The Seven-Seat Dacia Jogger Runs Up A 1-Star Euro NCAP Rating

It looks like a rough day at Dacia HQ and for those responsible for the safety of the Jogger MPV, as the budget brand’s latest model has received a concerning 1-star safety rating out of a possible five from independent safety experts Euro NCAP.

The Jogger, which shares its platform with the Dacia Sandero Stepway but can seat up to seven people, received a 41% score for vulnerable road user protection and 39% for its safety assist functions. Factors that influenced the score include the lack of a seatbelt reminder for its rear seats and an insufficiently protective side-curtain airbag.

On the Jogger’s poor results, Matthew Avery, Thatcham Research’s chief research strategy officer, said: “In this case, not only is the Dacia Jogger lacking the active safety features that buyers expect as standard, but even some of its basic passive safety features aren’t up to the industry standard set by the vast majority of car makers”.

Renault-owned Dacia was quick to respond, stating, “At Dacia, we take the safety of our customers extremely seriously”. However, they were also keen to reiterate that they don’t “chase Euro NCAP stars”, which is clear to see based on the performance of the Jogger. Dacia told Autocar the brand doesn’t implement features “that customers don’t want to use and/or pay for”.

Dacia isn’t the first manufacturer to suffer poor results following Euro NCAP’s increasingly stringent tests, as the Renault Zoe and Suzuki Baleno received an even more concerning zero-star safety rating. You’d hope that these multi-billion dollar car manufacturers would build safety into their cars as a priority, though the Euro NCAP tests suggest otherwise.

So, what do you think of the Dacia Jogger’s 1-star Euro NCAP rating? Would you still consider buying it now its safety score has been revealed?