Written by Jake Groves Published: 26 July 2023 Updated: 9 August 2023

Overview

The Dacia Spring is a small electric city car designed to challenge the theory that electric cars are expensive. It’s proven to be a big success across Continental Europe, with a right-hand drive model launching in the UK in the second half of 2024.

Dacia is part of the wider Renault Group, meaning the brand has used as many common parts and existing technology as it can to keep the Spring’s price down, providing those who only need an electric car for short commutes (or indeed, short journeys full stop) with something that fits them.

The Spring competes against other city cars such as the Fiat 500e, Mini Electric, VW e-Up and Renault’s own Zoe, but Dacia says the Spring can trounce some of its closest rivals in other areas besides price, including boot space.

This version of the Spring we’ve tested so far won’t entirely be the one we get in 2024, however. The car is due a facelift that ties in with the right-hand drive model, but Dacia assures us that the differences are only cosmetic.

What’s it like inside?

Calling it cheap would be predictable for a Dacia. The brand has always been about providing you with the essentials and, sometimes, little else. It’s also the reason why the brand can keep its prices down.

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But cheap doesn’t mean it’s unpleasant. While the interior plastics are hard, and the design is simple, the version we will get in the UK isn’t devoid of equipment. There’s an easy-to-use infotainment system which features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and simple to understand instruments. The controls, like the chunky shifter dial for changing between drive and reverse, feels solid, and all of the major things you touch feel solid enough.

The seats, which are upholstered in a neoprene-like material, are comfortable to sit in, but taller drivers may struggle to find the best driving position: the seats are placed high, and there’s no adjustment in the steering wheel.

Given the Spring is city car-sized, the rear space available is limited. If you’re a tall driver, the seat behind will have extremely limited legroom (if any at all), for example. Where Dacia counteracts that, however, is with the boot space available; the Spring features a 290-litre boot, making the space available bigger than that in a Fiat 500e, VW e-Up or even the larger Peugeot e-208.

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Range and charging

Dacia says the Spring is capable of up to 137 miles in mixed driving. During our circa-50-mile test drive, we managed a very efficient 5.4 miles per kWh. We weren’t driving with efficiency in mind, on mixed roads (city streets, motorway stretches and twisty country roads) and yet the Spring managed to be remarkably efficient – almost ensuring it would hit, and perhaps even beat, its claimed 137-mile e-range.

As for charging, Dacia says the Spring takes around 13 hours on a three-pin socket to charge, or around five hours for a 7kW wallbox. There is also DC fast charging available, with the Spring taking a 0-80% charge in under an hour.

What’s it like to drive?

Overall, the Spring is built for ease of use, so most of the way it drives is either inoffensive or pleasant. For lack of a better phrase, the Spring is a happy car to drive.

The steering, for example, is extremely light to the point you could drive it with one finger, complete with a tight turning circle which is a boon for tight city streets and urban driving. And, despite its rather basic recipe, the Spring rides relatively well on the UK’s rough roads. Small wheels and soft suspension help it ride over soft lumps with little intrusion, with only the biggest road blemishes jolting the cabin.

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If you’re looking for a speedy electric car, the Spring isn’t exactly built for that. It’s designed for zipping around at low speeds – as the Spring is particularly sprightly in the 0-30mph range – but we actually found it quite tough to reach the car’s top speed given the modest power output. That’s not necessarily a complaint, though – the Spring shows us that 65hp is perfectly enough for most driving needs.

What models and trims are available?

The Spring will likely feature only one of the two power variants and trims available to buyers in Europe when it reaches the UK: the Electric 65 in Extreme trim, which means a 65hp electric motor driving the front wheels and a 26.8kWh battery pack. There is also an Electric 45 in Essential trim available in Continental Europe, but that’s unlikely to make it here. The Spring Electric 65 is good for a 13.7-second 0-62mph acceleration time and a top speed of 78mph.

Extreme trim will get nature-inspired paint colours, black wheels, copper detailing and neat topographical motifs dotted around. As for equipment, Extreme has a healthy list of kit including the aforementioned infotainment system (which is the same one used in the Duster and Jogger, for example), as well as air conditioning, cruise control and a rear parking camera.

Read on to find out whether we recommend waiting for this budget EV.