We test the most frugal version of the bargain seven-seater, this time on UK roads
STEVE CROPLEY @stvcr
TESTED 15.5.23, HERTFORDSHIRE ON SALE NOW
Of all the cars so far fitted with the Renault Group’s innovative, clutchless Hybrid 140 powertrain, the Dacia Jogger seems the most logical choice. The economy marque’s C-segment seven-seater has been on sale in the UK for a year and is already selling out of its socks – so well priced that 73% of buyers are opting for the top-spec Extreme, with its climate control and shark-fin antenna.
Even so, economy is very much the point of cars in this price band, and this new hybrid slashes petrol consumption by 16% compared with the petrol-only TCe and allows the Jogger to operate in electric mode for up to 80% of its town driving.
Based around a docile, low-tune, non-turbo 1.6-litre engine producing 93bhp, the Hybrid 140 adds the power of two electric motors – one big and one small – to produce a total of 138bhp, which means the car will sprint from 0-62mph in a highly respectable 10.1sec and post a 110mph top speed. The combined fuel economy is 56.5mpg, while its 112g/km CO2 output undercuts that of the turbo petrol by 18g/km.
The hybrid system sounds complex but is impressively logical. The transversely mounted engine drives the front wheels through a four-speed automatic dog ’box, which uses the instant torque of the smaller electric motor (a starter-generator) to fill in the torque gaps so that the gears mesh perfectly and the power progression under acceleration is seamless.
The larger electric traction motor on the other end of the gearbox from the engine contributes drive through its own two-speed gearbox, providing thrust at low speed and on a motorway cruise. A clutch isn’t needed, because the car always pulls away in EV mode. There’s a freewheel that lets the car run at up to 45mph on electric power only, although not for long: the 200V battery has the relatively modest capacity of 1.2kWh.
There’s a price to pay for economy, of course. Our test car, in Expression trim (the entry-level hybrid spec), cost £22,995 instead of £19,595 for the TCe, so the hybrid margin is £3400 – which you can view either as a solid increase over the petrol alternative or an easy-to-swallow extra cost for the most frugal version of a family seven-seater that’s still a bargain. We take the latter view, and Dacia’s people expect about a third of their UK buyers to agree.
The Jogger model range is unchanged, wi
