About 110 thousand units sold in Europe, of which 10 thousand in Italy: this is the visiting card of the Dacia Spring, the 100% electric city car which is now enriched with a new 65 HP engine, which joins the 45 already in the price list .
The right opportunity to debut the new trim called Extreme, which features livelier exterior and interior finishes. Let it be clear, however, the general atmosphere remains fiercely low-cost, indeed, “essential”, say those of Dacia. In fact, price list in hand – that of the Spring starts at 21,450 euros, but for the Extreme you need 23,200 – an electric car less expensive than this doesn’t exist, at least currently.
However, making electron technology coexist with an affordable price means having to make some compromises: in terms of finishes, for example, the internal plastics are all rigid; while in gear, at speeds above 80 km/h, substantial aerodynamic noise emerges. Finally, the driving dynamics are not excellent: going quickly, the car suffers from a certain body roll when cornering, pitches when braking and has inaccurate steering; on the other hand, the absorption of bumps is discreet. Weak points which, however, become evident only when one moves away from the Spring’s chosen terrain, which remains the city.
In traffic, on the other hand, little or nothing can be reproached for the smallest Dacia, which runs smoothly – the engine pushes well and is very reactive – and agile, thanks to its ultra-compact dimensions: it is just 373 cm long but boasts a spacious interior , while the load compartment has a volume of 270 liters (which becomes even 620 by folding down the backrest of the rear bench seat). In this context, then, the rich equipment of the Extreme is appreciated, which includes electrically adjustable rear-view mirrors, parking sensors with rear view camera and a multimedia system with 7″ touchscreen compatible with smartphones and complete with GPS. There is also automatic emergency braking.
The approved range is approximately 220 km, more than enough for daily commuting. And with the integrated direct current charger (costing 600 euros), it takes 56 minutes to bring the 27 kWh accumulator from 0 to 80% of the charge. In alternating current, at 6.6 kWh it takes about 5 hours to fill up. Finally, it should be noted that the range in the city rises to 305 km.
The other Extremes
The Spring is not the only Dacia to feature the Extreme trim: the latter, in fact, is also available on the Sandero, Stepway, Duster and Jogger and includes copper-colored finishes scattered here and there on the bodywork and in the passenger compartment. Furthermore, the interior features gray washable fabric upholstery, similar to velvet. The aforementioned details are combined with specific colors for the bodywork, such as the Oxide Green of the Sandero, Jogger and Duster or the Ardesia Blue of the Spring. The rims, on the other hand, feature a glossy black finish and are 16″ (17″ on the Duster).
In addition, Sandero Stepway Extreme and Jogger Extreme have Extended Grip, a sub-function of the electronic stability control system that optimizes grip on mud and rough terrain. The standard equipment of the various models includes accessories such as automatic climate control, reversing camera, keyless system and, on the Jogger, smartphone holder and folding tables for the second row. Finally, also for the Jogger, the curious “sleep package” is proposed which consists of an openable wooden box that allows you to create a semi-double bed in the trunk of the vehicle, complete with a lower compartment useful for storing objects. The list of options even includes a rear awning for camping, further proof of the “adventurer” spirit of which Dacia aspires to represent the essence. Prices start from 17,800 euros for the Sandero Stepway Extreme and reach 21,550 for the Duster with the same set-up.
