Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster: which budget-friendly SUV is right for you? 

Dacia is best-known for no-nonsense cars which represent great value for money. The latest Duster is a cracking small SUV, so much so it won the Smart Spender trophy in the Carwow Car Of The Year Awards 2025.

And now it’s launched another new SUV – the Dacia Bigster. This has already won an award for being Carwow’s most highly-anticipated new car of 2025, and it doesn’t disappoint. You may be thinking the Duster and the Bigster look pretty much the same, but there are some key differences between the two cars which may influence your buying decision.

So we’re going to compare the stats on these two cars, highlight what makes them unique and help you decide which one is best suited to your needs.

Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster: design, size and interior space

If you look at these two cars from the front, you’d swear they were the same model. Both have an upright, bluff nose which give them a rugged appearance, and the slim LED headlights look cool as well with their Y-shaped LED design. Very Lamborghini-esque.

However, when you move to the side profile you’ll notice a more stark difference. As the name suggests, the Bigster is, well, bigger. It’s over 220mm longer than the Duster, making it quite a lot more spacious in both the back seats and the boot.

The luggage capacity for both cars varies depending on whether you get the front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive or full hybrid versions, but in the Duster it ranges from 425 litres to 585 litres. The Bigster’s boot starts at 612 litres in the hybrid, and goes up to 677 litres in the petrol version with front-wheel drive.

It’s the same story in the back seats. The Dacia Duster has 204mm of knee room, while the Bigster has 243. That’s a significant increase, and it makes the Bigster much more spacious for rear passengers.

Both of these cars are really practical, and they both look cool with the rugged cladding. The Dacia Duster will be perfect for young families, but if you have a pair of lanky teenagers who have both taken up playing the cello then maybe the extra space provided by the Bigster will be welcome.

Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster: interior and equipment

There’s not much separating these two cars in terms of interior design, although there are a couple of subtle design differences if you look carefully.

The Bigster has a different centre console which is taller and has a nifty sliding cover over the cupholders, but beyond this they both have a fairly simple and easy-to-use dashboard layout.

You get physical buttons for the climate control, as well as a very handy button which you can program to turn off all the annoying warning beeps. You do get more equipment as standard in the Bigster though, because it does without a basic “Essential” model.

That version of the Duster doesn’t even get an infotainment screen – it just has a phone mount and a little screen between the dials to control your radio. The Bigster range starts with the Expression, and it gets a 10.1-inch screen included.

The larger car also gets heated seats, a 360-degree camera and dual-zone climate control as standard. To get that level of kit in a Duster you have to go up to the Journey model, which is second from the top.

The Dacia Duster gets all of the kit you’ll realistically need as long as you avoid the sparse entry-level version, but the Bigster offers better value for money with its more extensive kit list.

Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster: engines and fuel consumption

Both the Dacia Duster and the Bigster come with a 1.2-litre petrol engine as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox and mild hybrid tech for added efficiency. The Bigster is slightly more powerful with 140hp, compared to the Duster’s 130hp.

You can also choose between front- or all-wheel drive on both cars with this engine, the latter of which is surprisingly good off-road for a family SUV.

Then there are the hybrids. This is the only way to get an automatic gearbox in both cars, and the Duster uses a 1.6-litre petrol hybrid system with 140hp. The Bigster hybrid has a 1.8-litre petrol engine and 155hp.

Fuel economy is pretty similar between these cars. The 1.2 petrol Duster will do a claimed 51.4mpg, dropping to 46.3mpg if you get the four-wheel drive version. Despite being a bigger car, the Bigster is ever-so-slightly more economical. It’ll do 52.3mpg, or 47.1 if you go for four-wheel drive.

As for the hybrids, Dacia claims the Bigster will return 61.4mpg, while the Duster will do 56.5mpg.

So there’s not a huge amount in it between these cars in terms of performance or fuel efficiency, and they’re pretty similar to drive as well. Both are comfortable over bumps and decent on the motorway, although you will need to make use of all the power to get up to cruising speed.

Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster: prices and discounts

The Dacia Duster starts from less than £19,500, and you can save nearly £1,000 through Carwow at the time of writing. The Bigster starts from just over £25,000, and through Carwow you can save over £800 at the time of writing.

The £5,500 price difference is mostly down to the fact that the Duster is available in a more basic “Essential” trim level which the Bigster does without. If you compare the Expression versions of both cars, the gap closes to under £3,500.

If you prefer to lease your cars, then the Dacia Duster is available through Carwow for £255 per month. This is over 48 months with a £2,600 deposit, and with a mileage limit of 8,000 per year. The Bigster comes in at £314 per month with similar terms, apart from the deposit which goes up to £3,200.

Dacia Duster vs Dacia Bigster verdict: which should you buy

That’ll come down to your specific needs. We love both of these cars because they offer fantastic value for money, although the added space and standard equipment you get in the Bigster does make it seem like a slightly better deal.

If you’ve got a young family, or just don’t use the rear seats all that often, the Dacia Duster will be a perfect fit. If you regularly carry tall adults and need as much boot space as possible for minimal cash, the Bigster is the car for you.

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Looking for a new set of wheels? With Carwow you can sell your car quickly and for a fair price – as well as find great offers on your next one. Whether you’re looking to buy a car brand new, are after something used or you want to explore car leasing options, Carwow is your one stop shop for new car deals.

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