Dacia to shake up EV sector with low-cost Spring electric hatch
Dacia has revealed its all-electric Spring hatchback, set to become the UK’s “most affordable” electric car with expected pricing of around £17,000.
It’s already classed as Europe’s cheapest all-electric car and will shake up the electric vehicle sector over here when it lands later this year following a major revamp.
First launched in continental Europe in 2021, the five-door supermini is a rebadged version of Renault’s China-made K-ZE electric crossover, now significantly revamped in line with the latest Dacia identity. In fact, the only part of the exterior body to remain unchanged is the roof. New features include door panels designed to be light, affordable, easy to install, and easy to replace, while Dacia has also done away with decorative chrome part, along with the roof bars to lower weight and improve range.
The changes also deliver greater convenience and versatility, with the best loading capacity in its segment, according to the brand. Boot space now stands at 308 litres seats up, rising to 1,004 litres with the rear seats down, and cabin space has been boosted to deliver an overall volume of nearly 33 litres.
The powertrain teams up a 65hp electric motor with a 26.8kWh battery, giving an expected WLTP range of some 137 miles – that’s more than sufficient for customers who travel an average of just 23 miles per day, according to research by the brand. Official energy consumption stands at 4.2 miles per kWh.
The interior has also had a major renovation and introduces a brand-new customisable digital dashboard featuring a 7-inch instrument display and central 10-inch multimedia display. It also gets YouClip accessory mounts, revealed recently on the new-gen Duster and enabling drivers to fix accessories such as a tablet stand in specific areas in the passenger compartment.
Equipment includes Media Control, which is a steering wheel-controlled multimedia system with media information and phone calls displayed on the digital instrument panel. It’s standard on Essential and Expression trims and also incorporates two speakers, a Bluetooth connection and a USB port.
The Media Nav Live system – standard on the Extreme trim – comes with a 10-inch central touchscreen that incorporates smart navigation, with real-time traffic conditions and “up-to-date” European maps for up to eight years. It also comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Media Nav Live system also includes two USB ports.
Driver assistance features include an advanced emergency braking system (with vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist and motorcycle detection), traffic sign recognition with speed alert, rear park assist, emergency stop signal, lane change alert, lane keep assist and driver attention warning.
Full UK pricing and specification will be announced on 12 March 2024 when pre-orders open.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.
