Dacia Jogger review

If you’re after a practical, seven-seat family car but don’t want to fork out for an expensive SUV or a bulbous MPV people carrier, then take a look at the Dacia Jogger. It kind of looks like someone has put a regular estate car through a photocopier at 125%, which is no bad thing.

Combining SUV and MPV practicality, the Jogger has been designed so that seven people can sit in comfort throughout – yes, even in the rearmost two chairs.  

Featuring the same face as the rest of the Dacia family, the Jogger looks like a van in many respects that’s been stretched, but with large windows it gets plenty of light inside.

Cabin quality is as you would expect from Dacia – it’s simple and hard-wearing, but not flashy by any means. After all, this is an extremely affordable car, so you shouldn’t really expect the last word in luxury here. This car is all about value for money.

Where the Jogger really impresses is how spacious it is. By raising the roofline toward the back of the car, headroom is seriously impressive. There’s impressive amounts of legroom in the second and third rows too – even for adults. 

Practicality wise, boot space isn’t the best when you’ve got seven people in the car as you’re only left with a small space for luggage. But by folding down the rearmost seats, you get a great space, and you can take them out all together for even more room. 

Equipment-wise, the Jogger only comes with what Dacia calls ‘the essentials’. That means air conditioning, metallic trim detailing and 16-inch steel wheels with covers. To get an infotainment system, you need to download an app onto your phone that you put into the standard-fit phone holder.

The Jogger with the Comfort trim is one of the best value cars you can buy. But you may want to wait for the hybrid version.

But due to Dacia being the most affordable brand around, the mid-spec isn’t that more expensive and comes with a seriously impressive level of kit. You also only get the choice of two optional extras – whether you want metallic paint and if you want a spare wheel or not.

On launch, you can only get the 1.0-litre petrol with 110hp paired to a six-speed manual that can take you from 0-60mph in around 11 seconds. But if you want more efficiency, you may want to wait for the petrol hybrid model arriving in 2023. 

Another place where the Jogger impresses though is out on the road. You can’t expect it to be the most refined car around or the sportiest, but it’s still more than good enough for given its extremely affordable price-tag.

The manual gear shift is smooth, and while the engine might be quite low on power, it gives you enough kick to get up to speed. It also doesn’t feel too chunky, meaning getting around town and in and out of parking spaces  is relatively easy.

When you’re on the motorway, the Jogger settles down well, and apart from some wind buffeting it’s really quite good on the motorway. The engine doesn’t sound rough and you get cruise control to make long journeys easy.

Whichever Jogger you pick, it’s cheap to run, supremely practical and very charming with how simple it is to use and live with.

If you’re after one or any other Dacia, check out our offers page to see how much money you could save on a new model.