Its name is the Bigster, but after two days of driving one, I think the latest flagship from budget brand Dacia should be called the Chillster.
The smooth performance and practicality of this smart, value-for-money five-seater will most impress its buyers – not its size.
With prices starting from less than £25,000, and even the most expensive model below £30,000, you get a lot of bang for your buck.
The first UK deliveries aren't till May, but Dacia's British bosses are already celebrating more than 500 pre-orders.
Stretching 15 ft in length and some 6 ft wide, the Bigster is certainly spacious enough for a growing family, with a big boot and good leg and head-room.
Built in Romania by Dacia – the budget arm of French-giant Renault – there are three trim levels available: Expression; Journey; and top-of-the-range Extreme. The UK is not taking the most basic Essential package as bosses say Britons prefer a higher specification of kit.
Prices start from £24,995 for the Expression 140 Mild hybrid up to £29,995 for the range-topping 155 Extreme hybrid.
I drove the Journey 155 hybrid, which starts from £29,245. Riding on 19 in wheels (compared to 17 in on Expression and 18 in with Extreme), my front-wheel drive machine was powered by a combination of a 1.8-litre, 4-cylinder petrol engine linked to two electric motors (a 50 bhp motor and a high voltage starter/generator), a 1.4 kWh self-recharging battery and a six-speed, clutchless automatic gearbox.
Note that the car always starts up in its silent electric mode.
Acceleration from rest to 62 mph takes a relatively sedate 9.7 seconds – a clear and deliberate indication that this is a car for relaxing journeys, not foot-to-the-floor pedal-pumping.
I needed to carefully plan any overtaking to build up sufficient momentum, and it did sound strained during more assertive driving on open roads and steep inclines.
If it were music, it would be easy-listening for pleasure, rather than thumping hard-rock, punk or hip-hop. If it were a broadcaster, it would be Ken Bruce's Greatest Hits Radio. But no worse for any of that and it sails along perfectly at speed when it hits its stride. What's more, the supportive seats are incredibly comfortable over long distances.
If you want a car to cruise in, and enjoy the journey, the Bigster more than fits the bill.
Hyundai top in electric car survey
Hyundai has been crowned the most reliable manufacturer of electrified cars in a new survey of 800 repair claims by specialist Warranty Solutions Group (WSG).
It looked at repairs to all forms of electrified cars – including hybrids, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and fully electric EVs.
The Korean car-maker, whose cars include the Ioniq 6 took the top spot with a claim rate of just 3.7 per cent, averaging £309.46 per repair.
Second place was Japan's Toyota at 3.88 per cent, but with an average claim more than double that at £689.90, followed by Kia at 4 per cent (£324), Nissan (5.38 per cent/£1,260.11), and Vauxhall (10.71 per cent/£2,217.82).
Worst performers for reliability were Land Rover (36.36 per cent/£662.86) which so far has only hybrid vehicles, followed by Jaguar (34.62 per cent/£765.39).
