THE Dacia Jogger’s practicality has been enhanced by the addition of a disability conversion by Sirus Automotive, claimed to be the only new wheelchair accessible car on sale in the UK and Ireland.
Sirus Automotive has been designing and manufacturing mobility solutions for more than 20 years and this collaboration is an industry first, a family-friendly car-based design that can accommodate up to six people, including one wheelchair passenger. The company said that they selected the Jogger so they could offer customers wheelchair accessibility in a family car at an affordable price. They were impressed with the quality and reliability of the Dacia range, so the Jogger seemed the ideal car, giving a choice of trim levels, which includes the latest driver assistance and infotainment technology.
IN-DEMAND: The new Dacia Jogger has enhanced accessibility
The conversion enables wheelchair access via a lightweight, counterbalanced ramp, and by lowering the floor Sirus has been able to achieve a seated head height of 139cm with the Jogger’s space and generous headroom ensuring a wheelchair user can sit comfortably. The mid-row seats can be folded out of the way to create additional space or left in place so a wheelchair user can sit with other rear-seat passengers.
An anti-slip coating on the ramp ensures safe access even in wet weather, while a variety of wheelchair restraint systems including manual or automated locking and winch-assisted loading are also available.
Just because a person is wheelchair bound doesn’t mean life stops and wheelchair users deserve a car that is nice to drive, flexible, has rear seats and Isofix for child seats. To be able to fit a wheelchair user plus five people in any car is fantastic and the modular roof bars mean owners can put luggage on the roof when wheelchair’s in the back.
All Dacia Jogger trim levels are available for conversion, with the top trims proving the most popular. That means customers can enjoy all the usual Jogger comforts, including the innovative infotainment systems, the advanced driver assistance systems, and the generous standard specification. Despite having launched just a few months ago, Sirus Automotive has already delivered a significant number of conversions to customers. The conversion is fully supported by Dacia with their three-year manufacturer warranty, is PAS Approved and has National Small Series Type Approval. In addition to Dacia’s warranty, Sirus provides a three-year conversion warranty for extra peace of mind.
The new Dacia Jogger Wheelchair Accessible Car is available through the Motability Scheme from £4,495 advance payment, or straight priced from £26,995 (ex-VAT).
Think ahead for that holiday trip
EASTER is just around the corner and many people are beginning to think about road trips, but that road trip could be a disaster without proper planning.
Make lots of lists in advance, then make sure you’ve packed everything you need, that your car’s fit for the journey and, importantly, that everyone is still talking when you get to your destination! Driving long distances can be very tiring, so share the driving duties, and always take 15-minute breaks every two to three hours.
Make sure you have packed all your important documents – driving licence, car insurance, the ‘green card’ needed to drive in the Republic and Europe, a printout of your road tax and MOT, your travel documents (tickets etc), have all important telephone numbers saved in your phone. But do be sure never to have a phone in your hand whilst you’re driving.
Save all your stops in your sat nav before you leave and take a road atlas in case your sat-nav fails. Have a little bag of loose change for tolls and parking and in case of an accident, pack a basic first aid kit, and bring a torch with spare batteries. For your comfort pack sunglasses to reduce glare, hand gel and wet wipes for spills and don’t forget any prescription medication.
Pack a jacket and/or woolly jumper if the weather where you’re going is unpredictable, bring drinking water, mints, gum and some snacks such as bananas, nuts, or granola bars for energy.
Many roads have limited food stop options, so take sandwiches, wraps or rolls to avoid hunger, and no road trip is complete without great music, choose good CDs and some travel games for kids of all ages.
For a smooth and safe journey, it’s important to pack the car safely. Place the heaviest items deep up into the boot behind the back seat with larger lighter items towards the back and never pack items above headrest level. The day before your trip, check oil and coolant levels, tyre pressure and tread depth, lights for bulbs and lenses and top up the washer fluid bottle (doing this the day before will give you time to sort any issues). Don’t take a car on a road trip if it has an existing problem, take it to a qualified mechanic and get it sorted.
Make sure your vehicle is taxed, insured, and MOTd, all valid for the entirety of your trip. And, finally, planning your route will avoid problems further down the road when you’re tired or stressed giving a better chance of everyone arriving safe and happy.
Happy motoring.
Moffett and Hayes take the honours in West Cork
IN West Cork Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes (right) had to dig deep as they defended their West Cork International Rally crown in the 2023 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Moffett was back to his very best, but it was a brave tyre choice on Saturday that got him to the front of a very talented West Cork entry, 18.6 seconds ahead of Meirion Evans and Jonathan Jackson. Robert Barrable and Gordon Noble, who had been languishing in fourth on Saturday, defied a huge time deficit to come through to challenge Moffett for victory in the closing stages. Moffett and Barrable both opted for wet tyres for a loop of stages totalling over 50 kilometres and that decision proved to be right as the heavens opened over Clonakilty and Meirion Evans and Callum Devine struggled for grip on the wrong tyres.
Robert Barrable was taking stage win after stage win, beating Moffett by more than ten seconds on one and thoroughly enjoying the conditions. At one stage he had the gap down to just 6.5 seconds, but Moffett wasn’t for giving up and a win on the last stage opened the gap up to 8.9. And so in the end it was Moffett from Barrable with Evans third, fourth was Calum Devine with Jonny Greer fifth.
In F1, Sergio Pérez recovered from losing the lead at the start of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to pass Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and claim a clinical Grand Prix victory ahead of teammate Max Verstappen who battled his way to second place from 15th on the grid after suffering a driveshaft problem in qualifying. Alonso crossed the line in third but there was disappointment for the Spaniard after the race when it was revealed he and his team had incorrectly served a time penalty during his pit stop.
On lap 37, Verstappen began to report a “weird noise” and suggested to his race engineer that he might be suffering with another driveshaft issue, but on lap 50 Pérez crossed the line to take the fifth win of his career followed by Verstappen, who claimed the point for fastest lap and secured the 79th podium of his career. After Alonso’s penalty, George Russell claimed third, Alonso was fourth, Lewis Hamilton fifth followed by Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Estaban Ocon, Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen, who took the last Championship point in tenth.
