which for this car will be standard across all trim levels.

Regarding the digitalisation of the repository, the multimedia system now features the Renault EASY Link system, replacing the outgoing R-Link 2 which, among other things, is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and offers online and telematics connectivity and services via the mobile app, covering vehicle information (fuel reserve) and security (remote locking and unlocking).

The multimedia equipment comes with a screen of either 7 inches or 9.3 inches, replacing the 8.6-inch unit of the first batch, and depending on the choice it will be positioned horizontally, the small one, or horizontally in tablet style, the larger one.

As for comfort, the climate control buttons have been revised and the temperature is now displayed without taking your eyes off them.

And, regarding safety, the new Renault Talisman implements driver assistance and driving aids, enhancing protection with a system that keeps the vehicle centred in its lane up to a maximum of 160 km/h. Furthermore, the new emergency braking system is fitted, which now also acts on detecting pedestrians and cyclists, and not only when recognising vehicles as the previous one did.

In the exterior section, which amounts to an almost imperceptible aesthetic change from what we knew, the light units have been improved thanks to the new matrix headlights with LED diode illumination, LED Matrix Vision technology.