On the morning of March 27, 2023, the first 27 VinFast VF9 cars in the world were delivered to customers in three cities: Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. At each location, the 9 owners with the earliest deposits received their cars right at the showroom.
After the VF e34 and VF8, the next electric SUV released by the Vietnamese brand is the VF9. Until now, this is the largest SUV of the brand in its strategy of developing pure electric cars. The car has dimensions of 5,120 x 2,000 x 1,721mm; the wheelbase measures 3,150mm.
At the VinFast Ocean Park Hanoi showroom, 9 VinFast VF9 cars in colors including black, white, gray, silver, red, green, and blue were displayed. It’s a bit regrettable that there were no yellow-orange VF9s “revealed” on the first day of car delivery.
Similar to the older brother VinFast President – the “top” SUV model- the hood of the VF9 cars is arranged with air intakes to create a rugged appearance for the car. However, unlike the air intakes on VinFast President – which are responsible for directing air into the engine block – the double air intakes on VF9 simply go straight from the front of the car to the windshield and serve to improve aerodynamics as well as enhance aesthetics.
Similarly, the side air intakes are also connected to both sides of the car, instead of being channeled through a duct to cool the brakes like high-performance cars or regular racing cars do. If you look closely, you can see the amber indicator lights on both sides of the car’s front fenders to help oncoming traffic easily recognize the car from both sides.
This is a mandatory requirement for the US market, but it is not the standard applied to other markets (including Vietnam). Therefore, it can be seen that the Vietnamese manufacturer clearly intends to export cars to the US market and has already synchronized it from the first VinFast VF9 cars produced.
Returning to the VF9, the center of the front of the car still features a large bird-wing-shaped LED strip – a characteristic detail present on all VinFast models, clearly expressing the “mighty spirit of Vietnam”. The lighting system includes two intelligent LED projectors on each side. Below the front bumper, in the center, there is a radar, while on the windshield, there is a camera belonging to the car’s intelligent driving assistance system ADAS.
The VF9’s sides are decorated with sunken door handles, similar to luxury cars from the UK or Germany. The car’s wheels are equipped with famous Continental tires of size 275/40R21.
On the driver’s side, below the A-pillar, there is an electric charging port with the ability to charge from 10 to 70% in less than half an hour when connected to fast chargers.
The first batch of VinFast VF9 cars delivered to customers all have a premium 6-seat configuration, with the 2-2-2 configuration providing spaciousness and comfort for passengers. In addition, VF9 users can also choose a 7-seat configuration to optimize the number of people in the car.
The most special feature of the VinFast VF9 Plus is the panoramic sunroof that extends the length of the roof, reaching the end of the second row of seats. In addition, the third row of seats also has an additional small sunroof at the rear, ensuring the most spacious and airy space for passengers in the car.
Even when all 3 rows of seats are folded, the VinFast VF9’s trunk still has enough space to hold about 4 cabin suitcases (standard carry-on luggage). Of course, when folding the third row of seats, the storage space of the car expands significantly, providing enough space for the whole family’s luggage for a week of travel.
Convenience for Plus users also includes 2 front seats with integrated massage – cooling – heating; the second row of seats integrates an 8-inch entertainment screen and automatic anti-glare mirrors on the outside of the car. Other features such as a 15.6-inch center entertainment screen or an HUD (head-up display) are standard equipment for all VF9 cars.
In the driver’s seat, the driver can use the electronic shift lever on the right hand. The car’s start button is also integrated in the saddle position, similar to the younger VinFast VF9. Compared to most current models on the market, the interior of VinFast cars is quite simple because all physical buttons have been simplified and integrated into the center screen.
In terms of safety equipment, in addition to the 11 airbags around the car, the large VF9 electric SUV is equipped with an advanced ADAS steering assist system, including a range of advanced features: lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering control, adaptive cruise control, front/rear/blind-spot collision warning, advanced emergency braking, urgent lane-keeping assist, front/rear parking assist, surround-view monitoring, etc.
Furthermore, users can use the Smart Services intelligent utility and entertainment application package that comes with the car. VF9 cars are also equipped with virtual assistants and a series of smart connection solutions, making it easy to synchronize a series of smart usage scenarios, such as automatic door opening/closing when the car goes in/out of the garage; email sending/receiving or shopping directly while traveling in the car…
One notable point is that at the car’s rear end, the VinFast VF9 has 2 cameras. According to VinFast’s explanation, one camera is responsible for displaying the image when reversing – prioritizing activation when passengers are just getting into the car to ensure safe, convenient, and quick operation. The remaining camera works in conjunction with the other 3 cameras on the side mirrors and front of the car to create a 360-degree image layer around the car.
In terms of power, all VinFast VF9 cars have a standard configuration with a maximum power of 300 kW – equivalent to 402 horsepower, and a maximum torque of 620 Nm provided by 2 electric motors. The car is accompanied by a 92 kWh battery pack, allowing a range of up to 438 km per full charge for the Eco version. Meanwhile, the Plus version has a range of up to 423 km, according to the European WLTP standard.
Currently, the car is being sold in 2 versions: Eco and Plus, priced at 1.491 – 1.685 billion VND (excluding the battery). The price including the battery (if the customer buys it outright) will be 1.970 – 2.178 billion VND.
Immediately after the first batch of VinFast VF9 cars, the Vietnamese brand will continue to deliver to the next customers nationwide. Along with that, the company will organize a series of test-drive programs across the country and even further, delivering cars to international customers, including the US market.
Article by Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
