All-new Dacia Bigster: flagship SUV arrives with 4x4, hybrid power and off-road kit

• All-new mid-size SUV
• Full hybrid option and various off-road features
• On sale next year

The all-new Dacia Bigster has been revealed, taking the brand’s successful Duster formula and supersizing it. It’s Dacia’s biggest car ever and its first stab at the hot mid-size SUV market. That puts it up against some big-sellers over here, including the ever-popular Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage, although the Bigster arrives with some unique adventure-ready features to set it apart from those rivals.

The Bigster is the first of three new family cars headed our way from Dacia as it plans to expand into the mid-size market. It’ll be joined by the ‘C-Neo’ hatchback further down the line, while the third model remains a mystery. Prices for the Bigster are also under wraps currently, but it’s expected to cost from around £27,000 when it goes on sale next year. That would position it neatly beneath the Qashqai and Sportage, while making it marginally more expensive than the new MG HS.

What does the new Dacia Bigster look like?

The design of the Dacia Bigster won’t come as a surprise to anyone who saw the Bigster concept in 2021 – the production car is virtually unchanged. It’s chiselled, tough and chunky, with square proportions and black cladding that wraps around the whole body. It’s a design shared with the smaller Dacia Duster, but the Bigster is 230mm longer overall, opening up more interior and boot space.

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The Bigster’s upright front end features the brand’s latest Y-shaped headlights, sitting either side of a gloss black grille and above a grey skid plate. The rugged look continues around the sides and to the rear of the Bigster, where more ‘Starkle’ cladding is used. This material first appeared on the new Duster and is made from up to 20% recycled plastic. It’s also unpainted, so chips and scratches won’t affect its colour.

What about the Bigster’s interior?

Much like the outside, the inside of the Bigster is essentially carried over from the Duster but – you guessed it – bigger. You get the same dashboard with Y-shaped air vents and a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen. That’s standard fit across all Bigsters and comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, while the driver gets a digital display for driving information. This is seven inches in entry-level cars, while higher trim levels get a 10-inch unit.

Things differ from the Duster when you open the rear set of doors. Dacia claims the Bigster offers one of the most spacious interiors in its class, and having sat in the rear seats ourselves, we’re inclined to agree. There’s plenty of legroom across the whole bench, even with six-foot tall passengers sitting up front. 

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Boot space is impressive too, with 667 litres of space with the rear seats in place. That ‘s more than you’ll find in many of its rivals, including the Qashqai, Sportage and MG HS. Plus, you get a handful of Dacia’s YouClip anchor points around the cabin, which can be used to attach various accessories, such as tablet holders, cup holders or bag hooks.

Like we’ve seen with the Duster and Jogger, adventurous customers are catered for by the Dacia’s ‘Sleep Pack’. This slots into the boot of the Bigster, and folds out into a double bed for stealthy camping trips. Other unusual options include a rear-mounted tent, a tow-bar cargo box, and a rear central armrest that converts into a backpack.

What engines are available for the Dacia Bigster?

The Dacia Bigster utilises the same underlying platform as the Duster, which in turn is shared with the Renault Clio and Captur. There are three engines to choose from, all using some form of hybrid assistance.

The entry-level option is the mild hybrid TCe 140. This uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and a small electric motor, delivering 138bhp through a six-speed manual gearbox. Dacia claims it can return up to 50.4mpg, which is considerably more than the petrol MG HS.

The Bigster TCe 130 4x4 uses the same engine and manual gearbox but with a slightly lower peak power figure, at 128bhp. In exchange for the loss in power, it gains four-wheel drive and a host of off-road driving modes.

At the top of the range sits the Bigster Hybrid 155. Unlike the previous two engines, this is a full hybrid set up, consisting of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a 1.4kWh battery. Thanks to the greater electric assistance, this model returns the best fuel economy, with Dacia claiming up to 57.6mpg. It’s also the most powerful with 153bhp, and the front wheels are driven through an automatic gearbox.

How much does the Dacia Bigster cost and when can I buy one?

UK pricing is still to be confirmed for the Dacia Bigster, but it will be the brand’s most expensive model when it arrives next year. That said, Dacia claims that it’s “staying true to its values” with the Bigster, and will be “delivering the best value for money on the C-SUV segment”. We estimate that will translate to a starting price of around £27,000, with Hybrid 155 models commanding nearer to £35,000.

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