5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE... DACIA SPRING
We’ve been waiting a while, but Dacia’s budget EV is finally on its way to Britain
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IT’S COMING HERE... AT LAST!
After much cajoling, persuasion and a few threats, the Spring is finally coming to our shores. About time too. Launched back in 2021, Dacia says the Spring was the third most sold electric car in 2022 and 2023, and claims more than 140,000 have been registered worldwide since launch. Its arrival marks the first time a right-hand-drive variant has been offered.
IT SHOULD BE SUPER CHEAP
The Spring is billed as “the most affordable new all-electric car in Europe”. We’ll have to wait until mid March to find out the prices and specs available in the UK, but given it starts at just €18,400 over the Channel, it’s expected to be more than reasonable in good old Britain too. Indeed, speculation is it’ll cost well under £18k when it goes on sale here.
IT’S LIGHT AS A FEATHER
How often do you hear us complaining about the weight of EVs on these pages? Not here. The baby electric Dacia tips the scales at just 984kg, and is the only fully electric car in Europe on sale weighing under a tonne. That’s in part due to its teeny 26.8kWh battery, which offers a range of 137 miles – not loads, but plenty for around town.
THERE’LL BE A CHOICE OF MOTORS
Two, to be precise: in addition to the entry level 44bhp motor, the Spring can also be specified with a more powerful 64bhp unit. Pick those jaws up off the floor. Opting for the latter will give drivers what Dacia describes as “spritely acceleration” – and what we describe as 0–62mph in approximately 14 seconds. Hold on to your hats, folks.
IT’S GOT LOADS OF STORAGE
Seats up, the Spring will take 308 litres; seats down, its storage jumps to 1,004 litres. Cubbies all over the cabin add a further 33 litres, and you can opt for a 35-litre frunk too. Better still, the Spring has special Dacia clippy things for your mobile, tins of drink or whatnot (one on the dash, two on the centre console) – sometimes the simplest ideas are the best ones.