SPY PICS: 2025 Dacia Bigster spotted testing
Upcoming mid-size SUV expected to be badged and sold as a Renault in AustraliaOur European spy photographers have captured the first images of the production-spec Dacia Bigster undergoing development testing in Spain, and it’s no surprise the upcoming seven-seat SUV looks a lot like an enlarged Duster from most angles.
Set to be more rugged than the average mid-size SUV despite riding on a car-based monocoque chassis, the all-new Dacia Bigster is likely to be underpinned by the Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan Alliance CMF-B platform.
It’s expected to make its global debut within the next nine months or so, with conflicting reports pointing to either a late 2024 or early 2025 reveal.
Either way, production has been confirmed to start next year ahead of a probable Australian introduction alongside the smaller Dacia Duster compact SUV and perhaps the Niagara dual-cab ute, all of which are expected to wear Renault badges here.
The concept version of the Bigster first broke cover in 2021 but the all-new Dacia model wasn’t locked-in for production until last year. And it’s clear from these spy images that the consumer-spec vehicle has been watered down a bit compared to the futuristic show car.
One thing that’s immediately apparent is that the Bigster will live up to its nameplate and be noticeably larger than first thought, so it could straddle both the medium and large SUV segments in the same way as the Skoda Kodiaq, albeit with much more ground clearance.
The exterior design blends cues of the concept vehicle and the Duster, with that relationship particularly apparent towards the front.
Odds are it will be a similar story inside the cabin, where the same 10.1-inch infotainment display and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster are likely to be carried over.
Powertrains are also expected to be pinched out of the Duster, although probably only the more powerful units given the compact SUV debuted with a 96kW 1.2-litre three-cylinder mild-hybrid engine and a 103kW 1.6-litre four-cylinder hybrid system.
Because Dacia is part of the Renault Group, the Romanian car-maker could also bless the Bigster with gutsier powertrains from models like the Renault Rafale and/or Symbioz SUVs.
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