Dacia’s chunky new Bigster concept to be brand ‘figurehead’
The design of Dacia vehicles could take a dramatic turn if the new Bigster concept is anything to go by
Dacia has unveiled its new Bigster concept – a large SUV that has been designed to reflect the possibilities open to the company as it starts to leverage the Renault Alliance’s CMF-B modular platform.
At first sight, the concept takes on an unforgiving form, full of sharp lines and right angles. It is loud and almost brash in appearance, with little in the way of subtlety.
The lighting at the front end is very distinctive. Dacia’s Y-shaped signature flanks light strips that run to the centre of the car, where the new logo sits illuminated – it looks like two C’s, with the first one facing backwards to become a D.
Above the lights is a sculpted bonnet which, like the body work on the sides, is characterised by strong grooves. It is shaped in such a way as to build up the wheel arches, with the centre of the bonnet sitting lower. This also helps to draw the eye to the centre of the vehicle and the new logo.
The front bumper is enormous, with a large textured area at the front and narrow air vents running vertically at the sides. ‘Dacia’ is engraved in the body work just above the textured area. Beneath the air vents is a small area of dark grey plastic with white speckles. This plastic continues along the side of the vehicle, running above the protruding wheels and acting as the skirts. The same grey and white speckled material is used to clad the roof rails, bringing a continuity to the finish.
The Bigster’s size is in full view from the side. A long roof gently slopes and is capped off with a small rear spoiler. The belt line is clear, rising upwards at the back of the car to reflect the Y light signature, which is only just visible from the side. The shape is also mimicked by the rear passenger window, which also rises up and points to the small spoiler to create a triangular shape in the body work below. It’s all very considered and pleasing.
Unlike the rest of the concept, the rear is unadorned and almost minimalist. There is a clear lack of edgy body work here when compared to the sides and front, creating a sense of relief. The rear lamps open up to welcome what looks like a letter box slot – a rectangular groove in the body work with a deep groove at the top. The bumper pushes upwards to stress the height and ground clearance, hinting (again without subtlety) at off-road capability.
No images of the Bigster concept interior have been released yet. Dacia’s of the past have included cheap plastics and very basic tech, ensuring that the price tag is kept low. Could we see a change in interior design too?
At the same time of the release of Dacia’s Bigster concept, the carmaker announced a new collaboration with Russian OEM Lada. The two brands have agreed to work together and use the CMF-B platform to make future models cost-competitive. Lada plans to introduce four new models by 2025, including a new generation Niva (teased above). As well as using the same platform, the Niva looks like it may have a similar design to the Bigster concept.