New Dacia Bigster: Duster's big brother is value brand's first mid-size SUV

Meet the all-new Dacia Bigster: the rather aptly named bigger, more practical brother of our 2024 Small SUV of the Year, the Dacia Duster, and the value-focused brand’s first crack at the hugely important mid-size SUV market. It’ll arrive next year to challenge best-sellers such as the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and MG HS.

The Bigster’s name and square-jawed design should be familiar, because a concept model was unveiled back in 2021 and previewed Dacia’s latest design language, which went on to shape the Mk3 Duster. The production Bigster looks undeniably tough, thanks to pronounced, boxy wheelarches, skid plates at the front and rear and lots of protective cladding.

That cladding, along with most of the rear bumper, is made from Starkle – a material created by Dacia’s engineers which contains up to 20 per cent recycled polypropylene, and isn’t treated or painted, giving a distinctive mottled finish. The skid plates, meanwhile, are, according to Dacia, “dyed in mass” – meaning they’re the same colour all the way through, making any scratches harder to see. 

The cabin design is identical to the Duster’s, but Dacia has worked hard to integrate the refinement, space and equipment that customers expect from a family SUV. Every Bigster features a large 10.1-inch central touchscreen running the brand’s latest infotainment system, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Below that is a row of physical toggles for the climate controls, while the driver gets either a seven-inch or 10.1-inch instrument display in front of them, depending on the exact model. 

Dacia says the 4.57-metre-long Bigster is one of the most spacious offerings in its class, and can comfortably accommodate five passengers and all their luggage. That’s a bold claim, but the 667 litres of boot capacity on offer is certainly a lot more than any version of the Qashqai can handle (479-504 litres). Indeed, it’s greater than you get in any Sportage (540-587 litres) or Hyundai Tucson (558-620 litres).

Every model comes with a height-adjustable boot floor for a flat load space. When you need more space, the Bigster has a 40/20/40 split folding rear bench, with levers in the boot for folding the seats down which allows for a maximum load length of 2.7 metres.

If you’ve only got two people in the back, the middle seat folds down to create an armrest with two cup-holders and a handy slot for a smartphone. Another practical feature is Dacia’s unique YouClip anchor points dotted around the car, which can be used to mount various accessories such as tablet holders and so-called “3-in-1” modules that include a cup-holder, bag hook and torch. The Bigster comes as standard with YouClip points on the dashboard, the centre console, in the boot and on the bootlid.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, Dacia will be offering a Sleep Pack, as is the case with the seven-seat Jogger, a roof rack, a tent that can be attached to the rear of the Bigster, and a ‘Cargo Box’ which attaches to the tow bar, increasing the luggage capacity without making the car taller. 

The Bigster is one of three new models Dacia is set to launch in the mid-size C-segment of the market. Another is the ‘C-Neo’ hatch that Auto Express reported on earlier this year, with details of the final offering still under wraps.

What’s it like inside the new Dacia Bigster?

We were allowed to take a look around the new Dacia Bigster before its official reveal, and were immediately impressed by the amount of space on offer in the rear seats. Even with six-foot tall adults up front, there’s lots of legroom for passengers to stretch out in the back, space under the front seats for their feet and headroom is very generous. The panoramic sunroof in the top-spec car we saw also helps make the cabin feel bright and airy. As you might expect from a Dacia, the interior is made of mostly hard plastic, but build quality is solid and it feels like the cabin should hold up well to whatever families can throw at it.

Dacia Bigster engines and performance

The Bigster sits on the same CMF-B platform as the Duster, and many other cars including the Renault Clio. There are three hybrid powertrains to choose from, starting with the entry-level TCe 140 that uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, 48V mild-hybrid technology and a six-speed manual gearbox. It produces 138bhp and 230Nm of torque, emits 129g/km of CO2 and Dacia claims it can return up to 50.4mpg.

The mild-hybrid system doesn’t allow for pure-electric driving, but helps the engine fire up and when accelerating. Its 0.8kWh battery is recharged by regenerative braking when the car slows down. 

The TCe 130 4x4 features the same mild-hybrid petrol engine, now producing 128bhp and 230Nm of torque. But it adds four-wheel drive and five drive modes for different terrain: Auto, Eco, Off-Road, Mud/Sand and Snow. It  also uses a manual transmission.

Finally, there’s the Hybrid 155 powertrain. The Bigster is the first model in the Renault Group to use this specific full-hybrid set-up, which consists of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox, working together with one main electric motor, a separate starter generator motor and 1.4kWh battery. 

Combined power output is 153bhp, while the e-motor provides up to 205Nm of torque. The Bigster Hybrid can return up to 57.6mpg and spend up to 80 per cent of the time driving in town on pure-electric power, according to Dacia, plus it always starts up in EV mode. 

Dacia Bigster trim levels and equipment

The Dacia Bigster will go on sale in spring 2025, and while UK pricing hasn’t been announced yet, we believe it will start somewhere in the region of £26,000 to £30,000. That should position it between the Nissan Qashqai, which starts from just over £30k, and the MG HS that’s priced at a whisper under £25k. 

When order books finally open, buyers will have a choice of three trim levels: Expression, Extreme and Journey. Every model will feature a 10.1-inch touchscreen and seven-inch instrument display, plus dual-zone automatic air-conditioning, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, electric windows, modular rear bench, power folding door mirrors, fixed roof bars and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Plenty of safety features come as standard, too, such as lane-keeping assist, traffic sign recognition, driver attention warning, emergency call system and advanced emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection. Drivers can also quickly and easily activate a personalised mode for the driver-assistance suite using the ‘My Safety’ button on the dash.

Extreme builds on that kit list by adding 18-inch rims, a copper brown finish on the mirrors, front grille and other accents, modular roof bars, a panoramic sunroof which can be opened, 10.1-inch digital driver’s display, Arkamys 3D sound system, keyless entry, washable upholstery and rubber floor mats, plus hill descent control. 

Journey doesn’t include all the kit that Extreme models get, but is equipped with the two larger screens, upgraded sound system and sat-nav. On top of that, there’s two-tone paint, a powered tailgate, wireless charging pad and a high centre console with armrest. Hybrid models will also benefit from adaptive cruise control.