Car of the Year Awards 2026: Best family SUV for value
There aren't many cars in this class that undercut the Kia Sportage on price, but the Dacia Bigster is one of them. In fact, it costs even less than the similarly value-focused MG HS, making it the most affordable new family SUV you can buy.
You get a great deal of interior space for that modest outlay. There’s more than enough for a family of five to travel in comfort, while the boot is one of the largest in this class, with up to 667 litres of space. True, the no-frills interior feels cheap compared with those of the Sportage and HS, but it’s fairly user-friendly.
While the Bigster isn’t as polished as the Sportage to drive, it’s comfortable to travel in, thanks to a soft ride. Performance from the 1.2-litre petrol engine is only modest, but the full hybrid option isn’t much quicker, and our chosen version should prove frugal for a car of the Bigster’s size.
Despite having a disappointing Euro NCAP rating, the Bigster comes with a decent array of safety features, along with the other equipment essentials you’re likely to need. With a generous seven-year warranty thrown in, it’s little short of a miracle that Dacia is able to offer so much for such a low price.
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