Dacia Striker Cross-Estate: budget rival to the Skoda Octavia fully revealed

Dacia, the Romanian marque owned by Renault Group, has unveiled the Striker, a compact yet spacious crossover-estate. The Dacia Striker will reach the market before the end of this year, with a four-wheel-drive version available. The starting price will be under €25,000.

The exterior of the Dacia Striker was first revealed in March this year during the presentation of Renault Group's new development strategy, and today saw its full premiere. The Striker is intended to broaden Dacia's appeal, attracting those who have grown tired of conventional crossovers and want something different, but without sacrificing practicality or space. Dacia positions the Striker as something between a crossover, an estate and a saloon.

The Dacia Striker is heavily unified with the Dacia Duster and Bigster crossovers, meaning it is built on the modular RGMP small platform (formerly CMF-B), yet it boasts a distinctive look with T-shaped LED lighting. The Striker measures 4,620 mm in length, 1,824 mm in width, and 1,525-1,541 mm in height depending on the version, with a wheelbase of 2,704 mm. Standard wheels are 17, 18 or 19 inches. Ground clearance is 190 mm for front-wheel-drive versions and 200 mm for four-wheel-drive models. The claimed drag coefficient is 0.29. It is particularly noted that the Striker's construction uses 47 kg of recycled plastic.

Inside, the Dacia Striker features many elements borrowed from the Duster and Bigster, but the dashboard and door cards have been slightly redesigned, with textile inserts added for a cosier feel. The ventilation vents feature T-shaped detailing echoing the headlights and rear lights. The YouClip mounting system allows the cabin to be fitted with various add-on equipment and accessories. Beneath the armrest lid between the front seats lies a 6.7-litre storage compartment. Higher trim levels include a panoramic glass roof.

The base Essential trim includes a generous array of passive and active safety systems (including adaptive cruise control and a reversing camera), 17-inch steel wheels, manually controlled air conditioning, roof rails, a 10.1-inch infotainment screen, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster and electric windows on all doors. Higher-spec versions offer dual-zone climate control, an electromechanical handbrake, hill-descent assist, a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, an Arkamys 3D audio system with six speakers, wireless smartphone charging, a powered tailgate and other conveniences. Boot capacity is 600 litres.

At present, three powertrains are announced for the Dacia Striker, all hybrid. The entry-level Striker mild hybrid-G 140 is powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 140 bhp, capable of running on either petrol or liquefied petroleum gas, and supplemented by a 48-volt starter-generator that assists during acceleration. The gearbox is a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic, with front-wheel drive only.

The Striker Hybrid 155 is also front-wheel drive, featuring a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 109 bhp, a starter-generator, a traction electric motor delivering 49 bhp, a multi-mode automatic three-shaft four-speed gearbox with dog clutches instead of traditional synchroniser rings, and a buffer battery with a capacity of 1.4 kWh. The combined maximum output of the powertrain is 155 bhp.

The Striker Hybrid 150 4x4 features hybrid four-wheel drive. Up front, a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol three-cylinder engine (140 bhp, 230 Nm) is paired with a 48-volt starter-generator and mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic that sends all power to the front wheels. The rear wheels are driven by their own 48-volt electric motor (31 bhp, 87 Nm) connected to a two-speed reduction gearbox; this motor draws power from a 48-volt buffer battery with a capacity of 0.84 kWh, which it recharges during braking and coasting. The combined maximum output of the powertrain is 150 bhp. Four-wheel drive operates at speeds up to 140 km/h, beyond which only front-wheel drive is used, and there are dedicated modes for driving on mud, sand and snow.

Prices for the Dacia Striker have yet to be announced, though it is known that the base version of the crossover-estate will cost under €25,000. For comparison, the Dacia Bigster currently starts at €23,990 in Germany, while the Skoda Octavia starts at €29,140. It is anticipated that the Romanian newcomer will win over buyers from the Skoda Octavia, offering a similar level of comfort and practicality for less money.