Overnight, the 2024 Dacia Spring has been revealed as a heavily facelifted version of Europe’s cheapest electric car to battle the new Citroen e-C3. Dacia, Renault’s cheap and cheerful Romanian branch, has recently overhauled its lineup with a modern new look and the Spring is the latest interpretation of it. Launching from €16,800 in Europe – currently around AU$28,000, or around $11,000 less expensive than the current cheapest EVs on sale in Australia like the MG 4 – the new Spring will be offered in two forms with up to 220km of range on the WLTP cycle.
According to Dacia, “Dacia’s first all-electric model, Spring has made zero-emission mobility accessible to a wide customer base wherever it is sold. First launched in 2021, it was the third most sold electric car to individuals in 2022 and 2023. In total, more than 140,000 Dacia Springs have been registered worldwide since its launch.”
“Spring has received many awards. Its energy efficiency and carbon footprint were particularly praised in 2022 when it was given the maximum 5-star rating from the independent European organisation Green NCAP”
Based on Renault’s ‘CMFA-EV’ platform that also underpins a similar product called the City-ZE underneath the Renault brand, the 2024 Dacia Spring features a 26.8kWh battery that gives up to 220km of range and a light weight of just 984kg in top-spec Extreme form. According to Dacia, 75 per cent of previous shape Spring owners cover less than 37km of daily travel at an average speed of 37km/h, making the Spring’s range and performance perfect for its audience. According to Dacia, the Spring is capable of energy consumption of below 14.6kWh/100km.
The Spring can charge at up to 11kW on an AC charger for a 20 to 80 per cent charge on a household socket in under 11 hours or four hours on a 7kW charger – while 30kW DC fast charging is available as an option for a 20 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 45 minutes. The Spring’s battery feeds either 33kW or 48kW motors driving the front wheels only, with the more powerful model capable of hitting 100km/h in 13.7 seconds – a full six seconds quicker than the lesser-powered model.
Inside the 2024 Dacia Spring is a far more modern and characterful dashboard than the previous Spring. Centre of the dashboard in the top spec Extreme and optional on the mid-spec Expression is a 10-inch touchscreen from the larger Duster, and it features live services, over-the-air updates and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring. A 7.0-inch digital screen features across the range.
According to Dacia, the Spring’s white interior colour accents “help create a fresh atmosphere” and lift up the cabin ambience. The Spring also features the company’s ‘YouClip’ accessory mounts, which are located all over the cabin and accessories that fit them can be bought through Dacia dealerships. The top-spec Spring Extreme also features rubber floor mats and door sills with its own topographic design.
Measuring 3.7 metres long, the 2024 Dacia Spring is around 15cm longer than a Kia Picanto, and now features a 308-litre boot that expands to 1,004L with the rear seat folded. There are also a lot of interior storage options that provide another 33L of interior storage space, while there’s also a 35L frunk under the bonnet.
The 2024 Dacia Spring also features a lot of active driver assistance features across the range, including auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist detection, auto lights and wipers, traffic sign recognition with speed alert, lane change assist, lane keep assist, driver attention monitoring, rear parking sensors and emergency calling.
In Europe, three models will be on offer: Essential, Expression and Extreme. The Essential includes equipment like the 7.0-inch digital driver’s display, a height-adjustable steering wheel, power steering, a touchscreen with a USB port, a speed limiter, cruise control, remote central locking and front power windows.
The mid-spec Expression adds manual air-conditioning and 15-inch wheels (if paired to the 48kW drivetrain). Finally, the Extreme adds copper exterior and interior finishes, rear power windows, power mirrors, a larger 10-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two USB ports and bi-directional charging functionality.
The 2024 Dacia Spring is unlikely to ever come to Australia, but do you think it would sell here? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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