The Dacia Bigster has just gone on sale in Ireland, and as the name suggests, it is by far the brand's biggest car to date. With prices starting from just €29,990 and €215 per month, Dacia says its new flagship vehicle "gives customers equipment levels they want, at a price they can afford".
The new Dacia Bigster is available in a choice of three trim levels, mild and full-hybrid petrol engines, plus the option of a 4x4. In addition to having more space, the Bigster is said to bring a level of luxury equipment to a Dacia vehicle for the first time.
The entry-level 'Essential' features a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels and a parking camera as well as rear parking sensors.
'Expression', 'Journey' and 'Extreme' trim levels all benefit from even more generous standard specifications 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-inch depending on trim ); automatic wipers and Hill Start Assist.
Journey and Extreme trim levels also gain a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, rear window privacy glass, and wireless phone charging. Power tailgate is available on Journey trim and in another first for Dacia, the electric sliding panoramic roof is available on Extreme trim plus the option of a two-tone paint black painted roof.
At a length of 4.57-metres (longer than some competitors ), with a wheelbase of 2.7-metres and a boot volume of 667-litres, the Bigster offers generous space, with ample legroom and loads of room for luggage. Rear seats fold 40:20:40 with a centre armrest featuring cupholders and slots for rear seat passengers’ devices. In addition, the rear seats can be folded simply using a release lever in the boot.
To power Dacia’s most luxurious model yet, a new range of engines is offered. The TCe 140 engine is an upgrade of the TCe 130 available on the Duster and features efficient 48V mild hybrid technology, combined with a six-speed manual gearbox. Dacia quotes a fuel consumption of just 5.6l/100km.
Customers choosing a full hybrid powertrain on the Bigster are the first to benefit from Renault Group’s new hybrid 155 engine. Compared with the hybrid 145 engine offered on the Duster and Jogger, this new engine is claimed to offer more power, more torque, less consumption (as low as 4.6l/100km ) and greater towing capacity (up to one-tonne depending on version ).
Combining regenerative braking with the high energy recovery capacity of the battery and the efficiency of the automatic gearbox, Dacia says the Bigster can remain in all-electric mode up to 80 per cent of the time in the city. Further, the car always starts up in all-electric mode.
The Bigster’s mild hybrid 130 4x4 is built to head off the beaten track with an all-wheel drive system mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, and a 48V mild hybrid system to maximise efficiency. This hybrid system supports the 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine during start-up and acceleration, reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Regenerative braking recharges the 0.8 kWh battery as part of a process that is completely transparent to the driver.
The well-equipped TCe 140 Essential comes in at €29,990 and the top-line Extreme trim comes in at €37,840 in hybrid form and €39,690 in manual 4x4. On the Bigster, metallic paint is priced at €745 while the contrasting black roof, available only on Journey and Extreme trims, is priced at €250.
As part of its Eco Smart approach, Dacia says that a larger proportion of sustainable materials have been used on the Bigster, with 20 per cent of recycled plastics.
'Starkle', a material invented by Dacia's engineers and first used on the Duster, contains up to 20 per cent of recycled polypropylene. Used untreated and unpainted, it has a smaller carbon footprint in manufacture. The lower body and wheel arch protection, as well as parts of the front and rear bumpers are made from Starkle.
The Bigster comes with a range of driving aids as standard on all levels of trim level: advanced emergency braking system (urban/extra-urban with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcycle detection ), traffic sign recognition with speed alert, rear park assist, emergency stop signal, lane change alert, lane keeping assist, driver attention warning, and the emergency call system, eCall.
The Dacia Bigster is available to test drive and order now at Dacia’s 31 dealerships nationwide.
