Never judge an EV by the size of its battery – as the saying goes. Many motorists would turn their nose up at a car that returns a range of just over 200 kilometres from a full tank. Some would even be sent into spiral at the mere thought of ditching their 1,000km-range diesel car for such a thing. But this car isn’t for them. Granted, it’s not for many – but the new Dacia Spring is probably the perfect introduction to an electric car for those living and working in an urban environment.
The Spring has been on sale in Europe since 2021, but only arrived on the right-hand drive market at the end of last year with Ireland and the UK being introduced to a facelifted version. Ireland’s cheapest new car is first and foremost a light and compact vehicle, weighing in at just 975kg. It is every bit as cheap, yet surprisingly cheerful – it’s a hoot to drive in fact.
The Spring is fitted with a 26.8kWh battery pack with a maximum WLTP range of up to 225km, but 200km is a realistic return. Its top speed is 130km/h while 0-100km/h takes two to three business days, but power isn’t the name of the game here. The Spring feels as though it almost forces you to drive in a manner that maximises efficiency. I did make the trek from Dublin to east Roscommon in it, which wasn’t a complete chore and only required one brief charging stop, but the car does thrive around town and in the city. Motorway driving isn’t ideal when you’re pushing less than a tonne.
Options for Irish buyers are simple with the choice of two decent trim levels, Expression and Extreme. The former comes with a choice of the 45hp version with 7kW AC charging or the 65hp version with 7kW AC and 30kW DC charging. The Extreme version comes only with the 65hp motor and AC and DC charging. All versions feature parking sensors, cruise control, air conditioning, electric windows and a host of ADAS features including driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition and speed alert, many of which can be switched off with a simple double-click thanks to MySafety switch.
Looks can definitely be deceiving, as there is plenty of room inside for the driver and again enough for a front passenger. There’s two seats in the rear but truth be told, only children will fit back there. The Spring does have a generous 308-litre boot capacity, which can be extended to over 1,000-litres with the rear seats folded. The range-topping Extreme version includes a sizeable 10.1-inch multimedia screen with built in navigation and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. There’s actually no standard cupholder in the Spring, instead you need to buy of one Dacia’s ‘YouClip’ accessories.
The Dacia Spring is simple, affordable and fun to be in and around. Currently, the Spring can be purchased on a zero per cent interest Hire Purchase plan, with no deposit, or there’s a PCP finance deal which keeps repayments to just €99 per month.
