So Renault have revealed the new Talisman estate, a suited and booted version of the Talisman saloon. We won’t start by telling you how great the Talisman is or rather will be. Plenty of motoring journalists will be gurning to do that in a number of weeks for sure with surprisingly good reviews. We will start by revealing the definition of Talisman that is to say the dictionary meaning. Talisman is “an object that is thought to have magical powers and to bring good luck.” Renault will need all the luck they can get with the Talisman because they are entering a market dominated by the Passat, Mondeo, and Insignia. This post should be yet another boring impartial deciphering of yet another corporate press release telling us to tell you about a great new car coming into view on the horizon. But this is a Renault car and we don’t do impartiality. Curiously its the German’s who played a central role in giving Renault much needed input into how to make a large executive premium saloon desirable. Large Renaults have never been desirable, outside of France, even then the French spit in the face at large Renaults. The Renault Talisman is something of an oddity, it uses a modified version of the Espace platform which is also used by long term partners, Nissan. Renault hope the Talisman will succeed where the Laguna failed. Renault can make good cars, but the problem is that they let the accountants do the designing for them and as a result what where initially good intentions turn out to become a fragile mess. Renault costs every component from mechanical to trim, if it can be made cheaper they will make it cheaper. That’s why Renaults have always had that whiff of Eau de Cheap about them, but that’s what people expect of Renault. Its what they do. Renault believe in planned obsolescence earlier than most. But wait, the Talisman has things like a Bose sound system, active damping, Adaptive cruise control and connected technology, comfortable seats. And most unlike Renault a “sleek silhouette”, when was the last time you heard Renault saying that about its cars? The Talisman will never be sold in the UK and that really is magical and lucky for UK punters because Renault screwed up badly with the last D segment wonder, the Laguna and UK buyers don’t forget and never forgive easily.