The Dacia Spring is Europe’s best-value electric car, with prices in France starting from £14,200 before incentives are deducted.
In the UK, this could mean prices from less than £12,000, with the now-reduced Plug-in Car Grant subtracted – if, that is, Dacia planned to sell it here.
Currently, there are no plans to offer the Spring in right-hand-drive markets.
But, revealed Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot to Motoring Research today, UK sales are still actively being considered.
“There is potential, yes. We will take a decision in the next few months.
“The Sandero has already been named What Car? Car of the Year, and we care about our presence in the UK. We know Dacia is a very popular brand in the UK.” The clear message was to ‘watch this space’.
“We have seen the hashtag #BringtheSpring on social media,” added product marketing boss Xavier Martinet. “This does not go unnoticed.”
Dacia’s decision could even be influenced by recent changes to the Plug-in Car Grant, which focuses funds on more affordable car models.
Industry watchers have noted there are few pure electric cars on sale for less than £20,000, despite the government’s eagerness to drive the switch to electric with its 2030 target in mind.
Offering a pure electric car for a post-grant price of well under £15,000 could be a real marketing coup for Dacia, underlining the brand’s strong reputation in the UK for value.
Springing a surprise
The Dacia Spring is a city car-sized EV, with SUV styling, measuring just over 3.7 metres long – smaller than the current Dacia Sandero supermini.
It has a battery offering 27.4kWh of usable capacity and, thanks to a kerb weight that impressively dips below one tonne, a WLTP range of 141 miles.
When restricted to city driving – where Dacia expects most will be used – this range grows to 190 miles. The firm expects most Spring owners will only charge their car once a week.
The four-seat EV has a voluminous 290-litre boot, much bigger than the city car norm, and even the entry-level model will offer air-con, six airbags and autonomous emergency braking.
Pre-orders in France begin this weekend, Mr Martinet told an exclusive group of AUTOBEST jurors – and, unlike with the Tesla Model 3, prospective owners won’t have to actually pay anything.
Instead, they submit a scan of their credit card, “like with hiring a car”, and a Dacia dealer then contacts them to confirm the order and deposit later.
“If demand is high, it’s first come, first served: the preorder is not about charging cash, but about allowing serious prospects to book their place in the queue.”
For Brits, the message seems to be clear: if you want to see the Dacia Spring on sale here, let the firm know and signal your intention to join the queue…
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