• Loads of interior space
• Class-leading boot capacity
• Disappointing cabin storage

How much space is there?

Loads. But this car’s called the ‘Bigster,’ so that shouldn’t really come as much of a surprise. Space in the rear is greatly improved over the Duster – the longer wheelbase means even six-foot adults can lounge in the back like they’re on their sofa at home.

Despite that, it lacks the intelligent practicality touches you’ll find on more expensive rivals, such as the Ford Kuga and Volkswagen Tiguan. You don’t get sliding or reclining rear seats, for example, which is an issue on longer journeys because the backrests are quite upright.

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Getting three people in the back is a bit of a squeeze, too. The Bigster might be long but, because it’s based on the same set of underpinnings as the Renault Clio supermini, it isn’t very wide. Whoever’s in the middle seat had better be cosy with their bench mates.

Boot space and storage

Boot space is exceptional. Front-wheel drive models have up to 677 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,977 if you fold them flat. That puts the Bigster comfortably ahead of cars like the Nissan Qashqai (504/1,477 litres) and Hyundai Tucson (620/1,799 litres). Four-wheel drive and hybrid Bigsters have slightly smaller boots, but they’re vast for the cash.

Cabin storage is frustrating. Somewhat uncharacteristically, Dacia hasn’t put much thought into it. The bottle holders in the doors can’t serve their intended purpose as the speaker pods eat into the cavity and render them useless. The wireless smartphone charger also doesn’t have enough waft to push power through my phone case, and the detachable phone holder above the indicator stalk rattles like its attached with shoelaces.

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The centre console is equally irritating. There’s a frame that slots into the top of the cavity that, in theory, allows you to store drinks in it. But the holes are small and the securing tangs are made from hard plastic rather than rubber. That means it can’t hold anything larger or less malleable than a 500ml bottle of water.

What’s worse is the cubby is made from cheap, thin plastic. So, any loose items, such as house keys or sunglasses will rattle around the bin like a couple of copper coins in the bottom of charity collection tub and drive you mental. Shame. Some of that cheap rubber matting you use to line the inside of your kitchen cupboards would probably mend it, though.

Is it easy to park?

Not bad, providing you remember how long it is. Thankfully, every version of the Bigster is fitted with a reversing camera and all-round parking sensors as standard, so you don’t have much excuse for reversing it into a bollard. It’s also about 20mm narrower than a Qashqai, making it easier to squeeze through width restrictors.

Safety

• Disappointing three-star Euro NCAP score
• Good child occupant protection
• Let down by safety technology

Safety is where Dacia tends to stumble – and the Bigster is no different. The SUV does a decent enough job of protecting its occupants in an accident, but the technology designed to stop you from having a crash in the first place is lacking. To reflect this, Euro NCAP gave the Bigster a three-star safety score.

Euro NCAP’s biggest issues with the Bigster are its lack of weight sensors on its rear bench and its primitive driver monitoring system. In my opinion, though, this absent technology makes the car easier to live with. It means you can transport heavy items on the rear seats without getting scorned by a jittery occupant detection system or wear sunglasses without the dashboard thinking you’re not paying attention to the road.

You’re not exactly wanting for safety technology, either. The Bigster’s standard kit-list includes lane assist, autonomous emergency braking and traffic sign recognition. Plus, like every recent Renault, there’s a ‘My Perso’ hot key above the driver’s right need that allows you to disengage the safety tech you don’t like with a single prod.