Why the Renault Talisman 2017 deserves your attention

Sayed Humayun Alam, Director of Sales and Marketing for Renault at Al Masaood Automobiles in Abu Dhabi, shares his insights with us about the market and plans for the brand’s newest D-segment offering in the Emirate.

Q. With the Renault Talisman Estate being a prominent part of the model line-up in other markets around the world, and the station wagon segment remaining relatively untapped in the UAE, are there any plans to bring the Talisman Estate here?

The UAE is a market that is dominated by SUVs of all sizes. Though there is an ongoing shift to welcoming hatchbacks, the demand for station wagons in the UAE ranges from negligible to none. Having said that, should the demand arise, we’d be more than happy to welcome the Talisman Estate to the shores of the UAE.

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Q. What is Renault’s strategy to entering the highly competitive D-segment of the market and going up against longstanding rivals such as the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima?

The strategy is rather straightforward and one that focuses on positioning the Talisman as an attractive value proposition – plenty of features contrasted by a low starting price of just AED 67,000. Unfortunately, due to legal restrictions that prevent any vehicle with an engine smaller than 2.4-liters from joining a taxi fleet in the Emirate, the Talisman isn’t eligible to display its durability and challenge its rivals in a high mileage fleet.

Q. How many Renault Talisman units does Al Masaood Automobiles anticipate to sell within the first year?

Although the UAE car market is down by an approximate 22% when compared to 2015, the D-segment - specific to European automobiles - has seen an 8% increase in sales. Keeping this in mind, a conservative figure would be 400 units annually.

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Q. What benefits does one attain by purchasing a Renault Talisman from Al Masaood automobiles?

In addition to a phenomenal car to take home, all Talisman owners benefit from a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. Additionally, owners can also purchase a 100,000 km service pack and road side assistance.

Q. Seeing that the Renault Talisman is built on the shared CMF-CD platform, how much does it share with Nissan?

The alliance between Mitsubishi, Infiniti, Nissan, and Samsung sees a lot of parts being shared, right from tiny microchips all the way up to the entire powertrain. While the 13-speaker Bose sound system in the Talisman is similar to what can be found in the Patrol, it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly has been borrowed and from where. What’s certain, however, is that the alliance has aided all involved in manufacturing superior vehicles. 

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