The Dacia Spring on Sonnleitner’s stand at Automesse Salzburg 2023 had the cheapest-looking card in sight. It opens at €22,590 and drops to €16,980, and a disc on the bonnet adds a €500 show bonus. We filmed it on Saturday 25 March 2023.
The car is khaki green, and the round lime-green disc reads “€ 500,– Messebonus”. The small print ties the bonus to financing and insurance through Mobilize Financial Services, on a new Dacia bought by 31 March 2023.
Behind the windscreen, the card reads “DACIA SPRING ab 22.590,– €”. Further down it says “Jetzt nur 16.980,– €”, a gap of €5,610. The card also lists free winter wheels and a Mobilize wallbox with financing.
Under Autorevue’s €25,000 Line
The card’s €22,590 matches the Austrian list price of the Essential Electric 45 that Autorevue gave on 27 July 2023. Autorevue calls €25,000 the magic threshold for an electric car, and the Spring sits under it.
Autorevue’s price page lists three versions, all including VAT:
- The Essential Electric 45 costs €22,590.
- The Expression Electric 45 costs €23,690.
- The Extreme Electric 65 costs €24,590, and the CCS fast-charge socket is €600 extra.
The first two were then available only as dealer stock. The Extreme, which Dacia showed at the Brussels show in January 2023, could still be ordered. So the card’s price sits at the bottom of a €2,000 spread.
Four Seats On 3.75 Metres
The two Electric 45 versions have a 33 kW (44 PS) motor and 125 Nm, and the Extreme has 48 kW (65 PS). All three share a 26.8 kWh usable battery. WLTP range is 230 km on the Electric 45 and 220 km on the Extreme, and up to 305 km in the city.
The Spring seats four, has a 270-litre boot and is 3.75 metres long.
Charging is the catch. On a socket or wallbox the Spring takes a single-phase 3.7 kW and needs about 8.5 hours for a full charge, according to Autorevue. DC fast charging needs the extra socket, and only the Extreme offers it.
What The Walkaround Points Out
The AUTO TV walkaround presents the Spring as the first all-electric car from Dacia’s Romanian maker. It says the compact size and modern lines suit city drivers, and that the cabin is basic but spacious for four, with simple controls.
It lists ABS, ESP and airbags as standard. An optional safety package adds lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking.
The walkaround also gives a range in miles, a top speed in miles per hour and charging times that don’t match Autorevue’s. The figures above and in the box are Autorevue’s.
Specs: Dacia Spring (Austria, Autorevue, 27 Jul 2023)
| Power | 33 kW (44 PS) in Essential and Expression, 48 kW (65 PS) in Extreme |
| Battery | 26.8 kWh usable |
| Range | 230 km (Essential, Expression), 220 km (Extreme), up to 305 km in the city (WLTP) Charging: single-phase 3.7 kW AC, about 8.5 hours for a full charge; CCS socket €600 extra on the Extreme |
| Boot | 270 l, four seats, length 3.75 m |
| Price | €22,590 to €24,590 in Austria (Autorevue, 27 Jul 2023, including VAT) |
Source: Autorevue, 27 Jul 2023; stand card as printed on 25 Mar 2023
More Videos From The Shows
We filmed it at Brussels Motor Show 2023.
Our Take: Cheap Enough To Answer Salzburg’s Doubts
The AUTO TV video pitches the Spring as an affordable way into electric for a wide range of customers. In Salzburg, Leadersnet heard the city’s private buyers name price and range as their objections.
On price, the card answers them. At €22,590 before any bonus, the Spring sits under Autorevue’s €25,000 threshold, and the dealer’s own line further down reads €16,980.
Independent editorial. No brand or organiser paid for or reviewed this article.
