Dacia Confirms "New Spring" Name for Its Upcoming £16k Electric City Car
The affordable electric vehicle market is about to get a significant shake-up. Dacia has officially confirmed that its next-generation electric city car will carry the name New Spring — a deliberate nod to continuity while signalling a bold step forward. Expected to be priced from around £16,000, the New Spring is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and accessible EVs to arrive in Europe in years. Here is everything we know so far.
Why Dacia Is Keeping the Spring Name
Naming decisions in the automotive world are rarely made lightly, and Dacia's choice to retain the Spring badge is no exception. The Romanian brand says it decided to keep the name because it builds "on the continuity of a model that has become a benchmark." That is a confident statement — and one that is arguably justified.
The original Dacia Spring has carved out a unique niche as one of the most affordable electric cars on sale in Europe. Its no-frills approach to urban mobility resonated strongly with cost-conscious buyers who wanted to make the switch to electric without spending the kind of money typically associated with EVs. By keeping the Spring name, Dacia is banking on that brand recognition to carry momentum into a new era.
To avoid confusion in the marketplace, the word "New" will be used to differentiate the two models during a transitional period in which both will be sold in parallel. On the car itself, however, the badge will simply read Spring — clean, simple, and familiar.
A Renault Twingo Twin Built in Europe
One of the most significant revelations about the New Spring is its platform and manufacturing origin. Unlike the current Spring, which is built in China, the new model will be produced in Europe and is closely twinned with the all-new Renault Twingo. This is a major development for several reasons.
Building the car in Europe addresses concerns that have followed the current Spring regarding its Chinese manufacturing base, particularly in the context of evolving EU tariffs and regulations around electric vehicles. European production should offer greater supply chain stability and potentially smoother pricing for buyers in the UK and across the continent.
The shared platform with the Renault Twingo also means that both cars benefit from shared development costs, which ultimately helps keep the retail price accessible. For Dacia, a brand whose entire identity is built around delivering value, this kind of engineering synergy is precisely the sort of strategic move that keeps prices low without cutting corners on fundamentals.
What Will the New Spring Look Like?
A preview image released by Dacia has given us a glimpse of the New Spring's rear end, and spy shots of the car undergoing testing have revealed more of its overall silhouette. The family resemblance to the Renault Twingo is clear and unmistakable.
Like its sibling, the New Spring features:
- A raked C-pillar that gives the rear a dynamic, modern stance
- A curved roofline that maximises interior headroom while keeping the profile compact
- Rounded rear windows that echo the Twingo's retro-inspired aesthetic
- Similar surfacing and detailing around the wheel arches, giving both cars a cohesive visual identity
However, the New Spring is not simply a rebadged Twingo. Dacia has made sure the car carries its own distinct character. Most notably, it ditches the Twingo's signature rounded front light design in favour of a thin, gloss-black panel treatment — a design detail that feels sharper, more contemporary, and very much in keeping with Dacia's evolving visual language as seen on models like the Duster and Sandero.
The result is a car that feels familiar yet fresh: a compact electric city car with genuine road presence that does not apologise for its size or its price point.
Four Real Seats and a Proper Boot
One of the most practical promises Dacia has made about the New Spring is that it will offer "four real seats and a proper boot." This might sound like a modest claim, but in the city car segment it is genuinely meaningful. Many small EVs compromise heavily on rear passenger space or luggage capacity in order to package batteries and drivetrain components efficiently.
Dacia's commitment to genuine usability sets expectations accordingly. For reference, the Renault Twingo — with which the New Spring shares its underpinnings — offers up to 360 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place. If the New Spring delivers anything close to that figure, it will be impressively practical for its class and its price.
When Will the New Dacia Spring Be Revealed?
Dacia has not yet confirmed an official launch date, but the expectation within the automotive industry is that the New Spring will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October 2025. The Paris show has historically been a natural home for French and French-allied brands, and unveiling the New Spring there would make both symbolic and commercial sense.
Full specification details, including battery size, range, and charging capabilities, have not yet been released. As with most pre-reveal strategies, Dacia is feeding information to the public incrementally to build anticipation ahead of the full unveiling.
Why the New Spring Matters for the EV Market
The arrival of the New Spring comes at a pivotal moment for electric vehicle adoption in Europe. While premium EVs continue to dominate headlines, the reality is that true mass-market electrification depends on affordable options that ordinary families and urban commuters can actually buy without government grants or financial gymnastics.
At a projected starting price of around £16,000, the New Spring occupies a space that very few other electric vehicles dare to enter. With European manufacturing, a practical interior, and the credibility of the Spring name behind it, this is a car that has the potential to genuinely move the needle on EV accessibility. Dacia has always been about democratising motoring, and the New Spring looks set to do exactly that — one charge at a time.