Sales of the Dacia Bigster in Europe will begin in the first half of 2022, and Auto Express has caught wind that it would cost about 20% less than the Volkswagen Tiguan, despite running on hybrid power. At 4.6 meters long, the Bigster will be larger than the Tiguan. Dacia does not say whether a seven-seat version is coming to the market, and it looks not that likely with the Jogger MPV needing sales, too.
A naturally aspirated 1.0-liter
three-cylinder may be the weakest engine at the carmaker’s disposal with 64 PS. However, chances that it will be used for a vehicle this big
are slim. Much more likely, the Bigster will start with a turbocharged version
of that engine rated at 90 PS, while a marginally more
expensive version will benefit from a 1.3-liter Renault turbo four-pot good for
130 PS.
Hybrid drivetrains have also been
announced, but details remain unknown. One option could be borrowed from the
Renault Clio E-Tech, which uses a 1.6-liter engine with an electric motor and
gets 140 PS out of the setup. A brand-new powertrain centered
on a 1.2-liter turbo is also possible, and could go as high as 200 PS. Auto Express believes that the Dacia Bigster will come in at around
£5,000 less than the Tiguan, or £20,000. It would make it one of the most
affordable CUVs in its market segment – if not the most affordable.
The Bigster Concept debuted in early 2021. The production
car will be based on the CMF-B platform of the next-gen Duster, but is marketed
as a larger, more comfort-oriented vehicle for traveling and daily driving.
