Dacia, a brand under Renault, has introduced the second-generation Spring, an A-segment electric vehicle built on the RG-EV platform that is priced from EUR17,900 (about RM85k) in Europe.
Compared to its predecessor, the all-new Spring is a larger vehicle that measures 3,850 mm long (+150 mm), 1,740 mm wide (+180 mm) and 1,520 mm tall (+31 mm), while weighing from just 1,212 kg. The wheelbase has grown to 2,492 mm (+69 mm) too, which means the four-seat interior is roomier than before.
Boot space is also up by 29 litres to 337 litres, and the upgrade to a 50:50 split-folding rear bench enables up to 1,283 litres, itself an increase from the older model’s 1,004 litres. Dacia also offers a frunk as an optional add-on for a further 18 litres, and the car ships as standard with up to three YouClip mounting points.
These work with a range of accessories that the carmaker sells, including a smartphone cable organiser, a glasses case, a foldable shopping bag, a three-in-one device combining a cup holder, a bag hook and a portable torch, and more. In addition to the YouClip attachments, a range of modular accessories are also part of the options catalogue.
As for the powertrain, it too is improved from the outgoing model. The latest Spring features a front electric motor rated at 82 PS (80 hp or 60 kW) and 175 Nm of torque, both exceeding the previous car’s 45 PS (44 hp or 33 kW) and 125 Nm. Despite this, the 0-100 km/h sprint time remains nothing to shout about at 12.1 seconds, and so is the top speed of 130 km/h.
Dacia states a WLTP-rated range of up to 250 km, which is an improvement from the previous generation’s 225 km thanks to a larger 27.5-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery (previous car used a 26.8-kWh nickel manganese cobalt battery). The company says owners of the first-generation Spring cover an average of 34 km daily at an average speed of 34 km/h. This sounds reasonable for a city environment, so the new model keeps to the tried-and-true formula.
It is also pointed out that 75% of owners charge their car at home, so the 6.6-kW onboard AC charger is retained. This charges the Spring from 15-80% in nine hours on a domestic socket, meaning owners can leave their cars to charge overnight or during the day without needing to buy dedicated charging equipment like a wallbox.
With a heavy-duty socket (presumably capable of 3.7 kW instead of 2.3 kW), the 15-80% run takes five hours and 40 minutes, while a 7-kW wallbox shortens the charging time further to two hours and 55 minutes. Dacia offers a fast-charge pack that bumps the AC charging capacity to 11 kW (15-80% in one hour and 55 minutes), while adding DC fast charging rated at 50 kW (15-80% in 28 minutes) and a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system.
The starting price mentioned at the start is for the base Expression trim, which is as basic as they come. It comes with 15-inch ‘Mura’ steel wheels with plastic covers, manual air-conditioning, fabric upholstery, automatic headlamps, an electric handbrake, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster and manual seats.
There’s not even a built-in infotainment system, with the Expression instead getting Media Control, a multimedia system with steering wheel controls and is tied to the digital instrument cluster. It works with the Dacia Media Control app, so you use your smartphone to control radio/media functions and access other features. Users can keep their phone vertically in place on the dashboard where an infotainment would be.
For more money at EUR19,400 (RM92k), buyers can get the Journey trim that builds on the Expression by adding 16-inch ‘Drava’ steelies, a 10.1-inch Media Nav Live infotainment system TEP/fabric mixed upholstery, a reverse camera and key card access.
