Quick overview
- Very keenly priced
- Roomy seven-seat cabin
- Good to drive
- Large boot
- No hybrid or EV option
- Cabin built down to a price
- Motorway refinement
- Entry trim misses some kit
The Dacia Jogger offers superb value for money as it delivers seven-seat practicality for families with prices that top out at what you’d pay for a half decent small car. The Dacia Jogger also makes a lot of used estate cars and SUVs look like they’re overpriced, and there isn’t really a direct rival for it in the new car market, which leave the Jogger with a very useful niche that it fills more than adequately.
Yet it’s not all about price with the Jogger. Far from it, as the Dacia Jogger is a very roomy, versatile and easy to use family car. It has a lot of the MPV variability in its cabin layout that you don’t get with many SUVs, and it can be had in Extreme trim that offers a bit of the much desired off-road look and feel. As a seven-seater, the Jogger is the ideal car for those with bigger families or find themselves bringing the kids’ friends along at the weekend.
It's also worth saying that choosing the Jogger doesn’t mean compromising on driving qualities. The sole engine choice of a turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol motor might not satisfy those who want a hybrid or EV car, but the Renault-sourced motor is pleasingly peppy and doesn’t cost much to fuel or run. The Jogger also enjoyed good handling and comfort, though refinement at higher speeds is not on a par with rivals such as the Volkswagen Golf Estate or a Skoda Karoq.
However, you’ll pay a fair bit more for either of these cars to match the equipment of the top trim level of Jogger. It boasts all sorts of goodies, like heated front seats, reversing camera, and integrated sat-nav all for the price of an averagely specced VW Polo.
Prices
Dacia starts the Jogger range with the Essential model that costs from £16,645. To move up to the Expression model needs a further injection of £1300 thanks to its £17,945 list price, while the Extreme SE is the top-of-the-line Jogger with a ticket price of £18,745. Metallic paint is a £545 option for the Jogger, while a tow bar and bike rack are other options that may well appeal to customers for this car. Put the time into a little research and you should be able to save around £500 on the price of a new Jogger. If you’d rather look at nearly new models, you could save about £1000 for a car with little more than delivery mileage.
Infotainment, comfort and practicality
The Jogger’s front doors open wide to allow easy entry to the cabin, and the front seats are set at a height that makes stepping in very simple. Once sat in the driver’s seat, you’ll find every version has height adjustment, and the steering wheel moves for height and reach. Even so, the driving position might not suit everyone as you definitely feel sat on the car rather than in it. However, the benefit of this is excellent all-round vision for the driver, and all Joggers come with rear parking sensors. If you ignore the entry-level Essential trim, you also get front park sensors, reversing camera, and blind spot warning to make moving the Dacia around very safe and simple.
While the seat cushions are quite flat, they offer good comfort. There’s no lumbar adjustment on offer, or electric movement for the seats, but the top level Extreme SE does come with heated front chairs as standard. Every jogger has some form of chilled air, either with manual or automatic air conditioning. This is operated by simple rotary controls for fan speed, direction and temperature in the centre console. Below them lies a large tray, and there’s the option of wireless phone charging in this space. Other storage is provided by large door bins and a lidded cubby between the front seats.
If you go for the base Essential version of the Jogger, there’s no infotainment screen, which is conspicuous by its absence. Instead, there’s a small lidded tray in the middle of the dash and you get a DAB radio with two speakers and Bluetooth connection. Move up to the Expression trim and you get an 8.0-inch infotainment screen that can mirror the apps on your smartphone through a cable connection, and there are two more speakers. In the Extreme SE model, there are six speakers in total, as well as an 8.0-inch touchscreen that works integrated sat-nav.
Move into the rear of the Jogger, and the middle row provides ample seating for three adults. There’s loads of head, leg and shoulder space, so you don’t have to race to get the best seat in the house. It’s also simple to fit a child seat thanks to Isofix mounts on the two outer chairs. There are also lift-up trays in the backs of the front seats, which are ideal for kids who want to draw or plays games on during a long journey.
The third row of seats can hold a couple of adults, while kids fit in with plenty of room to spare. However, this row does eat into boot capacity quite a lot, so you may prefer to fold this duo of seats up and forwards to free up a very generous 699-litres of space rather than the cramped 212-litres with all seven seats in use. Tumble the 60-40 split middle bench forward and you’re left with a vast 2085-litres of carrying capacity if you remove the third row of seats altogether.
Which 2022 Dacia Jogger model should you buy?
The entry point to the Dacia Jogger range is the aptly named Essential model that comes with 16-inch steel wheels, remote door locking, electric front windows, and rear parking sensors. It also has cloth upholstery, air conditioning, and hill start assist. Six airbags are included, as well as automatic emergency braking. Move up to the Expression and you gain rear privacy glass, body colour door handles, modular roof bars, and grey-painted skid plates front and back. The Expression also has a driver’s armrest, grey interior trim, cruise control, reversing camera, and blind spot warning. This trim also gains automatic wipers, heated door mirrors, keyless entry, and the 8.0-inch infotainment display. Pick the Extreme SE model and the infotainment is upgraded with a touchscreen and sat-nav, as well as six speakers. It also has its own seat upholstery design, trays for the middle row occupants, and 16-inch alloy wheels.
Value for money: how much does a 2022 Dacia Jogger cost to buy and run?
Although all three trim levels of the Dacia Jogger share the same engine, the Essential and Expression deliver combined fuel economy of 48.7mpg. This compares to the Extreme SE’s 47.8mpg, but this highest trim shares its 130g/km carbon dioxide emissions with the Essential model. The Expression emits 131g/km forcing it into a higher band for Vehicle Excise Duty so you pay £230 rather than the £190 for the other two versions. When it comes to insurance, the Jogger won’t drain your bank account as this Dacia sits in groups 13 to 14 depending on trim level.
Verdict: Should I buy a 2022 Dacia Jogger?
Is a low price and value for money enough to lure in drivers to the Dacia Jogger? We’d say the answer to this is a resounding yes as the Jogger has so much more to it than simply a low price. Of course, if all you want is a keenly priced new car, the Jogger fulfils its role admirably without demanding anything more from you. However, for those who want a car that’s well equipped and good to drive, the Jogger also works, especially if you opt for one of the two higher spec trim levels.
Another big selling point, in a literal sense, is the Jogger’s cabin. It’s got masses of space for people and luggage. It might not be as clever in the way the seats fold and move as some MPVs, but the sheer amount of room and seven seats as standard makes it a great choice. At this kind of price, it’s just very hard to pick fault with a car that works as well as the Jogger.