Dacia Bigster offers big value in budget SUV class

It’s sister model and Dacia’s front-runner, the Duster, has actually found a lot of friends in rural areas for its cheap and cheerful approach to SUV motoring, so the Bigster will add to that appeal. The Renault-owned brand leans heavily on its parent’s support and in fact some of the more innovative parts of the Bigster are on trend with the main brand. As the name suggests, it is 23cm longer (it’s 2.7m long) and 6cm taller than the popular Duster, which really does add to the space inside.

Renault’s influence starts with the new electrified powertrains built around the hybrid concept, with is the one favoured by rural users rather than all-out electric vehicles. For instance, it is the first in the Renault Group to get the latest hybrid 155 power unit. This combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors (a 50 bhp motor and a high-voltage starter/generator), a 1.4 kWh battery (230V) and an automatic electric gearbox to deliver a total of 155bhp.

With the rear seats folded down there's a gargantuan 2000 litres of space in the rear of the Dacia Bigster It has four gears for the ICE (the petrol bit) engine and two for the electric motors. This combined technology is made possible by the absence of a clutch. This delivers 15 bhp more power and more torque, up 20 Nm to 170 Nm for the combustion engine alone than the Dacia standard fare of the 140bhp hybrid motor. For some reason, this also means that towing capacity is just one-tonne for the 155 model, while the other smaller-engined models in the range can tow 1.5 tonnes.

Dacia says that better engine management systems means there is also a 6% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. That’s helped along by using regenerative braking to help keep the battery topped up.

Also in the ratings, the Bigster can come with the mild hybrid TCe140 designation, which is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine matched to a 48V mild hybrid system and a six-speed manual gearbox. Then there’s the TCe 130 4 x 4 mild hybrid version which has basically the same set up, but with 130bhp.

Given the name, it comes packed with lots of practical features that allow owners to make the most of its pretty huge interior space. Bigster has a host of practical features and touches allowing customers to make the most of the exceptional interior space. The 40/20/40 rear bench seat lets users carry bulky items without compromising on passenger comfort and when only two passengers in the rear, comfort can be further enhanced by folding down the middle part of the backrest, to produce an armchair effect which includes two cupholders and a phone holder.

With the rear backrests folded, there’s almost a van-like flat boot floor with a load area of almost 2000 litres, but still a respectable 600-plus litres with the seats in position. It’s also easy to achieve that by using Dacia’s Easy Fold function, which makes it easy to fold the rear backrests from the boot by using two levers positioned left and right of the load space.

Bigster also gets YouClip, Dacia's ingenious accessories system which can secure a wide range of accessories at key points around the passenger compartment in a practical and robust way. There’s four YouClip points: on the dashboard, at the rear of the centre console, in the boot and on the inside of the tailgate. Customers can add a further two points using the accessory headrest support.

It comes in three trim levels – Expression, Extreme and Journey (the car tested) and despite the budget level across the board for the range – it starts at a tad under £25,000 and ends up still sub £30k – there’s a surprising amount of kit as standard.

Even the entry-level Expression models come with dual-zone automatic air-con, electric parking brake, rain sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, fixed roof bars, media display with 10.1-inch central touchscreen. That feeds into a seven-inch digital instrument panel and highlights the rear parking sensors and camera. They also have electric front and rear windows and power folding mirrors.

It might be classed as a budget SUV, but there are plenty of accessories and features in the driving seat of the Dacia Bigster The top two trim levels also get a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, high beam assist, heated and electronically adjustable door mirrors and rear window privacy glass. Plus, you can ask for and pay for the optional two-tone black painted roof.

The Bigster mild hybrid 130 4x4 has a Terrain Control 4x4 transmission, with five driving modes: Auto, Snow, Mud/Sand, Off-road and Eco, with hill descent control is standard on Extreme.

It all adds up to quite a lot of car for the money. And while the nomenclature might have a jokey sound about it, the car itself is a very serious proposition for those on a budget who still want a decent-sized SUV.