Dacia Bigster Review: Price, specs and boot space

Dacia Bigster at a glance:

• Body type: SUV
• Price range: £25,215 - £29,990
• Fuel consumption: 47.1mpg-61.4mpg
• Number of seats: 5 (2 Isofix)
• Boot capacity: 612-677 litres
• Insurance groups: 26-28

The Dacia Bigster: Everything you need to know

Dacia has built its impressive reputation on value. With the Bigster, it’s entered the competitive world of larger SUVs but without abandoning its affordable approach. The result is a huge family car with plenty of features and masses of space, all while costing less than just about all the opposition. Find out how it does this in our full Dacia Bigster review. 

Fitting in with the image of the rest of the range – particularly the Dacia Duster – the Dacia Bigster has chunky, durable looks and a chunky, durable interior, too. The cabin is also packed with features – the Dacia Bigster might be affordable, but Dacia has picked its equipment carefully so that all models get a touchscreen infotainment system, dual-zone climate control and a camera for tight manoeuvring. It has a huge 667-litre boot, too.

There’s a good deal of choice within the range, with three trim levels, starting with the entry-level Dacia Bigster Expression before progressing in one of two directions. While the Journey specification is focused more on comfort and convenience, the Extreme is angled towards those who appreciate their SUVs being of a more rugged appearance.

You can pick between a mild-hybrid petrol model, a mild-hybrid petrol model with a bit less power and all-wheel drive, plus a full-hybrid front-wheel-drive model. However, despite all that choice, there’s no seven-seat version – this is a strict five-seater. And if you need extra pews you’ll need to look towards the Jogger.

How we tested the Dacia Bigster

So far, we've only had the opportunity to try the Dacia Bigster on launch events held by Dacia, and we've only driven a limited number of examples. However, as time goes on, and more variants of the car become available, we'll get a shot in them and update this review with our impressions.

Is the Dacia Bigster a good car?

The Dacia Bigster is, on paper at least, a rival for models like the Ford Kuga, the Skoda Kodiaq, the Kia Sportage and the Nissan Qashqai, but it costs thousands less to buy. It’s not as refined inside as more expensive rivals and it misses out on some modern safety tech, but those are the payoffs for the low, low price. You may decide that they’re compromises worth making for the sake of your wallet.

Prices start at just £25,000, which is rock bottom for a new car of this size. Go for a fully loaded, top-spec version and you’ll pay from £30,000, which is less than the entry price of some rivals. It’s got bargain written all over it, but it doesn’t look or feel cheap.

The Bigster isn't the most polished car you'll ever drive, but as a relaxed motorway cruiser or around-town family hauler, it does the job pretty well.

The Dacia Bigster’s steering is light and predictable, although not especially sharp, and the car is very easy to manoeuvre around town despite its size. The suspension is tuned more for comfort than control, and filters out most imperfections on rough roads, but without feeling too floaty or bouncy.

Don’t expect any engagement on twisty routes, though, as there’s pronounced body roll if you even think about hustling the car. It's better to just chill out and enjoy the cruise.

The road noise levels are well controlled, but you will start to notice some wind noise, even at 40mph, due to the car’s bluff shape. Many rivals do better on refinement generally, but hey, there are some things that we can forgive at this price point.

Dacia Bigster 4x4: How capable is it off-road?

We haven’t yet tried the Bigster off road properly, but in theory, it should do a very decent job, especially if our experience with the smaller Duster is anything to go by. The only version with four-wheel drive is the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4, and this version also comes with a Terrain Control system with five drive modes including Snow, Mud/Sand and Off-Road. Ground clearance is good, too, so it should be able to deal with rough tracks and slippery surfaces better than your average family SUV, even if the majority will spend most of their lives on tarmac.

Three engines are available. The first is the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 with its 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with extremely limited electrical assistance. It has a total of 130PS, a manual gearbox and four-wheel drive.

Then there’s the Mild Hybrid 140, which has the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine, but this time with 140PS and front-wheel drive. Again, a six-speed manual gearbox is provided.

The top-of-the range Dacia Bigster is the Hybrid 155, which combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol with an electric motor to send 155PS to the front wheels through an automatic gearbox.

We tried the Hybrid 155 model. Performance is respectable, if not particularly quick. It can hit 62mph in 9.7 seconds, which is enough for everyday use, and in town, it spends much of its time in all-electric mode.

The automatic gearbox can be frustrating, though, hanging onto low gears for too long and creating unnecessarily high revs. Still, economy figures are strong, with up to 60.1mpg officially for the Hybrid 155.

The Dacia Bigster was tested by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP in 2024 and received a middling score of three stars out of five, much like the three-star Dacia Duster. The reason is simple: Dacia deliberately leaves out advanced active safety systems such as blind-spot monitoring because it thinks customers would rather keep costs down.

That said, the car comes with all legally required kit, including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, driver attention monitoring, six airbags and Isofix child-seat mounting points on the outer rear seats.

Dacia says the Mild Hybrid 140 Bigster and the 4x4 Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 will tow up to 1500kg (braked) or 710kg and 750kg unbraked, respectively. The Hybrid 155 is less capable, with a maximum braked weight of 1000kg and 745kg unbraked.

Practicality is the Dacia Bigster’s headline act. Five adults can fit in with ease, with excellent rear legroom and headroom. Dacia has chosen not to offer a seven-seat version – it has the Dacia Jogger if you need extra passenger seats – and instead prioritises comfort for passengers.

The boot space is vast: 677 litres on the Mild Hybrid 140, and while the other models have slightly less space, they’re still very capacious with capacities of 629 litres in the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 model, and 612 litres in the Hybrid 155.

Fold down the rear seats, which can be done in a versatile 40:20:40 split, and that capacity expands to 1977 litres with a load length of 2.7 metres. The only downside is that the back seats don’t fold completely flat.

There’s loads of storage inside. As well as the cooled compartment under the armrest on the top-spec model, there are large door bins, seat-back pockets and Dacia’s innovative YouClip system, which lets you add modular accessories to mounts around the car, accessories such as cupholders, phone mounts and bag hooks. You can even design and 3D-print your own.

Dacia Bigster Review: Dimensions

The Dacia Bigster measures 2,069mm wide (including door mirrors) and 1,712 tall (including roof rails). The length is given at 4,570mm, while the wheelbase stands at 2,702mm.

Dacia Bigster vs Dacia Jogger: Why is there no 7-seat Bigster?

Despite its moniker, the Bigster is only fractionally larger than its more athletically named stablemate: by just 2cm in fact. We’ll be honest, the seven seats in a Jogger are pretty crammed-in, while the Bigster is supposed to be a rival for posher, roomier family SUV rivals such as the Kia Sportage and Ford Kuga. Hence why Dacia didn’t feel the need to cram more seats in.

It’s not plush – soft-touch surfaces are few and far between – but the Dacia Bigster feels robust. Rivals offer more premium-feeling cabins, but you’ll pay thousands more for the privilege. The Extreme trim’s rugged finishes are particularly well-suited to family life.

All models of the Dacia Bigster get a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  The system isn’t the slickest compared with those of premium rivals, but it’s functional and easy enough to use once you’re familiar with it. Entry-level Expression versions don’t include built-in sat-nav, but smartphone mirroring largely makes up for it: you can just use Waze, Google Maps, Apple Maps, or any other phone-based nav app. 

A digital driver display measures 7.0 inches on the Expression and 10.0 inches on the Journey/Extreme trims. Higher trims also feature an upgraded Arkamys 3D sound system, wireless phone charging and extra USB-C ports.

This review was last updated in March of 2026, and the following table contains the latest On The Road (OTR) prices for brand new examples of the Dacia Bigster at that time. Do be aware, though, that prices can change, and they frequently do, so please consider these as simply a guide before checking Dacia's latest price lists for yourself.

Is the Dacia Bigster good value compared to rivals?

Against rivals, the price of the Dacia Bigster is pretty remarkable: a Nissan Qashqai starts £5,000 higher, while the only car close in price is the Citroën C5 Aircross, which isn’t as roomy.

To match the Dacia Bigster’s space at this money, you’d have to look at used cars, or to one of the emerging (in the UK, anyway) Chinese brands such as Chery. Something like a Chery Tiggo 7 won't be as well-rounded, though.

Dacia Bigster: Used Car Prices

Having been initially released in 2025, the Bigster is still new enough that the used car market isn't exactly awash with pre-owned examples, and those that there are haven't yet had a chance to shed all that much of their value.

That's not to say that good deals aren't out there to be found, though. We've seen several year-old examples with less than 5,000 miles on the clock for a good four grand below their brand new list prices. You won't have to wait for these examples to be built and shipped, either.

Fuel economy in the Bigster is strong, with a focus on efficiency in the engine choices. According to official figures, you can expect up to 61.4mpg from the Hybrid 155 and 52.3mpg from the Mild Hybrid 140. The Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 claims up to 47.1mpg.

All models come in well below the £40,000 threshold for higher-band Vehicle Excise Duty (better known as road tax), so the Bigster will cost you £195 a year to tax.

Servicing should be very affordable, and the standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty can be extended to seven years or 75,000 miles if you service your Bigster at Dacia dealerships.

Dacia Bigster Hybrid 155: Real-world fuel economy and range

The Bigster Hybrid 155 is a self-charging hybrid rather than a plug-in hybrid, and as such, it only has a very dinky 1.4kWh battery. That being the case, it’ll only run on electric-only power for metres - rather than miles - at a time, but it will spend longer than you might think with the engine off when pootling around town. The official fuel economy is given at up to 61.4mpg, but you’ll be doing very well if you better 55mpg in reality.

Dacia Bigster: Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Dacia Bigster cost in the UK?

The Dacia Bigster range starts at around £25,000 in the UK, and tops out at around £30,000.

Is the Dacia Bigster available as a 7-seater?

No. If you want a seven-seater Dacia, have a look at the Dacia Jogger. That car is a fraction smaller, but is offered with seven chairs.

Does the Dacia Bigster have 4-wheel drive?

The only version of the Dacia Bigster with four-wheel drive is the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4. The other versions have front-wheel drive.

The Dacia Bigster range is straightforward, with three trims – Expression, Journey and Extreme – and three engine options.

Standard features on the entry-level Dacia Bigster Expression include:

• 17-inch Tergan diamond-cut alloy wheels
• Roof bars
• Electric folding heated door mirrors
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• 4 speakers
• 7-inch TFT driver information display
• Multiview camera
• Blind Spot Warning
• Front, rear and side parking sensors
• Automatic dual-zone air conditioning
• Denim-style upholstery
• Keyless entry

Upgrade to the Dacia Bigster Journey (which isn’t available with the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 powertrain) and you’ll get:

• 19-inch Rasan diamond-cut black alloy wheels
• Electric boot lid
• Live traffic navigation
• Arkamys 6-speaker sound system
• 10-inch digital cluster
• Cruise control
• Higher centre console with cooled compartment
• Two-tone black roof
• Textile upholstery

The Dacia Bigster Extreme goes for a more adventurous look, with:

• 18-inch Tagason semi-diamond-cut alloy wheels
  Copper door mirrors
  Manual boot lid
  Panoramic opening sunroof
  Modular roof bars
  Heated front seats
  Heated steering wheel
  Washable plastic-coated upholstery
  Rubber floor mats
  Hill descent control

Options are numerous, and range from a roof rack and engine area underbody protection to various YouClip accessories, mud guards, sleep packs that turn the back of the Bigster into a bed, and a camping pack that features blackout blinds and a tent to attach to the boot.

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