2019 Nissan Altima on 2040-cars

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Renault's new Talisman smacks of Maxima [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Well, despite taking up virtually the same amount of space on the road, Nissan spokesperson Josh Clifton confirmed to Autoblog that there's "no linkage on the two vehicles," and that "they weren't developed in tandem." The story has been edited to reflect this information. While Renault and Nissan maintain a strong alliance, the amount of sharing between the two brands is generally pretty subtle. The two automakers haven't made a habit of rebadging the other's products, although we'd surely support rebadging the Renault Clio or Megane as the new Versa or Sentra, especially if the RenaultSport versions were rebadged as Nismo models. That's not likely to change with the new Renault Talisman The big four-door sedan is the latest vehicle to ride on Renault-Nissan's Common Module Family, which also underpins the current Espace MPV. While it may wear Renault's diamond logo and ride on the Espace's platform, the new Talisman sedan takes up almost exactly the same amount of space on the road as the new Nissan Maxima. There's less than two inches separating the two sedans' overall length and wheelbase, while differences in width and height are negligible. The similarities end with the size, though. While the Maxima is only offered with a 3.5-liter V6 and continuously variable transmission, the Talisman will be available with a range of four-cylinder engines. There will be three diesels, available in 110-horsepower, 130-hp, and 160-hp varieties, along with a pair of gas engines, delivering 150 and 200 hp, respectively. The diesels can only be mated to six-speed transmissions (manuals are available for the 110 and 130-hp models), while the petrol mills are limited to seven-speed dual-clutch units. The Renault will also offer four-wheel steering, in the form of the company's 4Control system, and active dampers. While not pictured here, the Talisman will also be offered as a five-door wagon. You can expect to see both the sedan and long-roof models when Renault shows its newest entries in September, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Related Video: THE TALISMAN Renault's new saloon packs style and real driving enjoyment Renault is proud to reveal its new executive saloon. The evocatively named TALISMAN ticks all the boxes that D-segment customers have come to appreciate, while taking wellbeing and driving enjoyment to a new level. The Renault TALISMAN features a unique combination of: • Assertive styling: sleek, elegant lines.

2015 Nissan Murano: Introduction [w/video]

Right as winter turned to spring, a 2015 Nissan Murano was added to the Autoblog long-term test fleet. And while we'd like to report that it's been nothing but smooth sailing, the truth is, as we wrote this, the Murano was undergoing its second stint in the service bay at Suburban Nissan in Troy, MI. It only had 2,400 miles on the odometer. In fact, that's part of the reason why it's taken us so long to introduce this new member of the long-term fleet. After driving the new, third-generation Murano late last year, where we learned that Nissan thinks of its stylish crossover as the flagship for the brand, we decided to order one for a full year's worth of testing at Autoblog HQ. Right from the start, our Murano had problems. At 227 miles, the Check Engine Light illuminated. With no warning messages displayed in the car's onboard infotainment system, we took the Murano to the dealer, where a diagnostic check revealed a faulty O2 sensor. A new part was ordered and we were sent on our way. The Murano went back to the dealer, and now, that issue has been resolved. About 100 miles after the O2 sensor failed, the small storage cover on the center console broke. We aren't really sure how, since this small cubby hasn't had a whole lot of use. Rather than explain it in words, see what's going on in the video below. That's not the only issue we've had with the interior, either. We sort of expected the light, almost white leather to show signs of age during the year-long test, but even after just 2,400 miles, the seats are starting to look worn, with obvious discoloration showing on the driver's seat. What's interesting is, we never had this problem with the light-colored leather on our long-term 2013 Pathfinder. Beyond that, parts of the Murano's interior generally feel poorly put together. The door panels pull away upon light tugging (while closing the door, for example), some of the plastics creak, and we've noticed a few small rattles. Some of this is pretty alarming, especially considering the low mileage of our test car. But it stands to reason that these problems could've been baked in from the start. We're told our car had a couple of issues prior to delivery, and we've heard rumblings from other journalists that their test Muranos haven't been up to snuff. Our early impressions of the Murano were generally positive.

2020 Kia Soul vs. subcompact crossovers: How they compare on paper

At 10 years old, the 2020 Kia Soul has entered its third, and potentially best, generation yet. To get here, it fought off other boxy hatchbacks such as the Scion xB and Nissan Cube. But now it faces all new competition: subcompact crossovers. They offer similar sizes, prices and flexibility as the Soul, but with a veneer of ruggedness. But the Soul is ready with its own rugged trim, the X-Line, plus the return of its powerful turbocharged variant. To see how the Soul stacks up to the fresh competition, we've compiled vital stats on all the tall hatches. Considering the prodigious size of the subcompact crossover segment, we've limited our selection to a few options that are similarly priced and sized to the Soul, and that offer a bit of funky styling. They include the Toyota C-HR, Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Kona and Honda HR-V. There are of course many more options, and you can create your own comparisons using our Compare Cars feature. (You can also check out our Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross comparison that includes a few larger choices). In the meantime, though, check out all the numbers on our selected vehicles in the chart below, followed by analysis after. Performance, fuel economy and drivetrains The crossover segment is diverse when it comes to powertrains, with all different displacements, induction systems and drive wheels. A surprising number of these supposedly rugged and off-road-oriented vehicles (at least more than normal cars) are front-drive only. These include the Nissan Kicks, Toyota C-HR and Kia Soul. But the Kona and HR-V offer all-wheel drive, with the Hyundai offering it on both engine options. Speaking of engine options, only the Kia and Hyundai have two possibilities, either a base 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine, or a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine. The base engines have identical outputs of 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, but the turbo engines differ. The Soul has 201 horsepower to the Hyundai's 175, but both make the same 195 pound-feet of torque. The Kicks, C-HR and HR-V all offer just one engine option, and they're all naturally aspirated. The Nissan's engine is the smallest and least powerful: a 1.6-liter engine making 125 horsepower and 115 pound-feet of torque. The HR-V is next with a 1.8-liter engine making 141 horsepower and 127 pound-feet of torque. The C-HR rounds out the trio at 144 horsepower and 139 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter engine.