Dacia Spring gets more power and an upgraded battery
Updates to the UK’s most affordable electric car also include tweaks to the underpinnings that are designed to make it better to drive...
On sale Spring 2026 Price from £15,990 (£12,240 with Dacia grant)
Like an athlete benefitting from a new set of trainers, the UK's cheapest electric car, the Dacia Spring, has been given a host of minor tweaks designed to make it more competitive on the small electric car battlefield.
Among them are more powerful motors, new chemistry for the battery, and tweaks to the car's suspension and chassis designed to make it feel more stable and composed to drive.
Currently buyers can choose between a 44bhp or 64bhp electric motor, and even with the latter, performance tails off noticeably above 40mph. However, these motors are being replaced with 69bhp and 99bhp units.
The result is significantly improved performance; the 44bhp Spring needs 26.2sec to get from 50-75mph and the 64bhp model 14.0sec, whereas the 69bhp and 99bhp cars cut those times to 10.3sec and 6.9sec respectively.
Both of the new motors are paired with a new 24.3kWh battery, which is said to deliver ‘optimised thermal safety, longevity and cost’ thanks to its new Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry, although the official range of the Spring continues to be 140 miles. By comparison, the similarly priced Leapmotor T03 offers 165 miles of range.
What has improved is the Spring’s maximum charging speed – up from 30kW to 40kW. At a public rapid charger, this allows a 20-80% top-up in 29 minutes, versus 40 minutes previously.
As for home charging, getting the new battery from 20-80% using a 7kW home wallbox now takes 3 hours 20 minutes instead of 4 hours.
Other changes include new steering settings, which Dacia claims improve precision and feedback, bigger wheels for increased grip, and the addition of an anti-roll bar in an effort to tame the Spring’s roly-poly handling.
As before, there will be two trims, but entry-level Expression now gets the 69bhp motor, along with air-conditioning, cruise control, front electric windows, a 7.0 digital driver's display, USB socket and rear parking sensors.
Upgrading to Extreme trim brings the 99bhp motor, electric door mirrors and rear windows, a second USB socket, and a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system incorporating Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.
Buyers will have six colours to choose from, including a new Seafoam colour that's being introduced for 2026.
Although prices have increased to £15,990, that's before you take into account Dacia's Electric Car Grant, which slashes £3750 off the Spring's price, and brings the starting price down to £12,240. At that price, the Spring remains the cheapest electric car you can buy.
Dacia's Electric Car Grant is separate from the Government's own grant, for which the Dacia Spring is not currently eligible.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
