If VinFast Sticks to Ambitious US Rollout, Future Models Need More Attention

• A recent test drive of the VinFast VF 8 shows a vehicle that was rushed to market but could have used more time in development. Still, most of the problems we cited seem fixable.

• VF 8 City Editions come in two trims (with 207 miles or 191 miles of range), but a second shipment of VinFast cars from Vietnam brings “Standard” models with 87.7-kWh batteries and up to 264 miles of range.

• There was a hissing sound no one could quite explain, and adjusting the steering column was overly complicated. There were some inconsistent panel gaps inside and out, and the steering is a mixed bag, too.

Startup electric car brands fronted by flashy billionaires tend to have a rough go of it. Of course, Elon is the exception. But most hit plenty of speed bumps on their way to production—if they even make it that far. And Vietnamese startup VinFast is no different.

Established in 2017, VinFast is largely funded by the deep pockets of billionaire founder Pham Nhat Vuong, the wealthiest man in Vietnam. And he’s sunk billions of his own money into VinFast over the past six years.

Despite that cashflow, VinFast has struggled. The company burned though one CEO, cut its workforce here in the US, and—as we discovered on a recent test drive in Encinitas, California—rushed a vehicle to market that could have used more time in development. Indeed, the latest media reviews of the car have not been flattering. And we found plenty to complain about, too. However, most of what we noticed seems fixable. So it will be up to VinFast to decide how quickly they can pivot to address these issues.

The VF 8 crossovers made available for our testing were among the first 999 shipped to America—VF 8 City Editions. These come in two flavors: a more stripped-down Eco model (range of 207 miles) and a heavier Plus that includes more options, luxuries, tech, and a range of 191 miles. They both employ an 82-kWh Lithium Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum Oxide (NCA) battery supplied by Samsung.

The evening before our test drive, the second shipment of VinFast cars carrying another 1100 VF8 models for America landed by boat near San Francisco. These VF 8s are the newer and confusingly named “Standard” models that use a more modern and energy-dense 87.7-kWh CATL Lithium Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) battery with a range of 264 miles in Eco trim or 243 miles in Plus trim.

And while the initial City models were lease-only, these new VF 8s can be leased or purchased with the Eco models starting at $46,000 and Plus models starting at $56,000.

Those already leasing (or planning to lease) the older VF 8 City Edition can transition their lease to the VF8 Standard. I confirmed with VinFast—the City model is indeed being phased out as these new models arrive. With that in mind, it’s surprising the company didn’t postpone the media drive event by a month or so and use these newer models.

Talk a long, slow walk around the VF 8 City, and there’s no denying it’s a handsomely styled crossover. Indeed, the design was penned in Italy by Pininfarina and looked great on the road or parked by the shore, especially our bright orange test car. The bodywork and panels look fine from a distance.

But move in closer and you might spy some inconsistent gaps. On my test unit, the area where trunk meets the body was off from side-to-side. And I noticed similar panel gap inconsistencies inside the cabin too, where the dash meets the door trim.

Slide into the front seat and the VF 8 is a reasonably good place to spend time. We found the seats comfortable, and there’s loads of legroom in the rear seat, although that bottom cushion is hard, flat, and wouldn’t be our choice for a longer haul.

The VF 8 has a wheelbase that’s about three inches longer than a Tesla Model Y and over 7 inches longer than an Audi Q4 e-tron. Still, with a rear trunk capacity of 48.4 cubic feet and front trunk capacity of 2.7 cubic feet, the VF 8 comes up a little short on less cargo space compared to these competitors.

The quality of the materials and switchgear inside this Plus model are on par with mainstream automakers like Chevy and Ford. And the vegan leather trim appears to be good quality. VinFast uses a large 15.6-inch central screen to control virtually every function in the car. The display was a little confusing to use as some functions are buried deep in the menus.

And at moments, the commands were delayed. Want to adjust the tilt and telescoping steering wheel? You must first select that function on the screen and then use buttons on the steering wheel. That’s quite a bit of back and forth to make what should be a quick adjustment. Good news? VinFast has an easy-to-navigate window for drive modes.