Mihai - Cristian Ioniță
What you'll learn from this test drive:
- how a hybrid propulsion system helps with reducing noise and emission levels in the city
- why Dacia Jogger could be the perfect MVP for large families to take on long trips
- what safety systems you can count on if you decide to pick the Jogger
The image some drivers might have when they picture a Dacia car is a very simple and barebones one, with a very basic design and not too many technologies focused on safety.
That's not the case for the Jogger, especially the Hybrid version tested by us, because this model gives you a sense of modern, no matter which angle you look at it from, without expecting premium materials or finishes. But it works very well.
We took the Jogger Extreme+ Hybrid 140 for a spin and in the following minutes, we'll share our experience.
Design and material quality in the Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140
The new design line Dacia introduced a few years back is pleasant from a visual stand-point, as far as I am concerned. From the front, the Jogger looks a lot like a modern Logan, while from the back, the car resembles an older Volvo station wagon. While this might seem like an identity crisis, the way Dacia designed the Jogger makes the MPV very attractive.
The Extreme+ variant we took for a spin over the course of a few days has some interesting exterior elements, which improve the overall aspect. The color of our model was some kind of a petrol grey with some elements, such as the side mirrors, the rear logo and two lines above the fog lights, painted copper-like. On the side of the doors, Dacia added matte plastic protective elements, which also happen to surround the vehicle on all its four lower sides.
It's not going to be geared towards everyone, but I think it fits nicely in 2024, as far as the design goes.
Once you get inside the Jogger, you realize that we are talking about an affordable vehicle. You are greeted by lots of hard plastic on the inside. There is some softer material on the doors and the dashboard, as well as on the armrest on the Extreme+ trim we tested. The same copper-like colored decorative element can be found on the ventilation grills, which are "Y" shaped.
The steering wheel and the gear selector are covered in a synthetic leather type of materials and the steering wheel feels very nice, it is a little larger, but not uncomfortable.
The seats are also comfy and soft and don't have to be perfectly set, since they take your shape a little bit with the head rest offering significantly better support than previous Dacia models.
What I like is that Dacia offers you everything you need to get going. The smartphone has become an extremely important device for us even in the car, not for texting, but rather for setting up a navigation system or to use a ride sharing app, as a driver. Thus, the manufacturer from Mioveni offers you a phone support, which is optional and is attachable to the side of the center-mounted tablet.
Its position is not quite ideal, as it might take a bit away from the visibility and you also have to make sure that your phone fits properly. But at least you have a USB-A port behind it, so you never run out of juice.
Jogger is not necessarily a city-focused car and I'll explain in a minute why, but on national roads or the highway, it can be quite the "universal soldier", and Dacia engineers know this. That's why passengers located behind the driver and the front passenger have train or plane-like tables to set up a table or a plate to eat something. It's been a long time since I've seen something like that on a car and it can be a great option for vacations, which is where this car excels.
On the rear seats you have lots of room, even if you are a little taller and that's where you will also make your way to the rear-most seats. Yes, Dacia Jogger can be equipped with 5 or 7 seats, depending on your preferences.
How it feels to drive the Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140
The democratization of high-end automotive technologies is a blessing for the cars such as the Jogger and this is felt when driving this vehicle and when we'll talk about its safety features. About safety in a minute, but how does it feel to drive this car? Simply put, it drives almost on its own, something that I never thought I'd say about a Dacia.
The steering has electric assistance, meaning that the direction is very soft at low speeds or on spot, while at higher speeds, it stiffens without being hard to take a corner, for example. The hybrid model comes with a multi-mode automatic transmission, which is similar to an e-CVT and the gearbox is very comfortable, meaning that the drive is smooth.
If you get going slower to moderate, the Jogger accelerates only using the electric motor, enough to have a speedy take-off, if you need to get going. If you press the pedal stronger, the gasoline-powered 1.6 liter engine will also kick-in, which boasts direct injection and outputs 98 horsepower.
You won't win any speed contests and I don't suggest you do those things on a public road, but if you need more power than normally, the car will offer you that. The first to always kick-in is the electric motor and this translates to instant responses in the acceleration, with zero noise or pollution. Mostly, I drove it in electric mode, since I drove it in heavy traffic, where the hybrid powertrain is in its element.
Dacia engineers bring this technology to more and more cars and this is very good for the packed cities, since it reduces the consumption, but more importantly, pollution and noise levels. Due to the fact that 25% of the EU's emissions comes from transport-related pollution, implementing hybrid powertrains on as many cars as possible will enable us to greatly reduce CO2 levels in cities and car-dense areas.
In the case of the Jogger, the gasoline engine starts in a few situations. One is when you press the pedal very deep, another when you turn on the air conditioning and the last situation is when the battery is almost depleted. Speaking of the battery, it is a modest 1.2 kWh unit, fairly small for a nearly 1.4 ton car, but I never ran lower than 25%. Being such a small cell, it is able to juice itself fast and you can see the percentage going up every time you stop at a pedestrian crossing or at an intersection.
When you drive using only the electric motor, an EV indicator will show up.
Otherwise, the car is very comfortable, it sits well on the road and it has transversal stabilizers that help on corners, while potholes or tram lines are a breeze. My only issue with the Jogger in the city is that the car is a long over 4,5 meters and this is a problem when parking the vehicle, even if you have it equipped with sensors or a reverse camera. In the end, it doesn't matter if you have these two if there's not enough room for you to park.
That's why I'm saying that this is the least practical model from the Romanian carmaker for the city, but the upside comes when you take it on the highway or on national roads. The ground clearance of 20 centimeters, second only to the Duster's over 21 centimeters, comes in handy when climbing moderate customers.
The fuel economy I saw after around 35-40 kilometers of city driving was 4,8 liters per 100 kilometers, but when I didn't use the air conditioning, I saw even 4,4 liters.
Technology and safety systems on the Jogger Hybrid 140
Still, for a Dacia, the Jogger Extreme+ Hybrid 140 has everything you need to make you a safer driver in packed cities, like Bucharest.
The 8 inch tablet is very visible in the sun, its screen doesn't reflect as much as on the Megane E-Tech, but it is responsive and easy to use. On the driver's side you have the buttons for on/off, volume up and down, home and the vehicle's settings. Very simple and easy to learn, as it should be for a Dacia.
Even when you turn the tablet off, it still offers you information about the weather, time or date and it only turns off completely once you lock the car.
Once you start the navigation, you are greeted by six buttons, which are Radio, Media, Phone, Vehicle, Navigation and Phone Integration. Where do we find the technology that we care about? In the section Vehicle, of course.
Here we have access to driving assistance, parking assistance, as well as access. Driving assistance offers you the possibility to turn certain features on or off, such as emergency braking or blind spot monitoring.
In the access section, you can turn on or off features such as vehicle unlocking or locking when you get near the car.
The parking section offers access to the sensors, as well as the rear-view camera, if your model comes equipped with it.
Dacia Jogger doesn't come with more sophisticated safety features that we find on more expensive models, such as passenger door monitoring or autonomous driving, but you have an auto pilot function that I didn't use when driving in the city.
For the dashboard you can change the information for instant or median consumption, as well as a graph showing the hybrid system in real time by using the up and down arrows.
The integrated map is fairly simple, but gives you an overview of the one-way streets, as well as nearby gas stations, but for more complex details you'll have to rely on your phone.
What surprised me in a good way was that the Jogger Extreme+ comes with heated seats which I used once and I can say work very well. What I didn't like was that adjusting the backrest is fairly old-school. To do that, you have to keep a button pressed on the seat's outer side, while pulling at the same time with your other hand.
Conclusions for the Dacia Jogger Hybrid 140
Dacia Jogger has a starting price of 16,990 euros for the Essential version with 5 seats, but that model doesn't even offer fog lights, let alone the hybrid system or a large part of the safety features packed in the Extreme+ trim. Still, if you're looking for a brand-new MPV at the lowest possible price, then the Jogger is your only choice, really and offers lots of space, decent comfort and an overall lower lifetime cost.
If you want to have the hybrid powertrain, you will have to look into the Expression version, which starts at 24,550 euros for the electrified system and if you ask me, at that point you're better off buying the Extreme version, which brings optionals such as automatic air conditioning, handsfree card for easy access and a reverse camera.
Since it doesn't have much competition with regards to the price and what it offers, the only thing you need to ask yourself really is if you need such a large vehicle. If you mostly drive in the city, you don't have many family members or you don't go on long vacations, then you would be better-off with a Sandero or a Logan, which for now don't have a hybrid powertrain.
If you're looking to do a lot of driving outside the city or you carry a lot of passengers with you, then the Jogger is clearly Dacia's most practical model.
And then if you're interested in the hybrid engine variant, then wait a bit, because soon, the new Duster will be available for you to order with this exact engine combination and the car is a little shorter and more suitable for the city, at least until the Sandero will be electrified, as well.
Pros:
- generous amount of space and the possibility to choose 7 seats
- well-calibrated hybrid system which offers great consumption in the city
- low noise and pollution levels in the city
- the most affordable MPV on the market
Cons:
- large dimensions, especially the length, making it more difficult to drive around the city
- finding a parking spot will be harder due to Jogger's 4,5+ meters size
- the hybrid train starts at over 24,000 euros
Any thoughts?