VinFast’s quest to tackle the United States is well underway and the first production VF 8s arrived in San Francisco Bay on Saturday.
The 999 EVs departed from Vietnam last month and the company said the ship’s arrival marks a “significant milestone for the VinFast brand and its promise to deliver vehicles to the U.S. market by the end of 2022.”
While initial reviews have been mixed, the VF 8 is billed as a “sophisticated mid-size eSUV.” The entry-level Eco trim features an 87.7 kWh battery pack that powers a dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing a combined output of 348 hp (260 kW / 353 PS). This setup promises to enable the crossover to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.8 seconds.
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Customers can also upgrade to the Plus trim, which features an upgraded powertrain with a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing 402 hp (300 kW / 408 PS) and 457 lb-ft (619 Nm) of torque. Thanks to the extra oomph, the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time should fall to around 5.3 seconds.
Full details are expected ahead of customer deliveries, but the company is targeting a range of up to 292 miles (470 km). VinFast has also said the vehicle will feature a natural language voice assistant, a 15.6-inch infotainment system, and advanced driver assistance systems. The latter are slated to include Adaptive Cruise Control, Highway Driving Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Blind Spot Detection, and Automatic Emergency Braking.
While a number of questions remain, it appears VinFast continues to tweak pricing as the model now starts at $59,000. Earlier this month, the price was listed at $57,000 or $42,200 if customers got a battery subscription that cost $169 per month. However, the battery subscription appears to have been scrubbed from the website, so it’s unclear if that will be an option going forward.
