The Talisman, a handsome sedan with a strange penchant for bratwurst over baguettes, is Renault’s replacement for the popular Laguna hatch and Latitude.
It seems to be made from the same premium-like block as the Espace, with a very similar looking interior but with a bit more elegance added in.
I criticized it for looking a bit too ordinary and even gave it a VW badge to prove my point, but I really do like the Talisman – if anything, the only thing that bugs me is the name which I don’t think was the best choice.
To me, this Talisman is a revival of the old 1990s Safrane or 25, one of Renault’s earlier attempts to topple the premium Germans. It was a good car, with simple understated styling and this new one feels like a continuation of that lineage – why not keep the familiar Safrane name?
Below you’ll find the first set of unofficial videos shot by journos at the unveiling. Scroll down and check them out and for the ones that need subtitles, we made sure to only add videos with proper ones (they’re all in French).