TEST Why the cheapest electric car in the Netherlands is also the worst

This article is a short version of an extensive comparison test in Auto Review 4/2022. In it we compare the Dacia Spring Electric of 18,550 euros with the Renault Twingo Electric of 21,270 euros. Below we highlight the downsides of the Dacia Spring.

Simple city car

Dacia has been busy lately. The quality level of the Dacia Sandero and the Dacia Jogger is quite high and the price remains affordable. The Spring, on the other hand, is still a Dacia of the old stamp, where the performance, comfort and quality are dominated by the price tag. Everything about the cheapest electric car in the Netherlands screams 'simple city car'.

Are you going to buy an electric car? Read carefully!

Sign up for our newsletter

Dacia Spring is small and cramped

Dacia's tough petty thief is centimeters lower and narrower than the Twingo Electric. The Spring therefore offers little space. In the front, your shoulder presses against the B-pillar and in the back seat your knees poke into the front seat, because the legroom is scant.

Hard and shapeless chairs

The seat of the Romanian front seats is too short for our long thighs. In addition, they feel hard and shapeless. There is nothing special about the rear seat, but the backrest is slightly more inclined than in the Twingo and that is more comfortable.

Suffering while driving

The Dacia Spring leaves valuable points in the field of sound experience, climate control and suspension comfort. Wind and rolling noises rumble through the small cab and the undercarriage skidded during the beginners course 'How to deal with holes and bumps'.

The Dacia Spring only has 44 horsepower and is slow

The electric motor in the cream of the Spring pushes only 44 horsepower to the narrow front wheels. Now you probably think that the standard sprint takes 12, 15 or maybe 18 seconds, but in reality it takes 21.2 seconds. One hundred on the highway is possible, but you notice from the lack of comfort that this is not the intention.

Spring drives like a budget Dacia from the past

What does that mean in practice? The steering is vague and you have no idea what the consequences are of your steering movements. The body is in constant motion and a gentle crosswind simply blows the car out of its track. In 'fast' corners, the ESP intervenes before you as a driver have the feeling that something is wrong. The cornering speeds mean little anyway, because of the narrow tires (165/70).

Conclusion

The Dacia Spring is the cheapest form of electric driving. That is an attractive plus that no one takes away the emission-free city car. In addition, it offers enough space, you sit dry and you can get by just fine in the city. But know what you're getting into. Everything is so focused on cost savings that you run into compromises everywhere. The driving characteristics are substandard, the comfort is disappointing and everything feels and looks cheap.

But there is also good news to report about the Dacia Spring! Next week we will scrape together the benefits. In some ways it is better than the Renault Twingo Electric. For the full test, you can already read Auto Review 4/2022.