Dacia Bigster confirmed for 2025

Two years after its global debut, the bold Dacia Bigster concept has finally been confirmed for production in Romania in 2025 – and it’s still on the cards for Australia.

The Renault group’s Romanian budget brand Dacia has been on the agenda for Australia since Ateco Automotive assumed Renault distribution rights in 2021.

But Renault Australia general manager Glenn Sealey more recently told carsales that Dacia would not be launched as a brand here and that, instead, three Dacia models in particular would be badged as Renaults when they become available for import.

Sealey previously predicted the Bigster would be introduced Down Under in 2025 – roughly a year after the new-generation Dacia Duster arrives locally and 12 months before the new Oroch dual-cab ute – but it now seems the timeline may have been pushed back by roughly a year.

Even so, the Bigster will be underpinned by the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan Alliance CMF-B platform and measures about 4.6m long as per the concept, which opens up the possibility of internal “combustion, alternative and hybrid engines” as well as two and all-wheel drive.

This is the same platform underpinning the Nissan JUKE, Renault Captur, Renault Arkana and Europe’s Mitsubishi ASX, not to mention the current Dacia Jogger and the next-generation Duster.

All three of these Romanian models are or will be marketed in the C-segment in Europe, while the Bigster’s longer overall length marks it as more of a D-segment SUV.

If you’re a bit confused, the Duster will face off against the Toyota Corolla Cross, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos and MG ZS whereas the larger Bigster will rub shoulders with top-selling medium SUVs like the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-5 and Subaru Forester.

Sealey previously described the Duster’s and Bigster’s ruggedness and versatility as the major drawcards for the Australian market, hypothetically pitching them directory against the Jeep Compass, Subaru XV and Subaru Forester respectively.

“You know, it’s about outdoors,” he said in October 2021.

“It’s about 4x4 drivetrains. It’s about tough design that really works for the Australian lifestyle.

“So we’ve put our hands up already for both of those models.”

There’s been no recent word on the Oroch ute, however, the upcoming Toyota Stout compact pick-up’s hypothetical greenlight could provoke a response from any number of brands, Renault/Dacia included.

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