New value-led Kodiaq rival has broken cover in the build-up to its launch next year
CHARLIE MARTIN
Dacia is putting the finishing touches to its largest car to date, the Bigster, ahead of its launch next year.
The chunky SUV has been spotted in public for the first time and, even with the camouflage in place, it’s clear that the production car’s design remains largely faithful to the concept unveiled in 2021. It retains the same 4x4-inspired blocky proportions and slim LED headlights, bearing a strong resemblance to the smaller Dacia Duster.
Indeed, it is effectively a stretched Duster. It is based on the same CMF-B platform as the small SUV but has been extended to 4.6m in length. That is 0.3m longer than the Duster and makes the Bigster the brand’s largest car yet, placing it in the same sector as hot sellers such as the Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4.
Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot believes that the Bigster’s value-focused approach gives it a chance to capture the attention of car buyers who are steadily being priced out of the mid-sized segment.
Speaking to Autocar recently, he said: “Less than 10 years ago, you bought something for €33,000 [£28,500], and then you go to the same dealership [for your new car] and they say the new car is €40-something thousand. Then lots of people will say: ‘Oh, no, I’m not doing that. It’s too expensive.’
“This is where Dacia makes sense, because we’re coming with, in the case of a C-crossover, the Bigster, and it’s not going to start with a four.”
As a result, the Bigster is expected to undercut its key rivals with a starting price of less than £30,000. For reference, a new Kuga is £32,095 and the Skoda Kodiaq starts at £36,645.
Le Vot suggested that Dacia will keep prices low by building “the essential car”, omitting dispensable technology and equipment where possible. “We design cars with zero superfluous content: no screen when we can put no screen; no electronics when we can put no electronics; no ADAS when we can put no ADAS,” he said.
He added that “we are taking the assets from the [Renault] Group”, indicating that the Bigster’s powertrains will be sourced from existing cars. The entry-level Bigster is expected to use the 108bhp turbocharged four-cylinder from the Jogger MPV. The 138bhp hybrid set-up deployed in the Jogger and Duster is also expected to be offered.
Although the Bigster will be a five-seat
