Superb versatility, outstanding value and so likeable with it

Dacia has demonstrated great design, outstanding product positioning judgement and not a little bit of bravery with the new Jogger. A car maker with less of a maverick streak and less intimately in touch with the tastes and needs of its customers might have been dissuaded from launching such a car by current market trends. But this one took inspiration from the platform technology at its disposal and the value that it could add to the budget family car market, and it has really delivered.

The Jogger is a product unlike any rival. An Mpv/estate/crossover/suv that’s both affordable and versatile enough to insert itself into myriad buying conversations and ownership scenarios, it’s brilliantly flexible for passengers and cargo. It’s also comfortable, respectably refined and quite well presented on the inside, and is as pleasant and cheery to drive as it is to behold; as it is, once again, to consider in sheer metal-for-the-money terms.

There are certain things you don’t expect of a £15,000 family car, of course. The Jogger’s performance is only modest, its spec basic in some ways and its dynamic character simple. But its directness and no-frills simplicity are extremely easy to like, and it deserves success.