Dacia Bigster
Our reader jury pores over Dacia’s largest model yet, as the brand takes the fight to the best family SUVs
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Photography: John Bradshaw
CLAIRE EVANS
claire.evans@haymarket.com
AS ITS NAME suggests, the Bigster is the largest model yet from Romanian brand Dacia – but it’s also its most ambitious. That’s because this new family SUV is tackling the likes of the hugely popular Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai head on.
Essentially a production version of a 2021 concept car of the same name, the Bigster has rugged, go-anywhere looks, with angular bumpers featuring a large air intake at the front. The wheelarches are hexagonal, while the slim front grille is similar to that of the Duster small SUV.
ELEANOR COOPER
eleanor.cooper@haymarket.com
Engine options include two 1.2-litre mild hybrid petrols: a 128bhp unit with four-wheel drive and a 138bhp version with front-wheel drive. There’s also a 153bhp hybrid model with a 1.8-litre petrol engine and two electric motors, meaning it can run on battery power alone for short distances.
A choice of three trim levels will be offered: Expression, Extreme and Journey. While the entry-level model is fairly spartan, the other trims are well equipped, with goodies such as dual 10.0in displays for the instruments and infotainment, a built-in fridge and wireless phone charging.