VinFast VF 8

The VinFast VF8 is a battery electric mid-size crossover SUV (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by VinFast of Vingroup from 2022. The model made its debut in the second half of January 2022, as one of the product to support the automakers planned expansion to global markets.[5]

History

The model was formerly known as the VinFast VFe35 and VinFast VF32 during development. VinFast opened orders for the VF8 in January 2022 in the domestic Vietnamese market, with the first deliveries to 100 Vietnamese customers commenced on September 10, 2022.[6] In the United States, VinFast opened six dealerships in California on July 14, 2022, showing both the VF8 and VF9, with deliveries planned for fall 2022.[7] An assembly plant in Chatham County, North Carolina broke ground in summer 2023 with production of the VF7, VF8, and VF9 slated to begin from 2028.[8][9][10][11]

Design

The VF8 is a crossover with round proportions combining chrome ornaments with a double strip of headlamps in the front of the body. Narrow LED daytime running lights are separated by a chrome bar, under which the rest of the headlamps are located.[12] The car was styled by Pininfarina; VinFast's design team was led by director David Lyon.[13]

Safety

On 18September 2024, mechanical engineer Hazar Denli said he was sacked after raising safety concerns about VinFast testing. On 24April 2024, a family of four was killed in a VinFast VF8 crash in Pleasanton, California. Police reported the vehicle lost control, veered off the road, hit a pole, and caught fire.[20]

In September 2024, the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) initiated an investigation following 14complaints regarding the VF8's Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA) system. The complaints indicated that the system had difficulty accurately detecting lanes, provided incorrect steering inputs, and was challenging to override. The ODI cautioned that these problems could necessitate significant effort from drivers to maintain control, potentially raising the risk of accidents.[21]

Reception

The VinFast VF8 received a widely negative reception after press cars became available to automotive journalists in the United States. A number of well-established and broadly published automotive journalists and car critics have given the VF8 poor reviews for virtually every metric.

Kevin Williams of Jalopnik test drove a pre-production model of the VF8 which had at that time received Vietnamese sales approval. Williams remarked that the car "felt slow", with inconsistent performance between individual vehicles. He was highly critical of the vehicle's ride and handling, with visibly poor suspension control and unresponsive steering. He concluded that the VF8 was an "underdeveloped, unfinished product that, quite frankly, would be an embarrassment in any market."[22] Brian Wong of Green Car Reports also tested a pre-production model: he described the car as having noticeable body roll, poor braking performance, and poor throttle tuning.[23]

Emme Hall of Green Car Reports later tested a production model and noted the car's poor build quality, and again described poor suspension and braking performance. However, Hall praised the VF8's infotainment system as well-organized and responsive, and commended VinFast for its 10-year warranty. Hall concluded that if VinFast had taken a slower timeline to sort through the VF8's issues, "it might actually have a decent car."[24]

Road & Track's reviewer Mack Hogan also criticised the VF8 for poor build quality, and claimed that the VF8 had the worst ride quality and steering of any car he had reviewed. Hogan also complained of poor braking performance and constant alarms from the car's driver assist features.[25]

Scott Evans, writing for MotorTrend, said largely the same, again complaining of poor performance and numerous malfunctioning systems and driver aids, while also describing inconsistent and poor build quality across his car and those of other journalists. Evans noted that most of the problems he experienced with the VF8 could, in theory, be rectified with software upgrades, but issues such as the poor suspension, an uncomfortable interior, and poor build quality could only be fixed with changes at the factory. Evans did, however, praise the car's interior space, its adaptive cruise control and steering assistance, and said that the heads-up display and infotainment system were both impressive but could be better organized. In contrast to other reviewers, he said that the VF8's braking performance was "shockingly good", and said that the car appeared to have much better range than advertised. Evans concluded that VinFast "have the right idea", but that he would "be embarrassed to look a customer in the eye when handing over the keys to this vehicle" in its current state.[26]

Steven Ewing's review for InsideEVs likewise described poor build quality, criticised the organization of controls within the infotainment system, and complained of annoying and persistent driver assistance alerts. He also criticised the VF8's suspension and steering.[27]

Ezra Dyer of Car and Driver also noted that the VF8 showed better range than advertised and commended VinFast's warranty, but likewise complained of sub-standard build and ride quality. Dyer concluded that the car's shortcomings could be forgiven if it had been "hilariously inexpensive", but were unacceptable given the asking price.[28]

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