SUVs aren’t the only answer. Really.
The new Dacia Striker arrives in the UK later this 2026. It’s an estate. A proper family hauler. And it costs less than £25,0
,000. Standard equipment includes a fuel-sipping hybrid powertrain. It targets the MG HS. It targets the Nissan Qashqai. It aims straight at the Škoda Octavia.
Phase two of the Dacia invasion. The Bigster came first—boxy. Utilitarian. Now comes the Striker. Sleeker. Athetic. There is one more model on the way, but executives stay silent about it. For now.
Under the Bonnet
Two hybrids. That’s the choice for the UK.
The Hybrid 155 focuses on efficiency. It pairs a 1.8-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a tiny 1.4kWh battery Six-speed automatic gearbox handles the shift. Dacia claims around 60 mpg. Most city driving happens in pure EV mode—up to 80% of the time. CO2 emissions? Under 100g/k
0.
Need traction? Get the Hybrid 1
50 4
x
- This uses a 1
.2
-litre three
-cylinder turbo petrol. It works with a 48
-volt mild hybrid system. An electric motor drives the rear wheels via its own two-speed gearbox. First gear offers low
-speed torque for rock
-crawling. Second gear lets it help out at speeds up to 86
mph. Sixty percent of city driving is electric here too.
Power numbers are modest but honest.
**Hybrid 1
5
5**
– 1
53
bhp
– 0–6
2 mph in ~
9.
0
seconds (est)
**Hybrid 1
50 4
x4
- 14
8bhp
– 0–
6
2 mph in 10 seconds
(est)
Built Rugged. Looks Smooth.
It’s not a traditional low
-slugg load
-luggers. It looks like a sports saloon. But underneath
, it’s tough. Basically
, it’s a budget Audi A6
Allroad. Third the price
, almost.
David Durand, design boss at Dacia, talks about keeping the “
DNA. A car you can take anywhere. Ruined road? Snow? No problem. Don’t fear damaging it.”
The styling blends genres. Crisp shoulder line. Raked windshield. Sloping roof. Chunky plastic cladding surrounds the base. Twenty centimeters of ground clearance.
The plastic uses ‘Stark
le’. Dacia’s proprietary material. Scratches from supermarkets or light off
-roading hide better. Light scratches disappear. T
-shaped lighting signature fronts and rear. Wheels range from 17
to 1
9
inches.
Inside, it resembles the Bigster but improves upon it. New dashboard design emphasizes space. Materials include denim on the seats. Doors get soft
-touch
, wetsuit-like padding. More Stark
le breaks up the hard plastic.
Sustainability matters to Dacia. Starkle uses up to
2
0
%
recycled polypropylene
. Total recycled plastic in the car
?
4
7
kg
. Double the European average
. A record for the brand.
Thicker glass in windows and front windscreen. Redesigned mirrors to cut wind noise
.
“
We’ll wait to see
.”
Comfort refinement
. Panoramic sunroof adds to the spacious feel. Only on top specs, obviously
.
Tech That Actually Works
No screens everywhere
. Just one 1
0
.
1-inch
touchscreen
. Easy to use. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
. Simple instrument display—either 7 or
1
0
-inch depending on trim
. It doesn’t overwhelm. Instead, it uses reflections. Almost like an old
-school head
-up display
. Holographic effect
.
Physical buttons remain for climate control
. Steering wheel has real knobs too. Center console offers
6.7 liters
of cubby storage
. Lots of space.
Space for Real Life
Biggest Dacia ever made
. 4.
62 meters
long
. About
5
0mm longer
than
the
Bigster
. But shorter—1
.53
meters
high versus 1
.7
m for
the SUV
.
Less headroom? Yes.
Still
plenty for
a
six
-foot adult
. Legroom good
. Feet slide under the
front seats
. Central tunnel is large though
. Three
adults
in the
back is a
squeeze. Teenagers?
Fine
. Isofix
mounts
available for child
seats
.
Boot space wins. 60
0 liters. More
than the Qashq
ai or Kia
Sport
age.
Slightly less
than
the
Skoda Oct
avia Est
ate
(
6
40L),
but fold the seats down?
1600
liters
.
Clever details help
. Three-part
boot floor. Flat
when
you need it. Flip
it
over, clean
surface
on the
other side. Max load dimensions diagram right inside
the boot
opening
. If IKEA stuff
doesn’t
fit
, check
the diagram first
.
Ice scraper
behind the driver
door.
YouClip
system throughout cabin. Bag
hooks,
cup holders—clip
them wherever you want. Accessories available at launch include
roof box, racing
car
blanket for kids
, pet
bed
.
Safety First
Automatic emergency braking standard
. Traffic
sign
recognition. Lane keep assist
. Speed
limit warning. Driver
attention monitoring. Adaptive
cruise
control included too
. Blind spot
warning? Rear
cross-traffic?
3
6
0 camera
?
Optional
packs only.
Pricing
Less than
£
2
5
,
0
00 to
start. That is about £
10
k cheaper
than the hybrid Q
ashqai.
Roughly £45
00 less than
base Š
koda Octavia Estate
(no
hybrid).
Four
trims available:
*
Essential:*
1
7-inch steel
wheels, roof bars
, 10
.
1-inch screen
, 7-inch
driver
display
, manual
A/C,
rear camera
.
*Expression
:* Adds alloy
wheels,
dual-zone A
/C
, higher console, USBs in rear
, auto-hold for
traffic.
*Extreme:
- 18-inch rims
, copper-brown interior trim,
panoramic
sunroof
,
larger
10-inch
instrument panel,
sat-nav, six
-speaker Ark
amys system,
hill-descent control
.
*
Journey:*
Top spec
. Wireless charging, heated
front
seats,
heated steering wheel.
Later
this year
it comes to us.
Will
people actually want
an
estate over
an
SUV again
?
Prices suggest maybe. Design suggests
yes
. Wait
and
see
