The VinFast VF 8 is a stylish electric SUV with a good warranty, but it’s not competitive with the best EVs in its class. Pricing starts at $46,000. The VinFast VF 8 is one of many new EVs from up-and-coming automakers. This Vietnamese SUV has a stylish design, an outstanding warranty, and quick acceleration from its dual-motor powertrain. Unfortunately, that’s about where its virtues end. The VF 8 has been plagued with general quality problems and complaints of poor ride quality, and its range lags behind its top rivals. Most drivers in the market for an electric SUV should shop around before settling on the VinFast VF 8. The VF 8 challenges America’s best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y, and other SUVs like it, including the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Kia EV6. We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of Electric SUVs, including the VinFast VF 8 (briefly).
What's New for 2024
The shorter-range City Edition models that were part of the VF 8’s debut for the 2023 model year have been dropped for 2024.
2024 VinFast VF 8 Pricing
The 2024 VinFast VF 8 has a starting sticker price of $47,200, with the range-topping VF 8 Plus kicking off at $53,000.
MSRP | KBB Fair Purchase Price (nat'l average) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Eco | $47,200 | TBD | ||
Plus | $53,000 | TBD |
The pricing of the VF 8 is pretty similar to the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach E, and it’s more affordable than luxury EVs like the Mercedes-EQ EQE SUV and the BMW iX. Before buying a VF 8, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Since it’s still a new model, it’s too early to predict the resale value of the VinFast VF 8.
Power, Ride, and Handling
The VinFast VF 8 is powered by a 349-horsepower electric powertrain matched with all-wheel drive. That’s the powertrain in the base Eco trim. The Plus trim has an output of 402 horsepower. We’ve only driven a pre-production model of the VF 8, and only very briefly, in Vietnam. It was quick and quiet, similar to other EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E. But we didn’t get enough time behind the wheel to give a complete evaluation. However, reviews from other outlets that have thoroughly tested production VF 8 models are unanimously negative. Some of our colleagues in the automotive press have said the VF 8 has “the worst body control of any modern car” they’ve tested and called this SUV “terrible, especially when you put the VF 8 in Sport mode, and the steering becomes so overboosted that it’s borderline uncontrollable.” It’s rare to see such universally negative reviews of any modern car, making the VF 8 hard for us to recommend over its terrific competition.
Minimalist Interior
The VF 8 has a clean interior design so minimalist that it doesn’t have an instrument cluster in front of the driver. This might take some getting used to, but many generations of Prius drivers did just that. The center stack carries a sizeable 15.6-inch touchscreen and gear shift buttons for an uncluttered look. Overall, the VF 8’s passenger cabin features materials and design commensurate with the vehicle’s price tag. Some reviewers who have tested the production VF 8 have complained that some essential functions in the interior simply didn’t work. There are reports of turn signals, driver assist features, climate control, and the navigation system being so buggy you can’t use them and sometimes not working at all. Cargo space is limited in the VF 8. It has 13.2 cubic feet of room behind the back seats and a 2.7-cubic-foot “frunk.” That’s significantly less cargo room than the similarly sized Ford Mustang Mach E and Tesla Model Y, which have more than double the cargo room in the back.
Distinct Exterior
With its prominent V on the nose and V-shaped front sculpting, the VF 8 is immediately identifiable as a VinFast when viewed head-on. The body was designed by Pininfarina, which has a history of designing gorgeous bodies for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and others. There’s a hint of Italian heritage in the design of the VF 8, despite being a Vietnamese car.
Our Favorite Features and Tech
Standard dual-motor powertrain Front trunk Pininfarina design Vegan leather seats 15.6-inch screen Highway Assist
Like the Tesla Model Y, every variant of the VinFast VF 8 has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain. It has an impressive 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds and makes up to 402 horsepower.
Although the VinFast VF 8 has a front motor, it still has room for a front trunk, or frunk, under its hood.
The body of the VF 8 was designed by the legendary Italian design firm Pininfarina. It gives an exotic edge to this practical electric SUV.
The cabin of the VF 8 has premium materials like vegan leather seating, and the customizable ambient lighting adds to the upscale feel.
The high-tech infotainment system in this SUV has a 15.6-inch screen, an AI-powered voice assistant, over-the-air updates, and a Companion app that links to your phone.
The Highway Assist feature uses semi-autonomous driving technology with features like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist to make highway driving safer and more relaxed.
Battery, Range, And Charging
The range estimates for the VinFast VF 8 are just OK for a dual-motor electric SUV. The Eco model gets a 264-mile range, and the Plus trim gets 243 miles of range. The Telsa Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach E, and Chevy Blazer EV have maximum range estimates of over 300 miles. VinFast claims the VF 8 can charge from 10% to 70% in as little as 31 minutes with DC fast charging. Third-party testing shows that it takes about nine hours to give the battery in the VF 8 a full charge with Level 2 charging at home. VinFast offers a choice of a free home charger plus $1,000 credit for installation or three years of unlimited charging on affiliated public networks. Both trims of the VinFast VF 8 use an 87.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The EPA has only published efficiency ratings for the now-discontinued City Edition of the VF 8, which used a smaller battery pack. Their ratings of 87 MPGe for the Eco model and 80 MPGe for the Plus trim are unimpressive compared to rivals. They still have low estimated fuel costs of about $66/month for the Eco and $75/month for the Plus, but most competitors use electrons more efficiently, making them cheaper to run.
10-Year/125,000-Mile Warranty
An impressive 10-year/125,000-mile warranty backs the VinFast VF 8. According to VinFast, mobile techs can perform most services at your home.
Safety
The VinFast VF 8 is well-equipped with standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. Check the websites of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the latest safety ratings. As of this writing, neither has crash-tested the VinFast VF 8.
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Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings. We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology. Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing. Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.) We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.
