A Real Mom Review: 2025 VinFast VF9 Walk Around Tour and Drive

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Hi, I’m Jana, and this is a Real Mom Car Tour of the 2025 VinFast VF 9, an all-electric three-row SUV. This one was built in Vietnam, but production is about to start right here in North Carolina. If you’re watching from Vietnam or elsewhere and have experience with the VinFast brand, tell us in the comments what you think.

In this quick tour, I’ll cover what I liked, what you need to know, and how it stacks up against the Rivian R1S and Kia EV9.

If you’re new here, I’m glad you found me. I’m Jana—I do Real Mom Car Tours. I’m a boy mom, an auto enthusiast, and an Aquarius, which means my life—and sometimes these tours—can be a little chaotic, but they’re fun. Buckle up; let’s get to it.

This is the Plus trim. You can choose Eco or Plus—Eco gets more range, Plus gets more amenities, so of course I picked Plus. The Plus is rated for 290 miles of electric range on a full charge, and it can go from 20% to 80% in about 35 minutes on a Level 3/DC fast charger.

You do have a frunk (opened from inside) with a small storage area. It’s not huge, but there’s more cargo space behind the third row, even with the seats up—I’ll show that in a minute. First, a few exterior details.

The aerodynamics are serious—all about better range and a quicker 0–60. (I believe it’s around 6.5 seconds; if I’m off, I’ll correct that in the video.) There are functional air curtains, and the LED lighting all around can be controlled from the screen inside.

Where the VF 9 really shines is cabin space, seat configurations, towing, and extra cargo room behind the third row. Let’s dive inside.

Second Row

In this trim, the second-row captain’s chairs are heated, ventilated, and power-adjustable with lumbar. There’s a fixed glass roof that stretches way back, and—like on the R1S—there’s additional glass over the third row. Headroom is good. Vents are on the sides (I prefer roof vents, but with a full glass roof, wiring can be tricky, so this is fine).

There’s an option for a second-row bench if you need more car-seat flexibility, but I prefer the captain’s chairs. The center console has deep storage under the armrest, charging ports, a wireless charging pad, two cupholders, a felt-lined device tray, and an extra cubby—plenty of places to stash things. Door panels also have bottle holders.

The ambient LED light strip runs around the cabin and ties into the blind-spot monitoring—the door LEDs will flash if a vehicle is in your blind spot, in addition to the mirror indicators. The Plus adds an upgraded surround-sound system and vegan leather that’s quilted and feels premium. (Yes, it’s synthetic—my faux-leather dress is, too, so work with me!) The V logo stitched into the headrests looks upscale. You get two sets of lower LATCH anchors in the second row; a third-row car seat would be a seat-belt install.

I’d love integrated sunshades back here. There is a handy little device cubby to keep phones from sliding around.

Soft-Close Doors

These are soft-close doors—you can’t slam them, and they finish closing themselves. Total carpool flex.

Third-Row Access

This seat is power-adjustable but not on a sliding rail like some SUVs. There’s a shoulder-mounted handle for tilt/flip access. With car seats installed, kids may have to hop over the console; you can also power the seat forward to open a smaller pass-through. Not ideal, but doable for smaller kids.

In the third row, it’s best for kids and smaller adults for longer trips; I could manage a short ride. It’s two seats back there—no squeezing a third body in the middle—which I like. Amenities include USB charging on both sides, top-mounted vents, a side window so no one feels boxed in, and that extra glass over the third row that opens up the space. Armrests are padded. To exit, pull the handle and climb out past the console.

Cargo Area

This design is by Pininfarina, the Italian studio known for high-end work, which is pretty cool. There’s a subtle rear spoiler, and the rear wiper is tucked up under it—clean look. Full LED light bar out back. Open the tailgate with the key fob or the touchpad under the “V.” There are additional cameras and lights back here.

With the third row up, you can still fit luggage. There’s a deep sub-floor—great for charging gear or to create extra vertical space for a double stroller if you remove the tray. Tie-downs line both sides, and storage channels continue alongside the third row. Drop the headrests with a button and fold the seats for a long, flat load floor.

I spend time showing this because versatility is everything. Yesterday, at soccer, one kid played while the other did homework on the tailgate with the seats folded—belly down, elbows propped, math book out. You might not use the third row every day, but it’s great to have. Same with big-cargo days.

This SUV weighs over 6,000 lb—so if you’re looking at year-end business write-offs, it qualifies. It also tows (I’ll post the exact number on screen).

Exterior Odds & Ends

Like most EVs, the 21-inch aero wheels are fairly flat for efficiency. The flush door handles help with drag. Roof rails let you add crossbars, even with the big glass roof.

Up Front / Tech

My driver’s seat is heated, ventilated, and massaging, with power adjustment and lumbar. Keep the key fob in your bag—foot on the brake and it wakes up. The two-tone steering wheel is slightly flat-bottomed—handy for long legs—and there are aluminum trims on the pedals.

You get hands-free voice assistant on the wheel, plus Alexa Built-in and Google Built-in. Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are here as well.

There’s no traditional driver cluster; instead, a large color head-up display shows speed, charge, limits, etc. Everything else lives on the 15.6-inch central touchscreen, which is app-based like a phone. You can browse the web, play games, check battery and charging, and more. The Plus, with all the luxury content, is rated at 290 miles of range; the Eco can reach up to 330 miles. Output is 402 hp with lots of EV torque.

Use regenerative braking to extend range. You can set it from Light (smooth) to High (stronger decel—you’ll feel it). There’s also Creep Mode, which mimics a gas car inching forward at a light when you release the brake.

Drive modes: Eco (best range), Normal (daily), and Sport (quicker response, less range).

Ambient lighting is gorgeous—choose colors and effects (blink, wave, even a Morse-code-style pattern). You can also control exterior lighting delays after exit and set welcome light animations (Vegas blink, pulse, etc.). Lots of personalization.

The camera suite includes a 360° view, side curb views, rear views, and a trailer-hitch view for towing. There are two wireless charging pads (one in back, one up front), smaller front cupholders, more storage under the armrest, and extra ambient strips around the cabin.

Driving Impressions

The VF 9 drives smaller than it looks—good turning radius, easy to place, and it feels car-like from the driver’s seat even though it’s a big three-row SUV. This one seats six with captain’s chairs; you can get the seven-seat bench, though I prefer the open pass-through with buckets.

The flat-bottom wheel feels sporty, and the two-tone look is sharp. The first time I drove a VinFast (about a year ago), the lack of a traditional cluster felt odd, but with the HUD, it doesn’t bother me now—I use the HUD in my own car anyway. It’s customizable for height and content; I’ve got speed limit, my speed (no, I won’t say the difference), and state of charge. We’re at 65% right now.

Are you here because you’re shopping for an electric three-row, or just curious about VinFast? A lot of people find EVs polarizing, but they’re here, and more are coming. Drive one or don’t—I’m just here to show you the options, and this one is pretty cool.

Pricing / What This One Costs

Big thanks to Leith VinFast in Cary, North Carolina for the loan—getting hands on one otherwise is tough. This VF 9 stickers at $79,000 as shown. You can see the interior/exterior features, factory options, captain’s chair upcharge, VinFast Blue paint upcharge, Saddle Brown interior upcharge, and carpeted floor mats on the window sticker.

So, what do you think of the VF 9? Does it stack up to the Rivian R1S and Kia EV9? Let me know in the comments. They’re on the ground as demos now and for sale very soon. Pricing starts in the low $70Ks and runs to the mid-$80Ks depending on spec.

If you like this brand of chaos, like/subscribe/follow. I’m on TikTok and Instagram, and at realmomcartours.com.

From me and the VF 9—that’s all I’ve got. Thanks for watching.

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