You may have seen an unfamiliar-looking crossover in passing wearing a “V” on the grille and wondered what that was. Well, it’s actually the newest EV to join the Canadian market: the Vietnamese-made VinFast VF 8.
“Today, VinFast has taken another big step in its mission to foster the global electrification revolution. I believe with VinFast’s non-stop efforts together with its serious and methodical business strategy, it will soon gain the trust and support from Canadian customers,” says Anh Nguyen, VinFast North America CEO, in a media release when the first units arrived on local shores back in summer 2023.
The SUV’s unique styling is a result of a partnership involving two Italian design firms, Pininfarina and Torino Design, both putting their mark on various Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and others. Exterior highlights include stacked headlamps, signature winged LED daytime running lights and matching taillight bar, stubby overhangs, 20-inch wheels, and stretched wheelbase. Measuring 4,750 millimeters long and 1,934 millimeters wide, the size is a tad larger than a Hyundai Santa Fe.
Inside, the cabin boasts a huge 15.6-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen acting as the command center controlling virtually all vehicle functions—outside of the core steering, braking, and transmission—as well as showing crucial onboard information, as there are no gauges or monitor mounted ahead of the driver. Fortunately, a head-up display is standard, showing speed and additional pertinent info on the windshield.
When the model initially launched, the electronic collision avoidance features ensured drivers paid attention to the safety systems via obnoxious audible and visual warnings, like whenever the posted speed limit was exceeded or a lane departure warning was triggered. Thankfully, this has seemingly been largely addressed through updates.
The seats are comfortable no matter where occupants sit in the two-row interior, and legroom is above average for the segment. However, there’s still a legacy transmission tunnel bump above the floor due to the SUV being initially conceived as an internal combustion automobile. There’s sufficient cargo space with 76 liters up front in the frunk and 373 liters behind the second row, or 1,359 liters if the 60/40 split rear seats are folded down.
Another recent fix is the fine-tuning of the front strut and rear multi-link suspension to smooth out the ride. Though I personally didn’t experience this during early testing, some reviews of the VF8 noted a bouncy ride causing motion sickness.
Performance-wise, the vehicle matches up to the competition, packing dual 150-kilowatt motors producing 402 horsepower, 457 lb-ft of torque (plus trim), and all-wheel drive. In addition, a de-tuned entry-level Eco grade is available, outputting 348 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. A new, larger 87.7-kilowatt-hour battery feeds the propulsion system and provides a range of approximately 425 kilometers and 391 kilometers, respectively, on a full charge.
Plugged into a standard Level 2 source, a full top-up takes about 9.5 hours at 11 kilowatts. DC fast charging is also supported, at a maximum of 150 kilowatts, and can get energy reserves from 10 to 70 percent in around 31 minutes.
The 2023 VinFast VF 8 is built in Haiphong, Vietnam, and prices start at $53,600 MSRP (Eco) or $59,200 (Plus). Want more space? The automaker has just launched its flagship three-row VF 9 with seating for seven.
Highlights:
MSRP: $59,200 (base)
Motor: Dual electric
Horsepower: 402 (net)
Torque (lb-ft): 457 (net)
Gearbox: Single-speed automatic
Layout: Front/rear motors, All-wheel drive
Fuel economy: 3.1 Le/100 km mixed city/highway (manufacturer estimate)