Dacia’s Spring Expression electric car is an affordable solution to going green. Boasting plenty of ground clearance and good range capabilities, the vehicle makes the environment-conscious journey affordable and accessible.
Its tight turning radius makes it easy to navigate in tight city streets.
Features
Dacia Spring has been an impressively successful car since it first hit European roads in 2021. In the UK alone, three quarters of owners use it daily as their main mode of transport; its low price tag and practical features make it an appealing option for those considering going electric but concerned about cost.
At 5.9 inches tall, this car looks like a miniature crossover and offers plenty of ground clearance despite being compact in design. It rides on 14-inch rims shod with skinny 165-section tires on raised suspension for added ground clearance and comfort on uneven roads. Although its cabin may feel cramped at times, two adults can still comfortably fit inside at once; there’s even room for folding down back seats! Furthermore there’s a small trunk but narrow opening and tall lip may make loading large items challenging – therefore this vehicle may not suit everyone or all their luggage requirements!
The battery on the Spring is just under 27 kWh, which gives it an impressively long WLTP range of over 140 miles. Furthermore, it outguns rivals by boasting more power – reaching top speed of 125 km/h (78 mph). Unfortunately, at higher speeds it doesn’t feel particularly refined with plenty of wind noise and engine roar present.
Dacia has also equipped its Spring with several driver assistance features to assist drivers. These features include rear parking sensors and a reversing camera to help navigate tight spaces more easily, along with multifunctional steering wheels and integrated navigation systems, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay compatibility and hands-free phone systems – plus even an eco mode that reduces power output while slowing motor speed while driving in town.
The Dacia Spring offers an affordable way to enter electric vehicle ownership, particularly considering how much cheaper it is than entry-level Renault Zoe or Nissan Leaf models. When combined with government subsidies, one could even cost less than PS10,000! Unfortunately however, Euro NCAP crash tests scored it only one out of five stars due to a lack of advanced safety features.
Design
The Dacia Spring may not be an engineering marvel, but it delivers in its niche market: affordable SUV. Taking existing technologies from more expensive models and adapting them for use at lower price points. Visually it stands out as an SUV due to its raised body, 15 cm/ 5.9 inch of ground clearance and skinny 165-section tires mounted on 14-inch rims; additionally there are features like door rubber plates to protect its doors against scratches or dents when parking tightly in parking spots.
Driving the Spring is a pleasure. The steering is light enough that one finger could almost control it; its small size provides for an incredible turning circle – ideal for zipping into tight parking spots and zipping along city streets.
On the highway, however, the car felt sluggish and underpowered due to a combination of small tires, low weight, and soft suspension – factors which punished aggressive driving while rewarding relaxed drivers. We reached its 78 mph top speed but felt unsafe after reaching that limit due to limited airflow that kept the lane intact.
Another problem with the Dacia Spring is cabin noise levels, which remain quite loud even with radio off. We utilized specialized instruments to measure these levels and found they are mostly generated from vibrations from engine vibrations and wind noise. While still an adequate commuter car, its limitations make long road trips an unrealistic proposition.
Dacia has extensive experience selling electric vehicles to consumers and are experts at offering attractive deals to their customers. At the moment, anyone purchasing a Dacia Spring will be eligible to receive a complimentary rapid charger as well as free home charging for a limited period with the possibility of upgrading to more powerful 7kW wall box charger later on if desired – both offerings making an entry into electric vehicle ownership more cost effective and attractive than ever.
Safety
Dacia has disrupted the new car market with their Logan, Duster and now Spring Electric SUV models, offering practical alternatives to traditional petrol or diesel vehicles with its budget-friendly SUV design, featuring an expandable boot up to 700 liters and various storage compartments – as well as numerous safety features to protect occupants against potential accidents.
The Dacia Spring Electric is powered by an efficient 33kW (equivalent to 44 horsepower) electric motor which produces 125 Nm of immediate torque without the need for gear shifting, offering silent operation. Thanks to its battery capacity, its driving range on the European cycle reaches up to 225 km; more than enough range to cover most urban and peri-urban trips.
Euro NCAP crash tests demonstrated that the Dacia Spring earned one out of five stars in 2021 Euro NCAP tests, as is typically seen among smaller, cheaper cars. Frontal impact scores were extremely low while its lateral and rear impact results rated much lower than those for its four-star rival Fiat 500; it also provided less protection to legs and chests of front-seat occupants than its more expensive rival.
Dacia may assert that adding best-practice avoidance systems to its Jogger would increase its price and make it difficult for customers to afford, yet we believe a few simple improvements could boost it to two stars – such as seat belt warning alarms costing far less than adding autonomous emergency braking to its other models.
Dacia Spring will receive a facelift in 2024 and be made available to right-hand drive users in the UK. In addition to aesthetic changes, this update should bring various improvements related to safety, performance, and entertainment systems – fully compliant with European regulations as well as offering multiple driving modes with more fuel-efficient powertrain and upgraded infotainment system capabilities.
Price
Dacia has created an entirely new price model for electric vehicles. Their Spring Electric model is one of the lowest-priced EVs available; costing under PS14,000. Thanks to eco bonuses it could even be had for less. In Germany the smallest version can be had for under EUR24950 (PS22800). Although more expensive than both VW e-Up and Renault Twingo Electric cost new, with the Dacia offering SUV-inspired styling.
The Dacia Spring’s small footprint and light weight make it an excellent city car, capable of reaching 62mph in 19 seconds thanks to its speedy acceleration. Unfortunately, its soft suspension can feel unsteady at higher speeds causing driver anxiety; furthermore its small tires seem to fight against airflow while driving which may become distracting and annoying over time.
Although a compact vehicle, the Dacia Spring Expression offers comfortable rear passenger space and a large trunk. Unfortunately, however, its opening is narrow with an overly tall lip making loading bulkier items more challenging. Furthermore, there’s only a maximum payload capacity of 330kg which may limit how far this car can travel or carry passengers or equipment around with you.
Driving experience-wise, this compact car is fairly nippy on urban roads; however, due to a lack of power you may have to work harder in order to keep up with traffic. Parking in tight spots won’t pose any difficulty either thanks to rear sensors and reverse camera which assist with parking assistance.
Standard features of this car include a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, manual air conditioning, four electric windows, six airbags with Isofix attachment points and speed limiter – not forgetting Autonomous Emergency Braking as an important safety measure against collisions with pedestrians or other vehicles. AEB provides additional peace of mind.
Although the Dacia Spring offers an economical alternative to more costly models, its interior lacks refinement or comfort. Hard plastics and plain interior design are typical Dacia features – however you do receive plenty of standard equipment at this price point.
