Dacia Jogger hybrid

FIRST UK DRIVE How does Jogger Hybrid fare on our roads?

- John Mcllroy

DACIA isn't about to rush electrification. But where it's feasible, it can happen and that's the case with this Jogger Hybrid.

We were impressed with the efficiency-focused model when we tried it in Portugal earlier this year. Now it's time to see how its mix of seven-seat practicality with a 1.6-litre petrol engine, a pair of electric motors and a 1.2kWh battery fares on British roads.

The powertrain is a familiar one from Renault, but it still adds a whack onto the bill; this model costs from £22,595. That's expensive by Jogger standards - the range starts from £18,295 - but enough to put this version pretty much into a class of one.

Dacia claims that the new arrival can run in pure-electric mode at speeds of up to 43mph, and that if you're driving in town, it'll settle for EV power up to 80 per cent of the time. There's an automatic gearbox, of course, and Dacia says the extra efficiency brings an official fuel-consumption figure of 56.5mpg and 112g/km of CO₂ emissions.