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• At the Montreal Auto Show, VinFast is showing the four electric SUVs it will offer to the Canadian market.
• Visitors to the show will be able to see the 2023 VinFast VF 6, VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9 SUVs up close.
• The first to arrive on our market will be the VF 8 and VF 9, starting this spring.
VinFast has been a whirlwind of activity over the last year, gradually introducing the four SUVs with which it hopes to conquer the North American EV market. Today the Vietnamese company is on hand at the 2023 Montreal Auto Show with all four of those all-electric models: The VF 6, VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9.
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The first two coming to market in Canada - this spring, the company promises - will be the larger VF 8 and VF 9 models. VinFast is offering each of these in two versions – Eco and Plus - with one of two different battery packs of different strength. Official ranges have not yet been determined in Canada, but it’s expected the VF 8 will deliver in the neighborhood of 400-430 km, the VF-9 between 400 and 500 km.
The automaker is taking an original approach with the available battery packs: as an option, it is renting them to buyers of the vehicle. Of course, this has the effect of lowering the base price of a vehicle that comes essentially without a battery pack, but it means a monthly charge for the length of time owners own the vehicle. Those who want to purchase the vehicle with battery can do so, but it will add $10,000 to the price of the VF 8 and $23,000 to that of the VF 9.
Note that the company’s 10-year-, 200,000-km warranty includes replacement of the battery pack when it can no longer charge to more than 70 percent of capacity.
In terms of performance, the two SUVs get standard all-wheel-drive as standard, with output of the VF 8 set at 348 to 402 hp and a 0-to-100 km/h acceleration time of as little as 5.5 seconds. The VF 9 has the same output but is slightly slower in acceleration due to its greater weight.
See also: VinFast Announces Canadian Prices for VF 8, VF 9 EVs
The two smaller models, the subcompact VinFast VF 6 and the compact VinFast VF 7, are set to hit our market later, both also to be offered in Eco and Plus versions. The VF 6 is equipped with a 59.6-kWh battery and it’s expected the range will sit between 300 and 325 km. In terms of power, the Eco variant is rated at 174 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, while the Plus variant delivers 201 hp and 228 lb-ft of torque. Both models are front-wheel drive, and the VF 6 will only be offered in a FWD configuration.
The VF 7 has a 75.3-kWh battery, with range expected to be somewhere between 350 and 375 km. As for power, the entry-level VF 7 Eco offers the same capabilities as the VF 6 Plus, so 201 hp and 228 lb-ft of torque. With the Plus trim, output climbs to 348 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque, with an AWD configuration. The VF 7 Eco is available in AWD configuration.
These two EVs will be available for order as early as March 2023, and they’re expected to hit the market late this year or early in 2024.
See also: CES 2023: VinFast Shares Technical Details of VF 6 and VF 7