Dacia Spring 65 CV review: the cheapest electric car is now more powerful, but still affordable

The Dacia Spring, which was launched two years ago, gets a makeover with an improved and more powerful version of the cheapest electric car on the market.

This new version, called Dacia Spring Extreme, has a power of 65 HP, an increase of 20 HP compared to the old version. In addition, it sports a specific design that makes it even more attractive, while maintaining an affordable price. The release of this new version comes shortly after the Dacia Spring adopted Dacia's new brand image, with its new logo.

The fair price philosophy

Dacia has enjoyed lasting success for several years, not only because of its inexpensive cars, but also because its products meet the needs of a large number of drivers. When it arrived in Europe, Dacia was a low-cost brand, but it has evolved and can now be considered the brand offering fair value for money.

Many drivers are simply looking for a car to get from point A to point B. Their priority is not just a cheap car, but rather a car that meets their needs without having to spend a fortune. Dacia realized this by noticing that its customers were buying more top-of-the-range models than basic versions. It's just about paying for what you get, no more, no less.

In recent years, with the increase in car prices, this clientele has multiplied, since many models seem not to justify their price, or in other words, they are not worth what they cost.

This is the reason why Dacia is experiencing such a surge in popularity and seeing its cars selling so well. The cars in its current range are very different from the basic Sandero sold seven years ago for 7,700 euros. They are much more expensive in all their versions, but they offer a price in line with their characteristics, without neglecting anything, while remaining unpretentious.

An example is the Dacia Spring, which is small and so simple that it would be more accurate to call it basic. It's not very powerful and doesn't offer any luxuries, but it's the electric car that many people have been waiting for for years.

On the one hand, it delivers what it promises, especially if someone is planning to buy it as a second car for the city. Its power of 45 HP is sufficient for all urban and interurban journeys, partly thanks to its light weight of only 1,045 kg.

Its range of 230 km in the WLTP combined cycle makes it practical to use in urban environments for several days without the need for frequent recharging. It is important to note that the majority of drivers make much shorter journeys during a normal day.

Thanks to its compact size (3.73 meters long and 1.58 meters wide), it can be parked easily in any space, while offering a spacious interior for four people and a trunk with a capacity of 270 liters, equivalent to that offered by the Toyota Yaris, which belongs to a higher category.

On the other hand, the popularity of the Dacia Spring is attributable to its great accessibility for many customers (more than 110,000 units sold in Europe since the end of 2021). Indeed, it is the first truly affordable car to be offered on our market. Some customers feel that it meets their needs perfectly without requiring more.

When it arrived in 2021, the car could be bought for 9,550 euros, benefiting from the assistance of the MOVES III plan. However, its price has increased since then, as is the case with all cars, and it now costs at least 13,555 euros with the MOVES III Plan bonus. Despite this, it is still an unbeatable price and, above all, it remains in line with what it offers.

In the spring, the MG4 Electric and the BYD Dolphin were not yet available for purchase. Although both of these cars are more expensive than the Romanian car, they also outperform the Romanian car in many ways, which means they deliver what they promise and come at a reasonable price.

Dacia has not overlooked this situation and has decided to increase the appeal of its electric city cars so as not to compromise sales in the face of competition from Chinese electric compacts. They did this by offering a new version called Extreme, which has a more striking design, specific equipment and a more powerful engine.

The 45 hp Essential variant is still available for sale, however, Dacia is trying to reach the same audience that buys the high-end versions of the Sandero, Jogger and Duster with its new model, the Spring Extreme. This model is aimed at customers who value a fair price and don't want something as basic as the entry level options, but don't need to go all the way up to the MG4 Electric or BYD Dolphin.

The Spring Extreme isn't in a completely different category, but first of all it features a more attractive design. On the outside, it shares copper-coloured details with Dacia's other Extreme finishes, notably on the mirrors, part of the roof bars, the logo on the tyres, the trim under the main headlights and the Dacia logo on the tailgate.

It also features black vinyl accents on the doors and offers four exterior color options: White, which is the only choice available for the Spring Essential at no extra cost, as well as 'Slate Blue', 'Rooster Grey' and the 'Lichen Khaki' (dark green), all with a supplement of 500 euros.

The wheels are still 14-inch steel, but instead of having the classic look of a black steel wheel, they have trim that looks like an alloy wheel. There are no other options available, and the tires fitted are 165/70 R14.

As a result, this car is one of the models with the smallest wheels on the market, and it is also one of the cheapest because each tire costs between 40 and 80 euros, depending on the make and model. For the test, the tires used were Linglong Green-Max HP.

The interior also differs from the Essential version with copper details on the dashboard, air vents and doors, as well as leatherette upholstery with copper stitching (unlike the Essential version which has fabric upholstery) .

In terms of equipment, the Essential has some limitations, such as a lack of a central touchscreen and portability options. On the other hand, the Extreme offers a standard 7-inch touchscreen, connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Bluetooth.

It also includes navigator, light sensor, trip computer, hill start assist, front and rear electric windows, emergency braking, rear parking sensor and camera reversing, electrically adjustable mirrors, an ECO driving mode, air conditioning and folding rear seats.

Mid-2023, this equipment is considered basic, but it meets the needs of a second car mainly used in urban areas. However, I noticed that the trip computer button is located in the middle of the dashboard, which is not convenient to operate. It would have been better to place it on the steering wheel, near the cruise control and voice control buttons.

It is also surprising that the vehicle does not offer any adjustment of the steering wheel, either in height or in depth. Additionally, the height of the front seats cannot be adjusted, making it difficult to find a comfortable driving position. Fortunately, visibility is good in all directions.

In addition, the space in the front is limited in width, which will be immediately noticed by wider people. The rear seats are more suitable for children than adults, but they may be suitable for short trips. However, legroom is very limited, and if the driver is tall, the passenger seated in the back may find themselves with their knees against the backrest, which is both very soft and thin.

As for the Dacia Spring Extreme, its main attraction over the Dacia Spring Essential is its additional 20 HP. Indeed, the new version is equipped with a 65 CV electric motor, while the Essential is satisfied with 45 CV.

The trip computer is managed with the button on the dashboard.

The battery is the same in both versions, with a capacity of 27.4 kWh, using lithium-ion technology. It can be charged with a maximum power of 6.6 kW in alternating current (AC) and a maximum power of 30 kW in direct current (DC).

As far as range is concerned, the 65 CV version has the same weight as the 45 CV version (1,045 kg) and offers a range of 220 km in the combined cycle, which is identical to the less powerful version. However, the difference is in the performance: according to Dacia, the 65 CV version accelerates from 0 to 50 km/h in 3.9 seconds, which makes it 1.9 seconds faster than the 45 CV version.

The improvement at the wheel is very noticeable. Of course, with 65 hp it's not a super-fast car, but its low weight and the instantaneous power of the electric motor allow it to move around town very efficiently. In fact, it's easy to be the fastest when starting at traffic lights, at least until the speed of around 50 km/h is reached.

Urban, in the strict sense of the term

You can take a spare wheel of the same size as the rest.

When it reaches a speed of 70 km/h, the car experiences changes and it becomes more and more difficult to increase its speed, but the difference compared to the 45 CV version remains significant. Dacia claims it can accelerate from 80 km/h to 120 km/h in 13.5 seconds, while the 45 CV version requires 26 seconds to achieve the same acceleration.

In any case, on the road, the car encourages you to relax. Although it can reach up to 130 km/h, which makes it perfectly suited to secondary roads and motorways, its sound insulation is not its strong point. At a speed of 100 km/h, the noise inside is very high, which gives a feeling of higher speed.

What is obvious is that this car is 100% designed for city driving, where it is particularly comfortable. Not only is it nimble at low speeds, but it also has a soft suspension, which makes it very comfortable. In addition, it is very easy to drive thanks to its good maneuverability and its small size.

Fast charging (at 30 kW) is an option that costs 650 euros.

The Spring fills a significant void in today's automotive market due to the growing trend of utility vehicles and urban SUVs becoming larger and larger, which has all but eliminated A-segment cars.

In the past, there was a wide variety of models in this category, and many drivers chose these cars as their second vehicle. The Spring now takes over by offering an alternative to popular cars such as the Toyota Aygo, Citroën C1, Peugeot 108, Seat Mii, Volkswagen Up! and the Skoda Citigo.

Indeed, although all the models mentioned are more expensive, it is now known that all cars cost more than before. The purchase price of the new version, without financing and without any aid, is 20,555 euros (for the 45 CV Essential model). However, with all the aid from the Plan Moves III, this same model is offered at 13,555 euros.

The 65 hp Extreme version starts at 22,705 euros, which represents a difference of 1,650 euros compared to the 45 hp Essential model. The immediate delivery option is available for either model, which is new for Dacia in Spain.

In addition to these two versions, Dacia also offers the Spring Cargo, designed specifically for professionals. This version has no rear seats, is white in color and is only equipped with the 45 hp engine. Its selling price is 20,955 euros.