Try it, Dacia Jogger: the perfect car for those who need space
Try it, Dacia Jogger
From the large family to the professional vehicle, the Dacia Jogger is recognized for a wide range of uses. A “maxi-crossover” which, in addition to the quality-price ratio, is characterized by good driving dynamics. A little minivan, a little SUV and a little work car, the Dacia Jogger is appreciated for its versatility, to meet the most varied needs. The heir of the Lodgy keeps faith with the 7-seater cockpit and focuses on practicality, growing in size (both external and internal) and improving on-board technology. The "low-cost" brand of the Renault group has created an ideal mix between a multi-space and a family one characterized by a more refined design on the outside, with a decidedly more "fashionable" and muscular look, which makes it more attractive to the public , as well as its starting price of just € 16,250.| ); }
Under the skin of the Dacia Jogger we find the new CMF-B modular platform of the French group, the same as the Clio and Sandero, adapted and lengthened, with new rear reinforcement elements, in order to give more space to the passengers. The weight starts from 1,250 kg for the 5-seater petrol versions, up to a maximum of 1,327 kg for the 7-seater LPG models, however a very low value in relation to its length. The engines wink at electrification: the full-hybrid version will soon arrive, which will most likely see the 143 horsepower unit seen today on the Renault Clio E-Tech Hybrid, Arkana and Captur. Currently, however, the 3-cylinder 1.0-liter turbo petrol engine with 110 HP and 200 Nm of torque is available, combined with a six-speed manual gearbox. The same engine can also be provided with LPG fueling, with a total range of 1,000 km, but sacrificing 10 horsepower and 30 Nm of maximum torque. - th_motorlabs_d_mh3_1 slot id: th_motorlabs_d_mh3 "); } The driving sensations are sincere, Jogger manages to be the ideal car for families looking for space and comfort, while remaining in a price range usually dedicated to cars of a smaller segment. You don't buy Jogger expecting exciting handling, in fact this car was born with the idea of being the most practical and capacious Dacia on the market, maximizing the space available in all sizes. In terms of safety, EuroNCAP awarded the Jogger 1 star despite the good protection reserved for adults (70%) and children (69%). The reason for this result is quickly explained; as you may know, recently Dacia has also integrated safety systems into its assessments, tools that unfortunately are partial on the Jogger. For example, there is no warning system for fastening the seat belts on the third row of seats.
Low cost with character but not in the equipment, in the more equipped version Extreme Up, the package also includes the front and rear parking sensors, the rear view camera, the ESP with hill start assistance, the keyless access with digital key, cruise control, blind spot monitoring and electronic handbrake. Automatic climate control with digital temperature indication and electrically adjustable mirrors is also available. The starting price of the Dacia Jogger is 16,250 euros for the LPG engine in the Essential 5-seater configuration, going up with the Comfort (18,050 euros), Extreme (18,900 euros) and Extreme Up (19,450 euros) trim levels. Petrol jogger instead starts at 16,550 euros always in the Essential version. Versions equipped with seven seats have a surcharge of 900 euros (not available for the Essential version).
Dacia Jogger - long term review
Life with the extremely cheap and HUGE Dacia Jogger starts here!A Dacia Jogger has jogged gently onto the TG fleet, and I am giddy with excitement.
Which I realise could read a little… sarcastic – after all, it’s a big budget MPV, not a thousand horsepower mid-engined firestorm with butterfly doors – but it’s really not. I am genuinely, totally pumped for this reddish-brown Romanian people-carrier.
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Because, yes, of course there’s great joy to be found in a car that’ll hit 60 in the time it takes you to say ‘plummeting residual values’, but there’s also great joy to be found in a car that’s utterly fit for purpose. A machine that does exactly what you need of it, and no more.
And, at this stage in my (admittedly quite boring) life, what I really need from a car is (a) to ferry my kids and their great array of mucky stuff around the country uncomplainingly and (b) that’s basically it.
Doesn’t need to be luxurious, because that’s just more stuff to get mucky. Doesn’t need a rorty V8 under the bonnet, because attempting to deploy a rorty V8 will simply lead to a rorty spell of vomiting from my three-year-old. I want it big, I want it straightforward, I want value for cash.
I suspect I’m not alone here. When we revealed the Jogger on TopGear.com last year, the comments and feedback were far more numerous – and positive – than for the reveal of yer average new supercar. Seems there are quite of few of us out there, browsing the classifieds in mild terror, looking at six-year-old VW Tourans with 70,000 miles on the clock for £16,000, thinking, “Surely there’s another way here?”
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Here is that other way. A seven(ish) seat MPV that starts at £16,645. If, like me, you are struggling to acclimatise to how insanely expensive new cars have got recently, that entry price might not sound especially impressive. But in a world where, for example, the Peugeot 5008 kicks off at £30k, it’s a serious hunk of new car value-for-money. (Not to mention £100k less than Mr Barlow’s BMW iX, and with a prettier face to boot.)
Even the basest Jogger comes with everything you need (steering wheel, brakes, seats), but we’ve got the range-topping Extreme SE version, which adds such niceties as alloys, an infotainment screen and some slightly ambitious black decals. Our test is car is also fitted, so far as I can, with literally every available optional extra, compromising: metallic paint (£595) and a spare wheel (£300). That’s your lot. All in, our Jogger tips the scales at just under twenty grand.
Performance? Jogger by name, jogger by nature. Until a petrol-electric hybrid arrives down the line, there’s just one powertrain choice in the range: a 1.0-litre turbo triple driving the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. It makes just over 100 horsepower, and jogs the Jogger to 60mph in around 11 seconds. Not fast then, but hey, there’s enough power, just, to haul a whole load of stuff and humans up a big hill, and frankly that’s all that really matters here.
Because my word, the Jogger can haul a whole load of stuff and humans. The two (surprisingly slimline) seats in the rear roll forward to reveal a boot of shipping-container proportions. Drop all the seats, I’m pretty sure you could squeeze a Smart ForTwo back there.
On the inside – well, I’d love to say it’s tough to spot any signs of penny pinching, but I won’t, because it isn’t. But griping that a Jogger’s not as ritzy as a Rolls Phantom (or indeed a Skoda Fabia) is to miss the point. This is a people carrier that legitimately asks: if you want loads of seats and a sensible sticker price, on what are you prepared to compromise?
Do you, as a budget seven-seat MPV buyer, really need a massage-function ventilated clutch pedal? Or auto-fold wing mirrors? Or a five-star NCAP rating? All these questions, and more, to be answered over the next six months…
