Dacia Jogger review - Interior, design and technology
Decent levels of kit and a functional cabin mean the Dacia Jogger should be a hit with families
Dacia’s design approach for the Jogger certainly makes a case for form following function. The exterior doesn’t offer the swooping lines or intricate detailing often seen on more expensive rivals, while if you’re in the market for the more imposing style of a full-blown, seven-seater SUV you’ll perhaps be better off exploring the competition from manufacturers such as Hyundai, Kia and Skoda.
The Jogger's overall look is a bit of a mixed bag; picture a budget version of a higher-riding estate like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack or the Audi A4 Allroad and you’ll start to get the idea, while the Jogger’s rear-end takes on a bland, MPV-like appearance. Some black body cladding around the wheel arches and a fake front skidplate do their best to encourage a sense of robustness.
It’s inside where the Jogger really shines, however. Space inside the cabin is excellent, while the dash layout is practical and user-friendly with rotary controls for the heating and ventilation functions instead of an awkward touchscreen system.
The cabin trim is a little dark, but Dacia has attempted to soften things up a little with fabric inserts across the top of the dashboard and on the front door armrests, while the large glasshouse means it shouldn’t feel too oppressive for passengers - even in the rearmost seats.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Dacia’s infotainment set-up gives buyers a reason to move from one trim to the next. The base model encourages the use of a smartphone, combining a Dacia app with a dashboard mount, while the top-spec model gets full touchscreen infotainment with integrated sat-nav.
Comfort trim sits between the two, and is all you really need because it comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can just plug your phone in and access your own apps. Dacia’s software is basic, but it works fine. The home page is split into six icons that let you access the key functions. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done.
One criticism we have is that the screen doesn’t automatically adjust for brightness. It needs to be turned up to be legible during the day, but it’s oppressively bright at night, so you need to dig into a sub menu and change it every time.
Another minor gripe is the location of the USB socket on the dash. It’s mounted high to go with the cradle in base models, but that means it’s in an awkward position in higher-spec cars.
