The VinFast VF 8 City Edition was a disaster in the making as it started at $55,500 and only offered 179 miles (288 km) of range.
The range fell far short of competitors and the company promised a software update would help alleviate the issue. It appears to have arrived as VinFast says the VF 8 Eco City Edition now has an EPA estimated range of up to 207 miles (333 km) on a single charge.
The company didn’t elaborate, but that’s a 28 mile (45 km) improvement. The good news doesn’t end there as VinFast slashed pricing as the VF 8 Eco City Edition falls from $55,500 to $49,000. Likewise, the VF 8 Plus City Edition now starts at $56,000 instead of $62,500.
Also: VinFast Details VF 8 City Edition, Offers Up To 402 HP
That being said, the aforementioned pricing excludes a $3,000 City Edition discount as well as a $1,200 destination fee. It’s also worth noting the reduced pricing is accompanied by a cheaper lease as customers can get the VF 8 Eco City Edition for $519 per month with $6,314 down.
Even with the increased range and reduced pricing, the VF 8 City Edition is a questionable value. Tesla’s recent price cut has seen the Model Y Dual-Motor Long Range drop to $53,490 before a $1,390 destination fee. That means there’s only $7,680 separating the 330 mile (531 km) Tesla from the VF 8 Eco City Edition when you factor in destination fees and the City Edition discount. That’s still a sizable difference, but the VinFast is much slower as its dual-motor all-wheel drive system develops 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS) and only allows for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of approximately 6.5 seconds.
Things get even worse when you look at the 402 hp (300 kW / 408 PS) VF 8 Plus City Edition. It effectively costs $54,200 which is only $680 cheaper than the aforementioned Model Y that begins at $54,880 when you factor in the destination fee. Despite the similar pricing, the VF 8 is slower and offers far less range.