# VinFast VF 8

The VinFast VF 8 (formerly named VinFast VF e35 and VinFast VF32) is a battery electric Mid-size crossover SUV (D-segment) manufactured and marketed by VinFast of Vingroup from 2022.

## History

The VF 8 model made its debut in the second half of January 2022 in the electric car lineup of the Vietnamese automaker VinFast, which also served as the prelude for a planned expansion to global markets. VinFast opened orders for the VF 8 in January 2022 in the domestic Vietnamese market, with the first deliveries to 100 Vietnamese customers commenced on September 10, 2022.
In the United States, VinFast opened six dealerships in California on July 14, 2022, showing both the VF 8 and VF 9, with deliveries planned for fall 2022. 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.

## Design

The VF 8 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. The car was styled by Pininfarina; VinFast's design team was led by director David Lyon.

### Interior

The dashboard has a two-colour aesthetic, with switches of driving modes in the centre tunnel, as well as a large multimedia system touch display. The traditional instrument panel has been replaced by the central multimedia screen and a head-up display projected on the windshield.

### Drivetrain

The VF 8 is available with multiple traction motor arrangements. In the United States, the VF 8 has a dual-motor all-wheel-drive arrangement, with output of either 348 hp (260 kW; 353 PS) and 368 lb⋅ft (499 N⋅m) ("Eco" model) or 402 hp (300 kW; 408 PS) and 457 lb⋅ft (620 N⋅m) ("Plus"). In Vietnam, the VF 8 is also available with 2 versions: Eco and Plus. Both of them use dual-motor and all-wheel-drive configuration. The VF 8 Eco has 260 kW and 500 Nm, while VF 8 Plus has 300 kW and 620 Nm.
The first batteries used in the VF 8 are from Samsung SDI. VinFast plans to add its own battery factory by August 2022. Both the "Eco" and "Plus" models are available with one of two traction battery options: "standard range", with 82 kW-hr usable, or "extended range", with 87.7 kW-hr usable (90 kW-hr gross). The estimated range depends on the powertrain and battery combination, ranging from 248 mi (399 km) ("Plus, standard range") to 292 mi (470 km) ("Eco, extended range") under the WLTP cycle. For the United States, the batteries are leased separately from the vehicle to reduce purchase costs and alleviate concerns regarding traction battery degradation. VinFast have stated they will replace a leased battery if it falls below 70% of initial capacity. Eventually, VinFast plan to offer the vehicle with a purchased battery.

## Safety

On 18th September 2024 mechanical engineer Hazar Denli says he was sacked after raising safety concerns about VinFast testing. On 24 April 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.

### ASEAN NCAP

2023 VinFast VF 8 (Vietnam) :
| ASEAN NCAP scores |||
| Overall stars / Score | | 89.50 |
| Adult occupant | 28.85/32.00 | 28.85/32.00 |
| Child occupant | 47.00/51.00 | 47.00/51.00 |
| Safety assist | 21.00/21.00 | 21.00/21.00 |
| Motorcyclist safety | 12.00/16.00 | 12.00/16.00 |

### Euro NCAP

Euro NCAP test results Vinfast VF 8 150 kW dual-motor Plus (LHD) (2023) :
| Test | Points | % |
| Overall: | | |
| Adult occupant: | 30.6 | 76% |
| Child occupant: | 44 | 89% |
| Pedestrian: | 48.6 | 77% |
| Safety assist: | 14.4 | 79% |

## Reception

The VinFast VF 8 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 VF 8 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 VF 8 was an "underdeveloped, unfinished product that, quite frankly, would be an embarrassment in any market." 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.
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 VF 8's infotainment system as well-organised and responsive, and commended VinFast for its 10-year warranty. Hall concluded that if VinFast had taken a slower timeline to sort through the VF 8's issues, "it might actually have a decent car."
Road & Track's reviewer Mack Hogan also criticised the VF 8 for poor build quality, and claimed that the VF 8 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.
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 VF 8 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 VF 8'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.
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 VF 8's suspension and steering.
Ezra Dyer of Car and Driver also noted that the VF 8 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.