Dacia has got away with calling its cars Duster and Jogger – now they’re joined by the new Bigster.
Silly name aside, the new Dacia Bigster promises to be a very impressive family SUV to rival the likes of the Citroen C5 Aircross and MG HS.
It’s designed to look like a bigger version of the new Duster, with boxy, sharp lines for a cool style. The SUV elements are ticked off nicely – there are chunky black wheel arches, roof rails and a tall ride height.
At 4.57 metres long, it’s 23cm longer than a Duster and marginally longer than a Volkswagen Tiguan, but a whisker shorter than the Ford Kuga.
New Dacia Bigster specs and trim levels
Mirroring other recent Dacia models, the Bigster is available in three trim levels. Entry-level Expression – a mid-spec trim on other Dacias – brings two-zone air conditioning, auto wipers, a reversing camera, a semi-digital instrument cluster and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Next up, the Extreme trim adds copper brown trim inside and out, a panoramic sunroof – a first for Dacia – rubber mats, a full-size digital cluster and hill-descent control. Top-spec Journey comes with two-tone paintwork, an electric bootlid, an electrically adjustable driver’s seat, adaptive cruise control and wireless phone charging.
The Indigo Blue metallic paint shade in our pictures is new and exclusive to the Bigster.
Interior and practicality
Up front, every Bigster gets a 10.1-inch touchscreen with phone mirroring (high-spec cars also get built-in sat nav with connected traffic features). While this controls many of the car’s functions, there are still a few buttons for essential controls.
The interior looks robust and hard-wearing, and we also spot a couple of handy storage areas within easy reach of the driver.
We’re told the new Bigster has laminated glass and more sound deadening to reduce unwanted ambient noise.
Dacia says the Bigster offers best-in-class rear-seat space, with headroom and legroom both said to be very generous.
The boot is also up there with the class leaders, and you might well struggle to fill the 667-litre space. However, for when you do need extra cargo capacity, the rear seats fold in a 40:20:40 split and can be folded from levers in the boot.
Dacia has bundled all of the Bigster’s many driver assistance features into one ‘My Safety’ mode. This lets you activate your preferred My Safety settings without having to disengage every assistance system every time you set off.
Engines
Bigster buyers have a choice of petrol or hybrid engines. The 1.2-litre TCe petrol engines come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, as well as mild-hybrid tech to slightly reduce fuel consumption. This should enable a petrol Bigster to manage up to 50mpg.
Four-wheel drive is optionally available, and 4x4 models come with additional driving modes for snow, mud/sand and off-road.
Then there’s the Bigster Hybrid 155, which boasts a much larger battery than the mild-hybrid petrols and two electric motors (one to help with propulsion, and one that acts as a starter-generator). This gets an automatic gearbox as standard, complete with a stubby little gearshifter that looks similar to what you get on a Porsche 911.
Thanks to regenerative braking that scoops up lost energy, the hybrid engine can run for up to 80% of around-town journeys on electric power alone. It always starts on EV power, too.
Accessories
It’s clear that Dacia has thought about how to make the Bigster as useful as possible. Extreme and Journey models come with modular roof rails that can turn 90 degrees to create integrated roof bars, while you can optionally add a rear-seat centre armrest that turns into a rucksack.
For those wanting to get the most use from the Bigster, there’s an optional Sleep Pack featuring a double bed (which can be assembled in two minutes) and storage, and you can even buy a tent that perfectly fits onto the back of the Bigster with the bootlid up.
Release date and prices
Dacia hasn’t revealed prices yet, but has teased that the Bigster will be the best-value midsize SUV. We expect it’ll go on sale in the next few months.
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