Dacia Spring driven: Britain’s cheapest car grows up thanks to Twingo underpinnings
Dacia is in the throes of taking its electric offensive to the next level, once again demonstrating its knack for practical, accessible solutions.
Having sold more than 210,000 examples of the original Spring EV since 2021, the Romanian subsidiary of the Renault Group is now upgrading its game with this, the second-generation model.
The new car has been developed in less than two years, alongside the Renault Twingo and Nissan Pixo, by a dedicated team that gathered in Shanghai for this purpose, and it will be built alongside its group siblings in Slovenia.
That means it avoids the EU tariffs that the old Spring was hit with but is also more expensive to build. Still, it will still undercut the Twingo by some margin to remain one of the cheapest cars on sale.
UK prices haven’t been confirmed yet, pending a decision on how much of the EV government grant the Spring will receive, but, based on the European prices it will be some £1700 cheaper than the Renault.
Compared with the spindly old Spring, this new one is a much more substantial car. By switching to the Renault Group’s new RG-EV platform for small cars, it not only gains a modern electric architecture but also boasts a much more assured road stance. At 3855mm in length and 1722mm across the body, and with a 2492mm wheelbase, it has grown substantially in all directions except height.
The interior has changed just as significantly, and its kinship with the Twingo is even more apparent here because the dashboard is almost identical. It is similarly made from hard plastic, albeit without the Twingo’s cheery colours. Base versions in particular are more stripped-down, though, because the cheapest trim doesn’t get a central screen.
Fancier versions do feature a 10.1in touchscreen, albeit without the integrated Google services you will find in Renaults.
Thankfully, Dacia doesn’t believe in cutting costs by getting rid of all the buttons, because the Spring still gives you solid physical dials and buttons to operate the ventilation system, along with the much-loved ‘My Safety’ button that lets you turn off the various driver-assistance systems with ease.
Given the larger exterior dimensions, it’s no surprise that the interior offers substantially more space. Shoulder room has benefited the most, rising from 117cm to 139cm in the first row and from 114cm to 132cm in the rear, according to my measurements.
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