Renault Talisman I, because the French didn’t know if they wanted to continue the Laguna line or go imperial Latitude bonkers, so they did both. Here’s why the Renault Talisman I is more than a Megane IV+.

You could say the Renault Talisman I is just a Megane IV with a boot, but the Laguna III’s successor reminds us of the late Latitude. A big, roomy, elegant car that obviously has no business being in town. So the Talisman’s main enemy is the Mondeo because the Passat B8 didn’t make it to the meeting because it’s stuck at the service workshop again.

Another huge saloon that reminds us why the saloon is the basic choice for the roads of the homeland, but also suffers from the oppression of the cross-over. Yet somewhere in this world, there are still billions of people who prefer the saloon for the long haul. A classic, low, long, heavy sedan will always be the most dynamic car for the long haul. A huge car, but with style. Plus Renault engineers have thought to help the huge Renault Talisman I with a 4Control system that turns the rear wheels by up to 3.5 degrees Celsius for easier turning.

But if you have a Renault Talisman I, I invite you to step outside. Out of town, straight to the long haul, because that’s where it will feel best. And you can see that in the fact that the Talisman is one of the few saloons in this class that was bought as a fleet car. Obviously, they won’t be driven by the agents, but by the manager, but that says the Talisman hit the spot.

 

 

Renault Talisman I front side almostcarreviews

Renault Talisman I Engines

Petrol

  • 1.3 TCe of 160 horsepower  – An excellent engine that made a splash in the Megane IV and Duster and wasn’t fitted to the Sandero because otherwise we’d have no reason to buy anything else, but in the Talisman instead it’s a bit of a drag. More stressed than a hypermarket employee on inventory day, you’d be better off leaving this engine for the little ones.
  • 1.6 TCe of 150 and 200 horsepower – If the 1.3 TCe engine is a Renault and Mercedes joint, the 1.6 TCe is a purebred Nissan. That means that as long as it gets oil on time and the timing chain is changed every 150,000 km, this engine will spin forever.
  • 1.8 TCe of 225 horsepower  – Stolen from the Megane III RS 225, this engine has proven to be a monument of sport and reliability, a sort of Remy Bonjasky on internal combustion. Check the seals where the oil might go and change the water pump along with the timing and that’s pretty much the list of things to keep in mind.

Diesel

  • 1.5 dCi of 110 horsepower – As with the 1.3 TCe, this engine is excellent in the Megane, but it doesn’t belong in the Talisman. 
  • 1.6 dCI 130 and 160 horsepower – There’s so much more pressure on this engine that this will be the most bought engine for the Renault Talisman I. In fact, it has so much pressure that if it was the power plant, it would explode and make a fireworks show worthy of New Year’s Eve. Fortunately, it copes brilliantly because it has no specific problems. But only the single-turbo 130 version, the twin-turbo 160 one has issues with the turbos.
  • 1.7 Blue dCi of 150 horsepower – This recently came along to retire the 1.6 dCi and because I’m over 5 years old I automatically have to be wary of anything new. It has no issues of any kind except that magic word “Blue”. We’ll talk about it in a moment.
  • 2.0 Blue dCi of 160 and 200 horsepower – The same Nissan-sourced 2.0 dCi, mounted on everything from Koleos to Latitude, but which also gets the magic word “Blue”. I’d highly recommend it, if it didn’t come only on top trim and that would dynamite its price in the Koleos area, which comes with the same 2.0 dCi but 190 hp. Do you see why it’s hard for big saloons to stay relevant these days?

 

 

Renault Talisman I interior almostcarreviews

Renault Talisman I General Issues

  • The magic word “Blue” in Blue dCi refers to the AdBlue system. If you don’t know what it is, just know that AdBlue for today’s diesel is what the particle filter was for the 2010 diesel. You always have to walk around with your AdBlue canisters behind you and if the system breaks down, you’re gonna have to call the towing company.
  • The EDC automatic gearbox has been with us for some time and it had it’s fair share of issues, up until 2017 when the Gen 2 EDC arrived and it promised that it solved it’s issues.. However, it is recommended to play it safe, and change the oil regularly.
  • The stove pan put on the dash has the name R-Link, with the “R” standing for “Retard”. I don’t like that system at all and it’s probably not the fastest unit possible either.

 

Renault Talisman I rear almostcarreviews

Renault Talisman I Verdict

A reliable saloon that follows in the footsteps left by the Renault Latitude. A big, reliable saloon, halfway between mid-size and premium. A rare car that is cannibalized by Renault’s own Megane saloon. But why get a Megane saloon that’s 75% of the experience of a Talisman, when you can experience 100% of the experience of a Talisman? Because we won’t be seeing that kind of car any time soon.

 

What engines do you recommend? For petrol, I recommend the 160 dci 1.6 TCe, and for diesel, I recommend the 130 hp 1.6 dCi for the simple reason that it doesn’t have AdBlue.