Setting the pace with the Jogger
Dacia’s new Jogger arrives with a cleverly-packaged interior and space for seven. Could it be the best all-rounder to hit the market in recent times?
With rising fuel prices and the cost of living on the increase, getting from A to B isn’t as cheap as it once was.
So, if you need to get around but don’t want to break the bank, which way should you turn? Enter Dacia. It’s been a company with one eye on the financial purse strings for a little while now, offering cars that have arrived with tremendous value at their very core. The new Jogger aims to take that one step further with a more spacious, practical and familyfocused approach than ever.
WHAT’S NEW?
Dacia has taken the current trend for crossovers and distilled its own take. So it’s got the chunky looks you might associate with the segment, but there’s some real background to the whole affair. It’s a sevenseater – and the cheapest one on sale at the moment – plus it’s based on Renault’s CMF-B platform, which brings a more upmarket ride. Dacia has also approached the Jogger with a real focus on weight. So while others in this class might feel somewhat bogged down, the Jogger’s 1,200kg kerb weight means it’s light and easy to drive. This bulk-shedding means it’s efficient for its size, too. Oh, and did we mention prices start at £14,995? That’s just under £2,500 cheaper than the entrylevel Ford Fiesta.
UNDER THE BONNET
From launch, there’s just a single engine option available with the Jogger. It’s a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that brings 109bhp and 200Nm of torque. Though 11 seconds to 60mph might not be exactly pacy, it’s a decent amount of punch and, because of the car’s light weight, actually feels a little quicker in reality.
It’s all sent through a six-speed manual gearbox, too. Dacia also claims that you should be able to see up to 49.6mpg combined, while CO2 emissions stand at between 130-131g/km CO2. If this isn’t quite fuel-sipping enough, then Dacia will be adding a petrol-electric hybrid option to the range in 2023.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
It’s in the cabin where the Jogger feels most at the top of its game. You won’t find plush materials nor soft-touch plastics here, but given the car’s price, you really can’t fault it for that. No, the Jogger’s interior has been designed to be as practical as possible. Both the second and third row of seats are light and easy to move, with the middle row rolling forward to grant access to the rear. And those rearmost seats? They can be removed entirely should you need to, and the process of doing so is really easy, because they’re really light. There’s plenty of space all around, too, with a huge amount of headroom for those sitting in the middle row. The rearmost chairs will no doubt be best suited to kids, but even taller adults will be able to get comfy there over shorter periods of time. Boot space? That’s 212 litres with all seats in place, rising to 2,085 litres with the rearmost seats removed and the middle row folded down.
THE VERDICT
The Jogger feels like a car made for our time. Sure, it’s not going to be setting any lap records, but where efficiency, spaciousness and budgetfriendliness are concerned, it’s very impressive indeed. Dacia’s whole approach to the car has been well thought out and executed.