Dacia's revamping the Spring, their all-electric hatchback, with a focus on even greater affordability, practicality, and user-friendliness. Here's a breakdown of the key upgrades:
Enhanced Design:
- Modern, Robust Exterior: The 2024 Dacia Spring gets a makeover, sporting a bolder design that aligns with Dacia's latest identity. Think chunky lines, a sculpted hood, and a fresh color palette.
- Completely Revamped Interior: The inside gets a complete overhaul, boasting a new dashboard layout, a customizable digital instrument cluster, and a large central touchscreen (depending on trim). Material quality sees an improvement while maintaining Dacia's value-driven approach.
Improved Performance and Handling:
- More Power for More People: The 65 hp engine, previously exclusive to higher trims, becomes more accessible, offered on both mid-range Expression and top-of-the-line Extreme trims. The 45 hp engine remains for the Essential and Expression trims.
- Enhanced Driving Experience: A new steering wheel, adjustable steering column, retuned electric power steering, and a new B-mode for increased regenerative braking all contribute to a more comfortable and engaging drive.
Unmatched Efficiency and Practicality:
- Still the Most Affordable EV: Dacia stays true to its core value, offering the Spring as the most affordable electric car in Europe, even with the upgrades.
- Leading Boot Space: The 2024 Dacia Spring boasts best-in-class cargo capacity, making it a practical choice for everyday errands and small adventures. Additional clever storage solutions like a bin under the bonnet and YouClip accessory mounts further enhance practicality.
- Lightweight Champion: Careful design choices keep the Spring's weight under a ton, even with the new features. This translates to excellent energy usage, with a WLTP mixed cycle figure of 13.5 kWh/100 km for the 65 hp version.
- Perfectly Calibrated Battery: The 26.8 kWh battery strikes a balance between range (225 km) and affordability, catering to the average daily commute of 37 km. It can be conveniently charged overnight at home using a domestic socket.
Advanced Technology Features:
- Digital Driver's Companion: A customizable digital instrument cluster keeps essential information readily available to the driver.
- Enhanced Connectivity: Depending on the trim, the Spring offers Media Control with basic functionalities or the Media Nav Live system with a larger touchscreen, navigation, smartphone connectivity, and wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.
- Advanced Safety Features: The new Spring comes equipped with a range of ADAS features like emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring, meeting the latest European safety standards.
Additional Highlights:
- Bidirectional Charging: The Extreme trim boasts a "Power to Object" feature, allowing the car's battery to power electrical devices.
- Right-Hand Drive Option: Great news for UK customers, the Spring will be available in right-hand drive for the first time.
- Green NCAP Champion: The Spring's efficiency and low environmental impact were recognized with a top 5-star rating from Green NCAP in 2022.
How does the Dacia Spring stack up against the competition?
Here's a quick comparison table to see how the Spring fares against some of its closest competitors in the affordable electric car segment:
Feature | 2024 Dacia Spring | Fiat 500 Electric | MG 4 EV | Renault Twingo Electric |
---|---|---|---|---|
Starting Price | Most Affordable | €23,500 | €21,995 | €21,400 |
Horsepower | 45 hp (Essential & Expression) / 65 hp (Expression & Extreme) | 87 hp | 120 hp (Standard Range) / 150 hp (Long Range) | 82 hp |
Range (WLTP) | 225 km | 190 km | 234 km (Standard Range) / 350 km (Long Range) | 270 km |
Cargo Capacity | 308 L | 185 L | 277 L | 247 L |
Overall, the new Dacia Spring builds upon the success of its predecessor, offering an even more compelling package for budget-minded EV buyers. It combines affordability with practicality, efficiency, and a touch of modern tech, making it a strong contender in the growing electric car market.