When you think of a seven -seater car, now that the minivans have almost disappeared, you think exclusively of SUVs.However, the third row of seats is not exclusive to these last.And with the Dacia Jogger, the newcomer to Romanian society, we have irrefutable proof.

Heir to the Lodgy, he takes up the minds of a family car having a great need for space, growing not only in size but also in terms of perceived quality, technology and driving dynamics.

An important step forward that takes Dacia away from the concept of "low cost", thanks above all to the CMF-B platform of the Alliance, that used by its sister Sandero and the different Renault Clio, Captur and Kadjar.

Exterior |Interior |Driving |Curiosities |Price

Outside

The style of the Dacia Jogger is divisive: some consider it as a raised break, others as a more elegant minivan, still others as a SUV.And it is a bit of all that at the same time, which makes it a crossover in the literal sense of the term, a car on the border between different types of models, taking up here and there certain particularities.It borrows its body lines from family cars, but with a few typical SUV elements and a 20 cm ground clearance, while its interior space comes from the world of multi -face.But we will come back to this later.

Compared to the lodgy, its dimensions increased to 4.55 meters in length, 1.78 in width, 1.63 in height and, above all, with a wheelbase of 2.9 meters, or about 20 cm more than the modelssimilar length.In other words, we are closer to a Mercedes class S than a Renault Arkana!

The style changes as deeply, taking up many elements already seen on the Sandero Stepway, such as the protection of wheel arches and the base, the grille developed horizontally and the LED lights in the shape of a Y, which give the front a certaintemper.The side of the car manages to be slender, also thanks to the particularly long bow, while the rear is dominated by the verticality of the lights, arranged to supervise the wide tailgate.Did you say "Volvo"?

Interior

The wheelbase of 2.9 meters is therefore part of an equation which results in an excellent habitability, as well as a loading capacity which can make a large family travel.Of course, if you travel with seven people, the Dacia Jogger has a trunk with a capacity of only 180 liters, but if you withdraw the seats from the third row, you have 708 liters, and 1819 liters if you fold theCentral sofa, for a depth of 2 meters and a width of 1 meter.

Speaking of a seven-seater car, the question then arises spontaneously: how do you feel if you travel at the back?According to Dacia teams, even adults measuring up to 1.8 meters can be comfortable.And yes, my meter ninety, spread over a physique which is not exactly that of a dancer, is perfectly suited.

There is a lot of leg space, for the head and, with the armrest, the cup holder and the custody that intersects, there are even these small details that can make all the difference.The only drawback is that access to the third row is not really easy.If you have to transport grandmother, favor the front or the central bench.

The latter is particularly comfortable, with a good leg space and a good ceiling height.There is no ventilation or USB socket, only a 12 V socket.

The dashboard resumes that of the Sandero, neat but not depleted, with an 8-inch screen in a cup which, without being one of the richest on the market, offers everything you need-yIncluding Android Auto and Apple Carplay, also wireless - with large icons and very clear graphics.Below there is the air conditioning controls (automatic on the more richly equipped versions).

The plastics are rigid, embellished with fabric inserts on the dashboard and the armrests of the doors, but they do not give an impression of fragility and are assembled with sufficient precision.

Conduct

Forget the excessive sweetness of the lodgy: as we have said, thanks to the new platform, the Dacia Jogger makes a clear progress in terms of driving dynamics, with an extremely well -balanced set that limits the roll, giving a great feeling ofSafety even in tight turns and in quick direction changes.The management, on the other hand, does not follow, being a little lazy and not very communicative.

Comfort is very good, also thanks to 16 -inch rims (now almost a rarity) with 60 -inch shoulder tires, which are more absorbed by the ground.This solution makes it possible to level the hardness of the seat, which is good for supporting and containing the body but which can be tiring in the long run: a little more sweetness would not have hurt.

For the test, our choice fell on the 3 -cylinder Bifuel petrol/LPG, a unit which, on paper, promises 1000 km of autonomy thanks to its 40 -liter tank of LPG and 50 liters of petrol.Naturally, we could not verify these values, but given the fuel consumption recorded during the 8.7 -liter test per 100 km for LPG and 6.7 L for petrol, it seems rather realistic.

Acceleration is not frankly the best asset of this engine, but we were amazed by its elasticity.On the other hand, it is lacking when you are in sixth speed, a typical "support" report, and you face the slightest difference in height or that you want to exceed, with a compulsory demotage to find the right push, accompanied byA noise supported during strong accelerations.Fortunately, the gearbox, whose lever is not too long, is always flexible and never clumsy.

On the driving assistant side, as on the other models in the range, the equipment is not in Lapointe, but it offers what is necessary, such as cruise control, emergency braking, the corner warningDeath as well as various parking sensors and a reversing camera.

Curiosity

Zoom on a very useful small feature on a daily basis: the phone medium (available on high -end models) anchored on the side of the infotainment monitor, with a USB socket located just behind, so that there isNo threads hanging along the dashboard.A clever solution that also ensures excellent grip, preventing the smartphone from falling during driving.

Price

Define the Dacia Jogger as "low cost" would be moved, although the term continues to be in line with the price range: the jogger prices start at 14,990 euros for the essential basic version in 5 places with GPL engine,While petrol prices start at 15,500 euros, reaching 18,450 euros for the high -end extremely 7 -seater in LPG version (that of our test) and € 18,950 with the TCE 110.

Count 760 euros difference between versions 5 and 7 places.

The standard equipment includes automatic LED fires, 16 -inch steel rims, a speed limiter and roof rails.The Intermediate Comfort range adds 16 -inch alloy rims, modular roof bars, a dashboard with fabric inserts, 8 -inch screen, cruise control, rear parking sensors and manual air conditioning.

The extreme limited series is supplemented by foldable rear shelves, automatic air conditioning, a reversing camera and a key without key.A hybrid version will arrive in 2023, using the same powertrain as that of the Clio E-Tech and its sisters and the only one with an automatic gearbox.