New 2026 Dacia Bigster Review

Is the biggest Dacia ever the best Dacia Ever?

Exterior – Front

So, as you may be able to tell the Bigster is based on the Duster. This means you get the same front-end design with a broken dog bone style front end with the LED Daytime Running Lights and white broken style grill. We also get LED headlights too which is nice. Lower down we get a very almost square central air vent and a lot of recyclable plastic giving it a rugged off-roader look. It is also very boxy at the front too to help this.

Exterior – Side

Moving round to the side and this is where we can see the difference to the Duster. The Bigster is much longer than the Duster. 23 cm to be precise. This helps with interior rear space. more on that in a moment. We don’t get a lot of creases apart for some haunches at the back and front to give it a wider presence on the road. We also get a lot more plastic cladding around the wheel arches and sills giving it a Defender style and we also get a hidden rear door handle. We also have some cool looking roof bars to show its off-roader family look.

Exterior – Rear

Moving round to the back of the Bigster and it is almost identical to the Duster, but the boot design is slightly different with a bigger numberplate bar. The lower bumper also looks more rugged too. we still get the same style rear spoiler and taillights though but overall, it does look quite modern and not like a Dacia has before. right, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the new Dacia Duster.

Car and engine specs and price

So, for the engine range there are 3 options to choose from. Lets start with the first model and this has a 1.2 litre turbo mild hybrid setup. This has 138 bhp and can do 0-62 within 9.8 seconds which isn’t too bad. The power is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual gearbox. The next version uses the same 1.2 litre turbo mild hybrid setup, but the power has been reduced slightly to 128 bhp as too has the 0-62 time down to 11.2 seconds. This is because the power is sent though a 6-speed manual to all 4 wheels which makes the car heavier. The final version uses a 1.8 litre naturally aspirated engine with full hybrid technology with 2 electric motors and giving this car 153 bhp. this can do 0-62 in 9.7 seconds which isn’t too bad and power is sent to the front wheels through an automatic 4+2 multi transmission with 4 gears for the engine and 2 for the electric motor getting the best efficiency out of the car. the price of the Dacia Bigster starts at £25,215 which is decent and undercutting some of its rivals by £3,000. Right, lets have a look at the interior.

Interior – Design

Climbing inside the new Bigster and there is no surprise that it has the same interior as the Duster. We get this horizontal dashboard design which feels very modern and also high up so it feels like you are sitting lower than you are giving it a sports car feel which I like. We also get a lot of bright coloured plastic too. the infotainment system is the latest Android Automotive software which is easy to use and navigate. The climate control switches are on the screen but there are some toggle switches for the essential functions though which is great. You also get a digital instrument cluster which is very easy to read and is quite simple too and it is just refreshing to see this. You also get a little phone holder and some Y style air vents which are quite quirky. Another nice feature is that you also have a button to turn off the ADAS systems easily. Nice thinking Dacia. As I have said before the centre console is quite high up which is rare on a cheaper car, but you also get an arm rest and plenty of storage too. there is also a gear selector toggle and some USB C ports. The seats are also supportive and comfy just like the usual Renault Seats. Right, lets have a look and see what the rear seats are like.

Practicality

So, getting into the back of the Bigster and there is plenty of headroom and class leading legroom which is great. I must also mention that the doors do open quite wide, so it is much easier to get child seats into the back. You also get some air vents and USB C connectors and some accessories to hold things into the back. What I’m not so sure about though is the arm rest. It is part of the seat which I’m ok with as we have seen this before but it is cheap hard plastic so you wouldn’t want to put your arm on the arm rest because its too hard. It’s a big shame really. The plastics aren’t the best in the back either but then I am ok with this because it is a cheap SUV and most likely there will be kids in the back which means you want easily wipeable plastics not expensive leather that can get damaged. Right, lets have a look at the boot.

Boot Size

Opening the boot to the Bigster and you are welcomed with 612 litres of space which is actually 140 litres more than the Duster and is also actually more than the Nissan Qashqai on which it is based on. You also have a false floor and even a spare wheel which is very rare nowadays. Folding the seats down and you are welcomed with 1,851 litres which is very big, and the rear seats also lay completely flat which is very handy for long items.

Summary

So, in summary then what do I think of the Dacia Bigster. Well, the way you must view this car is that it has been designed with families in mind, not for luxury. It is easy on the eye with rugged looks to protect it from car park dings and has a liveable interior that can easily be wiped down if you need to. It also has great technology too and great engine choices for everyone. Really for a cheap family SUV this isn’t a bad option. Definitely worth considering.

Exterior 5/5

Interior 4/5

Practicality 5/5

Total 14/15

Model	Dacia Bigster Journey Hybrid 155
Engine	1.8l NA Petrol Full Hybrid, 153bhp, 0-62 = 9.7 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive
Transmission	4 Speed Automatic CVT
Price	£29,740
On Sale	Now