VinFast, a Vietnamese car company that never built a vehicle five years ago, is looking to enter the Canadian market with not one, but four all-electric vehicles. These are the models VF 6, VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9.
Your presence at the Montreal Auto Show will certainly not go unnoticed.
VF8 and VF9
The first two vehicles to be marketed here are the VF 8, a mid-size SUV with two rows of seats, and the VF 9, a larger model with three rows of seats.
Photo: Vinfast
Both commercial vehicles come with all-wheel drive as standard and are available in two different versions: Eco and Plus. The VF8 has an output of 348 to 402 hp and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds. The VF 9 generates just as much, but logically accelerates more slowly (6.5 seconds) due to its additional weight.
Vietnamese vehicle, Italian design
VinFast has teamed up with the famous Italian office Pininfarina for the design. The result is not to be confused with another vehicle. The front of both vehicles features a distinctive “V”-shaped grille, reminiscent of the brand’s logo. Inside, the decor is very similar to that of Tesla, that is, without a dashboard behind the wheel and a large multimedia screen in the middle, through which everything or almost everything is controlled.
The nerve of the war for electric vehicles, of course, remains autonomy. Two different batteries are available in each case. The autonomy has not yet been evaluated by Natural Resources Canada, but estimates suggest that the VF 8 should have an autonomy of 380 to 430 km depending on the battery and version chosen. The range of the VF 9 should be between 400 and 520 km.
Photo: Vinfast
Rent drums!
At the Montreal Auto Show, visitors can not only explore these two new models, but also learn about VinFast’s battery rental program. Correct: A monthly fee for the battery is added to the vehicle price – based on a fixed (unlimited kilometers) or variable tariff. However, for customers who do not wish to know anything about battery rental, it is possible to make an “all-inclusive” purchase for an additional $10,000 on the VF 8 and $23,800 on the VF 9.
Interesting detail: VinFast’s long guarantee of 10 years or 200,000 km provides for free replacement of the battery as soon as it has lost 30% of its original charge capacity. And finally, you know that the brand doesn’t rely on traditional dealerships, but rather on brick-and-mortar stores and online sales – again in Tesla’s fashion.