Some of you may have seen or heard of VinFast and their new Electric SUVs displayed at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – the compact VF 6, VF 7, midsized VF 8 and full-size VF 9. All vehicles are from VinFast, a Vietnamese startup that has plans to sell VF 8 and VF 9 SUVs in the United States by the end of 2022. Moreover, VinFast plans to commercialize the two other vehicles, the VF 6 and VF 7, both compact-sized electric crossovers.
There isn’t much known about the VF 6 and VF 7 other than the VF 6 being the size of a Toyota C-HR or Honda HR-V and the CF 7 nearly matching the size of a current Toyota RAV4. Details on their range or powertrains remain to be a mystery for now but we should have information to form a better preview in the coming months.
What we do know about, somewhat, are the details on the VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 that are making a fresh splash at CES 2022 while they are on static display. To start, the VinFast VF 8 will be about the size of a current Ford Edge where it sports an electric platform that has 402 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque. To keep the VinFast VF 8 competitive, it will tout a 316-mile range based on the European Emissions Cycle and hit 60 mph in about 5.5 seconds or so. The EPA should have their mile range specs soon, which may come in slightly lower than the Euro Emissions findings. VinFast hasn’t released specifics on the battery pack, motor, or charging time specifications.
The new VinFast VF 9 is a full-size SUV that has more in-your-face styling with an expected larger battery pack over its siblings giving it a 422-mile range as specified by the European Emissions Cycle. Zero to 60 mph time is claimed to be 6.5 seconds, which makes us think it could have an identical motor setup as the VinFast VF 8, only powered by a larger battery for the extended range.
The new VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 share an interior design where there is a minimalistic approach like that of Tesla. The dashboard uses one large screen without any dedicated instrument cluster. No one has had a full glimpse of the interior or had an opportunity to sit in the new VinFast vehicles as of yet and do a full report on their findings. The vehicles on display at CES remained locked with limited exposure by attendees.
Many questions are circulating around the VinFast vehicles, and the company is slowly rolling out details, some of which are creative and eyebrow-raising like a battery lease program that they will offer giving the owner the option to pick one of two plays with a monthly fee. One of the plans, the “flexible” plan, would allow the owner to drive 300 miles each month minimum while a “fixed” plan gives them unlimited range. Supposedly, these plans would be comparable to what you pay for a gas-powered vehicle each month. With this program, VinFast would cover expenses for battery maintenance and a free replacement if the battery’s capacity falls below 70%. Still, we are unsure of the definitive plan here and look for more information “soon.”
To kick things off, VinFast will start the setup of dealerships in California this year and offer a voucher program to accompany reservations with a $200 deposit granting new customers a $3,000 voucher for the VF 8 and a $5,000 voucher for the VF 9, both surrounding the craze of NFT and blockchain technology.
We will be sure to report back on our findings when VinFast makes additional announcements because we like what we see here with these shiny and attractive-looking electrified SUVs! For now, you may visit their webpage at VinFastauto.eu.
