opinions, first contact and photos

We have the new Dacia Spring in our hands. In fact, we are talking about an in-depth review of the company’s electric and city car. The rework is deep enough to include a new steering column, a new steering wheel and a new steering adjustment.

Dacia wanted to position its Spring as the most interesting electric car for those looking for a car (almost) exclusively for city useIt is very difficult to find rivals in this field that could truly outshine it.

Technical data sheet Dacia Spring

The most interesting affordable electric car

“The best affordable electric car”. During the presentation of Dacia Spring, the company never tired of repeating that it wants to position itself as a brand offering the most for the least money. And the truth is that in the market of small electric cars, this car from Dacia is considered one of the most interesting.

We are not going to find that the Dacia Spring is a very simple car, more typical of the Dacia of a few years ago (that “it does the same as other cars…”) than the one we see now. The Dacia Duster. It is a car designed as mobile deviceclean and solid. No frills, but effective.

According to the company, Dacia Spring has a 10% market share among A-segment cars, including models with combustion engines. We are faced with a segment abandoned by manufacturers due to its low prices and profitability, which has been shrinking over the years as pollution and safety requirements become more stringent.

To keep everything within logical price parameters, the Dacia Spring is equipped with two very simple mechanics. There is a 45 hp and 65 hp option, but the battery remains at about the same level very short 26.8 kWh. Is it enough? Dacia says yes. According to their data, the average European citizen who owns an electric car drives about 37 kilometers daily, divided into four trips. 75% of them charge the car at home. In the WLTP cycle, the electric range is 225 km.

Why do we want more if we expect the Dacia Spring to be a second car in the house? The charge is limited to 7 kW in AC and 30 kW in DC, but because the battery is so small, we can charge it from 20 to 80% in 45 minutes.

The idea remains in inside this spring. The car is a hard plastic assembly with a large cargo space (up to 33 liters inside, which in total is 288 liters of trunk). The steering wheel is now height adjustable, and the buttons have a pleasant tactile feel. Better than other internal adjustments, for example, the part where the gearbox control unit is installed.

Also located below the central screen are the essential physical controls for the air conditioning, windows, and a button to activate the ADAS personalization mode, so you can turn off the speed warning sound with a single touch.

The instrument panel now looks like this screen Color seven inches and the central touch and 10 inches. The menus, without testing them more deeply, are well distributed, easy to use, and access to various actions is carried out by pressing large buttons. Navigation between menus is devoid of visual excesses, but the smoothness is good, the waiting time is not observed.

However, the rear view camera is fully compliant. The European Union requires it in the current equipment packages, and Dacia is limited to offering it, although the image quality leaves much to be desired. Since it could not be otherwise, we have emergency braking, fatigue detection or lane keeping. Even if the company itself does not like it, there is no other way.

Moving, Dacia Spring lives up to expectations. It is a vehicle for urban mobility, capable of safely moving on the highway or freeway. That is, without leaving the feeling that you have been sold to the rest of the traffic. In the 65 hp version this is achieved, and the car moves easily enough to enter the road with minimal safety, and in the city – with the expected maneuverability.

As you might expect, this is where it works best. On the road, at speeds above 110 km/h, aerodynamic noise increases and ride comfort decreases. In the city, where we are going to ignore this, ease of maneuvering and the ability to navigate traffic jams should prevail. Here, the Dacia Spring meets the requirements, with steering that can be operated with one hand.

The question remains whether 45 hp is enough to move the most basic version, which also does not have a central touch screen and relies entirely on a mobile phone (with an adapter for installing it included).

However, in Dacia, there is no need to worry too much about this. Between the version with a 45 hp engine and the version with a 65 hp engine, the difference is only a thousand euros. The same distance between the “base” 65 and the top one, which adds compatibility with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, as well as many aesthetic exterior details, such as specific bumpers or the Spring inscription on the rear pillar.

What money are we talking about? The base model Dacia Spring (45 hp) will go on sale from 17,890 eurosFor 18,890 euros, the mechanical power is increased to 65 hp, and now for 19,890 euros we also have the aforementioned aesthetic and communication trinkets.

All this, of course, entails the receipt of the MOVES III plan and therefore a deduction of another 7,000 euros from the purchase. It also helps that Dacia is moving forward, because the terms of its receipt are 18 months or more. And to which tax benefits can be added to the income tax return.

Given all of the above, you can find a Dacia Spring for less than €10,000. And it won’t be hard to find one for less than €15,000. If the concept is good enough (an electric second car for city driving), then the offer is very hard to match.

Photos | Hataka

In Hataka | Dacia Duster, first impressions: it’s no longer the cheapest SUV, but it’s hard to give more for less