Read Caroline’s Dacia Bigster review for everything you need to know about buying Dacia’s new family SUV in Ireland in 2025.
Dacia has carved out a strong reputation in Ireland with value-packed models like the Sandero and Duster. Now, the brand is stepping into new territory with the arrival of its largest SUV yet – the all-new Dacia Bigster.
Bigger than the ever popular Duster but sharing much of the same boxy charm, the Bigster brings Dacia to the larger family SUV segment.
It’s going to be competitive, with bestsellers like the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson already well established among Irish SUV buyers. But with pricing starting from just €29,990 – massively undercutting rivals – the Bigster will grab attention.
But is it any good?
Let’s take a closer look.
Design
True to its name, the Bigster is, well, big. It’s longer than the Duster though built on the same platform and carries over the brand’s signature utilitarian style: boxy proportions, chunky cladding and a strong, upright stance.
At the front, it features the new Dacia face with distinctive Y-shaped LED lighting. There are six colours to choose from including classy Indigo Blue.
There are four different trim levels: Expression, Essential, Extreme and Journey. Alloy wheels range from 17-inch on lower trims to 18-inch on the Extreme and 19-inch on the Journey, which also brings features like rear privacy glass and a powered tailgate.
Dacia Bigster Interior
The cabin feels familiar if you’ve been in the latest Duster: simple, functional and plenty of hard scratchy plastics on display to keep the costs down. It’s certainly not as plush as rivals like the latest Qashqai but nor is it priced like one, and the Bigster has a sort of rugged charm that’s part of its appeal.
The seat upholsteries differ depending on trim level and there are some softer looking areas like the covering on top of the armrest. All Bigsters also come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Other standard features include a 7-inch digital driver display, 10-inch touchscreen with smartphone connectivity, rear parking camera and sensors, manual air conditioning and cruise control.
Move up to the Journey trim and you’ll find little luxuries like heated steering wheel, heated front seats and wireless smartphone charging, plus a larger digital driver display and chilled centre storage.
There’s even an optional panoramic opening glass sunroof, a first for Dacia.
The infotainment system is simple but user-friendly and thankfully Dacia has kept physical buttons for the climate control.
Practicality
One of the Bigster’s biggest strengths is unsurprisingly the space it offers. There’s generous legroom and headroom in the rear, helped by the boxy shape. Isofix points for child seats are provided on the two outer rear seats. There are also climate vents and USB-C ports for rear seat passengers.
The boot is also a strong point, with up to 677 litres of space in the petrol mild hybrid and clever features like levers to let down the rear seats. There’s also a two-position boot floor and 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats in all but the entry model.
Even the hybrid version manages 612 litres of boot space, which is still very competitive in this segment.
Driving the Bigster
Built on the same platform as the Duster, the Bigster feels solid and composed on the road. Refinement has improved, thanks to things like an acoustic windscreen and thicker glazing. Overall comfort levels are good enough though it can feel choppier on bumpy rural roads. Still it never gets too noisy, even while cruising on the motorway.
The Hybrid 155 tested here pairs a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors and a small capacity battery. It’s the most powerful option of the entire range and the most refined too. It’s smooth and easy to drive around town, but flexible enough for out of town too. Performance is adequate (0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds) and it’s responsive to the accelerator pedal.
Most importantly, it’s good on fuel with my consumption averaging at 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres over a week of driving.
Other engine options include a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine with 140hp and mild hybrid technology paired with a six-speed manual. The same engine is also offered with 4×4.
Dacia Bigster Pricing
With pricing starting at just €29,990, the Dacia Bigster brings incredible value to the table, especially in a segment where rivals regularly push beyond the €40k mark. Even the well-equipped Bigster Hybrid in the Journey trim tested here is priced from a reasonable €37,540.
Verdict
Of course, there are compromises. Interior materials don’t match rivals like the Qashqai or Tucson, and performance won’t set pulses racing. But for many buyers, the Bigster will tick the right boxes: spacious, practical, economical and honest-to-goodness value.
The Bigster might just be the big bargain families have been waiting for.
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
The post Dacia Bigster Review | Big, bold & budget-friendly appeared first on Changing Lanes.