Dacia Jogger Extreme | Test Drive

Words Matteo Lavazza / Photos Jay Tomei

We still haven’t fully understood the reason we are attracted to certain things. Human nature – it is well known – is much more mysterious than what we want to believe by looking for explanations behind every single question. A bit like my curiosity about the new Dacia Jogger. So far everything is fine, given that talking about cars is ultimately our job. But what ever pushed me to prefer the key to a Dacia over that of a supercar? Let’s try to understand it together.

The revolution of the Romanian brand under the loving embrace of Renault continues in the best possible way, especially now that the latter has decided to raise the bar for its models and therefore their prices. This means that concerning wider and cheaper offers, more space is created for Dacia, which left the old logo for a rebranding that cleverly hides the extended name in favor of a stylized and merging D and C. The Jogger is a wagon amidst the congested intersection of estate, crossover, SUV and minivan. Yes, because the model being tested, which is also spec with its Extreme variant, has 7 seats and represents an interesting economical proposal for those who need a lot of space, without paying a cent more than necessary.

The look is particular, it almost seems as if the rear portion was applied at a later stage, but it is precisely this particular movement that attracted me in the first place, demonstrating that even a product designed for everyday life can have its say. There are black plastic protections for the lower part and a ground clearance of 20 centimeters which, although they do not transform it into an off-roader, nevertheless allow you to tackle rough terrain. In this regard, traction is on the front axle only, but thanks to the Extended Grip function the distribution of power between the wheels is automatically measured, getting you out of trouble, even if you have moved away from the asphalt. Generous dimensions, as we were saying: 455 cm in length, 178 in width and 163 in height, where to place luggage and up to 7 people, of which the two seats in the third row are not sacrificed at all, thanks to the height of the roof in the rear portion of the car. With all seats in use, luggage space is of course reduced, otherwise it ranges from 708 to 1,819 liters, with the rear seats all folded down.

The passenger compartment is minimalist, made with rigid plastics in some cases, but with solutions that reflect the economical nature of the car, without however giving up a multimedia system with navigation and connectivity for your smartphone. The driving position and visibility all around are also good, making the car seem more compact than it actually is. As for the model being tested, we are talking about the top of the range, a Full Hybrid powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder and 141 horsepower (of which 49 are electric). The Jogger is not a car with performance ambitions, mainly due to the particular automatic gearbox which operates through much more than the 4 declared speeds, alternating those referring to the internal combustion engine with those of the electric unit in a convincing manner both in the city and on the motorway, but penalizing in certain situations such as uphill or while overtaking, where an excessive “scooter effect” is perceived making me prefer a manual transmission, which is also available in the list.

Ultimately, the Jogger manages to do very well everything for which it was designed, with an extraordinary fuel consumption that faithfully respects the 4.7 l/100 km declared, offering lots of space on board and a look that is not at all obvious, also thanks to the Extreme spec which, among other things, features copper-colored details (inside and out), larger wheels and MicroCloud TEP upholstery, as well as automatic climate control and rear-view camera. The price? The Jogger starts from just €17,800 and from €17,950 for the 1.0cc 3-cylinder, while for the 141 horsepower with 4 cylinders like the one of our test it asks at least €25,550, to which you should add another thousand Euros for the Extreme setup. It remains a good deal, even if – having got this far – the price has become considerable. Am I happy I spent two weeks with it? Yes, ‘cause it really has been a surprise. Have I understood what attracts me so much? Maybe the fact that it is an outsider and I have always had a weakness for those who manage to rise against all odds and prejudices.