Updated Dacia Spring Looks Like A Mini Duster, Will Come To The UK

The facelifted Dacia Spring is on the horizon, with new looks, more boot space than before and in right-hand-drive

Electric cars don’t all have to be £100k fridges with dual-motors and 1,000bhp. Take the Dacia Spring for example, which has long been one of the lowest-cost ways to go a little greener on your daily commute without going overboard on the luxuries. We’ve never had to option to buy one in the UK, but that’s soon changing.

Meet the updated version of the Spring, and it’s more than just a slight facelift. Those looks have seen quite the overhaul to bring it more in line with Dacia’s current offerings, and there’s more than a slight hint of ‘Honey, I shrunk the Duster’ as a result. Go for it in Extreme trim, and you’ll also get those somewhat perplexing newspaper-like decals on the front and rear bumpers, along with ‘highly crafted’ 15-inch wheel covers.

Dacia Spring – rear

More changes have come inside, too. For those of us in the UK, the most exciting that the steering wheel can now be had on the correct side of the car. There’s a seven-inch digital instrument cluster on all versions, with higher-spec models also gaining a 10-inch central infotainment system.

A new five-point attachment system that will allow you to add your own accessories, too, allowing Dacia to cut costs further and give you a bit of customisation. Dubbed ‘YouClip’, this has seen action in the Duster already and allows for the likes of cup holders and lamps to be swapped in and out if you need them.

Dacia Sprint – interior

Boot space has been increased to 308 litres from 290 with the pre-facelift car despite no major mechanical changes, so we’re in the dark as to how Dacia has achieved that – although it should be praised nonetheless. A front boot is, perhaps oddly, available as an option – adding an extra 35 litres.

Hardware remains the same as before, with the choice of a 44bhp or 64bhp electric motor drawing power from a 26.8kWh battery. Both versions are expected to have a WLTP quoted figure ‘over’ 137 miles which may not sound a great deal, but Dacia says its customers travel an average of 23 miles per day so you can see the appeal. More important than the sheer range figure is a quoted efficiency of 4.25 miles per kWh.

Dacia Spring – charging

We’re yet to find out how much the Dacia Spring will cost, but the manufacturer has been keen to stress it expects it to be one of, if not the cheapest electric car on the market (not including the Citroen Ami, which really isn’t a car anyway). We’ll find out for sure on 12 March when order books open.