Yesterday

Latest Dacia Spring available from just £12k

Manufacturer grant the key for Dacia's new baby EV - even uprated 100hp version is less than £14k

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Just in case the news passed you by a couple of months back (it’s hard to keep up right now), the Dacia Spring has been given a significant power boost for 2026. The kind of power boost that would make original owners quite grumpy, you’d expect. Gone are the original 45hp and 65hp variants, replaced by 70hp and 100hp Springs. In percentage terms, that’s an enormous leap - with 100hp, a Spring will even zip to 62mph in less than 10 seconds…

The gains have been achieved thanks to a brace of new front motors. The battery is also new, now a 24.3kWh lithium-iron-phosphate item that, despite the extra performance and a similar capacity, offers the same 140 miles of WLTP range as before. So that’s handy. And to better handle this newfound potency (plus perhaps to address some concerns about the Spring’s dynamics beforehand), the 2026 model gets reworked springs and dampers, an anti-roll bar and revised steering. It’s rather more than just a power bump, basically. A bit like the recently updated Polestar 3, in fact, it all sounds like the Dacia Spring as it should have been from the start. 

Still, at least nobody will have paid anything close to Polestar money for one of these. Today, prices have been confirmed for the more powerful Springs, and they’re made especially affordable thanks to Dacia’s new Electric Car Grant; nothing to do with the Government, but the same £3,750 off, meaning a 70hp Expression costs £12,240. An Extreme-spec 100hp model, the only other offering in a two-car lineup, is £13,240, also with the £3,750 off. Bear in mind that the Spring launched as a £15k car with just 45hp and this latest offering looks much better value. And when does that ever happen with new cars these days? 

Luke Broad, Dacia’s UK Brand Director, said: “With the introduction of our Dacia Electric Car Grant, it makes buying and owning a Spring even more affordable. We’re in the business of making electric mobility accessible for all, and with our track record of delivering best-in-class value for best-in-class cars, it really doesn’t require a leap of faith to go electric.” The new Springs are available to order now, in Polar White, Seafoam, Stonewash Blue, Brick Red, Khaki and Lightning Grey, with deliveries due in - you’ve guessed it - spring of next year. A great time to do a deal on those already out there, perhaps…

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• Dacia Spring | PH Fleet
  
• 2024 Dacia Duster | PH Review

[Iamnotkloot]

Can’t complain at the price! Not awful looking either

[RandomCarChat]

Seen quite a few out and about recently, I think they look great. A proper small cheap to run but useful car, what's not to love?

[Kawasaki2000]

Provided it handles the 100hp could be interesting. I appreciate for some unless a car is 300bhp+ with a manual box and rwd its not a drivers car but the 108 we bought for my daughter to learn in was a hoot to drive.

If this is a return to city cars its very welcome. When junior 1 learned to drive 5 years ago it was the Aygo triplets or the Up (for the rich kids) in the school car park. For junior 2 everyone (with the exception of 2 fiestas) its all, last gen corsas as they seem to be the cheapest way to get mobile. Its why we bought one.

The only thing is with that range a 2nd hand MX30 looks attractive, quite a few of those being run by folks who need a run about.

[stuthemongoose]

I like this.

Gotta appreciate that it’s a cool little thing at a super sensible price.

Impressive work from Dacia.

Respect.

[ChocolateFrog]

Around the same as an Original Ford Ka or slightly more than you could get an Aygo/C1/107 for inflation adjusted.

Not bad really.

[Crudeoink]

This is the car VW really needed to build. Not a polo starting at twice the price and offering only 40 more miles range.
With EV's this cheap and BMW / Merc offering 400-500 mile ranges I feel the OEM's are making genuinely decent cars. They were always a little too expensive or the winter range a little too poor, but now we seem to have all bases covered!

[S600BSB]

Cheap way to get to the station. Well done Dacia.

[fooman]

Great runabout price, I know it's not their raison d'être but what are they like on motorways?

[raspy]

Crudeoink said:

This is the car VW really needed to build. Not a polo starting at twice the price and offering only 40 more miles range.
With EV's this cheap and BMW / Merc offering 400-500 mile ranges I feel the OEM's are making genuinely decent cars. They were always a little too expensive or the winter range a little too poor, but now we seem to have all bases covered!

In life, you get what you pay for.

Dacia Spring has just ONE star in Euro Ncap tests.

The most recent VW Polo (ICE) has FIVE stars in Euro Ncap tests.

Dacia Spring is based upon an old design of a Renault Kwid, which is part of the explanation.

[P675]

raspy said:

In life, you get what you pay for.

Dacia Spring has just ONE star in Euro Ncap tests.

The most recent VW Polo (ICE) has FIVE stars in Euro Ncap tests.

Dacia Spring is based upon an old design of a Renault Kwid, which is part of the explanation.

A Polo is chunkier though, is it really possible to make a 4 seater car that's only a bit wider than a shopping trolley safe?

[ChocolateFrog]

P675 said:

raspy said:

In life, you get what you pay for.

Dacia Spring has just ONE star in Euro Ncap tests.

The most recent VW Polo (ICE) has FIVE stars in Euro Ncap tests.

Dacia Spring is based upon an old design of a Renault Kwid, which is part of the explanation.

A Polo is chunkier though, is it really possible to make a 4 seater car that's only a bit wider than a shopping trolley safe?

Maybe you shouldn't leave the house, assuming it's a bungalow, stairs can be dangerous

[nismo48]

Chic little car for short trips out and about

[Master Bean]

Kerb weight of 587kg according to the website. Obviously it's not as light as a Caterham.

https://www.dacia.co.uk/hybrid-and-electric-range/...

[P675]

ChocolateFrog said:

Maybe you shouldn't leave the house, assuming it's a bungalow, stairs can be dangerous

I'm saying they are quite different cars and you can't make one that small as safe as a larger one.

[norscot]

What's the difference between a manufacturers grant and a price cut....

Does seem like remarkably good value for a simple runabout.

[ChocolateFrog]

P675 said:

ChocolateFrog said:

Maybe you shouldn't leave the house, assuming it's a bungalow, stairs can be dangerous

I'm saying they are quite different cars and you can't make one that small as safe as a larger one.

No st. Weight is king if you're going to start crashing into movable objects.

[ChocolateFrog]

Master Bean said:

Kerb weight of 587kg according to the website. Obviously it's not as light as a Caterham.

https://www.dacia.co.uk/hybrid-and-electric-range/...

Guessing the 100hp version will be more than that but still comfortably under a ton.

Power to weight ratio suggests it might be alright to drive. That's lighter and more powerful than my old Insight.

[P675]

ChocolateFrog said:

No st. Weight is king if you're going to start crashing into movable objects.

So why did you take that as me being agoraphobic or something?

[Wab1974uk]

Price is amazing given how much cars are these days.

But if you saw one of these being driven about, you just know it's been bought by a non-car person.

[CMTMB]

raspy said:

Dacia Spring has just ONE star in Euro Ncap tests.

Is that not at least partly due to the lack of modern "safety" aids fitted to most new cars? Might not necessarily be a bad thing.