Dacia aims for Car of the Year 2026 with new Bigster model

Dacia Bigster has been included in the shortlist for the title of Car of the Year 2026, running against Citroën C5 Aircross, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Renault 4, and Skoda Elroq.

To be included in the shortlist, the seven cars had to receive the approval of 59 jurors from 23 countries. Cars like the Nissan Leaf, Toyota C-HR+, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Jeep Compass, and BYD Dolphin Surf failed to receive the necessary amount of votes.

The seven car models will undergo a joint test in Spain, at the Parc Motor Castellolí test track, before the final vote to choose the 2026 Car of the Year. The winner will be announced at the Brussels motor show on January 9 after final testing from jurors and an additional round of voting, according to Autocar.

The current holder of the Car of the Year title is the Renault 5 and related Alpine A290. Renault will be looking to claim the title for a third straight year with the 4, after the Renault Scenic won the Car of the Year title in 2024.

Dacia and Skoda are the only brands on the shortlist to have never won Car of the Year. Dacia’s famous Duster model was shortlisted last year and came fourth overall.

Other brands have fared worse. Mercedes-Benz last won the title in 1974 with the 450SE. The new CLA is the first Mercedes to make the shortlist since the Mercedes A-Class in 2019. Citroën has frequently made the shortlist but has won the overall prize on only three occasions: the GS in 1971, the CX in 1975, and the XM in 1990.

Unveiled in autumn 2024, the Bigster model is produced in Romania and provides ample space. It is the first Renault Group car to get the new HYBRID 155 powertrain, combining a 107 bhp 4-cylinder petrol engine, two electric motors (a 50 bhp motor and a high-voltage starter/generator), a 1.4 kWh battery (230V) and an automatic electric gearbox.

(Photo source: Media.dacia.ro)