2025 Dacia Bigster overview: Quick drive

You’d assume that the rugged, reasonably priced Romanian model could be a pure match for the Australian automotive market, however Ateco Automotive – Renault’s importer and subsequently the arbiter of what occurs to Dacia in an Australian sense – has lengthy mentioned that if and when it does import any Dacias, they’d be offered right here with Renault badges. 

And it introduced precisely that simply final month, when it confirmed the Dacia Duster small SUV would arrive in Renault Australia showrooms because the Renault Duster by the tip of this yr.

That is sensible from a model recognition perspective, however not a lot sense in most different methods. Dacia now not makes low cost and cheerful vehicles which can be little greater than rebodied Renaults. 

Rather, it makes a spread of vehicles all of its personal design and to its personal functions, and easily makes common raids on the Renault company components cabinet, nicking mechanical bits for which Renault has lengthy since paid the event prices, sidestepping among the extra subtle security objects on the identical time, maintaining prices below management and taking the following poor security rankings from Euro NCAP on the chin. 

In Europe, automotive patrons love this recipe, and final yr the Sandero, Dacia’s small hatchback, was the best-selling automotive of all, whereas the compact Duster stormed to the highest of the SUV gross sales charts – at the very least so far as personal patrons have been involved. 

Now comes the Dacia Bigster – a tacky identify, proper sufficient, however one with a critical objective because it lifts Dacia up and away from the extra compact fashions on which it has constructed its success to date and into a bigger, extra worthwhile slice of the automotive market.

The Bigster does this at a time when Dacia is fastidiously massaging its model picture, shifting away from its so-cheap-you-can’t-complain origins and right into a realm the place worth for cash remains to be the model’s primary attraction, however shut behind are issues akin to type and a way of outdoorsy adventurousness.

Dacia desires to be a lower-priced rival for Jeep and Land Rover, and this burgeoning picture, mixed with the Bigster’s area and utility, would make it a super addition to the one largest gross sales phase within the Australian automotive market. You’d assume. Will it ever come right here? We’ll have to attend and see. In the meantime, let’s see what we’re lacking…

Style-wise, the Bigster lifts quite a bit from the smaller Duster, with a chunky, four-square look. There are distinctive touches, such because the Y-shaped LED operating lights constructed into the primary models, the ‘DC’ Dacia badge, often called the Dacia Link, within the grille, and the closely castellated bonnet. There are additionally neat rear gentle clusters that keep away from crossing over into the boot lid – as that will add further wiring complexity and, subsequently, extra value.

Another very nice contact is the ‘Starkle’ plastic for the outside. This black plastic, which has little flecks of white and gray within the materials, is fabricated from 20 per cent recycled polypropylene, and the paint is added within the mould so it may well’t be scratched. Dacia makes use of Starkle to guard the Bigster’s extremities from knocks and scrapes and together with the dearth of exterior chrome, it provides the Bigster a pleasantly no-nonsense look.

How a lot does the Dacia Bigster value?

Its UK value interprets to an equal of $49,000, which might put the Bigster within the coronary heart of Australia’s booming mid-size SUV phase led by the Toyota RAV4, Mitsusbishi Outlander, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Hyundai Tucson.

In Europe, Dacia tends to strip extra tools out of its vehicles, chasing most worth, than it places in. But the Bigster bucks that pattern, with cheap commonplace tools and choices akin to an electrical tailgate, a panoramic glass roof and 19-inch alloy wheels. 

What is the Dacia Bigster like on the within?

Dacias have been as soon as noticeably constructed all the way down to a value, however the model has critically upped its sport in high quality and materials phrases, although the Bigster’s cabin wears its still-cheap plastics with pleasure. 

To be honest, the supplies used are nearer to strong than low cost, and as a substitute of acres of plain, scratchy plastic, Dacia has moulded in textures and hues that elevate the feel and appear of the dashboard and door tops. 

Equally, objects such because the steering wheel and the stubby, rubberised toggle change that selects the automated gears have been fastidiously labored on to ensure that they’re pleasingly tactile (the guide gear shifter much less so). 

The entrance seats and driving place additionally mark a considerable enchancment over Dacia’s smaller Duster SUV, which shares the identical CMF-B platform because the Bigster. The driving place feels decrease and extra pure, and there’s more room to your legs and ft. 

Plus, the entrance seats – coated in both a pleasing tweedy materials, or a wipe-down overlaying that feels virtually wetsuit-like – are very comfy and supportive. We spent a number of hours behind the Bigster’s wheel for this check, with nary a twinge nor grievance from again nor legs. 

There’s a selection of centre console layouts, relying on the mannequin, and our top-spec hybrid-engined Journey check automotive got here with the tallest of those, that includes a usefully deep storage space below the armrest, two massive cupholders and more room in entrance of the gear selector which is residence to a wi-fi cellphone charging pad.

The Bigster’s 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen sticks to the model’s easy and reasonably priced shtick by being virtually mono-coloured (it’s principally inexperienced, black, or yellow) and simple sufficient to make use of. It helps that Dacia has borrowed a set of bodily buttons for the air-conditioning system from the Renault Austral, which work nicely and really feel like high quality objects.

The driver’s digital instrument cluster – measuring both 7.0-inch or 10.0-inch relying on the mannequin – is once more easy, virtually monochrome and simple to make use of. There are bodily buttons on the steering wheel for the cruise management and for altering the show on the instrument panel, whereas there’s a separate stalk behind the wheel for audio controls – once more, lifted from a number of current Renaults.

The Bigster’s large benefit, as befits its identify, is area. Dacia claims that there’s 240mm of legroom within the again and taller rear passengers ought to have little issue in getting comfy. 

The large facet home windows provide you with an honest view out, and the non-obligatory glass roof is good too, letting in numerous further gentle. The rear seat armrest doubles because the load-through for the boot and consists of cupholders and cell phone holders. 

Dacia additionally consists of ‘YouClip’ mounts – little clip-on factors of its personal design for further equipment, akin to extra cupholders or perhaps a clip-on torch. There’s additionally a design competitors for the time being to create intelligent new equipment, together with a mixed canine water bowl, leash hook, and poop-bag holder. In concept, you possibly can even 3D-print your personal YouClip equipment, as Dacia has made the design for the system open-source.

There are three YouClip mounts within the cabin, and two extra within the boot, which is very large. Go for the essential front-wheel drive model and there’s 702 litres of bags room as much as the retracting load cowl, and 2002 litres for those who fold the three-way-split again seats down (there are useful levers in the back of the boot to assist with this).

Our hybrid check automotive loses a few of that area to its battery however nonetheless has 612 litres of cargo capability below the bags cowl, which is very large sufficient for many. The boot flooring is reversible – carpeted on one facet, wipe-clean plastic on the opposite.

You would possibly quibble that there’s no seven-seat choice, and given how huge the boot is, that’s a justifiable gripe. Dacia rationalises the choice to go away the Bigster as a five-seater in various methods, however the primary motive is solely value. 

To engineer the Bigster for seven seats would have meant a distinct rear construction, new rear suspension and difficulties packaging the hybrid battery. All of which might have pushed up the value, and that’s simply not the Dacia means. And in Europe Dacia presents the Jogger seven-seater.

What’s below the bonnet?

The Bigster is likely to be large, however none of its engines are. The most elementary variant comes with a turbocharged 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid help, producing simply 103kW. 

For some markets, there’s additionally a 96kW model of this engine which may run on LPG as nicely, and has a spherical LPG tank sitting within the spare wheel nicely below the boot flooring. The sole all-wheel drive Bigster, for now, makes use of that engine too, and all of these variations come solely with a six-speed guide gearbox. 

However, the best-seller in Europe is prone to be the Hybrid 155 model, which employs a 1.8-litre petrol engine backed up by a 37kW electrical motor and a compact 1.2kWh lithium-ion battery, producing a complete of 115kW. It additionally makes use of a posh four-speed automated gearbox, into which the electrical motor and a hefty starter-generator are put in.

Those are the one engine choices for the second, however subsequent yr the Bigster will turn into the primary Dacia mannequin to get a brand new electrical rear-axle drive system, permitting it to supply all-wheel drive mixed with hybrid energy and an automated gearbox. 

Dacia doesn’t quote a mixed system torque output, however the engine manages 172Nm and the electrical motor 205Nm, so it’s not doing too dangerous, and even on this heaviest hybrid kind, the Bigster solely weighs 1487kg.

Thanks to that, gasoline financial system is spectacular. Dacia quotes an official quantity, on the WLTP check, of 4.6L/100km, and we managed 5.3L/100km on our drive. In equity, that was on French roads, which have typically fairly low velocity limits, however we did drive over a great mixture of freeway, metropolis, city, nation and twisty mountain roads. 

CO2 emissions are additionally impressively low, matching and even beating the perfect that the Toyota RAV4 can handle. It’s value noting that whereas the mild-hybrid Bigster can tow as much as 1500kg with a braked trailer, on this Hybrid 155 model that falls to 1000kg. 

How does the Dacia Bigster drive?

The Bigster is just a bit taller than it’s broad, and that squareness appears to make its means by to the driving expertise.

It feels blocky and strong on the highway, not in an unenthusiastic sense, however in a gradual, safe-pair-of-hands sense. It drives like a great opening batter bats.

The Bigster’s steering is gentle and doesn’t talk a lot, so don’t go anticipating the S in SUV to be paid off. Equally, the delicate suspension – often caught out by sharp edges and sending a giant ‘thwack’ up by the cabin – implies that the large, sq. nostril bobs a couple of bit and desires a second’s breath to settle earlier than you swing it into a quick nook.

While none of that sounds nice, the actual fact is that the Bigster drives with a type of laid-back confidence. No, you’ll by no means chuck it round for enjoyable, however equally it rolls alongside pleasantly with sufficient responsiveness to the steering to make sure that you don’t get too bored.

It’s a household automotive and arrange for easy-going cruising greater than the rest, and at that it does very nicely.

The limitation is refinement. Dacia has added extra acoustic insulation than it normally does, and there’s even thicker-than-usual facet glass to try to preserve the noise down, however at freeway speeds you’ll positively discover some wind roar and tyre drone. It’s not too dangerous although, and lengthy runs within the Bigster nonetheless become fairly enjoyable.

Of extra curiosity to most drivers than its cornering prowess are good visibility, and it helps you can see the perimeters of the bonnet from the driving force’s seat.

While the Bigster is large, by Dacia requirements, at slightly below 4.6 metres lengthy and 1.81 metres broad, it’s removed from the biggest SUV round, and it by no means felt overly cumbersome even on the slender streets of French villages.

What do you get?

Given that the Dacia Bigster isn’t confirmed for Australia, we don’t understand it’ll get. In Europe it will get the next as a base.

2025 Dacia Bigster highlights:

• 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Smartphone mirroring
• LED headlights and tail-lights
• 17-inch alloy wheels
• Digital instrument cluster
• Four electrical home windows
• Manual air-conditioning 

Is the Dacia Bigster secure?

There has been one thing of a operating battle between Euro NCAP and Dacia for the previous few years – NCAP retains penalising Dacias in crash assessments for not that includes the most recent digital security tech; Dacia hits again by saying that the tech is simply too costly, and prospects simply change most of it off anyway.

The consequence has been some very low NCAP scores for Dacia fashions in recent times, though Dacia insists that its vehicles would rating 4 stars if the check centered on bodily security, slightly than digital add-ons. The Bigster hasn’t been independently crash examined but, but it surely ought to do higher than some earlier Dacia fashions, not least as a result of European laws has compelled Dacia’s hand and so the Bigster now comes with extra in the best way of digital security aids.

Standard security tools consists of:

• Forward collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Speed restrict warning
• Lane maintaining steering
• Traffic signal recognition 
• Rear park help
• Driver consideration warning

How a lot does the Dacia Bigster value to run?

The Bigster Hybrid 155’s spectacular real-world gasoline financial system means that it’ll be low cost to run in the long run, and Dacia’s ever-competitive pricing implies that repayments will probably be low for those who’re shopping for on finance. 

Solid performances in European reliability surveys recommend that little sufficient goes mistaken for Dacia house owners, though a lot of that’s primarily based on older, much less technically subtle fashions, so there’s a small query mark there.

Dacia, in most European markets, presents a primary three-year, 100,000km guarantee, but it surely has provided extra intensive cowl up to now, so what would possibly come to this market stays to be seen. For reference, Renault Australia presents a minimal five-year, 100,000km guarantee. No servicing prices are but out there.

CarExpert’s Take on the Dacia Bigster

Obviously, there’s an enormous query over whether or not the Bigster will come to Australia, however for our cash, it actually must.

The Bigster combines Dacia’s conventional money-saving method with a dollop of additional sophistication, consolation and fashionable styling. 

Add to {that a} common sense of ruggedness, and a few potential correct rough-road chops for the AWD variations, and you’ve got a mid-size SUV that appears ideally suited to our market.

Click the photographs for the complete gallery

MORE: Everything Dacia