Citroen C3 Aircross vs Dacia Jogger: the budget seven-seater test we’ve been waiting for

If you wanted to move seven people cheaply, for many years there was only one option available: buy a second-hand car. However, that all changed a few years ago when Dacia released the Jogger. It offered seven seats in a car that cost as little as a 10-year-old SUV, making it a no-brainer for many cost-conscious drivers. 

For years, the Jogger hasn’t really had a direct rival on the new-car market – but that all changes now, with the new Citroen C3 Aircross. Citroen doesn’t quite aim for the bargain-basement market position of Dacia, but its cars are frequently priced competitively enough to step on the toes of its Romanian rival. That’s the case with the new Aircross, which also manages to squeeze seven seats into an even more compact footprint than the Jogger – it’s barely any longer or wider than a typical five-door family hatchback. 

Then there’s the draw of Citroen’s quirky style, its quest for comfort and its range of powertrains – there’s even an electric version if you sacrifice the sixth and seventh seats. But is the C3 Aircross credible enough to knock the Dacia off its perch? Or is the Jogger still the king of practicality on a budget?

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Citroen C3 Aircross

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Citroen’s focus on space, comfort and competitive pricing continues with the C3 Aircross. The car in our pictures is the top-spec Max with a hybrid powertrain, but we’d go for the lower of the two trims available. The Plus sacrifices some standard kit, including wireless smartphone charging, a heated windscreen, front parking sensors and a blind-spot monitoring system, yet costs £2,000 less than the Max. Add the third row of seats – a £765 option – and the Plus comes to £25,330.

Latest Citroen C3 Aircross deals

Tester’s notes

Saving more than £3,500 over the hybrid model is a 99bhp petrol paired with a six-speed manual transmission. The gearbox is a big improvement over Citroen shifts of even five or 10 years ago, but the oddly shaped, oversized gearknob makes it feel more clumsy to use than it could have been. 

The clutch pedal is reasonably light, although the shifts don’t like to be hurried too much. It also gets a manual handbrake, which is a bit of a novelty these days, but the plastic it’s made from feels really cheap.

The C3 Aircross is a lot more boxy than its predecessor. Some of those details have been inspired by the quirky Oli Concept, most notably the lighting design, but we wish Citroen had taken that approach further. 

While we weren’t expecting it to adopt the wacky cab-forward look of the Oli, we’d have at least welcomed more confident surfacing along the flanks, instead of the slightly soft, undefined look the production car arrives with. The mix of round plastic wheelarch cladding within a squared-off metal panel looks odd, too.

Dacia Jogger

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Much like its rival here, the Jogger can trace its roots back to supermini underpinnings; essentially its platform is an extended version of the one used by the current Sandero. However, the space on offer inside is completely removed from the average supermini, even if the cost isn’t far off some slightly posher small hatchbacks. Prices for the Jogger start from just a shade over £20,000, and even with its clever hybrid powertrain as tested here in Expression trim, it costs £23,305.

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Tester’s notes

The model tested here proves that hybrid tech can still be very efficient if used in the right conditions, but performance is a touch behind the C3 Aircross. However, we expect Dacia will soon address that with an updated hybrid system, which is coming soon as part of a mid-life facelift. 

Borrowing the powertrain from the Bigster SUV, the new set-up will feature  a 1.8-litre engine in place of the current 1.6, plus a more powerful electric motor that will take the total power output up by 10bhp to 153bhp. 

Dacia wants buyers to view it as not just a value-led brand, but as a rugged, outdoorsy type, too. That’s reflected in the Jogger’s option packs. For £1,815, the Sleep Pack + turns the back of the Jogger into a bedroom; remove the third row seats and a bed frame containing a storage box can be installed in their place, with a mattress laid on top of it. Black-out blinds add some privacy. For an extra £350, the Sleep Pack Ultimate includes a tent which attaches to the open boot.

Head-to-head

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On the road

Citroen’s signature soft ride is present, but on bumpier, more undulating roads, the shortage of body control relative to the firmer Dacia can make it feel more unruly. The Jogger feels more responsive and more compact than the C3 Aircross, too, except at low speeds, where its turning circle is poor. The Citroen is more refined, though – there’s more wind and road noise at motorway speeds in the Jogger.

Tech highlights

Both use hybrid powertrains, but few have a more complex system than the Jogger. One electric motor provides the hybrid assist and another controls the six-speed clutchless transmission’s shifts. While complex, Dacia says it’s the key to efficiency. The C3 Aircross set-up is simpler; a 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine is backed up by an e-motor, with drive going via a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Price and running

By seven-seater standards, our test return of 43.8mpg aboard the hybrid C3 Aircross is fairly impressive. But the Jogger fared better still, achieving exactly 50mpg in mixed driving conditions. It’s a similar story with residual values; the Citroen’s are good, but the Dacia’s are even better. Both brands offer competitive finance deals,  and in terms of what you get for the cash, they each represent very strong value.

Practicality

The compact dimensions of the C3 Aircross will be a deal breaker - in both ways. For some, the fact that it squeezes seven seats into such a small footprint will be a big draw, but others will see how the larger Jogger puts its size to use. The Citroen’s third row is only suitable for children and boot space is almost non-existent with them in place. The Dacia is a seven seater with space for seven adults plus a decent-sized boot.

Safety

We’ve yet to see how the Citroen performs in Euro NCAP crash tests, but it gets six airbags plus the standard set of assist systems, including autonomous emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition and lane-departure warning. The Jogger was given just one-star by NCAP in 2021, with a lack of driver-assistance tech – including the inability of the AEB system to detect pedestrians – the reason for its low mark.

Ownership

Citroen buyers have largely been content with their cars in recent years, and a 16th place finish (out of 31 makers) in our 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey is above many of the mainstream brands. Dacia is included in that list; it finished 29th overall. When it comes to perceived quality, the Citroen feels less like a budget car inside, due to a more modern-looking cabin and the variety of materials used.

Verdict

Winner: Dacia Jogger

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This test reveals that the Jogger has met its closest match yet – both in terms of concept and overall ability. However, the Dacia still narrowly gets the nod from us. For the same money as the Citroen, it’s more spacious and versatile – the most important considerations for practical seven-seaters such as these. The Citroen shows there is room for improvement for the Jogger – most obviously in terms of long-distance refinement – but low running costs and strong residual values help the Dacia to the overall win in this contest.

Runner up: Citroen C3 Aircross

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The Citroen gives buyers a new option at the cheaper end of the seven-seat market. It comfortably undercuts all rivals but the Dacia on price, so it’s an appealing package overall. For some, the smaller footprint will be a particular draw, but it’s pushing the limits of packaging for a seven-seater, because the third row of seats are small, and the boot is all but non-existent when they’re in use. It’s refined, quicker and feels a little less cheap inside than the Jogger though, so depending on your priorities, it’s still well worth a look.

Prices and specs

What we would choose

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Citroen C3 Aircross

If you don’t need seven seats, then you can save the £765 third-row option, instead getting a roomy five seater. This pushes the second row back to give more kneeroom, and the boot grows to 460 litres.

Dacia Jogger

Dacia offers a range of accessories to make the cabin more practical. The £259 Storage Pack + includes a boot storage box with dividers, vent-mounted smartphone holder and tray tables.

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