New Spring: the advantage over the Twingo that Dacia valued highly

The new Spring shares many features with the Twingo, but it aims to be more practical thanks to two key advantages: a true open hood and a frunk area.

The new Spring is a Twingo with a Dacia twist. In fact, the two models share three-quarters of their components. We’ve already explored in a dedicated article what the differences are, which mainly lie in the exterior design and the construction of the models.

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To avoid (excessive) restraint, these cousins aim to operate in two complementary markets. While the Twingo focuses on fun, versatility, and tech features, the Spring adopts a serious and practical approach, targeting customers who prioritize functionality above all. This results in a rather surprising difference—an unexpected advantage for Dacia. The Spring actually has an open hood, which is not the case with the Twingo!

In fact, Renault made the surprising decision to seal off this feature for customers. There is indeed an open hood, but it can only be accessed at a workshop. To fill the windshield washer fluid, there is simply a access panel at the bottom of the windshield.

At Dacia, none of this exists. The customer can open the hood without any complicated manipulation, as there’s a pull cord inside the cabin. This suits the brand’s more practical customers, who can thus access the 12V battery.

But as Hervé Barrière, head of Spring products, explained during the car’s premiere presentation, this open hood also stems from something Dacia valued greatly: “What was essential for us was the frunk.” Behind this term, still little known in automotive jargon, is a front trunk.

"On the old Spring, it was very popular. 15% of customers opted for it, which is quite high for an accessory." It sets it apart in its category: "We’re the only ones offering this extra storage space, which isn’t necessarily for items used every day but can, for example, hold the Mode 3 cable that’s used occasionally. With this space, we don’t clutter the interior."

There is, however, a notable change compared to the first generation of Spring. The frunk is no longer an accessory but an option (150 €) that must be ordered in advance: "It can’t be installed later due to technical constraints." This involves adding a structural piece to support the weight.

If the Spring has this advantage over the Twingo, it’s also thanks to the specific design of its front end, with a flat hood that creates extra space. However, compared to the old Spring, the available volume has decreased from 35 to 18 liters. The frunk is deeper, as the previous version was very wide but quite flat.