We recently joined the good people from Dacia to learn a little more about the new Extreme trim level that will be rolled out across all models and an innovative Sleep Pack, which buyers of the Jogger 7-seater can now specify. Lets kick off with the Extreme trim level for the Sandero Stepway, Duster and Jogger. What exactly do you get, and how will it differ? Well aesthetically the Cedar Green paint with Copper Brown detailing on the door mirrors, wheel centre caps, and the Dacia logo on the tailgate certainly make it striking to look at. Dacia are keen to tap into the appeal of the great outdoors and the rugged look that people expect of a vehicle that spend time with nature.
Inside a new MicroCloud fabric material on the seats is soft to the touch, shower resistant and easy-to-clean making it less of an issue when you drag in mud on your next adventure. Aside from the seats this MicroCloud fabric material continues on the door cards and dash. Speaking of the dash, the Copper Brown theme has made its way into the cab on the air vents and door panels, which looks pretty slick. Chunky rubber floor mats offer excellent grip and are suitably easy to clean with the rinse of a hose. This combination of function and go anywhere looks make the Extreme trim level vehicles an interesting proposition but is it all show with little capability when the going does get tough? Well not exactly…
We are familiar the Duster in all wheel drive specification and how capable it is. With short overhangs and not a lot of weight, there are few places the Duster 4×4 won’t take you. With the Extreme trim it now has looks to match the off road prowess but if you don’t think you will be using the vehicle off road, you can still opt for the Extreme trim level on the front wheel drive variant. This we are not entirely sure about given the fact it’s akin to having a bag of toffees and no teeth to eat them! What about the front wheel drive Sandero Stepway or the Jogger we hear you ask? Well, this is where Dacia have gotten clever and added something called Extended Grip. Nope it doesn’t send power to the rear wheels but it adapts how the ESP and ASR work so the front wheels can rotate more freely and find better grip under loose surfaces. This is controlled via a twist button for the suitable terrain in the centre console. It’s a clever system that helps keep the vehicle cost down but still get you out of that tricky situation should you need it.
Finally lets touch on the new Sleep Pack and how it can transform your 7-seater Jogger into a home away from home. This innovative Sleep Pack consists of a wooden box, made to fit inside the Jogger’s boot, which unfolds in minutes into a double bed with mattress. The mattress covers the entire rear section of the car, from the back of the front seats, over the folded-down second row bench seat and out over the tailgate. Measuring 190cm long, up to 130 cm wide, with a roof clearance of minimum 60 cm you can easily get two adults or a couple of teenagers in for a snooze. If your family is slightly larger, fear not because an outdoor tent can also be added that connects to the back of the Jogger for an even more spacious accommodation. The car can easily detach from the tent and still be used to explore each day. It is worth noting the tent and black out blinds are optional add-on’s to the Sleep Pack box that costs a shade under €1900.
So now that we are talking figures lets look at pricing across each variant. Buyers for the Sandero Stepway Extreme TCe 90 can expect to pay €22,340 whilst Jogger Extreme entry prices kick off at €28,440 for the 5-seater TCe 110. Those keen on an all wheel drive Duster Extreme dCi 115 will pay €32,340 but entry into the two wheel drive TCe 90 will be €27,390..As always various PCP and lease offerings are currently available but the big question is, are you extreme enough to own one of these new models? We believe they will be a huge hit on Irish roads because Dacia’s Irish popularity has been phenomenal with sales up over 120% year to date. They continue to attract value-conscious customers with Duster sales up 94% and Sandero the second best-selling car in its segment. Believe it or not over 33,000 Dacia vehicles have now been sold in Ireland since entry into the Irish market back in 2013 and we have a feeling the new Extreme trim levels will bring more sales!
