DACIA JOGGER COMFORT

What is it?

Of all the vehicles I’ve driven in the last few years, it’s Dacia’s new 7-seater that has surprised me the most.

Is it because it’s unbelievably quick? No. Is it because it’s as comfortable as a Rolls Royce? Again, no. Is it a brilliant offroader? Don’t be silly!

With a starting price from just £16,645, that makes it the cheapest new seven-seater in the UK, the Jogger offers incredible value for money, and if you think ‘cheap’ also equates to nasty, well, you’d better carry on reading.

On the road

The Jogger’s turbocharged 1.0 litre petrol offers 109bhp and a 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds, which feels surprisingly quick. In fact it, once that turbo kicks in you’ll end up with a smile on your face. That said, it isn’t the smoothest of delivery, but that’s fine, and if you press the Eco button on the dash, not only does it soften the engine response, but fuel economy is also improved.

Whether you’re ambling around town or having a bit of fun on your favourite B road, the manual 6-speed gearbox is a joy to use, and if you find yourself heading a little too quickly towards a corner you’ll find the brakes are strong and progressive.

Even better is the ride comfort, helped in parts by the with sensibly sized 16” wheels. The Jogger handles potholes and undulations better than something in this price bracket has any right to.

Not only does it remain fairly upright around corners, but it also grips the road surprisingly well.

I didn’t get to drive it fully loaded with 7 people, but 200Nm of torque at 2900-3500rpm, it should be okay. Fuel wise, after a week of mixed driving the on board computer said 48.3mpg, which is less than I got out of the Dacia Duster the week previous.

Off road

With 200mm of ground clearance you could be tempted into a little ‘off-road’ excursion, especially if you opt for the more rugged looking Extreme SE version with it’s plastic arches, but don’t forget that the Jogger is still 2WD.

Interior

Jumping behind the wheel and you’ll find that everything is logical and to hand. The front seats are height adjustable but are a bit on the flat side and lack lumber support. That said, a few 4 hour + drives over a couple of days didn’t hurt my back, so all is good.

Passenger space in the Jogger is plentiful, even for those relegated to the back, and as for headspace, you could almost wear a Chef’s hat!

Yes, the interior is mostly made of plastic, but there are some tasteful cloth trim covering part of the front doors and dash, which is nice.

Despite having a ‘stick-on’ style iPad, it’s easy to read, and use, and the beneath it there are some proper heater controls in the form of dials - hooray!

Odd for a 7-seater there was only 1 USB up front, and that was awkwardly placed at the side of the monitor, and the second row passengers have to share a singular 12V socket.

Access to the third-row seats is easy as the second-row seats can be tumbled forwards with just one ring pull.

With the third row of seats in place, the Jogger has plenty of space behind them for luggage or shopping, and if you don’t need the third row seats they can be either folded forward, or removed completely.

With the second row seats folded there’s a van-like cargo area that’s one metre wide and two metres long up to the front seats.

In Comfort and Extreme SE trims, the Jogger gets a modular roof-rack system with an 80kg capacity.

Safety

Okay, let’s get the low NCAP score out of the way. It isn’t because it’ll fold like a can of Pepsi in a collision with a pigeon, the Jogger has all the crash structures and airbags you’ll need, it’s more due to the lack of any ADAS (Advanced Driver Assist Systems), like lanekeep assist, adaptive cruise, etc. Maybe it’s a better a car without all that tech as it may make drivers more aware and drive better.

Engine ’n’ transmission

As mentioned earlier, there’s only one available, and that’s the turbocharged 1.0 litre petrol that offers 109bhp and a 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds.

Conclusion

Overall I had a great time driving and living with the Jogger, and I found myself easily forgiving it for some of its shortfalls because it’s such good value.

In fact, I’ve started to question why other cars cost so much more.

Go for the entry-level Essential trim and you get 16” steel wheels with wheel trims, cruise control, front electric windows, LED headlights, manual air conditioning and basic, yet decent infotainment system. The Comfort trim (as tested), gets you heated and electronicallyadjusted wing mirrors, automatic windscreen wipers, electric rear windows, keyless entry and front fog lights. It also adds touchscreen infotainment, blind-spot monitoring and a reversing camera.

The Extreme SE adds 16” alloy wheels and a black exterior trim package, heated front seats and wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay.

Price - £16,945 plus extras that included metallic paint (£595), and a spare wheel (£300), £17,840