With a price tag of only 458 million VND along with a series of promotions, VinFast VF5 is extremely easy to access, comparable to the current A-class models on the market; but the equipment and interior space are superior.
After the series VF e34, VF8 and VF9; Vietnamese car manufacturer VinFast has just handed over the VF5 cars to the first deposit customers. This is the cheapest electric car of VinFast, listed at 458 million VND including many accompanying promotions.
For example, for pioneering customers who have deposited cars; VinFast will deduct 20 million VND for those who have deposited 10 million and deduct accordingly 30 million for customers who have deposited 20 million. This is not to mention the residents who buy houses in Vin Homes urban areas and own a “green living” voucher will receive free parking and free charging at the corresponding charging station system for 2 years.
So besides the cost of owning a car, customers only have to pay an additional 1.6 million VND for monthly battery rental (unlimited mileage) and no additional fees. At the same time, electric car buyers also do not have to pay registration fees as well as create favorable conditions for first-time registration – as according to the law that has just been adjusted recently; making car ownership easier than ever.
So if compared to the general level, VinFast VF5 has a rolling price equivalent to A-class hatchback models such as Hyundai i10 or Kia Morning; however, the equipment list and size are equivalent to other A-class SUVs with higher prices up to several hundred million VND such as Toyota Raize or Kia Sonet.
Quick dimension, VinFast VF5 has the following technical specifications: DxRxH is 3,965 x 1,720 x 1,580 mm; while the wheelbase reaches 2,513 mm. Although the overall length and wheelbase dimensions are not the most “beautiful” in terms of numbers on paper; but in reality, VF5 allows for a more spacious interior than other A-class SUVs.
Because it is an electric car, VF5 does not need to allocate too much space for the engine, gearbox like other petrol models; that is, the bonnet space is shorter, pushing the cabin forward to create more space for passengers and space for the trunk behind the car.
Being an electric car gives the advantage of lengthening the interior space; but also because it is an electric car, VF5 has to allocate space for the battery system. The ground clearance of the affordable electric car is only about 17.5 mm (making drivers have to consider and be skillful with curb climbing if they do not want to damage the expensive battery system of the car) while the floor is quite high. Resonating with the fact that the rear seats are made low, the seat surface is not inclined, making the seating posture in the rear seat quite “stuffy”.
However, this design also makes the headroom with the car ceiling become very spacious – even friendly to people who are tall up to about 1.8m. If you want even more comfort on your journeys, rear passengers can “recline” by sitting forward to make the back can tilt more.
In general, the dimensions of VinFast VF5 may not be equal to other models on paper, but the actual experience shows that the interior space and luggage compartment are spacious and more convincing than all other A-class models. on the market today; enough for a small family with 2 adults and 2 children.
In order to have an extremely attractive price of 458 million VND, VinFast VF5 had to compromise by cutting quite a lot of equipment compared to the older models such as VF e34 or the VF8-VF9 duo. However, the option list of VF5 is still very sufficient and comparable to A-class SUVs with higher prices up to several hundred million VND.
Specifically, in the front of the car, VinFast VF5 owns an automatic Bi-Halogen lighting system. The turn signal lights are also filament bulbs. The daytime running lights are missing on Vietnam’s cheap electric car; when the icon recognizing the brand in the form of a V-shaped bird wing on the grille surface is just a chrome trim instead of a luminous light like its older brothers.
The front and rear bumper trim are both made solid and minimal with plastic material, to optimize costs as well as improve aerodynamics to achieve the largest possible travel distance – up to more than 300 km after each full charge with a 37.23 kWh battery pack.
Stepping into the body of the car, VinFast equips VF5 with a fairly basic “set of legs” with tires from a brand and light-colored multi-spoke wheels with a size of 17 inches – equivalent to similar models in the segment on the market. In addition to optimizing production costs, this set of tires also ensures the least noise entering the cockpit when the car operates at the lowest level; providing a comfortable experience for passengers.
At the same time, the equipment that makes VinFast VF5 stand out in the segment is the disc brake system on all 4 wheels, instead of only the front wheels being disc brakes and the rear wheels being drum brakes like many cheap models on the market today.
The two side mirrors of the car are foldable – electronically adjustable and integrated with blind spot warning. The rear of the car has a reverse camera and 4 distance sensors; which can give collision warning if there are crossing vehicles when reversing. The trunk lid also has a damping tyre to allow passengers to gently open the trunk; the trunk space is enough for 4 cabin suitcases (carry-on type on the plane) and many other luggage.
According to VinFast, VF5 has up to 16 color options including solid colors and “mix” 2 colors with the mirrors and the roof of the car being painted differently from the body color. Inside, the car also has 3 different interior color options – allowing customers to comfortably choose according to their personality and preferences.
Stepping into the interior of the car, VinFast VF5 greets passengers with a minimalistic design to optimize space. In front of the instrument panel are two screens, including: a 7-inch screen digital meter behind the steering wheel and an 8-inch center infotainment screen.
However, compared to the VF e34, VF8 or VF9, VF5 is not equipped with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto smart connectivity. Therefore, passengers can only connect their phones via Bluetooth to listen to music/make calls but cannot navigate or guide via maps – a deficiency that the Vietnamese brand should supplement through software updates.
In the driver’s seat, the equipment for the driver will include a D-cut steering wheel quite similar to VF e34. However, VF5 is only equipped with cruise control and lacks the smart driving support features in the ADAS package like VF8 or VF9. In terms of safety, the car is also equipped with iTPMS tire pressure sensors and 6 airbags to ensure passenger protection during operation.
Instead of needing buttons to shift gears, the car has a rotary knob with R – N – D mode and no P mode. If you want to park, the user must select N and pull the handbrake. A quick experience shows that the single-zone air conditioning system on VinFast VF5 has a pretty good performance, the air conditioner is deep and cools quite quickly. In addition, the car is also equipped with a standard PM 2.5 air purifier system – a quite rare option on today’s cheap models.
Around the interior, the Vietnamese manufacturer has tried hard to optimize costs by using faux leather plastic materials for most of the cabin area: from the dashboard surface, to the door trim or the steering wheel is made from composite material instead of being leather-wrapped.
However, the armrest pads on both sides of the door are covered with stitched leather – the area that passengers often touch the most when using the car; providing a very good experience. The seats are also leather-wrapped and even feature two beautiful colors. Direct experience shows that the seat leather material is soft and comfortable to sit or touch.
In the context of the car handover event VinFast VF5 to the first customers in Hanoi; it’s a pity that we haven’t had the opportunity to test drive the car. However, the powerful configuration of 134 HP and a maximum torque of 135 Nm – superior to all A-class models (and even B-class) currently on the market; combined with optimizing the center of gravity with the low-lying battery pack underneath the floor; VinFast VF5 promises to provide a more impressive experience than competitors in terms of acceleration capability, driving experience, and comfort level – soundproofing.
In summary, with VF5, VinFast seems to be clearly promoting the spirit of the older brother Fadil – that is “popularizing cars” for Vietnamese consumers: providing the easiest and most convenient opportunities to own a car in terms of price as well as policy. for people. This is something that should be promoted and VinFast is still the leading brand among car manufacturers present in Vietnam until now.
Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
