Dacia Bigster vs Nissan Qashqai: Hybrid Crossover Comparison

Dacia Bigster and Nissan Qashqai: space, range and value

If space is the ultimate luxury, the new Dacia Bigster ought to be competing with the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Time is frequently treated the same way, and Romania’s newest export could return plenty of it: although its 0–62mph run only narrowly dips below 10 seconds, the Bigster’s intricate 153bhp hybrid system uses fuel sparingly enough to deliver more than 650 miles from a tank. After all, you spend more time at filling stations than you do accelerating...

Nissan’s engineers likewise insist that “no compromise” went into developing the third-generation e-Power hybrid system fitted to this Qashqai. The entire platform, we are told, was designed around this arrangement. While rivals position a battery beneath the boot floor, reducing luggage room, or under the rear seats, restricting fuel-tank capacity, Nissan has placed the Qashqai’s beneath the front seats. That permits a 55-litre tank and an official range of more than 740 miles. In everyday use, expect closer to 630 miles: a little less than the Bigster, perhaps, but still seriously impressive. Do you still need a diesel?

The Qashqai’s quoted 455-litre boot is roomier than that of most hatchbacks, although it is ultimately smaller than the Cullinan’s. The Dacia offers considerably more luggage capacity than the Roller. We can practically hear them trembling in their leather-soled shoes in Goodwood.

Photography: Jonny Fleetwood

The Qashqai started the crossover boom in Britain, and it continues to be designed, engineered and manufactured here. Yet despite being a huge seller - it ranked third among new cars sold in the UK during 2024 - we would say several imitator rivals have now surpassed it. Could the Bigster face the same fate?

Nissan Qashqai e-Power hybrid system

Nissan hopes this new e-Power installation will restore the Qashqai to its slightly raised position. Its bespoke 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine never powers the wheels directly. Instead, it works as a generator, supplying the 2kWh battery, while an electric motor borrowed from the Leaf sends 202bhp to the front wheels.

There is no gearbox, since the engine operates at its ideal revs to produce electricity. However, a new and larger turbocharger lets it run at around 600rpm lower on average than the previous e-Power engine. Together with a stiffer engine block to cut vibration, the new powertrain is claimed to be 5.6 decibels quieter than before.

For most of the time while driving, that difference is apparent. The engine’s hum generally recedes into the background, masked by a modest amount of tyre and wind noise. In hybrid guise, the Qashqai is an unexpectedly capable motorway cruiser, though it will occasionally be pottering around town when it urgently needs to replenish the battery.

When that happens, the engine cannot be ignored. As its revs do not rise and fall, you find yourself urging it to complete its task and quieten down. Thankfully, it usually does so quickly, allowing the calm to return. A brake mode and a more forceful one-pedal driving mode also help persuade you that you are in an EV. Eco and Sport modes are included as well, the latter releasing the full power and torque output, which can sometimes exceed the driven wheels’ available grip.

The Bigster has nothing as elaborate as a Sport mode. Its fundamentals comprise a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors. At lower speeds, one e-motor can propel the wheels with roughly 50bhp, while the other serves as a starter-generator. The Bigster always pulls away electrically, and the larger e-motor has two gears, with another four allocated to the combustion engine.

Although its battery is a tiny 1.4kWh unit, the Dacia can travel with the engine switched off for a surprisingly long time. This is especially true at lower urban speeds if you have made good use of brake-mode regeneration. There is plainly less sound insulation than in the Nissan, and the four-cylinder engine can sound rather coarse, but its revs at least broadly reflect your speed, while the switch between petrol and electric drive is usually very smooth. Under hard acceleration it clings to gears slightly too long, but this is a hybrid crossover, so that is unlikely to happen often. It is also less settled at a cruise than the Nissan, partly because its bluff nose creates more wind noise.

Dacia Bigster design, practicality and technology

We would not alter the Bigster’s appearance, however, as its chunky design perfectly matches its personality. It looks tough, outdoorsy and ready for action, even though this example drives only its front wheels. It would still make respectable progress along a rough off-road track, while its unpainted bumpers and wheelarches are made simply from recycled plastics. Viewed from the side, it resembles a raised estate rather than a tall hatchback, thanks to its long boot and tidy roof spoiler.

Nissan adopted an entirely different design direction for the third-generation Qashqai. Its sharp styling makes a real impression in this mid-range N-Design specification, with body-coloured bumpers and 20in diamond-cut wheels. The two-tone Fuji Sunset Red paintwork, paired with a black roof, is the standard colour; choosing white or grey costs an additional £745.

It is unusual, but we approve. The arrival of the new powertrain also brings a few updates: reshaped door mirrors, a one-piece undertray and small front-tyre deflectors, all intended to improve aerodynamics.

Nissan had the headstart in the crossover category after essentially creating it back in 2006

The Qashqai turns and steers competently enough, although the steering offers limited feedback and its brake pedal feels soft unless one-pedal mode is selected. Then again, much the same can be said of the Bigster. Despite riding on slightly smaller 19in wheels, the Dacia can feel a touch lumpy over poor surfaces, though it rolls less in bends than you might anticipate.

More importantly, both family crossovers are exceptionally easy to park. Like its smaller Duster sibling, the Bigster has a fairly small glasshouse, creating several blind spots. Even so, the entry-level Expression trim comes with high-quality cameras around the car, offering multiple views. From the second-rung N-Connecta trim onwards, the Qashqai adds more cameras and displays a 3D image of the car on its 12.3in infotainment screen. That screen now runs Google’s system, representing a vast improvement over Nissans of the past.

Some Nissan-specific graphics and typefaces still appear a little dated, admittedly, but Google Maps takes care of navigation, while a reasonably capable voice assistant and a wide range of apps are available.

You will surely have noticed the proper climate-control panel, one of the few remaining systems that keeps every function separate from the touchscreen and shows the temperature at all times. How sensible. There are also large, easily operated steering-wheel buttons, and two presses are enough to silence the unwanted bleeps and chimes demanded by modern safety technology.

Dacia offers an equally straightforward method for disabling its active safety systems. Configure your preferred settings in the central display, then whenever you start the car, simply press a small button low on the right-hand side of the steering wheel twice.

The Bigster’s 10.1in central infotainment display responds with slightly more lag than the Nissan’s, but its layout and graphics are clean and contemporary. The same applies to the 10in digital instrument display. The seats are fairly basic fabric items, yet there is enormous space both front and rear. Back-seat legroom is generous, although we would choose the £850 panoramic sunroof to brighten the cabin.

Naturally, the Dacia uses some cheaper plastics, but these are mostly away from the principal touchpoints or at least shaped in an interesting fashion. This Qashqai trim, by contrast, contains plenty of Alcantara, synthetic leather seat centres and a steering wheel that is 100 per cent bovine. A little ambient lighting completes an interior that is actually very pleasant, but two problems remain.

Qashqai and Bigster prices, economy and verdict

First, there has clearly been a trade-off in where the battery is fitted. The driver sits high, which is not a deal-breaker, but combine that with a rear-view mirror that cannot be angled upwards and it becomes hard to glance through the rear window, particularly if you are over 6ft tall and sit upright.

The larger problem, though, is cost. This new e-Power setup costs no more than the previous version, but that version was already much too expensive. It commands around £4,000 over the entry-level 1.3-litre mild hybrid, leaving e-Power pricing from £34,860 to £43,210 for the range-topping Tekna+ trim. The example tested here costs £39,680, or £445 per month with a £5,000 deposit over four years.

For comparison, the Bigster with this Hybrid 155 powertrain starts at £28,190, while even the vibrant Extreme version, with its green cabin and flashy rose-gold exterior detailing, remains below £30,000. The car pictured is the mid-level Journey trim, equipped with £650 metallic paint, and is therefore nearly £10k less expensive than the Nissan. Alternatively, it costs only £330 per month with a smaller deposit. That is a lot of car for the money.

During our test, the Dacia also beat its official economy claim, its trip computer recording an exceptionally strong 69mpg following a mix of town, motorway and country-road driving. In comparable conditions, the Qashqai returned 53mpg.

Nissan had a headstart in the crossover class, having effectively created it in 2006. But, just as the Leaf’s early advantage in the EV market faded, the Qashqai has been overtaken by several rivals. Say it quietly around these parts, but it is now a highly competent car; it is just unfortunate that other manufacturers seem able to build similarly capable cars with far more character for considerably less money. That is precisely what Dacia has achieved with the Bigster, and such value is impossible to overlook.