The Dacia Spring is one of the smallest and most affordable electric cars on the market today.
Not only does it undercut its main rivals - such as the Citroen e-C3 and Fiat 500e - with a starting price of around £15,000, but it measures just 3700mm long, 1583mm wide and 1480mm, which means it is very similar in size to the Hyundai i10.
But the Spring is not just about size and price: it's also about simplicity. You sense this just by looking at it, because it has exactly what it needs and nothing more: lights, windows, wheels and doors. Save for the new family-look front-end, there's no design frippery at all. But is it too cheap and simple for its own good, or is this the next electric car of choice for city dwellers? Let's find out.
Let's start with dimensions and, perhaps most importantly, range. Its size is quite impressive considering it's fitted with a 26.8kWh battery pack under the floor, and considering that it is officially good for 140 miles between charges, it's a really usable device for city drivers.
In fact, Dacia says most drivers average 23 miles a day at an average speed of 23mph, and it claims drivers could expect up to 180 miles per charge in those circumstances.
Two power outputs are offered with the Spring. The entry-level car has a 44bhp, front-mounted electric motor, which will propel it from 0-62mph in a leisurely 19.1sec. This makes it the slowest car on the market today.
If you want more performance, there's a 64bhp version, which has a 0-62mph time of 13.7sec and a top speed of 78mph. It is, of course, much more accelerative than the lower-powered version. It gets up to 50mph easily and is effective in traffic, but there's not much urgency at higher speeds.
In terms of energy efficiency, if you use the Spring for city driving only, you are likely to return around 7.0mpkWh, which translates to a real-world range of about 190 miles. If you're driving on faster A-roads, however, expect this to drop to around 4.5mpkWh, or 125 miles of range.
Which brings us on to the way the Spring drives.
The steering is typically light with minimal feedback, but it means the Spring is very easy to drive in town and affords it a good turning circle of 9.6m. It is most at home weaving in and out of traffic, but if you ask it to go around faster corners, there is a noticeable amount of body lean.
As far as ride comfort is concerned, the Spring could be better. Its basic suspension doesn't stand up to punishment from potholes and speed bumps as well as you would like, with a shudder sent through the cabin as you drive over them.
Happily, however, the absorbent seats help to soak up some of the impact.
Elsewhere inside, the Spring exhibits the sort of interior quality that you would expect to find at this end of the market, with lots of hard plastics and a few rattles. We can't complain about the interior's layout, however, with buttons for the assistance systems and other key functions made easily accessible.
In terms of interior space, you get a reasonable amount of room up front, with decent headroom and enough space for shorter drivers' legs to move around. Taller people will struggle in the front and rear, however, due to tight legroom. Boot space is rated at 308 litres, which is just one litre less than in a Peugeot e-208.
And there's more good news. The standard kit list is very generous, with every Spring getting rear parking sensors, USB ports, cruise control and a 12V socket, but you will need to upgrade for the 10in infotainment screen or a paint colour other than white.
Other optional extras include 15in alloys, Khaki design features, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and vehicle-to-load charging. But if you don't need all of that, you can have an entry-level Spring with the most powerful motor - which is our specification of choice.
And so to the conclusion of this review. Above each of its notable characteristics, the Spring is charming. It's smartly-styled, well-equipped, reasonably practical and - perhaps most importantly - cheap.
