Dacia Jogger Extreme SE TCe 110 (2022 - 2022)

Dacia is a no-frills brand that offers a lot of car for very little outlay. And a  number of the models in the ever-growing line-up are pretty good fun to drive too.

The latest arrival from the Romanian carmaker that has been part of the Renault Group since 1999, is the seven-seat Jogger. It looks stylish enough and resembles a classy estate car that’s had a bit of a growth spurt.

Buyers can select from a trio of trim levels called Essential, Comfort and Extreme SE with all models for now, powered by a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine matched to a six-speed, manual gearbox.

The Dacia Jogger is a stylish seven-seater with plenty of character and an eye-catching design. Whilst being the longest vehicle in the Dacia range, the proportions work perfectly.

With 200mm of ground clearance and lots of protective body cladding, the Jogger looks powerful in its design with active families in mind. Features include a bold, wide grille flanked by Dacia’s signature Y-shaped daytime running lights, front fog lights, vertical tail lights, front and rear skid plates, smart 16-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured front and rear bumpers, tinted rear windows and a stunning Terracotta Bronze body colour on our test model.

The interior is smart enough with comfortable cloth seats that can be heated up front. The satin chrome door handles and air vents raise the quality and creature comforts include an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, DAB radio and a four-speaker sound system.

The layout is simplistic, but practical, but on the downside, the link with Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay did drop off quite frequently during a three-hour journey even when connected wirelessly. But all other features performed perfectly and the separate panel for all climate control functions is always a plus-point to avoid driver distraction.

We tested the Dacia Jogger in range-topping Extreme SE format and, like other versions, it is powered by a 999cc, 109hp petrol engine delivering 200Nm of torque.

With a six-speed manual gearbox, the Jogger can complete the 0-62mph dash in 11.2 seconds and tops out at 114mph. The acceleration is certainly good enough for a family car and it’s a motorway cruiser too sitting comfortably at 70mph.

But there were two major issues with the test car. Firstly, it kept delivering unexpected bursts of pace. So, for example, you would be on a dual carriageway doing 60mph and then without any extra throttle pressure, it surged to 65mph, dropping back to 60mph after a few seconds.

The other issue is the refinement. At a set of lights, the car shakes like a washing machine on a fast spin cycle which is not ideal. While I appreciate the Jogger is a budget car, the Sandero or Duster are far better to drive.

However, on open roads, its nicely grounded and the all-round visibility is excellent. An Eco mode will help maximise fuel efficiency and the fairly soft suspension helps cushion any unexpected bumps and dips along the way.

The Dacia Jogger is a great-looking car with plenty of road presence. It’s versatile too stretching 4.5 metres in length and the 2.9-metre wheelbase means there is bundles of space inside the vehicle. It is a genuine seven-seater with leg room in the rear two seats, so is ideal for any five-a-side footie team, a coach and a sub!

The three rows of seats can be adjusted to suit requirements with almost 60 configurations and up to 2,085 litres of luggage space. With all seven seats in use, the storage capacity drops to 212 litres.

Long rear doors and second-row seats that tip forward offer easy access to the third row of seats. And with 855mm of headroom and 127mm of knee space, a couple of adults can fit in these seats. 

In addition, there are a number of storage compartments scattered throughout the vehicle, including a large glovebox, fold-down tray tables, door bins, a central cubby box and six cup holders.

There are Isofix child seat fixtures to the outer rear seats in the second row and with rows two and three folded flat, the boot can easily swallow a pushchair or bicycle.

The Dacia Jogger is priced from £15,345 for the entry-level Essential model. The costs increase to £16,945 for the mid-trim Comfort specification and top out at £17,745 for the range-topping Extreme SE, as tested.

According to official figures, under WLTP testing, the Jogger powered by the 1.0-litre petrol engine, can deliver a combined 48.7mpg with carbon emissions of 130g/km. We saw very close to that official fuel economy figure during a week behind the wheel driving along a variety of roads.

The CO2 figure would result in a first year’s road tax (or VED charge to give it its official title) of £190 dropping to the standard fee of £165 after 12 months.

Any business driver looking to run a Dacia Jogger would have a Benefit in Kind tax rating of 29 per cent and the insurance for the test car is set at group 16.

If you have a tight budget and are desperate for a new car, then the Dacia line-up could be the perfect solution. But it’s not without its faults and it may be worth looking at a comparison with a two- or three-year-old model that drives better and has a lot more safety kit to protect your loved ones.

It may seem we have been harsh on the Jogger and while we realise it is a budget model, it doesn’t live up to the higher standards set by its siblings, the Dacia Sandero Stepway and excellent Dacia Duster.