2024 VinFast VF8 Review: A Good Start

Not every day, week, or year, does an all-new manufacturer enter the North American automotive market. But 2024 is one of those rare times. A new player in the auto world has emerged— the brand is called VinFast.

Based out of Vietnam, VinFast isn’t wholly new to automotive manufacturing. The brand has been producing vehicles domestically for many years now. But VinFast is ready to expand and has an ambitious plan. Starting with an entirely new lineup of electric vehicles, the manufacturer looks to make inroads in places like Europe and North America.

The first product to hit our shores is the VF8. It’s a mid-size EV SUV similar in dimensions to competitors like Kia EV6, Tesla Model Y, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. Having recently spent a lot of time within this vehicle segment, we wanted to see how the VinFast stacks up. The brand obliged our request and sent us a shiny new 2024 VinFast VF8 Plus to review.

What’s New for 2024: The Brand

Although the VF8 is arriving in North America for the first time, this isn’t our first encounter with the vehicle. Media were flown to Vietnam last year to sample prototypes of the vehicle, and things didn’t exactly go smoothly. There were plenty of bugs and issues that plagued these first editions.

With complaints coming in from potential customers and the media, the brand was all ears. The vehicle we now have on our shores is quite different from the prototype. We’ll cover more of these updates throughout our review, but a few key improvements center around additional sound deadening, the suspension retuned for better comfort, the installation of a better infotainment system screen, improved vehicle software, and even things like how the doors and sunroof operate have been altered.

Exterior Style:

At 187.0-inches (4,750 mm) in length, the VF8 fits well within the mid-size electric SUV segment. VinFast leaned on the expertise of Pinifarina to design the exterior of the VF8. We’re not fully sold on some elements, like the V’s that stretch across the front and back of the vehicle, but the SUV drew more praise than ire from folks during our week with it.

There are nice details like the taillights and heated power folding mirrors. Plus, the brand’s next offering, the larger VF9, looks great. The VF8 comes in two trims at launch, the Eco and Plus. We sampled the Plus which includes larger 20-inch wheels.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

VinFast has made multiple improvements to get the vehicle started, loaded, and ready to go. The goal is smoother transitions while driving. The brand also added more regen options, allowing drivers to even turn it off for those susceptible to motion sickness.

Both versions of the VF8 feature dual motors and all-wheel drive. The Eco makes 349 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, while our tester, the Plus, has 402 hp and 457 lb-ft. That’s more power than the Nissan Ariya Evolve+, Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium Long Range, or the Volkswagen ID.4 Pro AWD. The VF8 also has a competitively sized battery pack at 87.7 kWh.

Despite competitive power levels and battery pack sizes, the VinFast is only rated for 243 miles (391 km) of range on a single charge, which trails most of the competition. The culprit for this limited range is weight. The 2024 VF8 Plus weighs in at over 5,700 pound (2,585 kg). That’s 700-900 pounds more than the competitors listed above.

Even with the weight penalty, the vehicle can still motor from 0 to 60 mph in around 5.5 seconds. Power delivery is smooth once in motion, but getting into motion is always delayed. No matter how we apply pressure to the accelerator, from a dead stop there is a half-second delay before the VF8 responds and drives forward.

Handling and Drivability:

Like most EV SUVs in this class, the VF8 isn’t designed for off-roading. It has a 6.8-inch ground clearance (175 mm) and street-bias tires. It can tow like a SUV though, with a near 4,000 lbs (1,800 kg) towing capacity when properly equipped.

The rest of the chassis is the weakest point of the vehicle. Aside from the hefty weight, it doesn’t do anything particularly well. It can get bouncy over unkept roads and occupants hear every crack in the pavement clunk through the suspension. It isn’t overly adept at handling either, with lazy body roll and limited forward bite when cornering.

All that stated it is predictable and quite easy to drive. It just feels like it’s riding on a platform that’s a generation or two behind the competition.

Ride Quality and Comfort:

As stated, ride comfort isn’t a strong point, but the VF8 isn’t overly stiff or jarring. It just has trouble handling rebound over bumps. VinFast is working on improvements for passenger comfort and recently made changes to things like window regulators, lane system assist feedback through the wheel, and more.

The seating surfaces front and rear offer good comfort and there is enough space for four adults, or two adults and three children. Those up front get to enjoy power, heated, and ventilated seats. The rear outboard seats are also heated and ventilated, a rarity for the class. Other comfort features include a full-length panoramic sunroof and a hands-free power liftgate.

Interior Style and Quality:

Inside, the 2024 VinFast VF8 features contemporary, conservative styling. It’s not a segment standout good or bad, perfectly conforming to the class. There are four interior colors available depending on trim and the Plus features real vegan leather on the seats and steering wheel.

The overall design has a bit of a minimalist Tesla feel to it while other items, like the pushbutton gear selector, feel a bit Honda-like.

Tech and Safety:

Perhaps the 2024 VinFast VF8’s strongest attribute is technology. There is head-up display in front of the driver and a 15.6-inch infotainment screen that, like Tesla, is used for most vehicle functions. There is an image of the VF8 permanently on the left portion of the screen along with a few key vehicle menus which are controlled through a d-pad input on the left of the steering wheel.

Overall, the software in the VF8 is intuitive, easy to navigate, and quick to respond. The brand states there is now better connectivity between smart phones and the SUV and we had no issues during our week with it. Other technology highlights on the Plus trim include ambient lighting, 360 surround view cameras, a 10-speaker plus subwoofer sound system, parking sensors, and a plethora of USB ports in both A and C configurations.

On the safety front, all the usual active safety systems are included, such as highway driving assist, lane assist, adaptive cruise assist, collision warning, collision mitigation, park assist, and more. VinFast has updated the VF8 so alerts and error messaging are not as sensitive and/or intrusive as they were in the prototype.

Value Dollars and Sense:

The 2024 VinFast VF8 Plus starts at a price of $51,800 before destination charges in the United States. Our tester includes upgraded paint and interior color, which puts it at $54,780 as tested. In Canada, the Plus starts at a price of $61,500 including destination charges, while our tester with the upgraded power pack, premium paint and optional interior coloring came in at $65,750.

In both countries that pricing puts it right on top of a lot of similarly equipped competition which is ambitious for a new automaker in a new segment. The one area that VinFast does hold an edge is with the warranty. Standard on the VF8 is a 10-year, 125,000 mile (200,000 km) bumper to bumper warranty as well as a 10-year unlimited mileage warranty for the battery.

Final Thoughts:

To start, the 2024 VinFast VF8 is only available in the state of California, as well as the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. If we’re honest, the new EV SUV isn’t quite up to the same level of the competition, especially considering the price. That stated the drivetrain is a tweak away from being quite good and we already like the infotainment software/UI. With a lighter, more sophisticated chassis, VinFast could quickly become a serious player in our market. The brand is committed to constant updates and upgrades, so we look forward to seeing what the future will bring.