The Ram 1500 TRX is a Hellcat-engined pickup that easily exceeds the automaker’s claim for acceleration to 60 miles per hour. The Dacia Jogger, on the other hand, is a three-cylinder econowagon that few thought it could outperform the 11.2 seconds quoted to 100 kilometers per hour.
On public roads and in less-than-ideal weather conditions, the seven-seat family car posted a 10.86-second run to 60 miles per hour. That’s 97 kilometers per hour in the metric system, and looking at the bigger picture, that’s nothing to write home about. Fill ‘er up with kids and luggage, and the Jogger is going to struggle on every single overtake at highway speeds.
“The increase in speed you get when you floor this car in sixth gear is about as discernable as the hour hand on a clock,” said Mat Watson of carwow. Trashing the small-displacement engine isn’t particularly economical, but on the other hand, European automakers love three-cylinder turbos. Cheaper to manufacture than four-pot mills, this engine architecture usually emits fewer grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer in the so-called WLTP.
Since September 2018, the European Union has required passenger cars to be approved under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure that replaced the very unrealistic New European Driving Cycle. Although it’s a huge improvement over NEDC, WLTP still is a little bit optimistic compared to the Environmental Protection Agency’s fuel economy testing procedure.
Take, for instance, the Ford Mustang GT Fastback with the 5.0-liter V8 and six-speed manual transmission. Detuned to 450 ps (444 horsepower) in Europe, this lump drinks 11.8 liters per 100 kilometers (19.9 miles per gallon). Over in the United States, the Coyote cranks out 450 horsepower (456 ps) and averages 18 miles per gallon (13.1 liters per 100 kilometers).
Only available with three-row seating in the United Kingdom, where Mat Watson and carwow are based, the Jogger is the most affordable seven-seat car on sale right now. Pricing starts at £15,345 for the Essential trim level, which is $18,950 at current exchange rates. The range-topping Extreme SE featured in this review starts at 17,745 pounds sterling or 21,905 dollars.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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