Ever since VinFast announced its presence in the United States, the first US-bound model – the VF 8 five-seat electric crossover – has been quite elusive, especially in its finalized form.
Even after shipping the first units to North America at the end of 2022, the Vietnamese automaker had trouble launching its EVs to market, delaying the first deliveries to March after it needed to update the software of the cars.
But with an EPA-rated range of just 191 miles for the Plus variant of the VF 8, it’s not exactly a record-setting machine. However, as you can see in the video embedded above, YouTuber Kim Java says that the EPA tested the crossover in its less efficient settings, but she didn’t go into detail about what setting was used specifically during testing or what is the source of this information, so take it with a grain of salt.
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According to the YouTuber, who published the family impressions video on her YouTube channel a couple of weeks ago, real-world owners are reporting between 250-270 miles of range, with a VinFast representative saying that the company is trying to get the car re-tested by the EPA in the Eco driving mode.
Kim Java says that the VF 8 has a similar footprint to that of the Tesla Model Y but that compared to the American-made electric crossover, the VinFast offers a more premium quality and feel akin to that found in an Audi e-tron.
The YouTuber was given a VF 8 City Edition Plus, which comes as standard with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup, and a head-up display, among other features. She says that the perforated vegan leather seats feel great and that the steering wheel’s looks add to the premium feel of the interior.
Kim’s favorite feature of them all, however, is the 360-degree camera view that’s helpful especially when parking in tight spaces or driving on a low-speed section of road with poor visibility.
The video also emphasizes the car’s 10-year, unlimited mileage warranty for the battery, as well as the 10-year or 125,000 miles warranty for the car itself (whichever comes first).
But as always, it’s better to see for yourself, so head over to the video embedded at the top of this page to see what Kim Java has to say about the VinFast VF 8. Then, scroll down to the comments section to let us know what you think: does it look like a worthy opponent to the Tesla Model Y?
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Source: Kim Java (YouTube)