Dacia may have come a long way since its humble beginnings, but there is a price to pay – or rather not pay – for the cheap build quality and lack of some gear that leads to the affordable cost of owning one. The same goes for the Spring, which is the Romanian brand's first-ever EV.
It's been around for a couple of years, so why talk about it again? The reason is CarWow's Mat Watson, who recently drove one in Paris, France, and as you can assume, there's a lot to not like about this tiny electric vehicle, even if it is in the range-topping Extreme grade as the one tested.
There is not much soundproofing in the Dacia Spring; the metal feels thin, you cannot adjust the steering wheel, you get no cup holders, door bins, and no armrest at the rear, and the list could go on. The poor performance is another drawback, with the entry-level having a 44 hp (45 ps/33 kW) motor that takes it to 60 mph (97 kph) in 19 seconds. The top-of-the-line brings a 64 hp (65 ps/48 kW) motor and takes just under 14 seconds for the sprint.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | CarWow
Both feature a battery pack with a usable capacity of 25 kWh, which, as Watson put it, is way less than you'd get in other affordable EVs. The claimed range is 137 miles (220 km) in the Extreme and 143 miles (230 km) in the lesser grade, and after doing the math after the short drive, you are looking at around 125 miles (200 km) in the real world. There is no fast recharging either, as the quickest connection is 34 kW. Thus, get ready to spend a lot of time at charging stations if you buy one.
But there are not only setbacks if you decide to go for a Dacia Spring. Despite being only 145+ inches (3.7 meters) long, its trunk capacity is bigger than that of an Opel Corsa-e electric supermini. You get stuff such as an infotainment system with smartphone integration, air conditioning, electric windows all around, and a few other things. Thus, the basics for the daily commute are certainly there, including cruise control and a reversing camera.
As for the biggest advantage, it is the starting price. The base one comes from nearly £16,000 (~$20,000) in the United Kingdom, and the upper spec, which is what Watson drove, is nearly £17,000 (~$21,000). That's around half the price of some of its rivals. But should you really go for one if given the chance, or would you be better off with a used EV for similar money? Find out what the journalist said about it in the video embedded below.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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