Dacia enters the C-segment with the Bigster

Is there a brand in recent years that has overhauled its image so successfully than Dacia? Formerly a byword for cheap motoring and not much more, the Renault brand has transformed its image from staid to rugged, outdoorsy, even cool. Design has played a large part in this shift: the brilliant Manifesto concept is a case in point, but also the Duster and even the modernised logo, which went from a chrome heraldic shield to strong typography.

Now, Dacia is entering the C-segment with the production version of Bigster concept launched in 2021. A glance at those original images shows not a huge amount has changed and that’s no bad thing. At a private viewing in summer 2024, design director and brand loyalist David Durand explained how things had changed.

“We were super rational: cost, roominess, reliability, but we believed the brand could be cooler. Someone in the studio coined the phrase from price to pride. Dacia has to be an affordable and essential product, but nobody stops us from being sexy or from looking good with better materials.”

The Bigster is 4600mm long and sits on the CMF-B platform first used on the 2019 Renault Clio and developed by the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. It follows the same chunky design styling as the concept with a strong stance that appears wider thanks to the tail lights, which are pushed into the haunches and a flattened waist that accentuates the front wheel arches.

There is plenty of robust-looking mottled-black polypropylene – a recycled material developed by Dacia’s engineers. “It’s like a plastic textile that you can clean quickly and keep in good shape. Dacia has stopped using leather and chrome,” he adds.

“A lot of C-segment cars have painted wheel arches,” says Durand. “For us, it makes no sense because we don’t want people to be afraid of taking a bad road. I love the new Defender but would you want to take it off-road?”

The hood is long and gently sculpted, maintaining a strong SUV-look in profile thanks to a simple treatment. “We have the front and rear fenders that intersect the body side, which gives this feeling of big blocks or forms colliding.” The front face is defined by the-now distinctive horizontal Y-shape light signature seen on the smaller Duster and the “Dacia Link”.

“We share a lot of elements with the Duster but there are specific elements such as the dual-tone roof and a high-console that better suits the segment,” notes Durand. Another key difference is the bumper, which is painted, elevating the aesthetic above the rough and ready look of its smaller sibling. The grille looks a little like coastal sea defences with a chamfered form that is repeated in the fog lights.

The wheels, 19-inch alloys, are another strong feature, echoing the interior geometries of the air-vents and headlights. Durand reveals these commonalities were the result of serendipity rather than a carefully plotted out strategy.

“Sometimes designers are sketching instinctively on a detail and we choose our preferred design. And then, the more we talk about the car, the more we find elements or links between the different form languages we are using.” Being an outdoorsy type of deal, the Bigster majors on practicality through careful attention to detail. For instance, there are modular roof rails and a cavernous 667-litre boot.

The interior, flooded with light thanks to an expansive sunroof, is packed full of clever details: the second row armrest transforms into a backpack, there is a cargo box that can be attached to the tow bar, and an organiser in the front seatback for extra storage. There is also a phone-holder for the driver. Durand and Dacia’s approach to technology is realistic.

“We know that most of the people are using their phone so why should we spend a lot of energy and money to develop a specific thing that will be quite dated after two years.” Nevertheless, there is a 7-inch or 10-inch digital instrument panel and a standard 10.1 inch touchscreen. To be honest, there isn’t really a need for either screen. “We do have the option of no screens in the mid-range models. I love that Bugatti is now taking them out for their cars because they know the technology will be obsolete. You cannot be at Pebble Beach with a dead screen in the IP.”

The design team has clearly worked well with the engineers to cut costs on manufacturing. The front and rear skid plates are ‘dyed in the mass’, which uses less paint and increases durability. The recycled polypropylene is untreated and unpainted for the front and rear bumpers has a smaller carbon footprint. In addition, the powered-tailgate, a first for the brand, relies on a single motor – a smart cost-cutting move.

Dacia is not Bugatti (obvs) but like the Italian supercar brand it does know who its audience is. Well, until now. The success of the brand has opened up a new, as yet to be defined market. “We are not sure who the customer is anymore. They might be people who bought a Nissan Qashqai seven years ago and are looking for something in the same segment and put off by a full-electric car for 50 grand. We are even seeing customers who can afford something bigger but deciding a Dacia does what they need.”