2024
VinFast VF 8

Who Is VinFast

VinFast is part of a major conglomerate that has divisions focused on AI, healthcare, real estate, tourism, and education—each with “Vin” in the name. These include VinAI, VinBrain, VinBus, VinCom, VinHomes, and VinUniversity. Initial showrooms have been focused on California, with service centers sprinkled mostly along the coasts. VinFast expects to soon sell in a dozen states, including Connecticut, home to our Auto Test Center.

Its first model on sale, the VF8, is an attractive crossover styled by famed Italian design house Pininfarina, whose work has shaped Ferraris and sporadic models from other brands for decades. The exterior is so at home with the current crop of competitors (looking much like the Mercedes-Benz GLC) that it fails to distinguish itself in the manner of more distinctive startups Fisker, Lucid, and Rivian. The interior draws clear, and admitted, inspiration from BMWs. The net effect is a fresh contender that fits right into the market without visually standing out.

Launching a new automotive company is a massive, high-stakes undertaking. Only a few introduced in the past 50 years have endured, with Tesla being the most notable. Others have sold cars for less than a decade or have bowed out, like Fisker.

What We Like

Lease

The too-good-to-be-true lease deal is the primary reason to get a VF8, especially if you have access to a home EV charger and live close to a dealership. The low-cost offer is $199 a month for 36 months with no money down for a capitalized cost reduction or security deposit. This means the cost to acquire is a $199 first month payment and a $695 acquisition fee. The lease is based on 10,000 miles a year, with a charge of 25 cents a mile for going over that limit. When it comes time to turn in the SUV, there is a disposition fee of up to $395. The lease includes a purchase option at lease end for $21,712, plus a purchase option fee of $350 and any applicable tax, title, and government fees. The VF9 is currently offered at $529 a month for 24 months. These incentivized deals, of course, are expected to change over time.

Packaging

The shape, proportions, and resulting interior space work well. There is good space for the driver, and all passengers will find ample room given the vehicle’s size. Plus, we like that it has traditional exterior door handles and a rear wiper—features that one can’t take for granted on EVs.

Driving position

The driver sits comfortably upright, like in other small SUVs. There is adequate space all around, even for splayed knees. The right knee has a padded center console to rest against—always appreciated. There is good headroom, with most drivers having a couple of inches or more of clearance. The armrests on the door and in the center are a bit low but symmetrical. The driver’s left footrest is at a comfortable angle and well positioned.

Warranty

Addressing a potential barrier for customers, VinFast offers a massive warranty. The VF8 is covered by a 10-year, 125,000-mile warranty, with the battery covered for 10 years and unlimited mileage.

What We Don't Like

Imposter syndrome

At a glance, the VF8 may look like it runs with BMWs and Mercedes-Benzes, but it most certainly does not. The many aspects we found lacking included steering and suspension tuning, and controls organization—things that could be solved in the next iteration. Hopefully, these issues can be solved before the next line of vehicles go into production in North Carolina. As one tester wrote in the logbook: “It feels like a knockoff of a decent car.”

Power

The VF8 Plus, with 402 hp and 457 lb.-ft. of torque, is rather zippy. The automaker claims a swift 0-to-60 mph time of about 5.5 seconds. The power feels appropriate and on a par with key rivals. But the power delivery isn’t linear. There is initial hesitation when the accelerator is first pressed, then the power comes on with a stronger surge than expected as the right foot pushes harder, making it challenging to modulate.

Brakes

The initial brake action is vague, requiring more travel from the pedal than expected before stopping forces come into play. Some drivers found it difficult to predict the exact stopping point, such as when approaching an intersection.

Regenerative braking

The core issue here is that the regenerative braking system (which recaptures kinetic energy to extend electric driving range) defaults to the highest setting on start-up. To change it, you must press “Drive Mode” on the bottom left of the infotainment display, then choose Low, Medium, or High. High makes the vehicle react as if the brakes have been pressed, causing the brake lights to go on. The Low setting was most comfortable to use with passengers, as the braking action was much lighter, but accessing that mode requires a deliberate step every time you drive the vehicle.

Steering and handling

The steering feel is numb, with zero feedback, and the wheel is rather heavy to rotate. All drivers found the steering to be among the worst on the market, putting it behind even the Chevrolet Blazer EV. Plus, the steering is not particularly quick to respond and there is a bit more body roll than expected through turns, especially given the stiff ride.

Ride

The ride quality is best described as unsophisticated. This is expressed through stiff impacts, abrupt rebounds, and pitching motions that expose a suspension that is short on body control or absorption. Our testers noted that the front and rear tuning is not harmonious, contributing to a jittery experience that can be bouncy over some surfaces.

What We'll Keep an Eye On

Fit and finish

At a glance, the interior looks inspired by BMW, with the shapes, curves, and trims. When you sit in it, the inspiration appears to have come from photos, rather than a physical car, as the tactile sensations are quite different from those found in models from that famed German automaker. Sure, there are technically padded surfaces, but the padding is thin and compresses too readily. Some plastics are without texture, as we often see on pre-production parts. Panel fits vary, there are some rough edges to plastic elements, and the windows rattle when raised. For $199 a month, it looks amazing. But compared against even lower-priced mainstream models, there are clear deficiencies.

Front seats

Feedback was mixed among our drivers. The seats were deemed fairly comfortable by some drivers and passengers on short trips. The wide base and mild bolstering suited drivers of various sizes, although the seats’ foam is firm, and a couple of drivers didn’t care for the seatback shape. Unlike in many cars, the head restraints are well positioned for comfort. More drivers and longer trips may yield further insights into seat comfort.

Rear seats

The seat base and back are flat and inconsistently padded. Space is decent, with more legroom than you might expect in a vehicle this size, but there isn’t enough space under the front seats to tuck your feet in. Headroom is snug and may be an issue for tall passengers.

Rear seat folding

The rear seats are spring-loaded. Once the large lever is actuated, the seatback tumbles forward and folds fairly flat. However, pushing the seatbacks upright against the spring-loaded resistance takes more force than some drivers may be able to apply readily, especially with one arm.

Cargo space

The shape of the cargo space is limited by the slope of the rear seatback and the angle of the liftgate. The resulting trapezoidal space is less than in some similar-sized SUVs. There are no extra storage bins at the rear corners, often considered places to tuck a milk jug. The front trunk (aka “frunk”) is tiny. It may be useful for stowing a small emergency kit, but that’s about it.

Noise

For an electric vehicle, noise is fairly pronounced. Certainly, there is some wind and road noise, but what captured our attention is the constant, unpleasant motor whine at around 30-35 mph and at highway velocity. Test drivers noted a greater awareness of motors, fans, and other mechanisms toiling away than with other similar models.

Controls

Both steering wheel stalks feel cheap and the motions don’t feel precise. Making matters worse, the turn signal does not turn off automatically as soon as expected after you complete a turn. It can remain active right until the steering wheel is back to a fully centered position, often requiring the driver to turn it off manually. The gear selector is a series of large buttons, adjacent to the cup holders. Their uniform size and shape requires a careful look from the driver to ensure the proper gear is selected, a nuisance and a distraction during parking maneuvers.

Infotainment screen

VinFast aped the Tesla approach by putting most controls within a large screen, but the execution is distracting and confusing. There is no traditional Home button, and the key car-specific functions are treated as “apps” and mixed in among other, less-essential apps. Simply put: Core car functions should not be relegated to being apps.

The screen is like an unorganized iPhone, making it very difficult to interpret while driving. This is particularly important when the absence of physical buttons means everything is done through the screen or voice commands, even adjusting the mirrors and steering wheel. Even worse, the steering wheel can only be adjusted when the vehicle is in Park. The driver attention monitor is sensitive and audibly demonstrates how distracting this setup can be.

Once accessed, some of the controls are easy to use and clearly displayed. But the overall execution feels rushed. Looking like a tablet computer, the center infotainment screen has a brushed nickel bezel and back-side casing. That silver material can be readily seen from outside the car and even reflected in the windshield. Testers noted that they would glance at the car, say, to confirm it had locked via remote, and wonder if they left something on the dashboard.

Lane keeping assistance

If you love beeps, this is the car for you. The LKA system is hyper-vigilant, being quick to issue warnings and intervene. Most drivers noted that this was the most aggressive system they had experienced and that even on the mildest (most forgiving) settings, it was an annoying copilot. The lane warnings are made worse by using the same tone as employed for blind spot warning, so the driver has to then figure out what the concern is about. One automotive engineer said that the lane keeping system can too frequently jerk the steering wheel when there is no clear issue at hand, making the driving experience distressing. Feedback on this and other advanced safety systems exposes one of the challenges in being a new car company. Most automakers struggled to find the right balance of warning and engagement when these systems were first introduced about a decade ago. Since then, the systems on most cars have been fine-tuned to the point of being welcomed in many scenarios. Vinfast is at square one in developing these systems.

Safety and Driver Assistance Systems

The VF8 packs a solid array of active safety and driver assistance features that includes automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, and lane keeping assistance. There is also a driver monitoring system that uses an infrared camera with facial recognition and AI features that determine if the driver is distracted or drowsy. A hearty yawn or an extended look at the infotainment screen will trigger a warning.