Dacia goes big on all-new, family-sized SUV

The Bigster seeks to go where no Dacia has gone before - the C segment...

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 9 October 2024 / Loading comments

Great though the Dacia Duster is, offering good value for money and some welcome no-nonsense utility, it is plainly not the biggest SUV in the world. This is where the new Bigster comes in, moving Dacia into the C-segment arena along with just about every other carmaker on the planet. And yes, that is the real name - worked for the 2021 concept, so Bigster has stayed. Doesn’t need much explaining, at least, or pronunciation help. Very Dacia.

Clearly it’s not a bargain basement Range Rover, though this is definitely a larger proposition than we’re used to from Dacia. Apparently the Bigster ‘sets new standards’ in the class for boot length and height, which will be music to the ears of PHer parents everywhere. The manufacturer claims 667 litres with seats up, which is a vast space, with a 40/20/40 split meaning long items (up to 2.7m) can slot through the middle with four people onboard. And Dacia being Dacia, the load space boasts some useful features, including the YouClip accessories system, Easy Fold seats and an optional wipe-clean boot mat. Those wishing to go full explorer with their Bigster will be pleased to know that every version of the new model gets roof bars (the Extreme gets the modular longitudinal and transverse items), with a Sleep Pack, Cargo Box, roof rack and tent all on the extras list. Time to show the family a proper summer holiday perhaps. Tell them the body protection is made from recycled material (because it is) - they’ll love that.

A range of powertrains will be available for the Bigster from launch. A new Hybrid 155 offering will be the biggest draw, building on the Hybrid 140 derivative currently seen elsewhere in the Dacia range (offered here as well) with extra power and torque (plus 15hp and 15lb ft), increased towing capacity (now 1,000kg) and a six per cent reduction in fuel consumption despite all that. As a reminder, the Dacia hybrid offering isn’t a PHEV, instead combining a 108hp 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 50hp electric motor and high voltage starter generator, supplied by a 1.4kWh battery and driven through an automatic electric gearbox. Dacia’s claim is that a hybrid Bigster can operate as an EV ‘80 per cent of the time in the city.’

A conventional ICE will also be offered, the 1.2-litre turbo triple now at 140hp (the most powerful it’s been in a Dacia) with mild hybrid assistance; a 130hp variant is for real rufty-tufty driving, complete with six-speed manual and all-wheel drive. Uniquely, it gets Terrain control with five - Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-Road and Eco - drive modes, just like a proper little Land Rover.

The interior will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the new Duster, complete with the 10.1-inch central touchscreen, digital dash and the Y-shaped vents intended to link with the headlight design. Expression spec, as per all the Dacias, will be pretty basic, with a ‘focus on simplicity and appeal’; Journey is meant to be all about comfort, bringing the bigger screen, adaptive cruise, powered tailgate and so on. Range-topping Extreme channels ‘durability and easy cleaning’, with a host of features unique to the model: a high centre armrest with built-in cooler, the Copper Brown accents, that very cool opening pano roof, washable synthetic upholstery and hill descent control. Easy to imagine that being the best looking and most popular Bigster; it’s the grey car here, and Indigo Blue - a new Dacia colour exclusive to the model - is a Journey spec.

Dacia says its new SUV strongly embodies its core values: Essential but Cool, Eco-Smart, Robust and Outdoor. It claims for itself the title of Europe’s leading B-segment brand, with the Bigster its first foray into the next class up. Even with swathes of opposition, you wouldn’t bet against Mr Big(ster) making an impact. Expect it on sale in 2025.