Dacia Jogger - Engines, performance and drive

The Jogger sits on a version of the familiar Renault-Nissan CMF-B platform that also forms the basis of the smaller Sandero and Renault Clio. Some of this nimble, supermini character is evident once behind the wheel, as it doesn’t feel too daunting to pilot around town or in more built up areas – not something that can be said about a lot of seven-seat family cars. The steering isn’t too heavy and everything feels easy to control.

At just 1,200kg, the Jogger is a lightweight in the seven-seater market. The big, bloated SUVs that offer the same flexibility for carrying more passengers are all around 600-700kg heavier, and you often feel every kilo – particularly at lower speeds. In contrast, the Jogger feels more agile and manoeuvrable.

With its 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine delivering just 108bhp, the regular Jogger isn’t a particularly quick car, but its 200Nm of torque delivered low down the rev range means it gets off the line rapidly enough and can hold its own around town.

Taking the seven-seater up to higher speeds on the motorway doesn’t overly affect refinement levels, with the only noticeable intrusion being increased wind noise from around the door mirrors. The six-speed manual gearbox that comes as standard with the 1.0-litre model works well, and gives the Jogger decent cruising ability.

The Jogger Hybrid 140 is comfortable and its steering is light but pleasingly consistent, just like the regular Jogger. It's at its best in town as you always pull away in EV mode, and the electric motors provide enough power to drive smoothly and quietly at lower speeds. The electrified seven-seater also features a 'B' mode that increases regenerative braking when you lift off the throttle, and helps keep the small 1.2kWh battery topped up. 

If the battery does start running low on juice, or you go beyond 43mph, the impressive silence of the Jogger Hybrid in EV mode is interrupted by the 1.6-litre petrol engine kicking in. There's no perceivable judder as the system juggles petrol and electric power, but there is a noticeable drone from under the bonnet.

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0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The petrol Jogger is able to accelerate from 0-62mph in 11.2 seconds, which is reasonable enough, although when fully laden, you might find this time a little optimistic. Other seven-seat models such as the Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq are able to post 0-62mph times of well under 10 seconds, but the obvious question here is how much you’re willing to pay for that extra oomph. Meanwhile the 138bhp Jogger Hybrid 140 offers a little extra performance; 0-62mph takes 10.1 seconds, with its extra slug of torque helping it along.