BYD Dolphin Surf vs Dacia Spring: a match already decided?

On paper, the Chinese BYD and the Franco-Sino-Romanian Dacia are in the same league of 100% electric city cars with tight pricing.

The BYD Dolphin Surf and the Dacia Spring are priced at €18,990 and €16,900 respectively, without the ecological bonus as both are manufactured in China. A relatively balanced match in terms of pricing, but upon closer inspection, the €2,090 difference seems minimal compared to the disparities in equipment, range, and performance.

Equipment: clear advantage for the Dolphin

The base Dacia Spring, recently restyled, covers the essentials: manual air conditioning, a 7-inch central screen (without GPS or wireless Android Auto), 14-inch steel wheels, front electric windows… The Dolphin Surf offers much more: a rotating 12.8-inch central screen, 7-inch digital instrumentation, automatic air conditioning, 16-inch alloy wheels, electrically folding mirrors, heated front seats, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Chinese model clearly plays in a higher category.

Range and charging: the BYD doubles down

With its 30 kWh (usable) battery, BYD advertises a WLTP range of 220 km compared to 225 km for the Dacia with its modest 26.8 kWh battery. Advantage Spring then? Not really, as the Dolphin Surf can accept up to 60 kW in DC charging versus 30 kW for the Spring, allowing it to go from 30% to 80% in about 30 minutes, compared to 45 minutes for the Romanian.

Performance: the gap widens

The Dolphin Surf features an 88 hp motor with 180 Nm of torque. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.3 seconds. The Spring, with its 45 hp and 125 Nm, struggles to keep up: 0 to 100 in 19.1 seconds. Even in the city, the difference in responsiveness is noticeable, and on the road, the BYD proves to be much more reassuring.

In the end, there was no match…

In terms of equipment, comfort, range, performance, and charging speed, the BYD Dolphin Surf outperforms the Dacia Spring. And all for just €2,090 more. A difference that can easily be offset by the gains in daily usability. Unsurprisingly, the victory goes decisively to the Dolphin Surf, which shows a lesson in value for money without contest.

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