New Dacia Striker first impressions: we get up-close and personal with sub-£25,000 estate car

This is the new Dacia Striker, and it’s a car which is hard to classify. It sits somewhere in between a family hatchback, like the Volkswagen Golf, and an estate car, such as the Skoda Octavia Estate.

Whatever you choose to call it, you can’t deny the Striker’s credentials as a practical family car. I’ve been to look around the car, test its practicality, poke at the interior and try out some of its tech.

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New Dacia Striker design

The Dacia Striker is technically an alternative to cars like the Peugeot 308, Volkswagen Golf and the Vauxhall Astra, but it doesn’t look anything like those models.

It has a slightly jacked-up stance and chunky black cladding, giving it that rugged, off-road-y appearance we’ve come to expect from Dacia. However, the low roofline means it doesn’t look like an SUV.

I really like the design. The upright front end and blocky headlights give it character, while the sloping roofline lends a sporty flavour to the side profile. It’s a really smart-looking car, and it’s a refreshing change of pace compared to the sea of generic SUVs on the roads today.

New Dacia Striker interior and technology

Stepping inside the new Striker, it feels very familiar. The clean dashboard design is very similar to the Duster and Bigster SUVs, with straight lines across the dashboard and sturdy materials. You do get some nice fabric on the dash to make it feel a bit more posh though.

Build quality, as with all Dacias, is really solid. Everything feels tough and built to last, like it’ll handle anything a busy family can throw at it. The 10.1-inch central screen is also the same one you’ll find in the Duster, meaning it’s pretty easy to use and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Some models get a wireless charging pad for your phone, but all cars have a pair of USB C sockets to keep your devices topped up.

The Striker’s interior may not be as exciting to look at as a Peugeot 308’s, but there’s a refreshing simplicity to it which makes it easy to like. Everything is logically laid out, and you get plenty of proper buttons for things like the climate control.

New Dacia Striker space and practicality

The Dacia Striker could be the perfect family car for people living in big cities, because it’s really spacious inside while not being much bigger than a normal hatchback on the outside. It sits somewhere between the Volkswagen Golf and the Skoda Octavia in length.

Rear legroom is plentiful, and I found it really easy to get comfortable. Despite not being as tall as an SUV, I had loads of headroom and the kneeroom was more generous than it is in a Volkswagen Golf or Vauxhall Astra.

The boot is also an impressive 600 litres, which is exactly the same as the Skoda Octavia hatchback – a car which is physically bigger than the Striker – and it’s a whopping 220 litres more than you get in a Volkswagen Golf.

The Dacia’s boot has a low lip and a nice, square load area which makes it easier to pack full of stuff. You could go for the Skoda Octavia Estate if you wanted 40 litres more space, but the Striker is more than big enough for a family of four.

New Dacia Striker engines

The Striker is available with a 140hp 1.2-litre petrol engine, or a 1.8-litre petrol hybrid with 155hp. These are basically the same setups as you get in the Duster, so you can expect peppy performance and over 50mpg in the real world from the hybrid.

There’s also a four-wheel drive version with 150hp, which uses the same 1.2-litre petrol engine as the basic car with an electric motor powering the rear wheels. This will be the car to go for if you fancy venturing off the beaten track, because it has dedicated driving modes for mud, sand and snow which adjusts the traction control to maximise grip.

New Dacia Striker: price and alternatives

The new Dacia Striker will go on sale later this year, and prices are expected to start from less than £25,000. There aren’t many cars offering this sort of space for that price, but here are three alternatives you could also consider if you want a new set of wheels right now.

1. Dacia Bigster

The Dacia Bigster is great value for money, offering an even bigger boot than the Striker and loads of interior space for well under £30,000. Prices start from just over £25,000, and right now through Carwow you can get a range-topping Extreme Hybrid model for as little as £27,300.

This model comes with a panoramic glass roof, a digital driver’s display, heated front seats and cruise control. The Bigster is also comfortable to drive, although you do get a fair bit of wind noise at speed.

2. Skoda Octavia Estate

Through Carwow, at the time of writing, you can get a Skoda Octavia Estate for as little as £24,600. That’s a saving of around £5,000, and there are plenty of reasons to consider this as your next family car.

It has a huge, 640-litre boot, loads of rear legroom and a well-made interior with plenty of plush materials. It may not be as, err, striking as the Striker, but it’s a solid, reliable and sensible family car nonetheless.

3. Peugeot 308

If you’re after something really stylish, you should check out the Peugeot 308. It not only looks great on the outside, the interior is a lovely place to be thanks to the plush materials and interesting dashboard layout.

Prices start from £28,500, but through Carwow you can get a 308 for as little as £24,000 at the time of writing. It may not be as practical as the Striker, but you could always go for the estate version if you needed more boot space.

New Dacia Striker final verdict: is this car worth waiting for?

On first impressions, the new Dacia Striker is a brilliant family car. It’s more practical than other cars in its class, while also being cheaper, and it feels really robust inside as well.

We’ll be driving the Striker as soon as it hits UK shores, but if Dacia’s other cars are anything to go by then it’ll be comfy, relaxing and capable when you take it off the beaten track. It’s a car which is well worth waiting for before you commit to your next set of wheels.

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