Renault’s budget brand has been slowly and steadily gaining momentum since it launched its first model under the revitalized Dacia badge in 2004. Back then, its Logan model was, quite unbelievably, sold for just €5,000 (around $5,300 / £4,200 / AU$8,500), with an aim to get emerging markets moving.
Crossovers and estate options arrived thereafter in Sandero, Duster and Jogger, all offering fuss-free motoring and a ridiculously affordable price tag, while the most recent Dacia Spring rapidly gained the accolade of most affordable electric vehicle in Europe when it went on sale last year.
You get the point: Dacia majors on value for money, offering everything you need and nothing that you don’t. There is a smartphone holder, rather than a plethora of fancy touchscreens, while adjusting seats typically takes some human heft, rather than electrical assistance.
While we are not sure whether Bigster is just a portmanteau of ‘Big’ and ‘Duster’ (it basically is a muscly Duster), we do know the massive modern crossover is here to take on the C-SUV segment in Europe, hands-down the most popular and hotly contested.
Almost every automotive player you can think of sells a C-segment SUV, but Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot points out that the average price was €29,000 (about $31,000 / £24,000 / Au$50,000) in 2019. That price has risen to €38,000 in 2024 and this is where Dacia wants to make some wholesale changes.
Offering the Bigster in three very simple trim levels and three hybrid powertrain options, Dacia hasn’t allowed its latest model to creep above £29,495 (around $32,000 / AU$50,500), putting it on a par with the most basic, entry-level models from rivals, such as the Nissan’s Qashqai and Kia’s Sportage.
However, Dacia has ensured all cars receive a 10.1-inch central touchscreen, 7-inch digital instrument panel, rear parking sensors, electric front windows and power folding mirrors. As Le Vot puts it, he is pulling buyers “from upstairs”, referring to the amount of customers stepping out of premium brands and into his wallet-friendly cars.
Dacia achieved a record-breaking market share last year, and has sold an impressive 9 million vehicles since 2004. With Le Vot’s straight-shooting approach and the weight of Renault’s design department behind it, the Bigster could be primed for big things.
I love it when you call me Big Poppa
Living up to its namesake, Bigster looks like Dacia’s latest Duster on steroids. It’s a chunky SUV with matte black finished plastic parts, as well as bumpers that are fashioned from recycled plastics, with the surface left unpainted so you can see multicolored flecks throughout. It’s called Starkle, in case you were curious.
The Bigster rides on 17 or 18-inch wheels as standard, while XL 19-inch alloys are bolted to the range-topping Journey trim level. An exclusive Indigo Blue paint scheme has been created for the new model. All of the vehicles during its launch in France were finished in it, but I reckon some of Dacia’s more utilitarian khaki and brown hues will suit it better.
Inside, there’s a huge amount of space and the 40/20/20 split rear bench can be folded in all manner of ways, freeing up a maximum load length of 2.7 meters (8f 8in). The trunk is cavernous and offers a best-in-class 677 liters of stowage space under the parcel shelf.
A rubber mat adorns the trunk and the interior is finished in similarly no-nonsense fabrics.
Check out Dacia’s numerous commercials, as they are among the rare few that show their vehicles getting dirty and generally abused by daily life – kids wiping snot on the windows, dogs muddying the back seats and friends spilling McDonald’s mess all over the footwell. It happens but that’s why you buy a Dacia.
However, this focus on everyday robustness hasn’t been to the detriment of comfort, as the company has introduced thicker glazing, increased sound deadening and more comfortable, adjustable seats.
It is also the first model to feature Dacia’s latest electrified powertrains, with its most powerful hybrid 155 model pairing a four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors and a 1.4kWh battery pack.
Dacia says the car always starts up in electric mode and the self-charging nature (either through regenerative braking or via the engine) means 80% of short urban journeys can be completed on electricity, with a 6% reduction in fuel consumption and emissions on longer trips.
An honest hybrid
Step inside the Bigster and it certainly feels like the most premium offering Dacia has produced to date, with the digital instrument binnacles and the 10.1-inch touchscreen a far cry from the analogue functionality of old.
There is also dual-zone air conditioning and an induction charger for smartphones, while the huge central armrest also has a cooling function for keeping drinks cold.
On top of this, Dacia provides all of the driver assistance systems that are required by the latest European safety standards, including advanced emergency braking, traffic sign recognition and speed alerts, as well lane keep assist and Adaptive Cruise Control on the more expensive models.
But the company understands that a number of drivers immediately turn these off, so it offers a My Safety function that allows all of these to be disengaged at the touch of a button. Perfect.
Despite the additional acoustic glass and sound deadening, the Bigster is a tad noisy at highway speeds, while the engine note is coarse when it first kicks in. But these things are forgivable given its price tag.
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The drive is effortless, if mostly unremarkable, while the infotainment system packs all of the essentials, such as navigation DAB radio and, perhaps more importantly for most, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
Customers can also plump for a Bigster Mild Hybrid 130, which introduces all-wheel-drive and a Terrain Control 4×4 transmission. This allows it to tackle a number of gnarly, off-road situations, such as snow, mud and a dedicated ‘Off-Road’ mode for tough terrain and tracks.
If my experience with the Duster is anything to go by, Dacia’s off-road capabilities are typically downplayed and they often outshine systems found on far more expensive rivals. A combination of low weight and basic but reliable 4×4 tech means Duster can handle some impressively tough stuff – it’s no wonder you see so many toiling away on French farms.
And yes, Bigster is offered with a whole host of “InNature” accessories, including the iconic Sleep Pack that turns the rear of the vehicle into a bed. There’s also a tent and a smattering of handy items, from cupholders to LED lamps, that attach to various parts of the car’s interior thanks to the brand’s YouClip system.
There’s an app for that
Bucking the trend for cramming its vehicles with masses of technology (it can’t afford to), Dacia recognizes that many of its customers simply want a smartphone experience inside the car. Therefore, it actively encourages customers to dock their devices and tether to the touchscreen.
But that doesn’t mean the marque isn’t innovating, as its Dacia AR smartphone app has just received a number of upgrades.
Alongside the AR Visualizer, which allows potential customers to explore any Dacia model in any environment, the company has also introduced an AR Boot Organizer feature that helps owners work out what they can fit inside their trunk and the best way to pack it.
“We tend to offer much larger boots than competitors and the boot is very important to our customers, as they use it to load up for holidays but also for everyday life, trips to Ikea, work and things like that,” explains Damien Laplane, Dacia’s product planning director for Europe.
Within the app, customers can select from a number of predefined items, such as bags, sports equipment, luggage and boxes, to work out if it will fit and how to pack it.
Multimedia and connectivity leader, Romain Passerieux, says that users can also use the app to measure the dimensions and volume of their own items, including awkward shapes, like surfboards.
“The app will then suggest the best way to pack these things in,” Laplane adds. “It’s just part of the way we are pushing more immersive experiences through the smartphone,” he adds.
Another neat feature is the Dacia Travel Companion, which allows users to plan journeys on their phones and have the app suggest picturesque places to stop along the route.
It also harnesses the smartphone’s front-facing camera to act as a fatigue monitoring device, evaluating driver drowsiness and suggesting the right time for a break.
“Users can plan trips on their phone and then navigate using their favorite mapping service, which is then mirrored on the infotainment system,” Laplane explains.
“But because Dacia is synonymous with the outdoors, we recommend unique points of interest, nice walks or picturesque spots along the journey, rather than service areas or gas stations,” he adds.
It’s just one of the many ways Dacia is able to keep its costs down but still offer similar levels of connectivity to rivals.
The Bigster’s electrically powered tailgate, for example, was due to get the axe by the bean counters, but ended up staying when engineers realized they could achieve the same result with half the electric motors.
“There are many customers looking for great value for money, but don’t want to compromise on design and convenience features,” says Laurens van den Acker, chief design officer at Renault.
“At Dacia, we have shifted towards a very strong design language without giving up on what makes the brand so appealing. It’s why we have seen so many customers coming from established premium manufacturers,” he adds.
The Bigster builds on this philosophy, with the company rooted in making everyday life easier, more enjoyable and, more importantly, more affordable, while retaining a strong sense of character thanks to its links with outdoor active lifestyles.
A Dacia might be cheap, but buying one is more a lifestyle choice than a necessity. If you plump for a Dacia, you have more money to spend on mountain bikes, paddleboards and other fun things, right?
It might still be regarded as niche brand among the major automotive players, but with the C-SUV segment accounting for around three million cars in Europe, Dacia’s Bigster is destined to make a big impact.
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