Currently reading: Dacia Bigster is brand's largest, most expensive model to date

Family-sized 4x4 will land in the UK next year in full-hybrid and mild-hybrid guises

The Bigster is Dacia’s largest model yet and kick-starts the Romanian brand’s ambitious plans to expand into the ultra-competitive C-segment market.

Claimed by Dacia to make the “C-SUV more affordable”, the long-awaited Bigster will sit above the technically-related Duster crossover and is set to arrive next year at a sub-£30,000 price that will undercut key rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq, Peugeot 5008 and Ford Kuga.

Positioned as a cut-price alternative to the Land Rover Defender, the Bigster comes with four-wheel drive, “genuine off-road capabilities” and a rugged exterior design that remains largely faithful to the concept first shown in 2021.

Protruding wheel arches, sharp-looking LED headlights and large, 19in alloy wheels endow the Bigster with a brawny appearance that’s similar in vein to the recently overhauled Duster.

The Bigster sits on the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi CMF-B platform, which is shared with the Duster, Sandero, Jogger and Clio. As a result, it is being launched with a mix of electrified powertrains.

The flagship model is the Hybrid 155, which pairs a 107bhp four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors (a 50bhp motor and a high-voltage starter-generator) and a 1.4kWh battery. The Bigster is the first Renault Group car to be fitted with this set-up.

Outputting 153bhp via a six-speed automatic gearbox, it is the most powerful Dacia model to date. The firm also claims it can be driven in pure-EV mode 80% of the time.

Customers can also opt for the TCe 140, which combines a 138bhp 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a 48V mild-hybrid system. At the foot of the range is the TCe 130, which is also used by the smaller Duster but features four-wheel drive. Both are available with a six-speed manual gearbox only.

Inside, the Bigster majors on “space, ergonomics and comfort”, according to Dacia. New features – such as thicker glass, improved acoustic padding, adjustable seats and dual-zone climate control – have been added to “meet the expectations of customers” looking for a C-segment SUV.

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The high-mounted dash is dominated by a 10.1in central touchscreen, which gets smartphone mirroring as standard.

A huge 667 litres of seats-up boot space puts it on a par with the similarly sized Kodiaq and 5008.

Commenting on the launch of the Bigster, Dacia design boss David Duran said: "For the C-segment, you need a car that stands out, so its good to be a bit different by coming with a tough-looking car that is spacious, but also that has functionality to appeal to buyers. And it goes well with our affordable positioning, too. "

"A rugged design makes sense for us becuase we want our cars to be used as a tool. I have an old Land Rover Series II and for me this is the perfect example of a rugged, reliable tool that you can use everywhere. This is the type of design that I love and I try to apply to our cars becuase we want people to feel proud in our cars, and you don't always need to have a super expensive car to look good," he added.

The Bigster will arrive in the UK priced from around £29,000 and top out at close to £35,000, making it Dacia’s most expensive model to date.

Sam Phillips

Sam Phillips
Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and fiirst drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website. 

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in electric cars, new car news, microbility and classic cars. 

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.

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squig 10 October 2024

Kind of hard to take it seriously with that name.  Bigster, what on earth were they thinking...

Sulphur Man 10 October 2024

An SUV with 5 seats and 667 litres of boot space will be in a class of 1 at under £29k.  

Shame the nice old faithful 1.5dci doesn't come to the UK. Every decent mechanic knows them and good for 150k miles easy.  

Bainthrewo 9 October 2024

So the flagship model "pairs a 107bhp four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors.. and a 1.4kWh battery. The firm also claims it can be driven in PURE-EV mode 80% of the time."

With a 1.4kWh battery, how?  Perhaps if its a plug-in hybrid and you plug it in at home and 80% of your journeys are less than 5 miles?