Renault have recently announced the new Talisman as a replacement for the ageing Laguna - and in keeping with the French manufacturer's promise to remove all of their large cars from the UK, it won't be coming to this country. Does it matter? Well not many people would have bought it anyway - but here are five reasons I still think this is a sad thing....
Renault are good at large cars
The idea of Renault selling a large barge of a car these days still doesn't sit quite right, but remember the French Ambassador friendly Renault 25? They're actually rather good at it, and rather good at making them comfy, and it's a shame we can't get a taste of that in this country.
Depreciation doesn't really matter
This car will be worth very little as soon as you drive it from the forecourt. In true French style though it doesn't seem to matter, large French cars are not known for their residual value but they have an aura of self confidence and elegance that seems to supersede this. Naturally.
It looks great
In a fairly anonymous way, this car is suitably elegant and is more than a match for the likes of the Mazda 6 and Kia Optima in this country. It's probably better looking that the Peugeot 508 in my opinion, and has that executive classiness that wouldn't look amiss on the roads of the UK.
It's got the specs
Well, every car of this type has tech and similar specs these days, but four wheel steering, the 8.7 inch touchscreen from the Espace and a choice of 3 diesels (which will sell) or 2 petrols (which won't) should be enough to keep you going.
Big estate cars!
What happened to big estates? They're almost certainly, as mentioned in my Peugeot 2008 Crossover review, a dying breed. The French estates of a bygone era are becoming more and more sought after, and far more companies are now offering Crossovers or Sportbacks rather than the more conventional, old fashioned load lumpers that are French estates. The Talisman, though, comes in a rather tasty estate format, and that's surely enough to want one.
