Britain has a new cheapest campervan just in time for this summer – and it’s almost half the price of the previous most-affordable camping vehicle.
With ‘staycationing’ becoming far more common since the pandemic restricted overseas travel in 2020, holidaymakers have in recent years been splashing out huge sums on campervans to enjoy vacations a little closer to home.
But Dacia now has a solution that will save thousands of pounds.
That’s because the Romanian budget brand will shortly launch a ‘Sleep Pack’ option for its £17,000 seven-seat Jogger estate that provides a fold-out double bed in the back.
The cheapest campervan in Britain: Dacia has announced a Sleep Pack, which is a 50kg crate that can be installed in the boot of the Jogger family car and folds out into a double mattress. The accessory will cost in the region of £1,200
The Dacia Jogger is already the cheapest seven-seat family car in Britain, with the 2022 newcomer starting from £17,145. At that price tag, it dramatically undercuts rival MPVs
Prices for the Jogger start from £17,145 in the UK, making it by far the most affordable seven-seat family car in showrooms today.
And Dacia has now confirmed it will also become the cheapest campervan with an accessory that will cost around £1,200 when it becomes available in Britain in time for the summer holidays.
While the price of the Sleep Pack hasn’t been rubberstamped for the UK, it will cost €1,400 in France where it launches initially.
Dacia says the new Jogger Sleep Pack ‘turns the Jogger’s spacious interior into a mobile bedroom in minutes’. It will go on sale in France initially but should be available in the UK before the summer holidays
When you want to turn the Jogger from a practical family motor into a camper, owners simply remove the two rearmost seats (pictured left) and in their place install the Sleep Pack unit via the boot compartment
In the morning, the mattress can be quickly folded away into the storage compartment before the occupants set off on their next adventure or head home
The camping pack will only boost the popularity of the new Jogger. Dacia says it sold 2,832 examples in just nine months since its official launch in 2022, resulting in a retail market share of 14.5%
This will ‘turn the Jogger’s spacious interior into a mobile bedroom in minutes,’ the car company declares.
The accessory is a 220-litre transportable storage box that weighs less than 50kg, meaning it can lifted in and out of the back of the family car with reasonable ease.
Our Dacia Jogger review
There’s an age-old saying: you get what you pay for. And in terms of the Dacia Jogger, £17,145 lands you the cheapest seven-seat car in Britain today.
To put its budget-busting price into perspective, the Jogger costs around half the next most-affordable model on sale that can transport as many people at any given time.
It sounds like an incredible deal, doesn’t it? But will its cut-down price mean you get half the car? And can it really be considered as an alternative to a traditional people-carrying multi-purpose vehicle?
We decided to find out by putting the budget-friendly family motor through its paces.
When you want to turn the Jogger from a practical family motor into a camper, owners simply remove the two rearmost seats and in their place install the Sleep Pack unit via the boot compartment.
Once the occupants reach their desired holiday spot, they need to fold the rear backrests forward and fold out the contents of the box.
This takes two minutes and results in a 190cm by 130cm mattress that should comfortably sleep two adults.
With the bed folded out, the Jogger’s relatively high roofline provides around 60cm of vertical space, so there is ample space to move around without clanging your head against the headliner.
In the morning, the pack can be quickly folded away before setting off on another adventure.
The box also provides storage space for sleeping bags and a couple of large rucksacks.
If more sleeping space is needed, a smart tent is also available that can be connected to the Jogger’s open boot door, while blackout blinds for all windows offer some privacy.
The accessory is due to be available to order later this year and can be added to the price of a new Dacia Jogger, or bought from the after-sale accessory pack and added at any time separately.
With the cheapest Jogger costing just over £17,000 and the pack ringing in at around £1,200, the total price for the two-person campervan will start in the region of £18,345.
How does that compare to what’s on the market today?
The current cheapest two-person camper is Volkswagen’s Caddy California, which costs between £32,209 and £38,558 depending on specification.
That means the Jogger and Sleep Pack option is around half the price.
Britain’s most popular new campervan is the larger VW California, which starts at an eye-watering £60,398 – that’s more than three times the price of the Jogger estate, though it does sleep up to four (two adults and two children) and has a built-in kitchen.
The Jogger (left) and Sleep Pack will be the most affordable two-person campervan, starting in the region of £18,345. The current cheapest two-person camper is VW’s Caddy California (right)
Volkswagen’s Caddy California costs between £32,209 and £38,558 in the UK, depending on specification. However, it does have more features, including a pop-up roof and a slide-out cooking area
As you can see from this image, the VW has a more spacious interior and bigger double bed setup, but it will cost twice as much as the Jogger and isn’t as practical for use as a daily family car
Other brands offer camping solutions for the conventional cars with the addition of official roof tent accessories. This Mini example is expensive. At £2,400, it’s twice the price of the Dacia Sleep Pack
The Dacia option also significantly undercuts a number of camping solutions for conventional cars offered by rival brands.
For instance, Mini sells an official roof tent for its Countryman SUV, though these cost a whopping £2,400.
Dacia’s Jogger has recently been named the nation’s ‘Best Large Family Car’ at the UK Car of the Year Awards 2023.
Having arrived in showrooms only last year, the Jogger has already found favour with UK car buyers, the brand says.
Last year, the model recorded 2,832 sales in just nine months since its official launch, resulting in a retail market share of 14.5 per cent.
The result firmly put it in the top three ranking models within its segment.
CARS & MOTORING: ON TEST
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
