Dacia Jogger Hybrid Review | Budget seven-seat family car

Read Caroline’s Dacia Jogger Hybrid review for everything you need to know about buying Dacia’s first hybrid car in Ireland.

The Dacia Jogger arrived in Ireland in 2022. It was big news at the time because it was the most affordable seven-seat car on sale in the new car market.

The Sandero and Duster sell in greater numbers, but the Jogger has still managed to establish a presence on Irish roads.

At launch the range was quite limited with just a petrol manual available. Now Dacia Ireland has introduced the brand’s first hybrid car, the Dacia Jogger Hybrid.

It promises more efficiency, more power and if you’re looking for an automatic Jogger, this is the one you will want.

It does cost a bit more to buy than the petrol Jogger. But is still available from just €31,440, which sounds like exceptional good value for such a spacious and practical car.

What’s so special about the Dacia Jogger Hybrid?

Opt for the top of the range Extreme model for just €32,940 and Dacia will add a host of extras such as 16-inch black alloy wheels, copper brown wing mirror caps and numerous equipment features like heated front seats, reversing camera, automatic air conditioning, keyless entry and start, blind spot monitoring and cruise control.

The Jogger is not the sexiest car in the world but its mixture of estate car, MPV and rugged styling cues of a crossover is very functional.

It sits a teeny bit higher off the ground than the average hatchback. Cladding around the wheel arches, skid plates and roof bars give it an adventurous, outdoor look.

It also features LED headlights with Dacia’s signature Y-shaped illumination. It now wears the new Dacia logo, just like the latest Sandero and Duster.

But it’s the sheer amount of space inside the Jogger that makes it special…especially considering the price.

Inside the Dacia Jogger

Just like the petrol version, the Jogger Hybrid offers a lot of space and flexibility. Seven seats across three rows are included as standard. The two seats in the very back can even fit adults in reasonable comfort, with space under the seat in front for feet. They can also be folded down, tumbled forward and even removed altogether.

In the second row, there is seating for three across the bench with a reasonably flat floor removing the competition for legroom. The tall roof also means headroom is generous. There are few amenities but there’s nothing much else to complain about.

Even with the seven seats in place, there is space for a few bags or small suitcases positioned upright. But once the two extra seats are tumbled forward or removed altogether, there is truly van-like amounts of boot space. It is worth noting the boot lid is quite large and can be awkward to open in car parks.

Up front, the Jogger has a solid feeling cabin with plenty of hard plastics for its budget price but softer materials too and nicely finished seats in the Extreme model with brown contrast stitching. There’s a digital speedometer in the driver display and a large touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Tactile dials and buttons are aplenty and it’s generally a cleanly laid out, practical cabin.

The automatic gear selector is a little clunky however and can be awkward when trying to move quickly between forward and reverse.

The Dacia Jogger Extreme is very well-equipped for the money

Driving the Jogger Hybrid

Dacia offers the hybrid in two trim levels – Expression and Extreme. The petrol in the equivalent spec is available from €27,240 vs €31,440 for the hybrid.

So is it worth the extra? Well, the hybrid has a few advantages. With the help of a battery and electric motor, it won’t consume as much fuel as the petrol model. In fact, it’s as low as 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres and not far off that in real world driving. And that’s without any requirement to plug it in and charge it.

With more power (140hp), it doesn’t feel as under pressure either when you want to join a motorway or overtake – though 0-100km/h is still a leisurely enough 10 seconds.

It’s also the only option in the Jogger range if you want an automatic and is easier to get around in as a result.

The drive is still quite soft and wallowy, which means it’s not particularly sharp to drive but it’s comfortable for what it is. Less appealing is the amount of road and wind noise that gets into the cabin, particularly at high speeds on the motorway.

Two extra seats in the Jogger's third row — Two extra seats in the Jogger’s third row

The hybrid system itself is mostly a smooth affair and offer a B mode to increase regenerative braking and an Eco mode to make it most fuel efficient.

The Extreme model also gets an ‘Extended Grip’ mode as standard, which can increase traction when off-road on loose gravel for instance.

Did you like it?

The Jogger Hybrid is not without its foibles but it does offer an incredible amount of car for the money. It’s hugely spacious and versatile, while being a comfortable and pleasant drive.

The hybrid now adds even more efficiency to the mix and is ideal for town and city driving where it can make the most of having a battery and electric motor to run more cleanly.

It’s neither a very sharp or impeccably refined drive but it is good enough and has a charm of its own.

Dacia has come a long way on design, quality and technology, as the new Jogger Hybrid demonstrates very well.