2024 VinFast VF 9 Plus($84,000) - Interior and Exterior Walkaround - 2023 LA Auto Show

Опубликовано: 15 Сентябрь 2023
на канале: Car Mechanic

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2023 VinFast VF 8 Prototype Review: Assessing Vietnam's U.S.-Bound EV SUV

It's early days for VinFast's first U.S.-bound electric SUV, but don't count this company out.

VinFast is more than just a name. "Vin" denotes its place as part of the Vingroup, the largest private conglomerate in Vietnam. "Fast" is appropriate given the speed with which the fledgling automaker is working to establish itself as a global automaker, with plans to sell electric SUVs in the U.S. later this year and build EVs and batteries in North Carolina in July 2024.

VinFast is still a baby. The automaker was founded in Vietnam in 2017 to make scooters, vehicles, and buses. Parent Vingroup makes complete cities where 100,000 people live in Vinhomes, attend Vinschools, apply to get into the VinUni university, go to a Vinmec hospital for their ills, visit VinWonders theme park to ride a roller coaster, and perhaps work at a luxury Vinpearl hotel. The conglomerate is owned by billionaire Pham Nhat Vuong, known as the chairman. He has many vice chairmen, including VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy, a strong woman known as Madame Thuy.

VinFast is evolving with dazzling speed. In 21 months VinFast developed its first three vehicles and built an assembly complex on what used to be swampland in Hai Phong, near Hanoi.

Only three years in, VinFast announced a major pivot: it will stop building vehicles with combustion engines by the end of the year and make only electric vehicles. It is an expensive move early in the automaker's life, but the Chairman wanted to get clean vehicles on the road and will cover the costly decision.

VinFast Future Product Lineup
The next two vehicles to be launched, the 2023 VinFast VF 8 two-row midsize SUV (formerly known as the VF e35) and the three-row 2023 VinFast VF 9 (formerly the VF e36) ride on a new platform developed with the help of Magna's engineering consultants. VinFast uses five international studios for design and is working with J.D. Power to nail quality. Internal design, engineering, and manufacturing talent includes a number of former General Motors employees.

The SUVs were designed to be offered as both gasoline-powered and electric and have more than 65,000 global reservations. The sudden move to kill combustion engines means the next-generation battery packs can switch to a flat-floor skateboard design; the original packs were shaped to accommodate a fuel tank on the planned ICE models .

VinFast will start building the North American-spec VF 8 on Aug. 31 and export it for sale in November with a starting price of $41,900, not counting the monthly charge of $35-$110 to lease the battery, depending on the subscription plan. The VF 9 will follow a month later with a starting price of $56,700 and $44-$160 a month for the battery lease. In 2024 buyers have the option to purchase or lease the battery. The VinFast VF 7 compact SUV will launch next year on a platform it shares with the VinFast VF 6.

The SUVs will launch with a standard battery with a range of up to 260 miles on a single charge. A longer-range battery with a range up to 292 miles will follow in early 2023. A third, larger battery could be added by the end of 2023 to provide about 340 miles of range. Leased batteries can be swapped for a more powerful one in the future.

The U.S. will get two-motor AWD models with two trims to start: Eco and Plus. A third premium trim will follow in 2023. The automaker doesn't want to launch in the U.S. with too many flavors initially to streamline the message and awareness. But there are at least two variations to come including a premium midsize sedan. Further down the road VinFast is considering a pickup truck, Madame Thuy says.redline reviews, redline review, 2theredlinellc, 2theredline, redline, review, reviews, car review, car reviews, car, drive, autos, 2023 vinfast vf 8, 2023 vinfast vf8, vinfast vf 8, vinfast vf 8 review, vinfast vf 8 interior, vinfast vf 8 plus, vinfast vf8 2023, vinfast, vf8 review, vf8, vf8 vinfast review, vf8 test drive, nyias, nyias 2022, sponsored post, ad, vinfast vf8, electric car, vinfast vf9, vinfast vf e35, vinfast vf 9, vinfast vf7, vinfast review, vinfast electric carredline reviews, redline review, 2theredlinellc, 2theredline, redline, review, reviews, car review, car reviews, cars, car, drive, autos, trucks, auto review, 2023 vinfast vf8, 2023 vinfast vf 9, vinfast vf 8, vinfast vf 9, vinfast ces 2022, vinfast new york, vinfast review, vinfast e36, vinfast vf 7, vinfast car, nyias, nyias 2022, sponsored post, ad, electric cars, vinfast electric car, vinfast vf 8 interior, 2023 vinfast vf 8, vinfast vf 8 plus, vinfast, vinfast vf 8 review, vf8vinfast, vf8, vinfast vf8, electric car, electric vehicle, electric suv, futuristic car, futuristic suv, best suv 2022, best suvs 2022, best suvs 2023, best electric cars 2023, best electric cars 2022, supercar blondie, supercar blondie cars, cars, supercars, future cars, futuristic cars, car