To remain one of the most affordable electric cars, the prices of the Dacia Spring had to fall below the €20,000 mark. Except that deprived of bonuses, the competition is now hunting the same clientele, which is not without risk for Dacia.
The first generation of Dacia Spring succeeded in popularizing the electric car thanks to a particularly attractive price. The prices of the new generation were therefore expected. Dacia has just revealed the prices this April 5 and it’s a good surprise, because the Dacia Spring starts from €18,900.
The new Dacia Spring, on the other hand, finds itself deprived of the ecological bonus in 2024 due to manufacturing in China. An element that changes the situation a little, since Citroën will now offer a model at equivalent prices thanks to state aid. Will the Dacia Spring still enjoy the same commercial success?
A range launched without the small engine
The prices of the new Dacia Spring are easy to remember:
- €18,900 for the Expression version and the 65 hp electric motor,
- €19,900 for the Extreme version with the same engine.
Dacia has decided not to offer the version with the 45 hp engine in France and to concentrate on the most recent engine version. This 45 hp version will exist in other European markets, but not ours. It’s a choice that may appear surprising at first glance, but with a small price difference, French customers have generally always favored the best equipped version of the Spring. It is not excluded that the brand will change its mind later, if the demand for a more affordable version arises.
The 65 hp (48 kW) engine was introduced on the previous Spring in January 2023, offering 20 hp more for just €200 more at the time. The additional driving pleasure brought by the increase in power quickly tipped the scales towards this new engine, even if the range was reduced by around ten kilometers. On the new Spring, the 65 hp engine must offer 225 km of autonomy, 5 km more than the old Spring.
Customers who have every interest in taking the Extreme finish
The difference of only €1,000 between the Expression version and the Extreme version should continue this trend of pushing customers towards the best equipped finish.
The Extreme version brings standard equipment that is appreciated:
- Media Nav Live with a 10.1-inch screen and real-time traffic,
- Reversing camera,
- V2L bi-directional charging,
- Electric mirror adjustment,
- Electric rear windows,
- As well as a series of aesthetic elements specific to this version.
However, customers who opt for the Expression version will benefit from superior equipment than the previous generation. The model notably gains all the driving aids that have become mandatory on the European market from this summer.
Competition in ambush
Dacia will open orders for the new Spring in the coming days. The first deliveries will arrive in September in France. By then, the first Citroën ë-C3s will have already started to arrive on the roads. Gone are the days when the Dacia was the only model that customers could purchase for less than €20,000. Fiat, Opel and Leapmotor will eventually come looking to nibble shares of this pie as well.
Citroën’s affordable model offers superior performance to the Dacia Spring. Even if the Citroën ë-C3 You costs €23,400, this model benefits from the ecological bonus of €4,000 (and €7,000 for certain households). Which makes this Citroën better positioned than the Dacia Spring Extreme.
As long as the government does not slash the bonus again, Citroën could well recover some of Dacia’s customers. A situation of which the brand is perfectly aware when announcing these new prices for the Dacia Spring.
The new ecological bonus shakes up the competition game. This is one of the topics covered in our editorialized newsletter Watt Else. Subscribe to receive this newsletter sent every Thursday.
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