New Dacia Spring: more appealing than ever, still as electrifying

DACIA - Dacia’s first all-electric model, Spring has made zero-emission mobility accessible to a wide customer base wherever it is sold. First launched in 2021, it was the third most sold electric car to individuals in 2022 and 2023. In total, more than 140,000 Dacia Spring have been registered worldwide since its launch.

Spring has received many awards. Its energy efficiency and carbon footprint were particularly praised in 2022 when it was given the maximum 5-star rating from the independent European organisation Green NCAP.

Dacia Spring has found its audience as a perfect solution for people looking for simple, affordable, and efficient zero-emission mobility. Data collected via the vehicle’s on-board connected systems shows that the average daily trip made by Spring users cover 37 km at a speed of 37 km/h. In 75% of cases, cars are recharged at home.

The Dacia Spring has always found its audience because it has constantly evolved since its launch, with a new brand identity in 2022, then a more powerful 65 hp engine in 2023. Yet it has always retained its fundamental strength: remaining the most affordable full-electric car on the market.

Today, the New Dacia Spring passes another milestone, taking those qualities that made it a success to the next level. Even more attractive than ever with an entirely renewed and more robust design, yet still as practical with exceptional interior storage space for its segment; more versatile than ever with a more accessible 65 hp engine, yet still as efficient thanks to a carefully managed weight, while remaining the most affordable full-electric model on the market.

2024: lineup changes for Sandero, Sandero Stepway, Jogger, and Logan

2024 Dacia Sandero Stepway

DACIA - 

KEY FIGURES BEHIND THE SUCCESS STORY

• Sandero, leading retail sales since 2017 and N°2 in European sales across all channels in 2023, 3 million units sold since 2008.
• Sandero Stepway accounts for two-thirds of the Sandero mix.
• Jogger has surpassed 100,000 units sold and leads C-segment (excluding SUV) retail sales in Europe. The HYBRID 140 version accounts for a quarter of the mix.
• Logan, 3rd best-selling vehicle in Morocco and 1st in Romania.

GSR II: GLOBAL SAFETY REGULATION II

The latest Global Safety Regulation outlines new vehicle safety requirements in the European Union. The GSR II covers rules designed to improve road safety for all, and that includes pedestrians and cyclists.

As part of changes in the GSR II, certain safety equipment becomes mandatory as of July, 2024.

The entire Dacia range will be compliant with the new regulation. Orders for the Sandero, Sandero Stepway, Jogger, and Logan models are scheduled to open in April 2024 (depending on country).

CHANGES TO PRODUCT DESIGN AND CONTENT

2024 models feature product upgrades, some of which will make vehicles GSR II compliant.

More versions

Sandero's Journey trim mirrors Stepway's Extreme trim, with a shark antenna, Randia diamond-finish alloy wheels, door sills, floor mats and a host of equipment as standard: hands-free card, climate control, rearview camera, trunk compartmentalization and removable smartphone holder.

More Design

New two-tone Atara Flexwheels on Sandero and Logan, two-tone Dark Atara Flexwheels on Stepway and Jogger, and new Randia and Randia Dark diamond alloy wheels on certain models make their début.

New shades: the new Safari Beige becomes the exclusive colour for the Sandero Stepway, making the model feel even more connected to the outdoors. Shale Grey, previously reserved for Jogger, and Cedar Green, emblematic of the Extreme trim, are now available on all models.

The Jogger HYBRID 140 features the all-new 7-inch instrument panel first seen on the All-new Duster for a more modern edge and more driver-specific information.

New sticker: Jogger and Sandero Stepway Expression feature a new sticker on the two front doors, under the side mirrors. The sticker features the Dacia Link emblem and GPS coordinates corresponding to the location of the iconic Romanian Transfagarașan road.

More safety

New safety equipment has been introduced across the range, starting with the Essential trim, to meet new GSR II requirements:

• Event data Recorder (Accident)
• Alcohol immobilizer predisposal
• Traffic sign recognition with speed alert
• Lane Departure Warning System
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Driver attention warning
• Rear Parking Assist
• Light & Rain Sensors
• Advanced emergency braking system (pedestrian & cyclist)
• Emergency Stop Signal

A button on the ‘My Safety’ dashboard allows drivers to deactivate certain ADAS while driving and each time the car is started.

In addition, the entire range features the Rescue QR Code sticker, left clearly visible on the windscreen and rear window. When scanned with the free, dedicated app, it provides access to Dacia’s rescue information booklet. This gives firefighters all the information they need to safely and rapidly respond to an emergency, saving valuable minutes.

More Comfort

• USB-C port in the front
• USB-C port in the rear if Comfort Pack option (country-dependent)
• Manual air conditioning from Essential version on Jogger

More Efficiency

A new practical handbook

Having removed all chrome accents and animal leather, efforts to reduce paper are ramping up with 2024 models. The 32-page quick guide outlines all the car’s latest main features and adds to the traditional owner's user guide (~400 pages). Customers can easily access detailed digital versions via the QR code printed on the user guide or via the My Dacia app. A paper version of the detailed guide can also be ordered through the Dacia network.

New E-SAVE function on the Jogger HYBRID 140

The new feature can be used to set a target charge level for the traction battery (~70%) in order to save enough energy for later in the trip. When drivers know they are about to come up against specific driving conditions (uphill), they can activate the mode a few kilometres before (< 5 km) and deactivate it once the steep climb is over. As such, drivers proactively choose to activate the E-SAVE mode; it turns itself off each time the engine is restarted.

More Duster still Duster

DACIA - “More Duster Still Duster”: All-New Duster is the next chapter in the story of a model that has grown into a standard-setter on its market and an all-round Dacia icon encapsulating everything the brand stands for: Robust and Outdoor, Essential but Cool, and Eco-Smart. Duster was born in 2010, overhauled for the first time in 2017, and rose to the top by rewriting the SUV rulebook.

And Duster is a success story: in its 13-year-long career, it has netted more than 40 awards, production is at 2.2 million units and counting, and its steadily increasing popularity ranked it as Europe’s best-selling SUV across all segments in the retail market in 2022. About 1,000 Duster SUVs roll off production lines at Dacia’s plant in Pitesti, Romania, every day – about one every minute!

STRONGER AND MORE ASSERTIVE DESIGN

Dacia has reinvented Duster’s design. It still has the striking looks that propelled the previous generations to the top – especially its solid, sturdy SUV character – but pushes them higher, further and harder with Dacia’s new, distinctive design. All-New Duster is proud to parade its overhauled design.

David Durand, Dacia Design Director: “Before even starting work on All-New Duster’s style, we honed its proportions, to find a strong, balanced posture. When you get the proportions right early on, you don’t need artifices to tweak style later.”

“All the essentials, no artifices”: this Dacia philosophy applies to All-New Duster’s design as much as every other model.

The designers started with simple volumes – the cabin, bonnet, wings, etc. Then they assembled them into a clear-cut whole, to give the model a modern, well-built style, with deliberately taut, self-confident lines.

The simple shapes and volumes add to the design’s power – including the sharp, vertical face, chamfered wheel-arch guards, large tailgate and side windows reaching seamlessly from bow to stern.

All-New Duster is shielded with a stylish belt wrapping all the way around it: the side underbody shields connect to the hallmarks then to the wheel arches, which in turn connect to the front and rear bumpers, making All-New Duster more robust and outdoor than ever!

Eurocell building a european gigafactory to supply world-leading "production ready" batteries in just 12 months

EUROCELL - Eurocell, the Anglo-Korean next-generation battery company, is set to build its first European Gigafactory, producing proven ‘production ready’ technologies in just 12 months, far faster than other Gigafactories. This is possible as Eurocell has a proven battery product which is ready for scaled-up manufacturing.

With an initial £600 million investment planned over two phases, it intends to supply European energy storage, automotive, and e-mobility applications. Full capacity will be reached as early as 2025.

The company will mass-produce and export its market-leading technologies from one of three key markets, the UK, the Netherlands or Spain. It is already actively looking at sites and the final choice is heavily dependent on gaining the right level of central government support and investment.

The host country selected will benefit from the creation of hundreds of direct and indirect jobs, transferring vital skills from Korean battery experts and boosting the economy in a strategic sector crucial to achieving Europe’s net zero ambitions.

Eurocell’s batteries, developed in Korea, also have a considerable technical advantage, lasting over ten times longer than conventional lithium-ion cells, making them far more sustainable, with no ‘end of life’ issues and perfect for ESS applications given its 100% safe and high performance. Their wide range of operating temperatures also makes them ideally suited to areas with extreme weather and without an existing grid network.

Recardo Bruins, CEO Eurocell EMEA “Eurocell in the UK is a new company, led by a highly experienced UK team and backed by our South Korean partner with decades of experience in electro-chemistry, making batteries at mass-scale and building the Gigafactories to produce them. Now we are planning to rapidly expand in Europe, supplying the energy storage and automotive industries with our market-leading technologies that last longer, perform better and are 100% safe. These products can be on the market in months, not years.

“To fulfil our mission, we are actively seeking a European manufacturing base and are in advanced discussions with sites in the UK, Netherlands and Spain. With the right level of central engagement and support we are keen to take advantage of the rapidly growing European market as quickly as possible.”

Eurocell intends to construct its new Gigafactory in two phases. The first phase will begin producing advanced battery cells at scale by early 2023 for existing customers. In parallel a bespoke facility will be constructed on the same site, capable of producing in excess of 40 million cells per year by 2025.