Dacia Bigster: It’s not just the price of the large SUV that’s awesome

The so-called C segment is the most popular in the European SUV world. But it is extremely well-stocked with candidates like the VW Tiguan, Nissan Qashqai or the Peugeot 3008. So far, Dacia has only cautiously approached the prestigious class from below with the Duster. With the Bigster, the Romanians are finally poking right into the hornet’s nest.

Clear size advantage over the Duster

The best thing first: The Dacia Bigster is based extremely closely on the much-noticed study (further down in the text), and not just in terms of dimensions. With its length of 4.57 meters, it is, so to speak, the standard of the SUV class, but at 1.81 meters it is not unnecessarily wide. And with a height of 1.71 meters, the largest of all Dacia models should easily fit into most garages.

You can see right away that it is technically based on the successful Dacia Duster (length: 4.34 meters). Not only is it a whole forearm longer, but it also has a slightly stretched wheelbase (2.70 instead of 2.65 meters). The Bigster is based on the B derivative of the CMF Group platform, which Dacia is already using in its “low specifications” version in the third generations of the Logan and Sandero. The platform can carry a wide variety of drives and can also be electrified.

No third row of seats, but still extremely practical

Despite its impressive length, the Dacia Bigster will not have a third row of seats. There are still seven seats only in the Dacia Jogger station wagon. Nevertheless, variability and comfort are also the focus of the Bigster SUV. Even with the second row seats up, the Bigster has 667 liters of trunk space. If you lay the three-part rear seat flat using the pull levers in the side of the trunk, a huge, flat load space is created, which Dacia (allegedly) has not yet measured precisely. By the way, the large tailgate on the Bigster Journey swings open electrically as standard. The function costs extra for the Extreme version.

There are also generous contraband compartments hidden under the trunk floor. Optionally, the two floor parts can also snap into place one level lower and reveal a higher luggage compartment. If you want to stow even more luggage, you can use the standard roof rack with its swiveling crossbars. It has a load capacity of 80 kilograms. Dacia has even announced the sleep pack for the bigster. This transforms the rear of the SUV into a 1.90 x 1.30 double bed in no time and the Bigster into a “Campster”.

Digital faucets and real buttons

As with the new Duster, the Bigster drivers look at a digital cockpit (7 or 10 inches) and the screen in the middle of the dashboard. The central 10.1-inch touchscreen is standard equipment in all model variants. In the Bigster Essential and Expression it offers access to the Media Display multimedia system with four speakers and wireless smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Bigster Extreme and Bigster Journey are also equipped with the Media Nav Live multimedia system, which offers cloud navigation with real-time traffic information and map updates for eight years. The scope of delivery also includes an Arkamys 3D sound system with six speakers. By the way, there are real buttons for the climate control. And they make a really solid impression during the first pressure test. In general, the new Dacia is solid inside in the most important areas, even if it is not made with the finest materials.

Most powerful Dacia of all time

There are no diesel engines in the Bigster either. Instead, the Bigster is based on its smaller brother, Duster. Accordingly, there are three well-known drives: the turbocharged three-cylinder TCe 140, the LPG engine ECO-G 140 and the all-wheel drive model TCe 130 4×4. What is new, however, is a more powerful hybrid model, which now has a displacement of 1.8 liters and has a system output of 155 hp.

The Bigster Hybrid 155 is the first model from the Renault Group with this new hybrid drive. The propulsion system combines a 107 hp four-cylinder gasoline engine, two electric motors (a 50 hp motor and a high-voltage starter/generator), a 1.4 kWh battery (230 V), and an automatic electric transmission with four gears for the combustion engine and two more for the electric motors.

More power than the jogger hybrid

The new Hybrid 155 tops the previous Hybrid 140 from the Duster and the Jogger. It offers more power (plus 15 hp), more torque (plus 20 Nm to 170 Nm for the combustion engine alone) and a higher towing capacity (plus 250 kilograms to one ton). Efficiency has also been improved: fuel consumption and emissions have been reduced by six percent. Dacia also promises that the Bigster Hybrid can drive in pure electric mode up to 80 percent of the time in the city. The vehicle is also always started in electric mode.

Bivalent drive with 48-volt technology for the first time

If you are less interested in electric drives and more interested in long ranges, you will find the right partner in the Bigster ECO-G 140. Its turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder can run on gasoline or autogas (LPG). With the Bigster, Dacia is combining a bivalent drive with a 48V mild hybrid system for the first time. This supports the turbo engine when starting and accelerating. The 0.8 kWh battery is recharged through regenerative braking.

Two 50 liter tanks in the Bigster ECO-G 140 should enable a range of up to 1,450 kilometers. The new Bigster ECO-G 140 emits an average of 10 percent less CO₂ when running on LPG than a comparable gasoline engine without hybrid support. The LPG tank is located under the boot floor so there is no impact on cargo space. A switch on the dashboard allows for quick and seamless switching from one fuel type to another.

Only one engine variant with all-wheel drive

The Bigster TCe 130 4×4 is the only variant with all-wheel drive. The 1.2-liter three-cylinder with turbocharging is also used here. It produces 130 hp and is a mild hybrid equipped with a 48-volt system and the well-known 0.8 kWh battery. As with the LPG base, the driver sorts the ratios with a six-speed manual gearbox. The hill descent control (standard for the Bigster Extreme) is particularly useful for off-road driving and on steep gradients. The system independently activates the brakes and reduces the speed as desired to a speed between 0 and 30 km/h. The system works in all gears, including reverse.

The new Bigster TCe 130 4×4 features the Terrain Control System with five driving modes:

• AUTO: The transmission automatically distributes the power between the front and rear axles, depending on the grip and speed of the wheels.

• SNOW: Optimizes driving behavior on slippery roads with specific ESP and anti-slip settings.

• MUD/SAND: for changing terrain with loose surfaces.

• OFF-ROAD: Offers the best off-road properties in difficult terrain and distributes the torque automatically and as needed to the front and rear wheels depending on road grip and speed.

• ECO: Reduces fuel consumption by regulating the power output of the drive and air conditioning as well as optimal distribution of torque between the front and rear wheels.

Prices and features of the Bigster

The new Bigster is offered in four trim levels: Essential, Expression and the two equally priced top models Extreme and Journey. While the Bigster Extreme is aimed at outdoor fans with its standard panoramic sunroof, modular roof rails, hill descent control, rubber mats and 3-in-1 YouClip system, the Bigster Journey is the right choice for frequent drivers – with two-tone body paint (black roof optional) , electrically operated tailgate and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

The basic model Bigster Essential, priced at just under 25,000 euros, already has 17-inch alloy wheels, fixed roof rails, the media display with a central 10.1-inch touchscreen, a 7-inch digital instrument, manual air conditioning, parking sensors and -Rear camera and front and rear electric windows. Even combined with the powerful hybrid drive, Dacia wants to stay below 30,000 euros. Sales start in January 2025, and the first Bigsters will be available at dealers from April.

Dacia Bigster Concept from 2021

As an increasingly important part of the Renault-Nissan group, the Dacia brand plays a central role in its strategy change called “Renaulution”. It is only logical that the presentation of the major restructuring program at the beginning of 2021 by the then new CEO Luca de Meo was garnished by a concept study from the Romanians: the Bigster Concept.

The design of the concept study presented itself as a more modern and rather self-confident reinterpretation of the Duster lines of the time. The flared fenders with specially pulled-out plastic wheel arches and the power dome on the front hood make the bigster look sturdy. The large wheels give the five-seater a lot of ground clearance, while the Y-shaped light signature results in a quite aggressive front view. In the middle section it already showed the new, now established brand logo. The Y shape is repeated at the back, while a striking roof spoiler sits above the otherwise smooth rear. The robust-looking roof rails show that the Romanians’ cars will continue to be designed with a practical focus in the future.

Brand lettering everywhere

What is striking about the study: the omnipresent Dacia logo. The message: No Dacia driver should have to be ashamed of their choice of brand. “Affordability does not have to be the opposite of attractiveness,” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos at the presentation of the Bigster Concept. Dacia’s then Spanish short-term design boss, who moved to Alfa Romeo in June 2021, had previously brought Luca de Meo from Seat into the Renault universe. Mesonero-Romanos even attested that the bigster had an “outdoor spirit” and “a touch of coolness” – and he wasn’t wrong.

The Bigster Concept, on the other hand, does without chrome decorations and aluminum imitations. According to Dacia, this is not primarily for visual reasons, but rather because the show car was manufactured according to environmentally friendly principles. For example, the outer protectors are made exclusively from recycled plastics. The dark green matt paintwork is intended to embody this claim to the outside.