Spring has Sprung! Super-cheap Dacia Spring electric SUV is going right-hand drive, but will it come to Australia as a Renault?
Europe’s most affordable EV the 2024 Dacia Spring SUV is now available in right-hand drive, which means there’s a chance it could be coming to Australia as a Renault.
Better still, despite being substantially overhauled inside and out, the Dacia Spring is tipped to cost less than £16,000 ($A30,300) when it arrives in the UK – significantly less than Australia’s cheapest EV, the BYD Dolphin ($A38,890).
More remarkable, back in Europe in countries like France and Germany the Dacia Spring could be cheaper still, tipped to come close to matching its original 2021 launch price of just €16,800 ($A27,700).
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The Chinese-built Spring still comes with a single electric motor that produces either 33kW or 48kW. Even the most powerful flagship Spring isn’t quick, with 0-100km/h taking a leisurely 13.7 seconds.
Range is also another weak area for those who will venture out of the city with the Spring only capable of covering up to 220km on a single charge.
That said, the tiny 26.8kWh battery keeps total kerb weight down to just 984kg – just 6kg more than before, promising for a nimble, agile drive.
While the 33kW version of the Spring can only be topped up using an 11kW AC charger, the most powerful 48kW Dacia EV can be recharged with a fast fast-charger at rate of up to 30kW.
And what about Australia? It could be rebadged as the Renault Spring for our market if there’s appetite within Renault Australia to challenge the likes of the new breed of budget EVs like the BYD Dolphin.
Realistically, Renault Australia is more likely to overlook the Spring and focus on more expensive and profitable models like the new Duster and its larger sibling, the Bigster mid-size SUV – and eventually a new compact dual-cab 4×4 ute previewed by the Dacia Niagara concept.
But you never know…
Better looking outside, the good news continues inside as the premium version ditches the old Spring’s 7.0-inch infotainment unit in favour of the larger more sophisticated 10.1-inch touch-screen from the new Duster that will evolve with the life of the car thanks to over-the-air software updates.
Lower grades rely on a smartphone holder (and app) that allows drivers to connect to Waze and Spotify.
Following the facelift, all versions benefit from new driver-assistance aids that include a more advanced autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, plus driver attention monitoring.
Boosting practicality, the Spring bags Dacia’s Youclip dash-mounting system that allows drivers to safely mount a smartphone holder, cup holder and even reinstall a proper glovebox that’s AWOL on entry-level variants.
Since it’s made for life in a city, engineers say they have lowered the cost of repairs for the Spring by simply not painting vulnerable parts like the wheel-arches and lower sections of the front and rear bumpers. Those items are all better now at coping with low-impact brushes with other cars and obstacles.
