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Driving Experience Dacia Jogger

The eternal added value

The crypto-millionaires are getting their asses kicked, not all of us will inherit the house on the lake, and all those who actually still have to work for money are currently seeing their income melt away like the glaciers in the Alps. The German-speaking car market in particular continues to be driven by corporate customers and other leasing solutions (see also: Auto-Markt Schweiz 2022), while private buyers who save to be able to afford a (new) car at some point have long been a fringe group. This is also understandable because the average price of a new car has risen dramatically over the past two decades, roughly doubling. Reliable figures are available for Germany, for example, where the purchase price rose by a good 20 percent between 2017 and 2022. In the middle of last year, almost 54,000 euros had to be paid for a new car in Germany on average for all cars “sold” – no wonder that young people and families with children have to pass. Or want to.

But then we still have Dacia. In Switzerland, the Romanian Renault subsidiary grew by 23.3 per cent last year and is already in 12th place in the registration statistics; the Dacia Sandero has made it into the top 10 of the best-selling models. Although Dacia now also wants to become a bit more upmarket (a mistake already made by Skoda), the model range currently remains with the Sandero (from 14,390 francs – in Germany from 10,750 euros), the Duster (from 23,390 francs – in Germany from 15,000 euros), the unfortunately not really suitable e-model Spring (from 20’900 Swiss francs – in Germany from 22’550 euros) and the new Jogger (from 19’690 Swiss francs – in Germany from 16’800 euros) still within a very reasonable range.

The new Jogger takes on a hefty legacy, having to replace three models at once, the Lodgy, the Logan MCV and the Dokker. It is based on the CMF-B platform, i.e. like the current Renault Clio and Dacia Sandero, but the wheelbase has been extended by more than 30 centimetres to a whopping 2.9 metres. That doesn’t necessarily help with the design, but the Romanians have rarely won any beauty awards anyway. The Jogger (who came up with that name?) is all about added space – and it can offer that, either with up to seven seats or a load compartment with a volume of over 1800 litres.

We also have a Sandero in our private fleet, which is now 60k down and has never caused the slightest problem (ui, we should write something about it again). If you know the Sandero, you know the Jogger, at least in the cockpit, where everything is exactly the same. We love that, small screen that mirrors the smartphone, so you have the music you like – and a sat nav that actually works. The ventilation works via classic rotary switches, that’s the way it has to be – and nobody needs anything else. Such a completely mystery-free operation must be praised without fail. Cloth seats (which still look great in our Sandero), a bit of trim all over the dashboard, all good, perfectly adequate. And much, much better than previous Dacias, which in summer had fumes rising from the plastic that knocked even semi-professional stoners unconscious.

Our test person was equipped with the 110 hp engine, manual 6-speed gearbox. The 1-litre 3-cylinder turbo is not the smoothest engine of all time, but it moves the 1.2-tonne jogger forward quite well. You shouldn’t have too sporty ambitions, but there’s nothing to complain about either – in contrast to the Toyota Aygo X, for example, which we recently described, you can also annoy more potent competitors with the Jogger. The long wheelbase ensures excellent straight-line stability, the relatively firm steering is precise enough to have a bit of fun during a cornering chase. But don’t overdo it – if you push it too hard, it goes over the front wheels relatively soon, but it’s also easy to control. The brakes are good enough for everyday use. There seems to be a problem with the NCAP rating, but that should be sorted out this year. By the way, we drive our somewhat lighter Sandero with just over 5 litres per 100 kilometres, the Jogger will also be able to be driven within this range.

And that’s just it: The Jogger has plenty of space. Even adults can sit comfortably in the second row – and in the back of the 5-seater there is still room for a whole household. The 7-seater has the usual problem with legroom, but children will hardly complain about it, at least not on short journeys. We don’t quite know why Dacia has taken the so clever Dokker out of the range (the Renault Kangoo is still available, the Renault Express is just: different), the Jogger somehow can’t replace it, but it also seems to us to be suitable for small businesses, because it is easy to load, the loading sill is low enough, the tailgate is huge (and a bit heavy), and in case of emergency it is possible to use the rear doors.

No, you don’t have to want to compete in the Concours d’Elegance with the Dacia Jogger; when valet parking in front of the 5-star hotel, it is more likely to be directed to the delivery entrance. But there are supposed to be people who don’t have to define themselves by the image of their car. But a Dacia Jogger is not the right car for them – if you are simply guided by common sense, you can hardly avoid the Romanian. As already mentioned, the price scale starts at 16,800 euros (that’s the 90-horse, which is also available) or 19,690 Swiss francs (in Switzerland, only the more powerful version is available for the time being) – if you want the decently equipped Extreme variant with seven seats, you’ll pay 21,750 euros/21,590 Swiss francs. That is very fair. And used car prices for the Dacia are still excellent. Which also says a lot about the quality of workmanship. Oh yes, this year the mild hybrid version will also be available, which will probably have a 4 at the front in terms of fuel consumption.

More driving reports can be found in our archive.

One Comment

  1. The Dacia Jogger seems like the perfect antidote to the flashy, high-priced vehicles that dominate the market. It’s like the car equivalent of a sturdy, reliable workhorse – no frills, just pure function. The focus on space and practicality is commendable. It’s like Dacia took a look at the needs of the average family or small business and said, “We’ve got you covered.” And the price point? It’s like a breath of fresh air in an industry that often seems out of reach for many. Thanks for the detailed review!

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