IT'S been more than three years in the making, but Dacia is finally going big.

Back in January 2021, the Romanian manufacturer revealed the Bigster Concept - a mid-sized SUV which would spearhead a major expansion for the Renault-owned brand.

Now, the Bigster is ready for production and Dacia is out to conquer the C-segment with a comprehensively-equipped SUV which, like other Dacia models, will undercut the mainstream competition with an expected starting price of around £30k when it reaches the UK next year.

Dacia reckons that the spiraling costs of mid-sized SUVs are becoming an issue for many buyers who want to purchase a new car without compromising on comfort, performance and space. "Bigster is the ultimate expression of Dacia's values and is now our brand's flagship vehicle," says Dacia design director David Durand.

Built on the same Renault Group platform as the Jogger and Renault Clio, the Bigster is one of the most spacious vehicles in its segment, according to Dacia, with class-leading headroom, rear legroom and boot capacity with up to 667 litres of storage under the parcel shelf.

It is the first Renault Group model to gain the French company's all-new Hybrid 155 powertrain, combining a 107 bhp four-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors, a 1.4 kWh battery and an automatic electric gearbox. It will be the most powerful Dacia to date.

Two other variants will be on offer - the TCe140 and TCe130 - both using a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged engine supported by a 48v mild-hybrid system. The TCe130 comes with four wheel drive with terrain control offering five driving modes.

Bigster will offer a choice of three trim levels - Expression, Extreme and Journey - with generous levels of standard kit. The entry-level Expression models come with dual-zone automatic air-con, electric parking brake, rain sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, fixed roof bars, media display with 10.1-inch central touchscreen, seven-inch digital instrument panel, rear parking sensors and camera, electric front and rear windows, power folding mirrors and a 40/20/40 rear modular bench seat with easy fold function.

And there will be an intriguing array of options not least of which are a tent and a sleep pack which fits into the Bigster's boot and includes a 1.9m long double bed which can be deployed in less than two minutes