There’s an elusive sweet spot in the midst good design, admirable function and inoffensive pricing, and the Romanian car brand Dacia wants to be right in the heart of it. Over the past two decades, with close collaboration from Renault, Dacia has built itself a rock-solid reputation as a no-nonsense bargain brand.
Models like the ultra-compact Spring city car, no-frills Sandero, seven-seater Jogger, and the perennial favourite Duster crossover have all brought a robust and spirited functionalism to the market. Upcoming models include the more premium mid-size Striker, while last year’s self-consciously cute Hipster Concept showed there’s also scope for the brand to downscale further.
Dacia Bigster
Announced in 2024, the Dacia Bigster is the company’s first push into the ‘proper; SUV market. Available in two flavours of hybrid, the Bigster is one of the most literal car names you’ll find. Measuring 4.57m long, 1.81m wide and 1.71m high, the Bigster is a strict five-seater (Dacia’s seven-seat option remains the Jogger) with chunky, almost Tonka-toy like styling.
It’s big, but not vast (certainly not in the realm of American XXXL SUVs) and therefore avoids all the pitfalls of navigating such a car betwixt town and country – you won’t be hated in the former and narrow country lanes aren’t too much of a trial.
Dacia Bigster
We spent a week with the Bigster, during which time Dacia’s attention to detail really stood out, as did the car’s abilities and interior features. Not all Bigster’s have four-wheel-drive, but the high ride height and dedicated terrain modes make these variants pretty handy off the beaten track. This is always nice to have and in the Bigster’s case, it’s functionality that follows form, emphasising that the black plastic clad wheel arches and business-like bumpers aren’t just for show.
Dacia Bigster
In fact, inside and out there is a pretty heavy concentration of black plastic. Dacia is one of the few car companies who commit to the bit and make a virtue of the cheap and durable material, refused to dress it up with soft touch surfaces or unnecessary trim. What you see is what you get, a rare honesty that really shines through.
Dacia Bigster dashboard
The interior layout is also impressive. Yes, there’s a central touch screen display but it doesn’t dominate the dashboard and it’s accompanied by physical buttons for the heating controls. There’s also a built-in smartphone dock, made slightly redundant by the inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The digital dash is clear with consistent graphics, backed up by physical buttons – not haptic switches – on the steering wheel.
Dacia Bigster interior details
So far, so good. You also get regular air vents that can be moved by hand, not given over to servo motors buried deep in the dash and accessible only via the screen. It’s all very much on brand for a company that makes a virtue of building ‘cars for real life’.
Usually, real life means getting from A to B without fussing too much over things like dynamic abilities and other performance metrics. It's absolutely not a criticism of the Bigster to say that it's a fairly forgettable thing to drive, with great ride and economy on the positive side. It simply works.
Inevitably, the innate value of such simplicity has become a form of signifier just like any other brand. Dacia is the Uniqlo of carmakers, starting off as a welcome distraction from excessive label-consciousness but eventually circling round into an identifiable brand all of its own.
It should be pointed out that this pathway only works when the product truly does its job. Just as the Duster has become shorthand for canny, tasteful, inconspicuous consumption, the Bigster looks set to follow suit.
The interior volume is flexible and generous, while another brand differentiator – practical thinking – is in evidence throughout, from clips and storage compartments to modular roof bars, and quirky features like a second room armrest that transforms into a backpack.
Dacia is also on trend with its optional Sleep Pack system, which gives the Bigster a leg-up in the burgeoning world of car camping. Accessories include a rear bed system for the load deck and an awning. All this and more makes the Bigster one of the friendlier, more accessible and acceptable iterations of modern SUV culture. Look after it well, and it’s the kind of car that only gets better with age, as time and experience add a little patina to the palette while the basic functionality remains undimmed.
Dacia Bigster
Dacia Bigster, from £25,215, Dacia.co.uk, @Dacia_UK