Dacia Reveals Jogger Hybrid 140, It’s the Most Powerful and Efficient Jogger Ever

The French automaker would eventually purchase the Mioveni-based outfit in 1999, and since then, Renault used the Romanian automaker to quench the EU’s growing thirst for low-cost automobiles.

The Jogger is Dacia’s latest all-new model, a budget-oriented car that combines the practicality of a longroof with crossover styling cues that include black plastic cladding around the wheel arches. Back in November 2021, the crosswagon was priced at €14,990 in France for the base trim.

That’s $15,910 at current exchange rates, which is pretty darn reasonable for someone who needs a daily driver with a large trunk. The Jogger is currently rocking a starting price of €16,990 ($18,035), which is getting a bit steep given the list of standard equipment. In addition to the rather lethargic ECO-G 100 that needs 12.3 seconds to reach 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour), you don’t get a touchscreen multimedia system.

The base variant also comes with 5 instead of 7 seats, and the Romanian automaker has the audacity of charging €900 ($955) for manual air conditioning. European vehicles are traditionally more spartan than their American counterparts, but no air con in ‘22 going on ‘23 is inexcusable.

Even so, it’s pretty good value in comparison to similarly-sized vehicles from other carmakers. Value for money explains why the Jogger sold more than 83,000 units to date across the European Union. The Jogger is also certain to become a bit more desirable come 2023 with the launch of the Hybrid 140, the first hybrid offering from the Romanian automaker.

As the name implies, Hybrid 140 refers to the hybrid part of the powertrain and 140 metric ponies, which means 138 brake horsepower. Maximum torque is estimated at 144 Nm (106 pound-feet) for the internal combustion engine, 205 Nm (151 pound-feet) for the traction motor, and 50 Nm (37 pound-feet) for the motor/generator unit. A 1.2-kWh battery pack is featured as well, along with a clutchless multi-mode transmission.

The gearbox is – without a shadow of a doubt – the cleverest element of the Jogger Hybrid 140. Four gears are coupled to the 1.6-liter internal combustion engine, and the other two are designed for electric drive. Thanks to regenerative braking, Dacia estimates all-electric propulsion for 80 percent of urban journeys and up to 40 percent better fuel economy versus an ICE-powered vehicle driven in the same way in the urban cycle.

Rated at 108 grams of CO2 per kilometer, the Jogger Hybrid 140 has a total driving range of more than 900 kilometers (559 miles) on the WLTP combined cycle. The high-voltage battery also comes with a pretty good warranty that covers it for eight years or 160,000 kilometers (100k miles).

The hybrid-assisted crosswagon will be produced at the Dacia plant in Mioveni, and the first units are scheduled to arrive in March 2023. The order bank will be opened in January 2023, and the starting price is €24,600 (make that $26,205) in France for the five-seat Expression grade.