Dacia has given its Spring EV loads more power and speed

Dacia has quietly announced a series of small updates to its best-selling Spring, and these small updates give the baby electric car loads more power and speed. Sucks if you’re one of the 179,000+ early adopters who bought the slow, underpowered previous car.

That car, on sale since 2021 and facelifted in 2024 (when it was also introduced into the UK), offered either a 44bhp or 64bhp option. The new one gets two new motors bolted onto the front axle, offering a much healthier 69bhp or 99bhp option, meaning the 0-62mph times drop quite considerably.

In the lesser-powered 69bhp car, you can now zoom right up to 62mph in 12.3s (down from 19.1s in the old 44 horsepower version), while the big boi 99bhp one will do it in a very respectable 9.6s, down from 13.7s. “This means that Spring can travel with ease in less urban areas and fit naturally into motorway traffic for a more comfortable driving experience,” said Dacia.

Those new motors are powered by a new 24.3kWh LFP battery – the first lithium-iron phosphate unit in a Renault Group car, battery nerds – with claims of better safety, lifespan and cost. Dacia said it’s housed in a reinforced bit in the middle of the chassis. Still weighs around a tonne.

Other bits to make the Spring springier include an anti-roll bar, new settings for the shocks and - that's right! - springs, a new set of fairings all round to help reduce aero turbulence under the car, and a new spoiler. These add to the mods Dacia already made last year: retuned power steering, 15in wheels, and a new steering wheel.

The range remains 140 miles (WLTP), but it’ll now recharge faster on the ‘Extreme’ trim level because of an onboard 40kW DC charger versus the 30kW old one. That means 20-80 per cent takes 29 minutes. You get the standard 7kW AC charger on all versions, so with that new battery you’re looking at 3hrs 20m from 20-100 per cent (versus four hours before).

No updated pricing as yet, so stay tuned…