Dacia Bigster is a very, very good car at a second-hand price – but I have one grumble

PSSST. Want a shiny new motor at a second-hand price?

Of course you do.

Then go and see Dacia.

Sandero is still Britain’s cheapest new car at £14,200.

Basically, a cut-price Clio. Good car.

Duster is Britain’s best-value 4×4 at £23,550. Very good car.

Now we have Bigster, which is a leeetle bit bigger and a leeetle bit plusher than a Duster, starting at £24,995.

Very, very good car.

Even a Bigster with absolutely everything on it comes in at £29,495, undercutting base-spec versions of the mega-selling Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai.

Finance from £141 a month with a £6k deposit or trade-in. Or £360 a month with £360 deposit.

What’s the catch?

I can’t think of one and, believe me, I’ve been very thorough.

It drives nicely enough.

It does good numbers.

It’s got all the kit you need.

It looks chiselled, tough and cool.

You don’t have to feel embarrassed about driving a Dacia any more.

In fact, you’ll be envied for it because you’ll have more spare cash for nicer holidays.

Bigster arrives in May in three flavours: 1.2-litre petrol turbo, front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive; 1.8-litre petrol hybrid auto.

No diesel. No pure electric.

The hybrid spends half its time thinking it’s an EV. We averaged 50mpg.

The engine and gearbox play nicely together. The cabin is well insulated from the world around you. Also, it’s not as big as its name suggests. It really isn’t. So it’s easy to place on the road.

Now I’ve got more numbers filling my head than Rachel Riley, so here goes: Bigster is 23cm longer than a Duster at 4.57 metres. So it has a bigger boot — and a bit more knee room in the back.

It’s strictly a five-seater with a 40/20/40 rear bench. Flip the middle ‘20’ down and you’ve got a drinks and smartphone holder. Niiiice.

The 1.2-metre opening glass roof floods in light and fresh air.

The 10in central touchscreen talks to your phone.

The multi-view camera stops reversing fails.

The posher versions get a cooler box in the centre console and an electric tailgate.

The Extreme trim comes with hard-wearing, wipe-down seats and thick plastic floor mats. So it’s dog-friendly, too.

But I do have a grumble.

There are no grab handles.

Dacia has spent a lot of time and money making Bigster a serious alternative to the big guns but has forgotten the simplest thing to help us climb in and out. That needs fixing.

Also, the name is a bit rubbish. What if they decided to make a bigger car? What would they call it? Even Bigster? Whopper?

That doesn’t really matter, though.

What matters is that Bigster is here to give growing families something factory fresh and reliable, at a price more people can afford.

It really is a B-I-G deal.