The Duster took the market by storm for its value and this new Bigster SUV has a more spacious offering that will give the Dacia range a much wider value appeal.
I’ve taken a look at both models, following a longer test drive in the Duster some weeks back, while more recently I’ve driven the Bigster when in launched here in Ireland just over a week ago. They are both offered as mild hybrid SUVs; gone forever is the diesel engine option across all models in the Duster.
The dash layout and design for the Bigster is similar to that of the Duster, there’s just more room between the front passengers.
Dacia is offering petrol hybrids and mild hybrids for both models and the latter was my mode of driving in each case. There are different engine options, the Bigster has a larger 1.5 litre petrol engine, while the Duster came with a three-cylinder 1.2 litre turbo-petrol engine. They share a similar automatic gearbox that’s operated through a small stubby transmission lever.
Out on the road I found the Duster to be less smooth in the gear transfers than the newer Bigster.
The new Dacia Duster has fresh styling and new hybrid engine choices. Prices start at €25,990 or £21,245 in N. Ireland.
The most obvious straight up difference between the two is the size. The Bigster is about 230mm longer than the Duster and sits on a longer wheelbase for more comfort. It looks bigger from the side profile, and it feels bigger on the inside.
The new Dacia Bigster is a fine spacious car with a huge boot and wide opening rear doors. There is no spare wheel, and the Euro NCAP safety rating is just three stars.
This is a more sizeable SUV that’s available only as a five-seat version and that means that the boot space is impressively big. The boot space is 35% bigger in the Bigster compared with the Duster and when you drop down the rear seats for larger loads, the load space difference is simply huge.
In performance terms, the 1.2 litre, three-cylinder Duster engine is lively, while its torque rating is 230Nm, it didn’t always feel quite like that. The Bigster 1.8 litre engine seems more agile, but even as the bigger car of the two, it had a 500kg lower towing rating, due in part to its additional 100kg kerb weight.
Both cars come with the same 50 litre fuel tank capacity and there’s not much to separate them in terms of fuel economy. My longer Duster test revealed an economy figure very close to the rated figure of 5l/100km or about 18km/litre. That should deliver a range of over 900km on a full tank, if you drive good and steady.
The Bigster rating is similar, if not marginally better, even if the engine is bigger, because of the strong hybrid input. The downside is the 1,000kg towing rating compared with 1,500kg for the Duster.
The interior layout of both cars is similar with a dash layout that’s almost identical. This is a practical approach and there are enough tactile buttons for heating controls to make set up and driving of the car so much easier than the overly technical versions of some of the competition.
There’s a comfort feel to the steering wheel that’s important because that’s the most constant contact point between the car and the driver.
The seats are more refined and solid than in the past.
The dash layout is clear, practical and simple to use in the Dacia Duster.
Seat adjustment is good and there is ample rear legroom, especially in the Bigster version.
Of the two, this is the bigger man driving preferred choice, especially when the price differences are not too significant.
Both cars some with similar levels of safety equipment which in normal circumstance should ensure a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
This is not to be so, as both cars have a three-star from their 2024 test, due it appears to the fact that the driver’s chest protection in the event of a collision, was rated as weak.
When it’s decision time, I think that I would opt for the 4x4 version of the Bigster Essential trim, because I would like to have that modest additional off-road ability that includes a hill descent control system. There’s only €1,300 difference in the price at this specification and that’s one that delivers better value in terms of towing ability, space and comfort in my view.
The Dacia Duster is a shade tight internally for an SUV that remains practical in many ways.
Overall, entry prices for both the Duster and the Bigster are very competitive. The Duster entry price is €25,990 or £21,245 in Northern Ireland, while the more spacious Bigster starts at €29,990 or £26,215 in Northern Ireland. You won’t get much for your money at that price anymore.
The new Dacia Bigster offers value
The new Dacia Bigster SUV claims to offer a smarter value proposition in a spacious and practical car with impressive equipment and a price structure no other brands come close to.
The Bigster takes the Dacia essentials, delivered in a robust, and eco-smart way with some new features never seen before on a Dacia.
Dacia’s SUV models are available in a choice of four trim levels, Essential, Expression, Journey and Extreme with 1.2 litre mild and 1.5 litre full hybrid petrol engines, plus the option of a 4x4, in addition to having more space, which C-SUV customers are accustomed to. Even the entry level Essential comes with a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, air conditioning, 17” alloy wheels and a parking camera as well as rear parking sensors.
Expression, Journey and Extreme trim levels all benefit from even more including keyless entry, Multiview camera, front and rear parking sensors, dual zone climate control first time available on a Dacia, alloy wheels (17”, 18” or 19” depending on trim); automatic wipers and Hill Start Assist.
The Duster took the market by storm for its value and this new Bigster SUV has a more spacious offering that will give the Dacia range a much wider value appeal.
I’ve taken a look at both models, following a longer test drive in the Duster some weeks back, while more recently I’ve driven the Bigster when in launched here in Ireland just over a week ago. They are both offered as mild hybrid SUVs; gone forever is the diesel engine option across all models in the Duster.
The dash layout and design for the Bigster is similar to that of the Duster, there’s just more room between the front passengers.
Dacia is offering petrol hybrids and mild hybrids for both models and the latter was my mode of driving in each case. There are different engine options, the Bigster has a larger 1.5 litre petrol engine, while the Duster came with a three-cylinder 1.2 litre turbo-petrol engine. They share a similar automatic gearbox that’s operated through a small stubby transmission lever.
Out on the road I found the Duster to be less smooth in the gear transfers than the newer Bigster.
The new Dacia Duster has fresh styling and new hybrid engine choices. Prices start at €25,990 or £21,245 in N. Ireland.
The most obvious straight up difference between the two is the size. The Bigster is about 230mm longer than the Duster and sits on a longer wheelbase for more comfort. It looks bigger from the side profile, and it feels bigger on the inside.
The new Dacia Bigster is a fine spacious car with a huge boot and wide opening rear doors. There is no spare wheel, and the Euro NCAP safety rating is just three stars.
This is a more sizeable SUV that’s available only as a five-seat version and that means that the boot space is impressively big. The boot space is 35% bigger in the Bigster compared with the Duster and when you drop down the rear seats for larger loads, the load space difference is simply huge.
In performance terms, the 1.2 litre, three-cylinder Duster engine is lively, while its torque rating is 230Nm, it didn’t always feel quite like that. The Bigster 1.8 litre engine seems more agile, but even as the bigger car of the two, it had a 500kg lower towing rating, due in part to its additional 100kg kerb weight.
Both cars come with the same 50 litre fuel tank capacity and there’s not much to separate them in terms of fuel economy. My longer Duster test revealed an economy figure very close to the rated figure of 5l/100km or about 18km/litre. That should deliver a range of over 900km on a full tank, if you drive good and steady.
The Bigster rating is similar, if not marginally better, even if the engine is bigger, because of the strong hybrid input. The downside is the 1,000kg towing rating compared with 1,500kg for the Duster.
The interior layout of both cars is similar with a dash layout that’s almost identical. This is a practical approach and there are enough tactile buttons for heating controls to make set up and driving of the car so much easier than the overly technical versions of some of the competition.
There’s a comfort feel to the steering wheel that’s important because that’s the most constant contact point between the car and the driver.
The seats are more refined and solid than in the past.
The dash layout is clear, practical and simple to use in the Dacia Duster.
Seat adjustment is good and there is ample rear legroom, especially in the Bigster version.
Of the two, this is the bigger man driving preferred choice, especially when the price differences are not too significant.
Both cars some with similar levels of safety equipment which in normal circumstance should ensure a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
This is not to be so, as both cars have a three-star from their 2024 test, due it appears to the fact that the driver’s chest protection in the event of a collision, was rated as weak.
When it’s decision time, I think that I would opt for the 4x4 version of the Bigster Essential trim, because I would like to have that modest additional off-road ability that includes a hill descent control system. There’s only €1,300 difference in the price at this specification and that’s one that delivers better value in terms of towing ability, space and comfort in my view.
The Dacia Duster is a shade tight internally for an SUV that remains practical in many ways.
Overall, entry prices for both the Duster and the Bigster are very competitive. The Duster entry price is €25,990 or £21,245 in Northern Ireland, while the more spacious Bigster starts at €29,990 or £26,215 in Northern Ireland. You won’t get much for your money at that price anymore.
The new Dacia Bigster offers value
The new Dacia Bigster SUV claims to offer a smarter value proposition in a spacious and practical car with impressive equipment and a price structure no other brands come close to.
The Bigster takes the Dacia essentials, delivered in a robust, and eco-smart way with some new features never seen before on a Dacia.
Dacia’s SUV models are available in a choice of four trim levels, Essential, Expression, Journey and Extreme with 1.2 litre mild and 1.5 litre full hybrid petrol engines, plus the option of a 4x4, in addition to having more space, which C-SUV customers are accustomed to. Even the entry level Essential comes with a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, air conditioning, 17” alloy wheels and a parking camera as well as rear parking sensors.
Expression, Journey and Extreme trim levels all benefit from even more including keyless entry, Multiview camera, front and rear parking sensors, dual zone climate control first time available on a Dacia, alloy wheels (17”, 18” or 19” depending on trim); automatic wipers and Hill Start Assist.
SHARING OPTIONS