Dacia Bigster Review 2025

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. 

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.

Fitting in with the image of the rest of the range – particularly the Dacia Duster – the Bigster has chunky, durable looks and a chunky, durable interior, too. The cabin is also packed with features – the 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 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, and 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.

The 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, and you may decide that they’re compromises worth making for the sake of your wallet.

Prices start at just £25,215, which is rock bottom for a new car of this size. Go for a fully loaded, top-spec version and you’ll pay from £29,990, 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.

Body roll is noticeable if you push it, but as a relaxed motorway cruiser or around-town family hauler, it does the job very well.

We tried the Hybrid 155 model, which combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a total of 155PS. It’ll hit 62mph in 9.7 seconds, which is enough for everyday use, and it spends much of its time in all-electric mode in town. The automatic gearbox can be frustrating, though, hanging onto low gears too long and creating unnecessarily high revs.

The Bigster’s steering is light and predictable, though not especially sharp, but it’s very easy to manoeuvre around town despite the car’s size. The suspension is tuned more for comfort than control, and filters out most imperfections on rough roads without feeling wallowy. Don’t expect any engagement on twisty routes, though, as there’s pronounced body roll if you even think about hustling. 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, thanks to the car’s bluff shape. Refinement is one area where rivals do better, but hey, there are some things that we can forgive at this price point.

The 4x4 mild-hybrid model adds a Terrain Control system with five drive modes, including Snow, Mud/Sand and Off-Road. Combined with generous ground clearance, it should prove more capable on rough tracks and slippery surfaces than the average family SUV, even if the majority will spend most of their lives on tarmac. While we’ve yet to test it properly away from the road, experience with the smaller Duster suggests the Bigster should cope admirably with light off-roading or country-lane duties.

Three powertrains are available: the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 with its 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol, 130PS, a manual gearbox and four-wheel drive. Then there’s the Mild Hybrid 140 with 140PS from its 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol, and front-wheel drive. Then there’s the car we tried, the Hybrid 155, which uses a 155PS, 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol with an electric motor and an automatic gearbox.

Performance is respectable, if not particularly quick. We tried the Hybrid 155 model, which combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for a total of 155PS. It’ll hit 62mph in 9.7 seconds, which is enough for everyday use, and it spends much of its time in all-electric mode in town. The automatic gearbox can be frustrating, though, hanging onto low gears too long and creating unnecessarily high revs. Still, economy figures are strong, with up to 60.1mpg officially for the Hybrid 155.

The 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 Duster. The reason is simple: Dacia deliberately leaves out advanced active safety systems such as blind-spot monitoring or lane-change assist, 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 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 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 boots of 629 litres in the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 model and 612 litres in the Hybrid 155. Fold down the rear seats, which split 40:20:40, 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, too. 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 – cupholders, phone mounts, bag hooks, and you can even design and 3D-print your own.

It’s not plush – soft-touch surfaces are few and far between – but the 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 Bigster get a 10.1-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  The system isn’t the slickest compared with 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 seven inches on the Expression and 10 inches on the Journey/Extreme trims. Higher trims also feature an upgraded Arkamys 3D sound system, wireless phone charging and extra USB-C ports.

The entry-level Bigster Expression Mild Hybrid costs from £25,215. Go for the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4 and that jumps to £27,465, while the Expression 155 costs from £28,190. The mid-spec Journey is only available as Mild Hybrid 140 (£26,465) and Hybrid 155 (£29,440), while the top-spec Extreme model costs £26,715 (Mild Hybrid 140), £28,965 (Mild Hybrid 130 4x4) or £29,690 (Hybrid 155).

Against rivals, it’s 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 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.

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 6031mpg from the Hybrid 155, 51.4mpg from the Mild Hybrid 140 and 46.3mpg from the Mild Hybrid 130 4x4. All models come in under the £40,000 threshold for extra 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.

The 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.