Dacia Bigster Preview 2025: Price, specs and release date

If you're after a roomy SUV for less, it could well be. It's ideal if you're trading up from the company's own Duster to get more space, or if this is your first Dacia model - the brand is expecting it to bring in lots of new customers, and we can see why. 

You won't be getting all the latest toys and it won't feel quite as premium as some rivals inside, but it sounds like it should be closer to more established players in that regard than previous Dacia cars. 

We reckon the 155 Hybrid powertrain will be the pick of the bunch. As the largest Dacia ever, the Bigster is also the heaviest in the current range, so the extra poke of the 155 will be very welcome. Plus it's based around an inline-four-cylinder engine, which will be smoother and more refined than the three-cylinder options. The 155 can also be driven in electric mode 80% of the time, Dacia claims, making it even more relaxing to experience. 

You could pair that with the base Expression trim and have a decent level of equipment, but you still won't be paying much by opting for the Journey or Extreme grades. As for which of the latter you opt for, a lot of that will come down to taste, with Extreme taking on a more aggressive style than Journey and featuring a more hard-wearing interior. Equipment levels across the two are high.

The Dacia Bigster's sheer size and interior space means it's a rival for large SUVs like the Skoda Kodiaq, despite being cheaper than more compact offerings like the Nissan Qashqai, which is undercuts by £5,000. 

The Kia Sportage could also be a rival, as could the Citroen C5 Aircross. The latter is probably the only new car that comes close in terms of price. To find anything competing in terms of value for money, you'd need to look at similar-sized cars on the used market. 

All models come with a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, but the unit in the entry-level Bigster Expression does without navigation. That's not the end of the world given that you still have Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity, so it'll be easy enough to display your preferred mobile navigation app, which will be a lot of people's preference anyway. 

It looks to be the same unit fitted to fancier-trimmed versions of the Duster. In that car, we found the system to be a little laggy. We shouldn't be surprised, really - at this kind of price, something has to give.

Of more interest in the upgraded Media Nav Line setup in the Journey and Extreme-trimmed Bigsters is the Arkamys 3D sound system which has six speakers, compared to only four on the Expression. There are USB-C ports front and rear. 

Dacia has decided to maximise space inside the Bigster. There's no seven-seat version, so up to five passengers should have acres of space, and the huge 667-litre boot should be able to cope with just about anything family life throws at it. The rear seats fold in a 40:20:40 split for flexibility between passenger and boot space. 

We haven't yet seen a figure for when the rear bench is folded away, but we're expecting a chunky figure. The length of the load bay is 2.7 metres, so you'll be able to haul some hefty items in there. 

Three power options have been announced for the Dacia Bigster. Those wanting to head off-road will be interested in the petrol-powered TCe 130 4x4 model, which uses a mild-hybrid system with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine producing 130PS. The all-wheel-drive system is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and has a Terrain Control setup that lets you switch the car between five driving modes, including Snow, Mud/Sand and Off-Road.

A more powerful, front-wheel-drive version of this engine is the TCe 140 with, as the name suggests, 140PS, while the top-spec engine is the Hybrid 155. This is a full-hybrid car with a four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a starter/generator, producing 155PS and 170Nm all together and using an automatic gearbox. Dacia says it can stay in all-electric mode up to 80% of the time during city driving.

It's hard to say how the Bigster will fare here until we've driven it, but it should be quieter and more refined than any Dacia we've experienced before, with an acoustic windscreen and thicker glazing used to reduce road and wind noise.

Dacia models have often been given poor Euro NCAP results, with recent examples being the Jogger achieving just one star, and the Duster three stars. The latter is probably more representative of what we can expect once the Bigster is tested, as it's more closely related. 

It's worth noting that a lot of the Duster's lacklustre result has to do with its available electronic safety systems plus the performance of the safety features it actually has. The rating for that part of the assessment was 57% overall, compared to 70% for its adult occupant protection ability and 84% for child occupant protection. It was also only rated at 60% for its vulnerable road user protection.

As far as the safety equipment goes, the Bigster gets autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition with speeding alert, lane keeping assistance, driver attention warning and an emergency call system. 

The Bigster's 1.2-litre inline-three engine is widely used across various Dacia and Renault products, and there aren't any common faults with the unit that we're aware of. The Hybrid 155 is a new powertrain and thus something of an unknown quality at this stage. 

It should be reassuring that Dacia often places well in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index survey. As standard there's a fairly ordinary three-year/60,000 warranty, but this can be extended to seven years or 75,000 miles - whichever comes first - via the Dacia Zen programme if the car is serviced at Dacia dealerships.

The first-year rate of the Hybrid 155 will be the lowest at £185, while the TCe 140 will cost £220 and the TCe 130 £270. All of these will be factored into the on-the-road price, however. From year two of ownership onwards, it'll be £180 a year for the Hybrid and £190 for the TCe 130/140

The entry-level Bigster is the Expression, which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels and roof bars and has rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Inside, there's dual-zone air con and the smaller seven-inch infotainment screen.

The Extreme trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, modular roof bars, a panoramic sunroof and Copper Brown trim both inside and out for a more sophisticated look. The upholstery is a washable synthetic material, and rubber floor and boot mats are standard. Hill descent control is included for slippery off-road hills.

Should the Extreme be your cup of tea, you can also add various accessories to complement the look, including a Sleep Pack (a double bed for the boot), a roof rack and a tent that fits to the Bigster's rear.

If the Extreme is a bit rugged for your tastes, the Journey trim is more luxury-focused. It also has 19-inch wheels, an electric boot lid and a hands-free key, as well as a higher centre console with an armrest. A wireless phone charger and adaptive cruise control are included.