Will this Dacia change the electric market? Fifteen years after the release of the Logan – which popularized the low-cost business model – the Romanian brand of the Renault Group will offer an unprecedented offer in Europe: a 100% electric car for less than 20,000 euros, at entry level.
The history of this car is quite amazing. Its exterior appearance comes from the Renault KWID, presented in 2015. This project, imagined by engineer Gérard Detourbet, aimed to offer an inexpensive city car to the Indian market. Assembled in Chennai since 2016 from the CMF-A platform, it is available from 3,500 euros with a 3-cylinder 800 cc combustion engine, offering just over 50 horsepower.
Second stage: the Renault City K-ZE , launched in 2019. Sharing many parts with the KWID, this city car is however 100% electric. Assembled in Shiyan, in the center of China, it is intended for this market where the progress of the electric vehicle is very fast. Equipped with a 26 kWh battery, the machine is capable of a range of 200 kilometers according to the WLTP certification cycle.
Renault City K-ZE Specification Summary:
Power: 33 kW / 45 hp
Battery capacity: 26.8 kWh
Fast recharge time: 30 minutes (at 80%)
Weight: 921 kg
Maximum speed: 105 km/h
The Dacia Spring Concept takes up the aesthetic of the Renault City K-ZE. But before arriving on our roads, it will have to undergo many modifications to adapt to European standards.
Price
This is the key promise: the Dacia Spring must popularize the electric in Europe. For this, a price lower than 20,000 euro , or even close to 15,000 euros (excluding gov subsidies) seems appropriate.
For the time being, Dacia has not communicated around a possible entry-level price. For comparison, the Renault Twingo ZE – also electric – should be sold at the end of the year for around 26,000 euros.
Release date
The Spring is intended to be marketed in Europe in 202 . Orders could thus be opened at the start of the year for deliveries at the end of spring 2021.
Dimensions
With its 3.73 meters in length, the Dacia Spring finds its place a little above mini-city cars.
A comparison to some popular cars:
Peugeot 108: 3.48 m
Volkswagen e-up! : 3.60 m
Renault Twingo: 3.61 m
Dacia Spring: 3.73 m
Toyota Yaris IV hybrid: 3.94 m
Peugeot e-208: 4.05 m
Renault Zoe: 4.08 m
Motor, battery, range
For the time being, Dacia has only communicated limited information. The concept car is announced with a range of 200 kilometers according to the WLTP standard. The powertrain could be taken from the Twingo ZE and / or the Smart ForTwo EQ (22 kWh battery, 60 kW motor or 82 hp). It is also conceivable that the Renault Group could adapt an already used assembly, for example from the old Renault Zoe.
Interior
The Spring concept car does not have a visible interior. However, the final vehicle will be derived from the Renault K-ZE marketed in China. The rather modern dashboard incorporates an 8-inch infotainment system. Ample storage is provided at the bottom of the center console or in the glove compartment. It’s a safe bet that the Renault Group will keep the general architecture of this interior while adapting certain plastics to the high standards of European consumers. We will know in a few months.
Will it have cruise control? Nowadays cruisecontrol is almost standard on cars.
According to Auto Express UK, it will have cruise control, but it will not have advanced autonomous features like you find in other electric cars (Audi e-tron, Tesla).
Could you link the article here? I could not find anything mentioning cruisecontrol on the autoexpress uk site? If it has the standard cruisecontrol than that would be great, it is all i need.