The Renault Duster is one of the most highly anticipated SUVs in India expected to launch at the start of next year. This will be followed by its seven-seat derivative later in 2026 which will be named Boreal. The Renault Boreal, originally the Dacia Bigster, has scored a 3-star safety rating at Euro NCAP, similar to its five-seater sibling last year.
It is no secret that Euro NCAP has one of the strictest crash test norms in the world. The Dacia Bigster underwent a comprehensive evaluation before settling for a 3-star overall safety rating. The Bigster scored 69 percent for adult occupant protection (AOP), 85 percent for child occupant protection (COP), 60 percent for pedestrian protection, and 57 percent for safety assist.
Renault Boreal: Adult Occupant Protection
The Bigster scored a total of 27.70 points out of a maximum 40 points for AOP. According to the Euro NCAP report, the Dacia Bigster offered stable protection in frontal offset crash tests, with good safety for the knees and femurs of both front occupants. However, chest protection for the driver was rated as weak due to compression. In the full-width barrier test, chest protection for both the driver and rear passenger was rated as marginal. Side impact tests showed excellent results, with maximum scores across all critical body areas.
Despite strong overall protection, the Bigster lacked measures for far-side impact safety, including body excursion control and head-to-head contact prevention, leading to a poor rating. Whiplash protection was rated as good in both front and rear seats. The Bigster also includes features like an advanced eCall system, door accessibility during submersion, and secondary impact prevention technology.
Renault Boreal: Child Occupant Protection
The Dacia Bigster provided excellent protection for child occupants in both frontal offset and side barrier tests, scoring a total of 42 out of 49 points. The front passenger airbag can be disabled for rear-facing child seats, with clear status information for the driver. While it lacks a child presence detection system, all approved child restraints could be correctly installed and accommodated in the vehicle.
Renault Boreal: Safety Assist
The Dacia Bigster’s AEB system performed adequately in vehicle detection tests. It includes standard seatbelt reminders for all seats, but lacks rear occupant detection, so no points were awarded. The car features indirect driver fatigue monitoring, a lane support system that offers gentle and critical interventions, and a speed assistance system that identifies speed limits, with optional automatic speed limiter adjustment.
Renault Boreal: Other details
The Dacia Bigster crash tested at Euro NCAP was an MY2024 model which came with a 1.8-litre petrol hybrid powertrain under its hood. The SUV weighed 1513kg (kerb), and six airbags as a standard fitment. It also comes with a few driver assist functions including Autonomous Emergency braking as well as Driver fatigue alert system which are mandatory for at least a 3-star rating at Euro NCAP.
