Dacia Jogger review: what the car critics say

Once, if you wanted a seven-seater, you’d have to find at least £30,000 for a VW Touran or Kia Sorento, said The Daily Telegraph. But the new Dacia Jogger comes in at £16,595 in its middle spec; so what’s the catch? Well, it is based on the Sandero, which scored only two out of five on the NCAP safety ratings, with poor chest protection up front, and only “adequate” protection for children. The Jogger is predicted to follow suit.

This MPV-style crossover has some good safety features, though: automatic emergency braking is standard, and there is a blind-spot warning light, said the i news site. It has a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine, but next year a hybrid version will also be on sale – a first for the budget Romanian car brand. It has 24 litres of storage space in cabin compartments and comes in three trim levels.

The Jogger is hugely versatile for the price, and has transformed the seven-seater category, said Auto Express. Unlike in its rivals, even back row seats are big enough for adults, but if you don’t need these, they can be folded away or removed to turn the Jogger into a huge estate. It is light, at just over 1,200kg, and it feels quite nippy on the road. Suspension is soft and there’s a decent amount of roll through corners. UK price: from £14,995.