Dacia Spring grows up: bigger body, European build, lower price than Twingo

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Dacia is preparing a new-generation Spring, and it will no longer be the same small Chinese-built electric car. The model will become a technical sibling of the Renault Twingo E-Tech, shift to European production and remain cheaper than its platform-mate from Renault.

According to the brand, the new Spring will grow in size and move closer to a proper city hatchback rather than an ultra-budget EV with compromises everywhere. The car should share its platform, part of its electronics and its production base with the Twingo. For Dacia, this is an important pivot: the current Spring is built in China, but tariffs and political pressure in Europe are gradually breaking the old cheap-import scheme.

Price is the project’s main nerve. The Renault Twingo aims to stay below €20,000, while Dacia is targeting under €18,000 — roughly $20,800. That sets the future Spring against the Citroen e-C3, the Fiat Grande Panda Electric and the upcoming Volkswagen ID. Polo and ID. Cross, but with a different philosophy: less image, less unnecessary equipment, a lower entry ticket.

No technical miracles are expected. The Twingo is quoted with a battery of around 27.5 kWh, an 82 hp motor and roughly 263 km of WLTP range. Dacia’s figures may be more modest, so as not to steal buyers from Renault. But for an urban EV, other things matter more: a decent cabin, European assembly, low consumption and a price that doesn’t push you toward a used petrol Sandero.

The weak spot is obvious too. If Dacia cuts equipment too far, the Spring will again be bought only because of the price. If it adds more battery and comfort, it gets dangerously close to the Twingo. The brand will have to thread its way between those two walls with almost no margin.