There’s so much I love about the Jogger that it’s difficult to know where to start, so let’s take it from the top. Literally, because the Dacia’s brilliance starts with its roof bars. No, really, it does.
For many SUVs and estates, roof rails are more of a lifestyle status symbol, hinting at an exciting out-of-office-hours existence involving kayaks and carbonfibre-framed bicycles. Yet they’re often no more than decoration: you still need to buy the crossbars to use them.
Not so the Dacia Jogger, whose neat solution allows you to simply unbolt part of each longitudinal rail and rotate them through 90deg to form a roof rack. It’s a brilliantly simple and rational detail that sums up neatly the Jogger experience.
This isn’t exactly an attractive car, but those tall and boxy lines allow it to offer genuine seven-seat space and versatility in a footprint that’s barely bigger than a compact estate. The interior is also designed to be as easy to use as possible, with a simple layout and up to 23 litres of storage, which helps make light work of all those odds and ends that families tend to accumulate.
And if you need to carry things rather than people, then the third-row seats can be removed, the middle bench folded and a cavernous 2094 litres of carrying capacity liberated. For reference, a Mercedes E-Class wagon, the large-estate king, can only muster 1820 litres. Few vehicles this side of a van are as handy for hauling big loads.
This might make the Dacia sound like a dull but worthy utilitarian choice, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, the Jogger isn’t attention-grabbing street sculpture or an apex-hugging high-performance weapon, but it is packed with charm and is always a pleasure to pedal.
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Spoilt motoring journalists are constantly criticising the looks of the Jogger, but I think it looks fine, and definitely more expensive than its list price. Remember, Land Rover charge nearly £60,000 plus for the Discovery, and look what you get for that.
Er... 'spoiled' journalists are lavishing praise on this car, so their judgement doesn't seem to be clouded by its lowly price at all. And it IS ugly... but at least it's functional.
Despite knowing they were better value for money, it took me around 15yrs to get over badge snobbery and make the move from my VWs and Audis. And once I did ( we're now on our 3rd ) I doubt I'll ever go back to those VAG brands. Skoda's 'value for money' might be questioned these days but that said, in some cases I think it's better than what VW or Audi now offer.
I have exactly the same feeling with this Dacia. Considering the price, I can't find fault with it. It does exactly what it says on the tin yet offers so much more than cars with a much higher price tag. If I were changing my SUV today, I'd chose a Jogger.
Not sure what premium Dacia ask for the hybrid over the 1.0tsi is but I'd be tempted by that powertrain.
Odd to brag about not paying over the odds and then admit to owning an SUV. Car makers love SUVs because the profit margins are bigger... in other words, unless you live on a farm and need the extra ground clearance, you've been taken for a ride.