Dacia Spring review: the cheapest, most cheerful EV on sale

Introduction

Electric cars are often oversized and too expensive for my taste. That’s why I’m a big fan of this, the Dacia Spring Extreme edition, which can be yours for just £16,995. On an even tighter budget? The Expression model is available from £14,995; the former comes with 65bhp and the latter with 44. There’s an in-the-middle, £15,995 Expression model too, but that’s it. Dacia likes to keep things simple.

While there are obvious compromises to be had from such an affordable EV – which soon become apparent when attempting long distance drives – there’s also a lot to like. It’s tailor-made for town and city use, thanks to its small size, super light steering and impressive turning circle. Spend a little extra on the step-up spec and you get all – or at least most – of the modern necessities, including a natty little infotainment screen and air-conditioning. This could make the perfect electric proposition for both newcomers to the EV space and those looking for a cheap-as-chips second car.

The styling

The Dacia Spring that was previously available in Europe had a very spartan specification. The refreshed car, even at a base level, is a step up – though this is still a seriously dinky car. At a mere 3.7m long and 1.58m wide, it’s purpose built for navigating cramped city streets and even pokier villages out in the sticks. I wouldn’t say it’s lovely to look at, but can be quite cute from some angles. 

Dacia has done a good job dressing up the Spring as best it can whilst keeping the budget firmly in check. The 15in wheels on this Extreme spec look smart, but are still shod with budget LingLong tyres. No matter, as this is not a high-performance machine. Walk around the car and there are some neat practical design touches too, with a charging port hidden behind a door on the front grille.

That grille features the cool new-ish Dacia logo and is sandwiched by some funky headlights. Below that, where the number plate is located, there’s a fancy use of graphics to break up the plethora of black lower bumper plastic. Mixed with the right colour, like Brick Red or Beige Safari, it all works really well. Gold-finished door mirrors, colour-coded door handles and some black accenting complete the side profile. The little car looks quite high-rise from the rear, where there’s a similar trim treatment.

Lift the boot hatch and 308 litres of space is on offer before dropping the back seats. The front ones are quite narrow, fairly small and limited in their adjustment, but they work well enough. Rear legroom isn’t too generous.

The drive

Simplicity is also the watchword when it comes to driving the Dacia Spring. First up, there’s the curiosity value of a proper insertable ignition key, rather than a start/stop button. With the power on, it’s a case of pulling or pushing the toggle shifter to engage drive or reverse. There’s neutral, plus a manual handbrake, but no ‘P’ for park. Push the accelerator pedal and you’re off.

The first thing that stood out for me is just how light the steering is. Getting the car through tight spots is a breeze. Regenerative brakes are also ideal for around town or commuting duties. Get up to speed however, and I think the Dacia Spring feels a little wayward, especially when I got to the heady 70mph or so top speed. Getting there is a sedate adventure too, but that’s to be expected from a small car like this.

The Dacia Spring is, therefore, hard to fault when it’s being used for its main purpose. Getting around town is super easy and quite good fun. Where the novelty wears off a little is if you travel any distance on a more major road. There’s some wind noise around the doors and windows, the body roll and featherlight steering makes for entertaining cornering antics, and the slight tinny-ness of the budget construction means the journey isn’t too refined.

The technology

There’s a less-is-more philosophy going on with the in-car tech. Buy the basic model and there’s not even the luxury of an infotainment screen, so it is worth getting the Extreme edition. The 10in touchscreen works well, with sat-nav that proved reliable. The radio sounded pretty good considering the budget price too. The 7in digital instrument cluster offers a decent amount of trip info and efficiency data.

Aside from that, there is a basic selection of driver aids, which can be easily toggled on and off if audible alerts are your worst nightmare. Parking sensors and a reversing camera make parking manoeuvres even more straightforward, while the likes of cruise control and USB ports make the Dacia Spring seem more of a quality proposition than expected. I’d say this is pretty much all you’ll need to be happy, but the icing on the cake is air conditioning.

Dacia Spring verdict

I think the Dacia Spring is a near-perfect little pocket money EV, just as long as you’re not expecting much in the way of sophistication. It can just about manage 140 miles per charge, so is fine for most folks pootling to the shops and doing the school run each week day. The pre-facelift car’s one-star NCAP rating doesn’t inspire confidence, and even Dacia admits new ADAS kit might not do a lot to change it for the new version – but the little EV does meet all of the standard EU safety requirements.

The small interior is the only thing that simply might not be practical enough for some, especially for larger folks sitting next to each other in those dinky little front seats. As for the back, well, good luck with that, although Dacia is adamant four adults can get in this car. I’m not arguing, and for a short hop I guess that’ll work. If you can live with that, and the tinny feel along with the other compromises outlined above, it still represents cracking value.

Dacia Spring technical specifications

Powertrain	Permanent magnet synchronous electric motor
Battery	26.8kW
Power	64bhp
Torque	83lb ft
0-60mph	13.7sec
Top speed	78mph
Range	140 miles
Charge rate	30kWh
Cargo volume	308 litres

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