2021 Renault Talisman Spied With New Features on Wagon Body

However, a lot of money was invested in the development of the Talisman, so it's at least got to have mid-life updates.

Will the Talisman go the way of the Toyota Avensis and Honda Accord? Most likely. But the French can at least go all-in with one last series of compelling updates. And here's the latest test prototype doing its Thursday morning job.

Despite the camouflage, you can still make out many of the significant changes here. For example, at the front, we're witnessing fresh LED projectors, a wider upper grille and more sporty fog light surrounds. Meanwhile, the rear of the car sports new taillights and the usual over-trimmed bumper.

More updates could be seen on the finished product, coming out next year, such as paint finishes and wheels. But we're more concerned about what's going on on the inside. The Clio and Captur have shown Renault is finally listening to its buyers. Not only are the panels less likely to rattle, but more interesting finishes have also been considered.

The major highlight is tablet-style infotainment that promises crisper graphics, but will definitely take some getting used to. So will taking tech from the Clio, which is the second most popular car in Europe, work for the Talisman? No. The model is probably going to end 2019 with an abysmal 15,000 sales or so, so it's probably not worth keeping around.

Ford's solution with the Mondeo seems to be turning it into a soft crossover, a bit like the Subaru Outback, but less rugged. This Renault facelift will last the Talisman until 2024, after which the carmaker might decide to follow Ford's lead, or ax the car completely.

New engines have been gradually introduced over the past year. These include the return of the 2-liter diesel, now boasting a promising 200 horsepower, a 1.7 dCi and 225 horsepower 1.8 TCe turbo. All that's needed is a hybrid, which we think will be made using tech borrowed from Nissan, most likely meaning a 2.5-liter like in the X-Trail.