Dacia Spring tops Green NCAP’s Best Car of 2022 ranking

Green NCAP has recognised the Dacia Spring as the most environmentally friendly new car as it reveals the results of its 2022 efficiency tests.

The compact electric SUV achieved the highest score in Green NCAP’s Energy Efficiency Index and been named as the Best Car overall by the organisation.

Dacia launched the Spring last year, but its arrival in UK dealerships is delayed until at least 2024 due to demand in other regions.

Commenting on the prospects of adding Europe’s cheapest EV – the Spring is priced from €12,403 (£10,630) in France – to UK dealerships, Dacia UK director Luke Broad said: “We have put a really strong case forward to the Dacia business unit.

“As both a sales and marketing tool I would fight tooth and nail to get that car because it’s a no brainer, isn’t it?”

The Spring achieved an overall five-star rating and outperformed other electric vehicles such as the Tesla Model 3 and the Cupra Born.

It scored maximum results in the Clean Air Index, but also achieved Green NCAP’s highest result in the Greenhouse Gas Index and a never-before-seen 9.8 in the Energy Efficiency Index.

The Dacia Spring received an overall score of 9.9, followed by Tesla Model 3 (overall score 9.8). The NIO eT7, the Renault Megane E-Tech and Cupra Born achieved overall scores of 9.6.

The Audi Q4 e-Tron and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 were also five-star performers. However, it was the cars’ energy efficiency results which made the critical difference to a vehicle’s overall score. In contrast to the Dacia Spring, these cars did not present consumption values low enough in this Index to receive top results. The Ioniw 5, for example, received a 9.1 in the Energy Efficiency Index, which in consequence lowered the overall score of the car.

Dr. Aleksandar Damyanov, Green NCAP’s technical manager, said: “With this outstanding result, Dacia’s supermini sets a standard for industry. Dacia has set out to create a supermini that responds to the needs of consumer in its design, but also to the sustainability challenges of our planet. The result is a ‘green and eco-friendly’ vehicle. With this model, the company is ahead of many other manufacturers in terms of impact on the environment.”

Dacia recently welcomed the first batch of vehicles that feature its new corporate identity, ahead of their arrival in UK showrooms.

The new cars are part of a wider transition for the budget-friendly brand as it rolls out a new corporate identity (CI) for its franchised dealerships.