What is going to drive mobility? In the last decade or so, this question has become omnipresent and one of the answers is, definitely EVs (electric vehicles). Yes, it is a no brainer that going forward, EVs (electric vehicles) will definitely gain even more market share and become a very integral part of both personal and public transport, not just in many parts of the world, but also India. Especially, if the charging infrastructure improves in our country.

Ironically, US President Donald Trump, who for a very long time has been advocating “drill, baby, drill” and promising more extraction of fossil fuel, has thanks to his conflict with Iran and the resultant disruption and increase in price of oil, driven even more people and countries, including India, to speedup up their adoption of EVs. In fact manufacturers like the Vietnamese car maker VinFast, now have a completely battery power driven EV lineup. Yes, since 2021, VinFast has transitioned into an all EV vehicle manufacturer.

And recently, I had the opportunity to visit their Hai Phong Factory in Vietnam and also got to experience and drive 5 of their EVs. The Hai Phong plant (about 2 hours from Hanoi) has an annual production capacity of approximately 250,000 to 350,000 vehicles, which includes cars, two-wheelers, and electric buses. It is planned with the potential to scale up for higher production and it also boasts of 90 percent automation with many of the processes being completely handled by some 1200 robots.

Interestingly, the plant also employs several Indians engineers, particularly from Kerala, and it was nice to meet them and go on the factory tour with them. While speaking with couple of these Indian engineers, I learnt that they were extremely happy with their working and living conditions in Vietnam, and they enthusiastically not only showed me around the VinFast plant, but very kindly also offered to take me to a local Kerala food restaurant the next time I was there. Appam with Fish Molee or seafood stew in Vietnam sounds inviting.

After the plant visit I flew to Nha Trang, where the Vingroups (VinFast is part of it) Vinpearl division which is  devoted to hospitality and travel, has taken over the Hon Tre Island and converted this once barren landmass, into a massive and impressive complex featuring luxury hotels, golf courses, and the VinWonders theme park. The only way to get to this exotic and entertainment packed island, is via a motorboat or cable car  And it’s on this island of fun, that I drove five EVs made by VinFast, namely the VF 3, VF 6, VF 7, VF MPV 7 and the VF 9.

As VinFast assembles the VF 6 (Rs 18 to 20 lakhs), VF 7 (Rs 21 to 28 lakhs) and VF MPV 7 (Rs 24.5 lakhs) at its plant in Tamil Nadu and sells all 3 in India, this trio has been reviewed quite often and most people are familiar with them. So let me focus on the VF 3 and VF 9, both of which I drove, and the Vinfast Lac Hong 900 LX, that was on display.

VinFast VF 3-

This in my view is the most interesting car made by VinFast. I love its boxy but muscular styling, compact size and small footprint, and though its powered by a comparatively small battery (18.64 kWh) with a claimed driving range of approximately 210 to 215 kms, it is fun to drive and thanks to its direct steering and short turning circle, it almost felt like I was taking a go kart out on the pretty route the VinFast team had selected and closed to other traffic for us to drive on.

The VinFast VF 3 is a small two-door car that is only 3190 mm in length. To put that in context – the now discontinued Tata Nano was 3,099 mm long. What make the VF 3 eye-catching though, are its strong and straight lines and SUV inspired styling. To its credit, the VF 3 looks larger than it is and this is mostly due to the fact that the wheels are placed at the corners and the flat roof and prominent fender flares, also give it some muscle. The steel wheels, flat side windows and panels, and the all black trim, show it’s built on a budget with cost being a priority, but it still manages to exude a fun attitude. In Vietnam, I also saw a whole lot of aftermarket accessories and add-ons to spice it up. And some of the modified VF 3’s do look really nice and appealing.

It’s actually quite a cute and adorable car, and maybe this is why many Indian auto journalists and commentators have been saying that this is the car that VinFast needs to bring to India, but I beg to differ. In my view, at least in its current practicality and cost is priority avatar, the VF 3 is not the right vehicle for the feature and prestige driven Indian car market.

Get inside and what strikes you most is the simplicity and use of affordable (some may say inexpensive or cheap) materials and plastics. It’s a sparse interior with limited features and though the steering has neither tilt nor telescopic adjustment, I managed to make myself reasonably comfortable behind the wheel. But the high mounted seatbelt was difficult to reach and awkward to use, and the first time I tried to put it on, I truly thought I was pulling the one meant for the rear seat!

Another oddity is that there is no handbrake, either electronic or lever operated, so you just select drive and push the accelerator to get going. As the VinFast VF 3 is reasonably light (approx. 850 kgs) for an EV, it is peppy and quick enough to cut and slice through traffic. And as mentioned earlier, it’s actually fun to drive. But let’s be clear, this is a purely urban car and will feel completely out of place on a highway

Though the headroom is good, rear seat space is obviously limited by the short overall length and passengers won’t enjoy being in the back for any length of time. The front seats are thin too, and the VF 3 is plainly designed for short commutes and not long drives. Luggage room is also extremely limited and its only if you fold the rear seat down, that you get 285 litres of space. So you can either have rear seat passengers, or some baggage space.

Though the suspension setup is quite basic with MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam at the rear, the ride quality is better than expected. It is stiffly set up so it does not bounce or have too much body roll, but how well it can deal with our potholed and badly surfaced roads, remains to be seen. Remember I drove it on near perfect roads on an island of leisure and luxury. And on those smooth roads I simply loved its direct steering and power going to the rear wheels, which made it so go kart like to drive.

Another oddity is that the bonnet cannot be opened. Yes, one of my colleagues and me looked hard, but could not find the release button or lever. Inquiries with the VinFast team revealed that you have to unscrew two bolts (fitted below the windscreen in the wiper recess area) to open the bonnet. Now this is surely some extreme cost saving. And while we are talking of costs, let me also tell you that the VF 3 comes with manually adjustable outside door mirrors.

Despite all this, the VinFast VF 3 is a car I personally really like and would love to have as a city runabout. However, I certainly don’t think Indian consumers will embrace it in the numbers VinFast will need for it to be financially viable.

VinFast VF 9-

The VF 9 is a large full-size SUV with an overall length of 5120 mm and it can seat 7, depending on the seating configuration. It comes in two trims, Eco (range 531 kms) and Plus with a range of about 468 kms.

Designed by Italian design house and coach builder Pininfarina (now owned by Mahindra Group), the VinFast VF 9 is a low slung and elegant looking SUV with the emphasis more on style, than strength. It’s long, wide, and low, and the shape and height also ensure it’s aerodynamically more efficient and thus consumes less energy, which in an EV is even more important due to the range requirements.

Interestingly, the VinFast VF 9 has a conventional looking front grille (something not needed in an EV as they don’t have radiators) and the bonnet also has twin air scoops, which I believe are there for better air flow and improved aerodynamics. Whatever the purpose or effect, I quite like the idea of an EV having the kind of air vents one normally associates with big air breathing combustion engines.

My first impressions after getting behind the wheel were that the interior is nicely laid out, with soft touch and rich looking materials. When I pressed the accelerator pedal and the VF 9 moved forward silently, I realized that as there is none of that typical IC engine noise or vibrations, or any hum that you normally get from mechanical gearboxes, the almost soundless interior of this luxury SUV isolates you from the outside environment to a large extent. This is further augmented by the air suspension, which delivers a soft and cushy ride and does not let any imperfections in the road reach inside the cabin. The VinFast VF 9 moves forward quite effortlessly, and quietly enough, for it not to draw the attention of anyone outside, or even inside the vehicle. So, if it’s an isolated and well-furnished passenger compartment you are looking for – the VF-9 does well on this account.

It’s also quite well equipped with features like ventilated seats with massage functions, and has several entertainment options that continuously get updated over the air (OTA). As can be expected, it has level 2 ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) too.

The VinFast VF 9 comes with dual-motors and all-wheel drive and the power delivery is quite even and I got the feeling that the engineers have attempted to make it more restrained and not as immediate and exuberant as you expect in an EV. There are two battery packs – 123 kWh and 92 kWh, and it gets from 0 to 100 in about 6.5 seconds. While this thrust is not quite in powerful EV territory, it’s still adequately fast for a SUV weighing almost 3 tons! Yes, EVs are heavy business you know – what with all those big battery packs they have to lug around.

The one thing I was disappointed with was the short turning circle. And maybe I would not have noticed this if I did not have to make a U turn at the end of the route set by VinFast. Of all the 5 VinFast cars I drove on this scenic and well-manicured route, the VF 9 was the only one I had to reverse and make a three-point turn and this instantly made it obvious that it has a large turning circle and might not be the best vehicle for going into narrow streets with tight turning areas.

One more thing that I do not like are the exposed running boards or footsteps. For one they take away from the smooth styling by inelegantly jutting out below the curved doors. And since the VinFast VF 9 sits low and does not have a high H-Point, the practical aspect of using it as a footstep for making ingress and egress easy, is also lost. So why have these graceless running boards? It’s something I would love to ask the designers.

Like in all the other VinFast cars I drove, the VF 9 too does not have a traditional instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, and this is something I personally don’t like. In my opinion instruments are best viewed when they are directly in front and in the line of sight of the driver. It’s also much safer as you don’t have to take your eyes away from the road. Remember the Doors (Jim Morrison soulfully singing) “Keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel”- and that’s the way I still like it to roll. “Let it roll, baby, roll”.

Yes, the VinFast VF 9 has a useful heads-up display, which I must admit is a saving grace. But still, give me proper instruments placed in front of the driver any day. Analog, digital displays, whatever. All that spiel about minimalistic cabin layout, be damned.

So will VinFast bring the VF 9 to India? I believe they are seriously evaluating this. Overall it is quite a nice luxurious SUV and has the potential to attract buyers. It will undoubtedly be expensive, and it remains to be seen if the Indian consumer will pay a premium price for a relatively new brand.

Vinfast Lac Hong 900 LX

At the drive organized for the above mentioned five EVs, there also was a Vinfast Lac Hong 900 LX on display. Lac Hong is VinFast’s ultra-luxury arm and the 900 LX is a limited edition vehicle made for heads of state or other such VIP’s. I believe a special fleet of these Lac Hong 900 LX’s was handed over to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the celebration of the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day, on September 2, 2025.

The Lac Hong 900 LX is VinFast’s flagship model and I am told that it embodies Vietnam’s cultural heritage and national pride, symbolizing the “Fierce Vietnamese Spirit.” This vehicle is offered in two variants, including an armoured edition certified to the VPAM VR7 standards – the world’s most stringent protection levels for state leaders’ vehicles.

VinFast says it’s designed to have a commanding and luxurious presence with the parallel bars on the grille symbolizing Vietnam’s iconic bamboo groves. While the concept may be nice, in my view the execution leaves a lot to be desired, and the grille is honestly way over the top. In fact the entire styling and exterior of the Lac Hong 900 LX is overdone and almost like an overdressed Indian bride. Yes it is attention grabbing, but the glitter and flash can be blinding for eyes that appreciate aesthetics.

The passenger compartment is divided and has a sound proof glass partition to provide passengers with privacy. There is an intercom system between the front driver and rear passenger cabin for communication and VinFast says the interior is crafted with premium materials such as Golden Nanmu wood, Nappa leather and has genuine gold detailing!

When I sat inside this cabin for VIP’s, I couldn’t help but notice that the finishing and craftsmanship was less than perfect. There were certain flaws that you don’t expect in what is meant to be a super luxury limousine and a showpiece of VinFast’s skills and abilities. I did point these things out to some in the VinFast team, and was surprised with how open they were to critical feedback. You can read more about this in the “Opinions” section in my piece titled “Fruit for Thought”.