Revamped Dacia Spring gets more power, quicker charging and (yay!) an anti-roll bar

The Dacia Spring – a rare electric car costing under £15k – has a lot going for it. Unfortunately it also has a lot going on in corners, where the soft suspension and lack of anti-roll make it lean prodigiously. But Dacia is fitting an anti-sway bar and revised springs and dampers in a meaty revamp that also covers the motors and battery.

The outgoing Spring has a modest e-motor producing either 44 or 64bhp. But in a noticeable performance boost, the new base version – the Spring 70 – will kick out 69bhp, with the flagship 100 summoning 99 horses. Mid-range torque is boosted by 20 per cent too.

That’s great news for those brave souls taking their Spring on motorway runs. Accelerating up to the motorway limit used to take a nail-biting age: a remarkable 26.2 seconds would pass while the 45 laboured from 50 to 75mph, with the 65 clocking a genteel 14 seconds for the same task. The punchier new motors despatch that benchmark in 10.3 seconds in the 70 model, and a comparatively sprightly 6.9 seconds in the Spring 100.   

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In another big development, the Spring is getting a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. The new battery pack’s design boosts chassis stiffness and improves weight distribution. The LFP chemistry, popularised by BYD, is more affordable, eschews rare earths and is less prone to overheating – although it is less energy efficient. 

Nonetheless, Dacia says the WLTP range of its new 24.3kWh LFP pack (140 miles) has barely changed over the old unit. That’s helped by aerodynamic tweaks to calm air beneath the car, while a new rear spoiler reduces drag. Dacia says the revised Spring will top an impressive 5mi/kWh – we’ve always found the one-tonne featherweight very efficient, clocking it at 4.4 miles/kWh on our recent budget EVs range test.  

Charging also gets a shot in the arm. The 30kW onboard DC charger is boosted to 40kW on the Extreme 100 car, for a 29-minute top-up from 20 to 80 per cent. Both Springs – the Expression 70 and the Extreme – have 7kW AC charging capability, good for a full wallbox refuel in three hours 20 minutes.

The new Spring is scheduled for UK launch just in time for the March 26 registration plate. Today a new Spring 45, though disqualified from the government’s EV grant because it’s built in China, costs from £14,995. Only the Leapmotor T03 is cheaper, thanks to a discount from its manufacturer reducing it to £14,495.

You can get your hands on a new Dacia Spring from less than £12,000 or you can lease a new Dacia Spring for just over £100 per month through our Buy a Car service.