DACIA DOES IT AGAIN – WITH BRILLIANT JOGGER

FAMILY CARS ARE all getting bigger, heavier, more complicated and, ultimately, more homogenised, right? Well, nobody at Dacia got that memo, as the brilliant new Jogger (road test, p34) shows.

In an industry where seemingly every niche has already been filled, Dacia managed to find a new one by combining the qualities of an MPV, estate, SUV, crossover and family hatchback into an incredibly versatile package that starts at under £15,000. It is a unique and compelling offering that, as our road test conclusion notes, will enter so many buying and ownership conversations.

Dacia made a huge splash in the UK when it launched in 2013 with the Duster and Sandero. While it has become an established player in that time, it also feels like it hasn’t evolved hugely beyond that initial offering and has been playing the same record for a long time.

It was not yet in danger of drifting into ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ territory, but the Jogger shows we needn’t have doubted the Romanian firm’s ability to innovate in creating products that are both outstanding cars and value-for-money offerings.

And with the current squeeze on the cost of living, the Jogger’s arrival couldn’t be better timed.