O fall 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.
This story is from the May 24, 2023 edition of Autocar UK.
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This story is from the May 24, 2023 edition of Autocar UK.
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