Read Caroline’s Dacia Spring review for everything you need to know about Dacia’s new electric city car.
The Dacia Spring first came to market in Europe in 2021, with over 150,000 registered since then. This year it’s available in Ireland for the very first time, coinciding with Dacia now manufacturing it in right hand drive.
The Spring was Dacia’s first ever electric vehicle and joins the range alongside the bestselling Sandero, Duster, Jogger and soon to arrive Bigster.
Its arrival has been eagerly anticipated thanks to a promising sticker price from just €16,990, making it the most affordable electric car on sale…indeed any car. The Spring is all about simplicity and affordability so is it a good option if you’re looking for a small electric car?
Let’s take a closer look.
Design
The Spring has a cheeky, robust look to it, emphasised by high ground clearance and lashings of protective cladding. It gets the new face of the Dacia brand with Y-shaped lighting at the front and rear, and LED daytime running lights come as standard.
There are two versions for Ireland, the Expression and the Extreme, the latter which is the most bling of the range with copper coloured wing mirror caps, black finished 15-inch steel wheels and ‘urban-inspired’ front and rear bumpers with mesmerising decals.
At just 3.7 metres, it is a perfect size for parking in tight spaces or traversing narrow city streets and country lanes.
There are six colours to choose from: Brick Red, Safari Beige, Lightning Grey, Khaki Green, Stonewash Blue and Polar White. The Expression 45hp comes with 14-inch steel wheels and 15-inch steel wheels on the 65hp version.
Dacia Spring Interior
For a budget car, the Spring does a good job of feeling well-equipped, particularly if you’re willing to fork out a little bit extra to get the Extreme model that comes with a parking camera and 10-inch touchscreen with navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. The Extreme also has more copper detail inside, as well as sturdy, rubber floor mats, and door sills with unique ‘topographic lines’ design.
Even the entry Expression model gets a 7-inch digital driver display that’s customisable but there’s no touchscreen. However, you can connect your phone to the free Dacia Media Control app and control media and calls that way. Other standard features include cruise control, steering wheel mounted controls, central locking with remote control, electric front windows, rear parking sensors, 12V socket, USB port and manual air conditioning.
There’s also a short stubby gear selector and a manual handbrake. Starting the ‘ignition’ with a key is quite a quaint feature these days!
There are plenty of hard plastics about the cabin but they don’t feel out of place. Harder to ignore is the flimsy feeling to the closing of the doors and boot. The cabin space is rather tight up front and there’s no height adjustment for the driver’s seat. The steering wheel can only be adjusted for height, not reach.
Driver assistance features used to be sparse on Dacias but even the Spring now comes with emergency braking, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, rear park assist, emergency stop signal, lane change alert, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, and emergency call.
Practicality
The Spring has a 308-litre boot, which is not bad for a city car and larger than what you will find in the back of a Fiat 500e. You can also let down the rear seat in one complete piece. There’s also the option to have a storage tray fitted under the bonnet.
Space in the back is very tight, with not much legroom at all, even behind an average-sized adult.
What is the range of the Dacia Spring?
The Spring comes with a 26.8kWh lithium-ion battery and is available with either 45hp or 65hp motor driving the front wheels. The range is officially up to 225 kilometres (WLTP). When the battery was fully charged ‘in real life’, it displayed about 190 kilometres.
It’s very efficient however, owing to its lightweight design. My average consumption over a week of driving was just 10.2 kWh per 100 kilometres.
Driving the Dacia Spring
The Spring is light by design, weighing less than one tonne, and is available with 45hp or 65hp. I tested the 65hp version and while it can feel slow when joining a motorway, otherwise it’s sprightly enough around town and responsive to drive. You can select the B mode from the tiny gear selector between the two front seats and that will increase the strength of regenerative braking.
The wheels are tiny, the steering is light, a combination that would put you off cornering at any great speed. But driven at a more sedate pace and it’s not such an issue.
However as you pick up speed, for example out of town or even if you’re brave enough for a motorway stint, things start to unravel quickly. The ride quality is choppy and harsh, even going over ramps in town. It also gets uncomfortably loud in the cabin at high speeds.
Charging
The Spring is designed for the city but should you find yourself taking a longer trip out of town, the Spring can support CCS charging at a modest 30kW. Though that’s only if you opt for the more expensive Extreme trim. It’s going to take about 45 minutes to get from 20-80%, so be prepared to wait.
Home charging is likely to be the most popular option for the Spring. With a 7kW wallbox installed, it’s possible to charge the Spring to full in just under 5 hours or in 13.5 hours from a three point socket.
Extreme comes with access to the Dacia app to schedule charging or activate cabin pre-heating/air con remotely. Vehicle to load charging is also possible whereby you can power other devices from the charge socket with a special adaptor.
How much is the Dacia Spring in Ireland?
The Spring is available from €16,990 with the 45hp motor in Expression trim. Opt for the same version with the 65hp motor, and the price is €18,790. The Extreme 65hp is available from €19,990.
Verdict
The Dacia Spring’s arrival has been eagerly anticipated as demand has increased for electric cars without prohibitive sticker prices. Now it’s here, perhaps a little bit on the late side. It no longer has this market to itself because of the likes of the new Hyundai Inster and Citroen E-C3.
For Dacia in Ireland, it’s a big milestone as its first electric car to market. Its biggest competition may come internally from the Sandero supermini, which has become a real hit on the Irish market and is priced in the region of the Spring 65hp.
The Spring has lots of character and attitude, but it’s not without compromises when it comes to the range, charging, passenger space, but also the comfort it can offer driver and passengers.
Undoubtedly a milestone car that’s not the panacea of small electric cars but likable in its own way.
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Written by Caroline Kidd
Founder and Editor of Changing Lanes, Juror for Irish Car of the Year
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