Dacia's newest model, the flagship Bigster SUV, is now on sale in Ireland, with the good news being that prices start from a highly competitive €29,990, or from €215 per month on car finance.
That's good value - what do I get for my money?
Dacia says the Bigster is shaking up the C-segment SUV marketplace by offering a spacious vehicle like this for comparatively little cash. So, to break the layers down, there are four trim levels - Essential, Expression, Journey and Extreme - and three drivetrains: the 140 TCe manual, the Hybrid 155, and the 130 TCe manual 4x4.
The 140 TCe is offered in all four trims, the Hybrid isn't sold at base Essential grade, and the 4x4 also has three specifications, with Journey being the only level you can't have all-wheel-drive capability.
The base car with the headline sub-€30,000 price is therefore a 140 TCe manual Essential. This comes with a 10.1-inch central touchscreen, complete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, as well as air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera, among more. The only other drivetrain here, the TCe 130 manual 4x4, costs from €34,690 in this spec.
Stepping up to Expression grade loads in even more goodies, including keyless entry, a Multiview camera system, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control - a first for any Dacia - automatic wipers, and Hill Start Assist. Prices are €32,290 for the TCe 140, €35,140 for the Hybrid 155 (this being the cheapest model of the petrol-electric variant) and €36,990 for the petrol 4x4.
Journey trim (€34,690 for a TCe 140, or €37,540 for a Hybrid 155) adds in a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, privacy glass at the rear, wireless smartphone charging, a powered tailgate, and the option of two-tone paint, while the Extreme variants also come with an electric sliding panoramic roof.
Prices for Bigster Extreme models range from €34,990 to €39,690, and alloy wheel sizes on all specifications range from 17 to 19 inches, depending on the grade.
Remind me of a few of the main touchpoints of the Bigster
A five-seat SUV, the Bigster measures 4.57 metres long, which makes it larger than some of its competitors (hence the model name), and it has 2.7 metres between its axles to promote interior space.
To that end, it has a sizeable 667-litre boot, which sits behind rear seats, which are split in a 40:20:40 configuration for the maximum of practicality. But despite its physical stature, the Bigster should be reasonably affordable to run.
The TCe 140 with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology can achieve 5.6 litres/100km, the full Hybrid 155 will return a theoretical 4.6 litres/100km, while the TCe 130 4x4 - another mild hybrid - can achieve the same sort of efficiency as the two-wheel-drive 140. Dacia also likes to promote the fact it uses ecologically sound and sustainable materials in the cabin where possible, with the Bigster being no exception to this rule.
Are there any options?
Selected items include metallic paint, priced at €745 across the Dacia Bigster range, while the contrast black roof, only available on Journey and Extreme trims, comes in at just €250.
Anything else to add?
The Dacia Bigster is available to order now at the company's 31 dealerships across Ireland, with Seamus Morgan, the managing director of Cedar Motors, the official importer for Dacia in the country, adding: “Bigster is tailored to the specific requirements of a steadily growing market. With consumers facing spiralling costs, Bigster offers buyers of larger, family-friendly cars the robust, well-equipped, great value-for-money that they have been longing for. Potential used-car customers should also take note - here is a brand-new SUV for less than €30,000 with a three-year warranty.”