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Pros: spacious interior, versatility, fuel efficiency
Cons: higher price, no plug-in option, modest performance
Most seven-seaters these days are in the form of expensive SUVs, but Dacia is bucking that trend with the Jogger. This high-riding estate makes excellent use of its distinctively boxy design to provide ample space for seven inside, plus room for luggage. Now the range is expanding with a hybrid version.
Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 Design
Straddling the line between estate and SUV, the Dacia Jogger has a look sure to appeal to people who want a practical car. It features some rugged styling cues, such as scuff plates on the front and rear bumpers and hard-wearing plastic around the wheel arches, but this is very much a vehicle designed to be driven on the road.
As you might expect from Dacia, there are simple and effective design elements, such as large rear doors to make access easier and a step in the roof that helps maximise interior space. A large hatchback makes loading bulky items a bit easier, too, though you will need to leave some room to open it if you're in a car park. Meanwhile, the roof rails can unlatch and turn through 90 degrees to form a roof rack when required, saving you from buying extra equipment.
Top-spec versions of the Jogger ride on 16-inch alloy wheels and feature additional decals on the bodywork and contrasting black door mirrors to enhance its off-road appearance. There is only one small hybrid decal on the car's rear to tell you it differs from the other Jogger variants, though.
Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 Interior
It's more a case of function over form on the interior of the Dacia Jogger. As standard, buyers get a multifunction steering wheel and a touchscreen for the native infotainment system, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. All hybrid models come with a seven-inch digital instrument display that can show how the hybrid system is working.
While the look and feel of the materials inside aren't the most premium or luxurious, everything seems hard-wearing, and you get a mesh fabric insert across the front of the dash that breaks up the darker materials. As the Jogger Hybrid 140 only uses an automatic transmission, it also gets an electronic parking brake, which frees up more space between the front seats. Dacia fits an armrest for the driver that includes storage underneath.
The rear passenger space is excellent, with the middle row providing ample levels of head- and legroom. There is a 60:40 split in the middle-row seat, which can fold and tilt to provide easier access to the rearmost row. Unusually for a seven-seater, adults can fit in the third-row seats quite comfortably. Even when using all seven seats, the Jogger still has more than 200 litres of usable boot volume. If you need more space at other times, the two third-row seats can fold down or be removed entirely, leaving you with a vast boot space and five seats.
Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 Performance & Drive
The Dacia Jogger Hybrid offers a smoother and slightly quieter experience than the petrol model due to its ability to move away initially using only the electric motor. It can travel short distances this way before the 1.6-litre petrol engine activates. Depending on the battery's state of charge, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine can propel the car and send some energy back to the battery to maximise its efficiency over a journey.
The hybrid system has a maximum power output of 140hp. As there isn't a great deal of additional weight, this is the quickest version of the Jogger, though performance remains modest overall, as it takes just over ten seconds to accelerate up to 100km/h from rest. Perhaps of more importance is that the suspension does a decent job of soaking up bumps and makes the Jogger Hybrid generally smooth, although road noise at higher speeds becomes more noticeable depending on the surface.
Its hybrid setup can return respectable fuel consumption figures so long as you drive it carefully and avoid hard acceleration. Do so, and it can deliver on the official 4.8 litres/100km figure. That means a total driving range of over 900 kilometres should be possible from a tank during urban use.
Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 Pricing
Pricing for the Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140 won't be confirmed until closer to the car's arrival in the second half of 2023. The hybrid is expected to cost more than the existing petrol version, and Dacia intends to offer it only in the mid-level Expression and range-topping Extreme specifications, which means that it is likely to cost in excess of €30,000.
Carzone Verdict: 4/5
As family cars go, the Dacia Jogger Hybrid is hugely capable and practical. It can comfortably seat seven, retains good luggage space and is well-equipped. Adding a hybrid model makes it more fuel efficient without breaking the bank, and with no plans for a more economical plug-in hybrid variant on the horizon, this is the best option in the range.