Dacia Jogger MPV - Interior & comfort

Though the Dacia Jogger isn’t going to win any awards for interior quality, it’s a notable step up from Dacias of old, and it uses enough soft-touch materials to make it feel pleasant and comfortable. There are some lower-quality plastics used on the door cards, but for such an affordable price it’s to be expected. It also has a pretty smooth ride, helped by relatively small wheels that only transmit the worst bumps into the cabin.

If you don’t like every function of your car being bundled into a touchscreen, the Jogger should serve you well. It takes a more traditional approach with climate dials that are easy to use – and quite frankly it’s all the better for it. Everything is logically positioned, so you certainly won’t take long to acclimatise.

Dacia Jogger dashboard

Dacia’s days of offering deliberate sparseness seem to be behind it. The Jogger’s dashboard feels solidly built, and the variety of materials is far more appealing than the frank black plastic of the old Duster and Sandero.

The Dacia Jogger Essential misses out on a touchscreen, but it does get a phone holder and a USB plug for data transfer. In the holder, you can use Dacia’s own app or third-party ones like Waze for navigation. Expression and Extreme both feature a fixed eight-inch touchscreen, with the same Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone connectivity as much more expensive cars. Some premium brands charge extra for these features, whereas Dacia includes them for free.

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The Hybrid version is only offered in the top two trim levels, and it also gets a unique seven-inch digital dash display, which is a nice feature given the car’s price, but isn’t overly flexible in the information it shows. Expression is also fitted with a set of wheel covers instead of alloy wheels, but these cost less to replace if damaged, and we think they look pretty convincing too. Extreme sees real 16-inch alloy wheels fitted, along with heated front seats, navigation and a traction control system called ‘Extended Grip’ that can help you keep going in slippery conditions.

Equipment

Essential trim kicks off the range and, as the name suggests, it brings some must-have equipment. Rear parking sensors and air conditioning are both included, and you also get automatic LED headlights, cruise control and front fog lights. Tinted windows and body-coloured bumpers make the car look less basic than previous entry-level Dacias. It’s hard to see how all this and seven seats are included for the low price.

Expression looks to be the pick of the range. Besides the aforementioned touchscreen and phone connectivity, you get auto wipers, a reversing camera, climate control and front sensors.

Above that is the Extreme trim, which comes in an exclusive Cedar Green paint scheme with Copper Brown exterior trim finishings and black 16-inch alloy wheels. These models also get a unique topographical pattern on the doors and interior, highlighting the trim’s outdoorsy focus. The interior is also made of Dacia’s MicroCloud material, which the brand describes as velvet-like in appearance, hard-wearing and easy-to-clean. Extreme models also come with the ‘Extended Grip’ feature, which aims to make the Jogger genuinely more capable off-road by tweaking the electronic stability control (ESC) over loose surfaces at the touch of a button on the dashboard.

Options

Giving lots of options to choose from would increase the cost and complexity of Dacia’s production line, so there’s just one to pick: a spare wheel. It’s a little costly at £300, but could be worth adding for peace of mind if you ever get a puncture, though it’s only available on the non-hybrid. Metallic paint costs around £600, which is likely to increase your monthly payments by about £15.

Buyers who want to use their Jogger to explore the great outdoors can also spec an accessory called the ‘Sleep Pack’. This includes a fold-out double bed and 220-litre storage compartment located in the rear of the Jogger. A smart tent can which connects to the Jogger’s open tailgate can also be ordered to make the car even more camping-capable.