Rugged Dacia Bigster is a bargain Skoda Kodiaq alternative

The Bigster keeps to the formula laid down by the Duster, with chunky Tonka-toy looks, a striking range of colours and a less-than-£30,000 price tag that undercuts all rivals. 

Styling-wise, the Bigster looks like an enlarged Duster. You get the same blunt nose, Dacia Link badge at the front, and boxy wheel arches. Wheels range from 17-19 inches in size. 

Dacia has made some neat touches: recycled Starkle protects the car's arches and flanks, the rear door handles are hidden in the C-Pillar and you get Y-shaped tail lights. Bright colour contrasting paint jobs are also available, but with the Bigster also comes a shade of Indigo Blue that "adds a new touch of elegance.”

As you've probably gathered from the name, the Bigster will be noticeably roomier than the Duster with space for five tall adults with "best in class" front and rear-seat headroom and a 667-litre boot, though surprisingly, there's no seven-seat option.

Nevertheless, all Dusters have a back seat that splits 40:20:40, and you can drop the seats using levers conveniently located at the front of the boot, revealing a completely flat 2.7-meter load bay. 

Dacia worked hard on refinement, with all models getting an acoustic windscreen and thicker glass, extra engine bay sound deadening, and thicker new carpets. 

All models get a 10.1-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the choice of seven or ten-inch digital instrument binnacles, with top-end models getting the latter an in-built sat-nav. Lighting comes from bright white light Touch LEDs. 

You'll find Dacia's YouClip system scattered around the interior with anchor points in the cabin and boot for accessories like a tablet holder, bag hook, or torch.

Expression models kick off the range and come as standard with dual-zone climate control, an electric parking brake, rain sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, fixed roof bars, a 10.1-inch central touchscreen, a 7-inch digital instrument panel, rear parking sensors and a camera. Electric front and rear windows are also included, as are power folding mirrors. It's a far cry from the basic spec of older Dusters. 

Extreme models are most noticeable by their 18-inch wheels, roof bars and Copper Brown exterior highlights. You'll find the same Copper Brown on the inside, and you’ll also get a panoramic glass roof, keyless entry and an Arkamys 3D Sound stereo with six (not four) speakers.

Journey versions top the range with two-tone paintwork, an electric-powered tailgate and the larger 10-inch driver display. They also get an electric driver's seat, a higher centre console complete with armrest, wireless phone charging and automatic cruise control.

Along with the standard trim lines, Dacia offers the Bigster with a Mini-like range of accessories that includes things like the Sleep Pack, a two-person bed that fits the interior, and the Nomad armrest that transforms into a backpack when you dislodge it from the back seat.

In amongst all this plushness, the Bigster should still be decent offroad, with the TCe 130 4x4 model getting hill descent control and driving modes for Snow, Mud and Sand (or to send power equally to all four wheels) that should keep it moving in most conditions.

It's the front-wheel drive Hybrid 155 that's likely to swing more heads, though, with its claim to be able to do 80 per cent of city driving on electric power alone. It combines a 108PS (79kW) petrol engine with a 51PS (38kW) electric motor, a starter generator, a 1.4kWh battery and a four-speed automatic gearbox. An evolution of the engine found in the Hybrid 144 Duster, the 155 is six per cent better on fuel despite slight gains in power and torque.

Your final engine option is the TC140 front-wheel drive mild hybrid, which again borrows its 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine from the Duster but tunes it to 140PS (103kW) with a light electrical boost under acceleration, helping it to a fuel economy of 50mpg.

Dacia's Lidl-like knack for capturing the public's want for thriftiness in a cheerful package proved to be a winning formula for the Duster, and you'd expect the same to be said for the Bigster. Expect UK prices to be revealed in the coming months, with the cars hitting showrooms soon after.