The original Fiat Panda vibes are strong with this one. Equally, this could well be what 70mph on the A34 feels like in an Ikea chest of drawers.
A good one, mind you, that’s had all of those funny lock-screw things fully tightened up and has yet to be disassembled and lashed back together again in a house move. A solid, well-built, four-berth Malm, perhaps.
This car’s body sides are flat and steep; in the nearer case, almost close enough to prop your ribcage against as you barrel along.
Its silhouette is boxy and short. Its wheels are little, narrow and just a bit castorish. It has one windscreen wiper arm and two washer jets and needs no more of either.
And its horn sounds like it could have played a bit part in the kids’ TV show Brum.
The driving experience is quite blowy and squeaky at motorway speeds but, perhaps more so elsewhere, simple, direct and cheery.
Sure, the steering is a bit slow-geared, I guess because the car needs to guard its stability. But it rides quite well for something so small and feels fun even though it isn’t remotely sporty.
This is what it feels like to drive Britain’s new cheapest electric car: the Dacia Spring. We reviewed this car previously, but not the bottom-rung version that you can buy for £14,995.
How many combustion-engined cars cost less these days? Just the one, by my count, and yup, it’s another Dacia.
The Spring does have back seats, but it would be a squeeze for four adults. Two plus as many sub-teenaged kids would be fine.
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