The Renault K-ZE Gets A Dacia Branded Cousin

• Design is nearly identical, aside from a different grille and a Kwid Climber-like Orange exterior pack.

• Other than a smaller touchscreen, features remain the same.

• Powered by a 44PS/125Nm electric motor juiced up by a 26.8kWh battery pack.

• Sales to commence by early-2021 in Europe.

• Renault plans to launch an entry-level EV in India by 2022.

Back in April, at the Shanghai Motor Show 2019, Renault gave the Kwid the all-electric treatment with the K-ZE EV. It also made an appearance here at Auto Expo 2020 in February, and now, Renault’s Romanian sister brand, Dacia, has unveiled its K-ZE equivalent, the Spring EV. Here’s how it differs from its Renault branded counterpart:

Since the Dacia Spring EV is based on the Renault K-ZE, it looks nearly identical in design. Both are similar to the facelifted Kwid on sale in India. Highlights include the split headlamps, flex wheels and family grille. The Dacia Spring, however, gets a different grille design. It also sports a different grey body shade with an orange pack like the Kwid Climber trim, adding orange accents to the grille, roof bar and mirrors.

Heading inside, the design and layout are similar to that of the ICE Kwid but the Dacia Spring gets a smaller 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Other notable features include a 3.5-inch multi-info driver’s display, voice recognition, manual HVAC controls, and steering-mounted controls. The safety kit comprises six airbags, ABS+EBD, auto headlamps, automatic emergency braking, and rear view camera with parking assist. 

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Under the hood, the Dacia Spring is powered by the same permanent magnet synchronous electric motor as the Renault K-ZE. It delivers 44PS and 125Nm with a 26.8kWh battery pack giving it juice. All this gives the Dacia Spring a world harmonised light-duty vehicles test procedure (WLTP) claimed range of 225km on a single charge. There are various charging options, starting with a 30kW DC fast charger that charges 0-80 percent in less than an hour. A 7.4kW wall box charger gives a 100 percent juice in less than five hours, while a 2.3kW wall box charger takes less than 14 hours. 

The Dacia Spring will also be available in car-sharing and cargo utility trims. Sales will commence in early-2021 in Europe. Back home, Renault plans to launch an entry-level EV (probably based on the next-gen Kwid) by 2022 as it awaits better charging infrastructure. Once launched, it will take on the likes of the upcoming XL5 EV from Maruti Suzuki.