The second generation of the Dacia Spring is coming onto the market. Technically it largely corresponds to the Renault Twingo - and yet has its own character.
At 17,900 euros, the new Spring in the basic Expression version significantly undercuts the Twingo.
Lisbon. The Renault Twingo E-Tech was six months ahead. Now what is possibly its fiercest competitor is entering the market – and it comes from the same company. The second generation of the Dacia Spring follows the concept that has already put its French brother on the road to success: a cheap, small electric car for the city that, with a low base price, is intended to appeal to everyone who is looking for an electric second car. As well as those who, as a single or couple with a rail card, simply do not need a larger vehicle.
At 17,900 euros, the new Spring in the basic Expression version significantly undercuts the Twingo, namely by over 2,500 euros. The competitive price is made possible by a far-reaching common parts strategy: The small car, which is also produced in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, is technically almost the same as the Renault.
Nevertheless, its developers managed to give it its very own character. For example when it comes to design: While the current Twingo presents itself as a retro-style lifestyle mobile, the Dacia Spring comes across as a sturdy crossover. This clearly distinguishes it from its smaller predecessor, which was still produced in China and looked a bit random.
The new Spring looks larger than the Twingo and it is: six centimeters longer, i.e. 3.86 meters, with the same wheelbase. It fits into the fresh brand image that Dacia has already tested with the Duster, Bigster and Striker - away from a pure budget vehicle and towards an all-rounder with an SUV touch. The smaller steel wheels with a maximum of 16 inches alone disrupt the self-confident appearance, but if you want to, you can install the 18-inch wheels from the Twingo.
The interior presents itself in a practical, utility style. In the basic version, your own smartphone with the Dacia app takes over the entire infotainment. The higher version (and driven here) Journey offers a 10.1-inch touchscreen.
Both equipment informs the driver with a digital 7-inch display, which is of course somewhat lost in the wide recess in front of the steering wheel. Real buttons, large rotary knobs and a switch for quickly muting the warning tones complement the screens, which should be well received by most European customers.
Also that a remote control key is finally available - rather than that a smartphone charging cradle is missing. This is replaced by a wired “YouClip” with Magsafe for iPhones. Basically, these retrofittable brackets for various tasks are a clever idea that Renault has already adopted.
In the interior, the Spring offers more space than comparable combustion engines. This particularly benefits the front seats. There is enough knee room in the rear for two adults to cover shorter distances if necessary, although the floor is a bit high, which is also typical for a battery-powered car. Dacia saves on a sliding rear seat like in the Twingo and justifies this with the greater external length.
The trunk holds at least 325 liters, just enough to hold a medium-sized weekly shop, and there is also a small frunk under the front hood. The materials appear simple but robust. The biggest drawback are the front seats, which are too narrow for passengers of normal height - and too soft for longer tours.
But they're not part of this car's repertoire anyway. Dacia is not marketing the new Spring as a pure city vehicle, but rather locates half of its future buyers in the surrounding area. With its 27.5 kWh battery, the small crossover is definitely suitable for this, and in the realistic mix of city and short cross-country journeys, it's not far from the promised range of 246 kilometers.
As standard, it only charges with 6.6 kW on the AC charger; an 11 kW device costs an additional charge. A maximum of 50 kW direct current flows from the CCS plug. That's enough to charge the small battery from almost empty to 80 percent in 30 minutes: an argument for city dwellers who can't find a socket in their old apartment or at work and go to a fast charger once a week.
With its 60 kW/82 hp, the new Spring is significantly faster than its predecessor. Such a vehicle can be forgiven for the fact that the front wheels scrape across the asphalt when accelerating boldly given the torque that sets in immediately. A top speed of 130 km/h does not make it the highway king.
But in the city, thanks to its powerful acceleration, it shows small and compact cars with gasoline engines how fun driving can be. Not least thanks to its turning circle of just 9.90 meters, it's a lot of fun in the style of a bumper car. Of course without the jostling - it's better not to try out how much the stylish, black plastic bumpers at the front and rear can really take.
Not even when parking, but ultimately the little one easily fits into many a parking space that a larger vehicle needs to be precisely maneuvered into. The rear view camera is a real help here, as is the smooth steering. The chassis tends to be a bit bumpy and some unevenness in the road is passed on to the occupants.
This is unlikely to bother potential buyers. You see a car that is already where most manufacturers still want to be: a harmonious electric car that doesn't cost much - especially after deducting the subsidy - and can be driven for a fraction of the cost of a combustion engine.
According to Dacia's estimates, at least two thirds of buyers will opt for the higher Journey equipment line, which at 19,400 euros is still well below the magical 20k mark.
The duel between the Dacia and the Renault Twingo is definitely exciting. If you want even more choice, you just have to wait until next year - then the Nissan Pixo will be the third city car to arrive.
