Dacia Bigster review

There are three possible engines to go with the three possible trim levels. To start, there’s a mild hybrid TCe 140 1.2-litre three-cylinder with just front-wheel drive, 140bhp-ish and a manual. And by ‘mild hybrid’ we mean a big starter motor, so very mild. Then there’s a similar – pure petrol – TCe 130 three-pot with 130bhp and all-wheel drive (and a manual) which is interesting if you do a little light off-roading.

Then there’s the flagship, full hybrid 155bhp automatic with front-wheel drive only, though there are strong rumours that it’ll also make its way into the Duster eventually.

What about the new motor(s) then?

The new engine is the one to talk about… and that’s good, because so far, it’s the only one anyone has sampled. It’s a full-on hybrid with a 107bhp 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric motors – a 50hp variant which can directly drive the wheels and a smaller one in the gearbox used as a starter/generator. That gives a combined 150-ish bhp/152lb ft of torque, driving the front wheels via a four-speed auto for the petrol engine and two more for the electric motors. So technically, it’s a six-speed, clutchless auto.

Take note though: it’s front-wheel drive only, so if you want 4x4, you have to have the 130bhp car. It’s not hugely fast and has a kerbweight of 1,350kg (which isn’t fat by any means), but you’re looking at 112mph top speed and 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds. It’s… fine. No more than that. Still, it should manage 60mpg+, if driven very lightly indeed, which is excellent.

Sounds dull…

If you wanted a sportscar, you’ve come to the wrong place. But if you want a well matched medium SUV, it’s actually much better than you think it sounds – albeit within the mission statement. Dacia reckons that the hybrid can operate up to 80 per cent electric only in town, and while intensely sceptical about those numbers, it really does seem to knock about for a greater proportion of the time in EV mode if you’re in an urban environment.

It always starts and pulls away in electric mode, and the time it spends ‘engine off’ is surprising, especially when you consider that the battery is only 1.4kWh. There are torches with bigger power packs. The changeover from electric to four-pot is also smooth enough, and the gearing seems to make the most of everything. Ok, so you’re not looking at ridiculous EV acceleration times and kickdown can be a little confused, but driven like a normal person, it all hangs together very well.

What about out of town?

Again, the Bigster makes a decent case for itself. It’ll happily cruise at motorway speeds and the ride is good but not great. Yes, there’s probably a bit too much windrush over the A-pillars and wing mirrors, and you get a decent rumble through the suspension on a bad surface, but it’s not something that should put you off.

And when you’re poking around on a bigger A-road, it does 75 per cent commitment perfectly acceptably. It’ll get very understeery and a bit floppy if you go full attack mode, but seriously, if you’re doing that in a car like this, you need your head examined. Or just make sure you’ve rented it – which is going to be very likely. Driven as it should be, the Bigster copes admirably.