New Dacia Spring 2026 review: with more power comes greater ability

The reality, however, is that it’s easy to overwhelm the front tyres, causing the traction control to rein things in and hamper progress. The steering is slow, with a reluctance to self-centre, and if you push the car into a corner too hard, understeer is the order of the day.

But in normal driving, whether that’s around town or on the open road, the extra power is welcome. During our time with the car, we performed a safe overtake on a rural road that would have previously struck fear into Spring drivers up and down the country. Despite a meagre 137Nm of torque, response is instant, and the car will pull strongly up to (and slightly beyond) the national speed limit.

The Spring 100 is a much better motorway car than its predecessors, too. It’ll still blow about a bit as you pass slower-moving trucks, and there’s plenty of road noise to contend with, but it’ll sit comfortably at 70mph and keep up with faster-moving traffic in a way the old car couldn’t. Adding to the Spring’s ability to eat motorway miles for breakfast (within reason) is the easy-to-operate, standard-fit cruise control.

On the flip side, the driving position is awful; there’s no reach adjustment for the steering wheel, and the flat front seats sit remarkably high. The narrow body, as before, means you need to be on friendly, first-name terms with your passenger; it’s incredibly snug inside.