Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster Hybrid 150 4x4: step-up from 2WD costs just £1k more

New Hybrid 150 4x4 versions of the Dacia Duster and Dacia Bigster have gone on sale, providing electrified all-wheel-drive capability and an automatic transmission – the first time this combination has been offered on either model.

The Dacia Duster Hybrid 150 4x4 comes in at £26,845 and is only offered in top-spec Extreme trim, making it £1,000 more expensive than the two-wheel-drive Hybrid 155 Extreme.

The Dacia Bigster Hybrid 150 4x4, meanwhile, costs £29,265 in Journey trim or £29,515 for the Extreme, which again is £1,000 more expensive than the equivalent Hybrid 155 variants with two-wheel drive.

Dacia claims the new Hybrid 150 4x4 powertrain “combines the reassurance of all-wheel drive with the ease of an automatic gearbox and the efficiency of electrified assistance”. It shares many of its core elements with the current 130 4x4 set-up, including a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine aided by a small electric motor powered by a 48V mild-hybrid system.

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However, in addition to the front-mounted powertrain there’s a small rear-mounted electric motor that produces another 30bhp and 87Nm of torque. This drives the rear wheels via a two-speed gearbox, and can deliver high levels of torque at low speeds in first gear – handy for off-roading – but is still able to maintain drive on the rear at up to 86mph in second. 

As well as producing more power than the existing 130 4x4, the new powertrain is fitted with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission rather than the six-speed manual currently available. The system delivers a peak combined power of 148bhp and 230Nm of torque.

Several driving modes are available with the Hybrid 150 4x4 cars, too. An Auto setting manages the switch between two- and four-wheel-drive, while Eco prioritises efficiency, but can engage the all-wheel-drive system when needed. Snow is designed for slippery roads, while the Mud and Sand mode can optimise traction on loose surfaces, and Lock is for low-speed driving on more rugged terrain. 

And there may be more in store beyond the Hybrid 150 4x4 for the Bigster in future, too. Former Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot previously told Auto Express in an exclusive interview that we could expect the ‘Horse’ joint venture formed in 2024 by Renault and China’s Geely to develop new electrified powertrains. 

And in terms of a plug-in hybrid powertrain for the Bigster, he said: “We have plug-in hybrids in the company. PHEV is in the panorama, but maybe not tomorrow morning.”

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