Dacia Duster and Bigster Hybrid 4×4 Orders Open From £26,845

Pricing and What’s New

Dacia has opened UK orders for hybrid 150 4×4 versions of the Duster and Bigster, adding proper all-wheel drive capability to the brand’s value-focused SUV range. The Duster hybrid 150 4×4 starts at £26,845 on the road, with the larger Bigster available from £29,265.

Both cars pair a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox driving the front wheels with a rear-mounted electric motor that engages when extra traction is needed. The rear motor produces up to 87Nm of torque through its own two-speed gearbox, giving strong low-speed grip without permanently powering all four wheels, which would cost fuel economy on ordinary road driving.

How the All-Wheel Drive System Works

When four-wheel drive isn’t needed, the rear axle disengages completely to cut friction and improve efficiency on tarmac. If the front wheels lose grip, torque shifts to the rear axle immediately rather than waiting for a driver to select a different mode.

Five driving modes cover the range of conditions UK drivers are likely to encounter: Auto handles the switching between two- and four-wheel drive automatically, Eco prioritises fuel economy but can still call on all-wheel drive when needed, Snow is tuned for slippery roads, Mud/Sand optimises traction on loose surfaces, and Lock supports low-speed driving on rougher terrain. Hill Descent Control holds a steady speed between 2 and 18mph on steep downhill sections, and steering wheel paddles let drivers take manual control of the gearbox for trickier off-road moments.

Dacia Brand Director for the UK, Lina Ribeiro, said: “The new hybrid 150 4×4 gives Duster and Bigster even more of the capability people value, while keeping them simple, practical and accessible. It brings extra reassurance when conditions get difficult but is just as easy to live with every day. Whether it’s a wet commute, a muddy campsite or a weekend away, it gives drivers more freedom to get out there without unnecessary complication or expense.”

Trim Choices and Full Pricing

Dacia has kept the range simple. Duster is offered exclusively in Extreme trim with the hybrid 150 4×4 powertrain, at £26,845 on the road. Bigster gets a choice of two trims: Journey at £29,265 and Extreme at £29,515.

That pricing puts the Duster 4×4 roughly £5,000 to £8,000 below rival compact SUVs offering comparable all-wheel drive and hybrid power, a gap that has defined Dacia’s position in the UK market from the brand’s launch here in January 2013. More than 260,000 Dacia vehicles have been sold in the UK to date, with Duster standing as the best-selling SUV to European private customers from 2018 onward.

Why This All-Wheel Drive System Stands Apart

Most compact and family SUVs sold in Britain never leave tarmac, but a meaningful number of buyers, especially those in rural areas or with static caravans, boats or horse trailers, need genuine traction beyond what a front-wheel-drive hybrid can offer. Adding a proper 4×4 system with low-speed modes and hill descent control gives Duster and Bigster buyers an option that previously meant stepping up to a more expensive rival or an older-generation diesel 4×4.

The rear-motor layout also gives owners the fuel economy benefits of hybrid power for the vast majority of their driving: the system only calls on the rear axle when conditions demand it, rather than running a mechanical four-wheel-drive system permanently engaged.

Ordering Now

Both the Duster hybrid 150 4×4 and Bigster hybrid 150 4×4 are available to order through Dacia UK dealers now. Delivery timing has not been confirmed, though Dacia’s recent model launches have typically reached UK driveways within a few months of order books opening.

How It Compares With the Rest of the Range

Dacia already sells front-wheel-drive hybrid versions of both Duster and Bigster at lower prices, so the 4×4 variant is positioned as the option for buyers who specifically need the extra traction rather than a straight replacement for the existing lineup. The two-speed rear gearbox is the detail that separates this system from simpler four-wheel-drive setups on rival SUVs: it lets the rear axle disengage entirely on tarmac rather than staying mechanically connected and dragging on fuel economy.

Buyers considering the Bigster face a simple choice between Journey trim at £29,265 and Extreme at £29,515, a £250 gap that likely comes down to styling details and equipment level rather than anything mechanical. Duster buyers get a single Extreme-only offering for now, keeping the ordering process simple compared with rivals that split all-wheel-drive options across half a dozen trim levels.

Few rivals in the compact and mid-size SUV classes offer both hybrid power and genuine all-wheel drive at this price point, which is the gap Dacia has built its UK business on from its January 2013 launch. Most competitors with a comparable hybrid 4×4 system sit a full trim level, or a full class, above the Duster and Bigster on price.