Overview

The Dacia Jogger is described by its manufacturer as ‘blending the practicality of an estate car with the spaciousness of an MPV and the styling of an SUV,’ which we reckon is a great summary of what is a brilliant family car overall.

In short, the Jogger is a big car for small car money, making it perfect for those on a budget. It can comfortably seats seven adults or carry an impressive amount of gear. We consider it to be one of the best hybrid estates available and it won the Best Value Car for 2023 in the Parkers New Car Awards.

The Jogger is based on the same basic platform that underpins many Renault products, including the Sandero and Clio superminis as well as the Captur SUV. But it’s stretched out to the max, making a car that’s more than 4.5m in length with a 2.9m wheelbase. That means loads of space inside, but with the driving dynamics of something much smaller.

Rivals? Well, Dacia’s pricing means the Jogger competes better with used cars than brand-new models. With seven seats and plenty of practicality, it seems a natural rival to van-based MPVs such as a secondhand petrol or diesel Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Rifter or Volkswagen Caddy, but it’s also an alternative to smaller seven-seat SUVs such as the Skoda Kodiaq.

We can also see plenty of people simply leaving the third row of seats at home and treating the Jogger like a five-seat car with a huge boot – at which point it becomes an estate car to rival the likes of the SEAT Leon Estate and Kia Ceed SW, and a more direct replacement for the old Logan MCV.

Dacia’s making life really simple for Jogger buyers with just two engines (including a hybrid) and three trim levels to choose from. All models come well-equipped, though, with essentials like air-con, parking sensors and cruise control as standard. Where the Jogger loses out – and for that price, something had to give – is on safety equipment, where its lack of driver assistance aids means it scored just one star in Euro NCAP‘s crash testing.

Over the next few pages, we’ll be thoroughly reviewing all aspects of the Dacia Jogger and rating them in our verdict. Along the way, we’ll consider the car’s driving experience, the quality and comfort of its interior, the level of practicality available and how much it’ll cost you to keep it on the road.