Dacia Bigster makes big price statement, but may not come to Australia

The all-new Dacia Bigster is now on sale in the UK, where a base price of £24,995 (A$49,000) drive-away makes it the equal-cheapest mid-sized SUV in the country, alongside the new MG HS.

The French auto brand’s local importer Ateco Automotive has long said it would sell selected new-generation Dacia models here with Renault badges, and Renault Australia says it will outline its future model plans in the coming weeks.

But the new Bigster is yet to be confirmed for this market, and it’s not yet clear whether any models from Renault’s Romanian sister brand will actually be sold here.

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Renault Australia’s current entrant in the booming mid-sized SUV market – the country’s single biggest new-vehicle sales segment – is the Koleos, which dates back to 2016 and has essentially been replaced in Europe by the new Nissan X-Trail-based Espace, and by the Geely-sourced Grand Koleos in Korea, where the current Koleos is produced.

Renault Australia general manager Glen Sealey told CarExpert last August the current Koleos would continue to be available throughout 2025 and indicated a “different vehicle” would become the company’s entrant in the segment “maybe in 2026”.

While the facelifted Renault Captur light SUV has been confirmed for Australian release in the second half of this year, and Renault sells both the Arkana and the electric Megane E-Tech small SUVs here, it’s likely to offer only one mid-sized SUV in this market.

Released in Europe in 2023, the sixth-generation Espace and the related Renault Austral are produced in Spain, while the new Dacia Bigster is made in Romania, so both European-manufactured vehicles would incur a five per cent import tariff in Australia.

However, the new Grand Koleos (effectively the third-generation Koleos) is produced in South Korea, with which Australia has a free-trade agreement, so it may be a lower-cost option for Renault Australia.

Dacias are sold as Renaults in more countries than as Dacias, and the Duster opens the budget brand’s SUV model range at £18,850 drive-away (A$37,000) in the UK, a similarly mature right-hand drive market with similar government regulations to Australia.

The Kia Sportage (from £29,890 drive-away or A$56,720) is the most popular SUV in Britain, where the Toyota RAV4 is available only with plug-in hybrid power, and Chery’s only model so far is the Omoda 5 small SUV.

Meanwhile, the Bigster is priced from less than £25,000 on the road, undercutting all of its Korean and Chinese rivals in the UK (except the MG HS).

It’s also cheaper than other popular rivals in the market including the Ford Kuga, Hyundai Tucson and Skoda Kodiaq, and comes loaded with standard equipment. It tops out at £30,000 (A$59,000).

First revealed at the 2024 Paris motor show, the new five-seat Bigster measures 4.57 metres long, houses a huge 600-litre boot and is available in the UK with petrol and hybrid power, and both front- and all-wheel drive layouts.

Opening the range is the TCe 140 Expression, powered by a 48-volt mild-hybrid 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, producing 103kW of power and 230Nm of torque.

More expensive Journey and Extreme equipment grades are also offered, but an automatic and all-wheel drive are also available in base spec.

The TCe 130 4×4 comes with the same mild-hybrid petrol engine but this time offering 95kW and five drive modes for its AWD system – Auto, Eco, Off-Road, Mud/Sand and Snow – for an extra £2200 (A4320).

The Bigster Hybrid is priced at £27,995 (A$54,975) drive-away and employs Renault E-Tech Hybrid technology including the most powerful 115kW/205Nm powertrain for the first time in a Dacia, while an LPG-infused BiFuel variant will also be available in some markets.

The Hybrid 155 powertrain combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, an electric motor, a separate starter generator motor and a 1.4kWh battery to offer a short electric-only mode that Dacia UK says can be employed for 80 per cent of the time.

Luxuries new to Dacia include a powered tailgate, electric seats, the option of 19-inch wheels, two-tone paint including a printed black roof, and a Neoprene-like seat trim with a breathable lightweight fabric inspired by Adidas’ Primeknit and Nike’s Flyknit.

Inside at base level, there’s a 10.1-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch digital instrument display, dual-zone climate control, a 40:20:40-split rear bench, front/parking sensors, a reversing camera, 17-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels and four ‘YouClip’ anchor points for attaching accessories.

Range-wide standard safety gear includes autonomous emergency braking, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, lane change alert, lane-keep assist, driver attention monitoring, and an emergency call system.

The Journey adds 19-inch rims, a 10.1-inch instrument display, powered tailgate, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, a wireless smartphone charging pad, high beam assist and electronically adjustable door mirrors.

The outdoors-themed Extreme grade tops the range with 18-inch alloys, modular roof bars, washable seat upholstery and rubber floor mats, plus a panoramic sunroof and brown copper accents.