VinFast VF 6

The all-black cabin of the Vinfast VF 6 has the same essence as its exterior – simple, minimalist and clean, with a touch of elegance. The crossover gets black vegan leather upholstery for the seats as standard, with the steering wheel also getting a faux leather finish in the Plus variant. 

The most interesting highlight of the Vinfast VF 6 is the fact that it doesn’t get a conventional instrument console – instead, a comprehensive head-up display takes its place. This might take some time to get used to for many people. The 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system is tilted slightly towards the driver, with it having toggle-like drive mode buttons placed below it.

The settings for audio and climate control systems are within the touchscreen, which are difficult to use while in motion. The design of the lower centre console is minimalist too, with the VF 6 getting a slim panel between the front seats that houses cup holders and a couple of basic switches behind them. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Space on the inside

Con: Audio and climate settings within the infotainment system are hard to operate while in motion

Features and Technology

The star highlight of the equipment list of the Vinfast VF 6 is its huge 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while also allowing users to play games, control smart home devices and stream videos using the Smart Service subscription package provided by Vinfast.

This infotainment system is standard in both the variants of the Vinfast, along with a few other standard features like vegan leather upholstery for the seats, driver seat height adjustment (powered driver’s seat in Plus variant), tilt and telescopic adjustable multi-functional steering wheel, automatic climate control (single zone in Eco and dual-zone in Plus), head-up display, USB charging ports (two in Eco and four in Plus), smart keyless entry with push start-stop button and a 6-speaker audio system. However, it should be noted that many new-age features like sunroof, wireless charger and ventilated seats are missing in the VinFast VF 6. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Comprehensive touchscreen infotainment system

Con: Many new-age features are missing

Boot Space and Storage

Vinfast claims a boot compartment capacity of 423 litres with the rear seats up, which is quite low for a vehicle of its size and the segment to which it belongs. However, after folding the 60:40 split rear seats, the boot space expands to 1,576 litres, which is huge and should cover the purposes of most of its buyers. 

The in-cabin storage space management in the Vinfast VF 6 is also decent, with the crossover having cup holders in the lower front centre console and rear seat centre armrest, storage space beneath the front centre armrest, glovebox and map pockets in the door panels. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Massive boot space after folding down rear seats 

Con: Boot space with rear seats up could have been more

While several modern-day electric vehicles are known to be overstyled and lacking flair, the Vinfast VF 6 carves a niche of its own with its elegant flair and minimalism. A few of its design elements are worth mentioning.

At the front, the Vinfast VF 6 has a simple-looking fascia with slim wing-shaped LED DRLs, that extend from the corners of the fascia and flow towards the centrally placed Vinfast logo. The trapezoidal headlamp housings of the VF 6, which have LED projectors, are placed slightly lower on the upper corners of the front bumper, while having auto on-off functionality in the Plus variant.

There is a hexagonal mesh grille in the middle of the lower part of the front bumper, which blends well with the body cladding at the bottom of the bumper. This body cladding extends to the side and rear profile of the VF 6, further adding a touch of ruggedness to the crossover’s stance. The VF 6 rides on 17-inch machined alloys in the Eco and 19-inch machined alloys in the Plus, with the latter having a sportier stance due to its larger size. 

While the front looks minimalist and the side looks understated, it is the rear profile which steals all the attention, with its uniquely shaped LED tail lamps that stretch from corner to corner in the form of a connected LED light bar and flow towards the centrally-placed VinFast logo. There are additional tail lamps placed on the sides of the lower edges of the boot lid, with the VF 6 also getting a shark fin antenna and roof-mounted spoiler.

Both variants of Vinfast VF 6 are available in three colour choices – Infinity Blanc (white), Crimson Red and Jet Black. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Rear profile looks eye-catching 

Cons: Side profile lacks flair and visual drama

The standard 59.6kWh lithium-ion battery available in the Vinfast VF 6 claims a maximum range of 480 km in the Eco and 460 km in the Plus variants. The lower range in the Plus variant is due to more performance it packs. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Impressive range in both variants

Con: Nothing much actually

The Vinfast VF 6 is quite conventional under its flashy and modern skin, with the electric crossover getting Macpherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear. The VF 6 rides on 17-inch alloy wheels in Eco and 19-inch alloys in the Plus variants, with the ride quality being on the softer side. However, the steering setup, which feels nimble at lower urban speeds, lacks the feedback and precision required at higher highway speeds. 

Pros and Cons:

Pro: Supple low-speed ride quality

Con: Steering responses could have been better at higher speeds

Both the variants of Vinfast VF 6 come equipped with a 59.6kWh lithium-ion battery as standard, which delivers a maximum range of 480 km in the Eco and 460 km in the Plus variants. However, both these variants have different front-wheel drive motors. While the electric motor in the Eco variant claims 177 bhp of maximum power and 250 Nm of maximum torque, the more-powerful Plus variant puts up 204 bhp of maximum power and 310 Nm of maximum torque. 

With a single-speed transmission on offer, the VinFast VF 6 claims 150 kmph top speed in the Eco variant and 175 kmph top speed in the Plus variant. The onboard AC chargers provided in both variants also differ, with the Eco variant getting a 7.4kW charger and the Plus variant getting an 11kW charger. Though the battery in both variants can charge up from 10 to 70 per cent in 25 minutes using a fast DC charger. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Impressive power and performance in both variants

Con: Linear power delivery is not to everyone’s liking

The Vinfast VF 6 is pretty loaded with several modern safety features, especially in its higher-spec Plus variant. The standard safety features on offer in both variants of VF 6 are front and side airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control, hill start assist, emergency stop signal, tyre pressure monitoring system, blind spot detection, reverse parking sensors, rear camera, automatic high beam and driver monitoring system.

The Plus variant is loaded even more with advanced driver assistance functions, including adaptive cruise control with traffic ham assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering assist, forward collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, front and rear emergency braking and emergency lane keep assist, while also having 360-degree parking camera and curtain airbags. 

Pros and cons:

Pro: Covers almost all the grounds of safety with modern ADAS features

Con: No curtain airbags in Eco variant 

Competitor Comparison

The Vinfast VF 6 competes in the compact all-electric crossover segment, with very limited competition from other popular electric crossovers like BYD Atto 3 and Aion Y. However, one can also look at a few hybrid crossovers available at its price range, including Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Hybrid, BAIC B30e Dune, Kaiyi X7 PHEV, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Jetour X70 Lightning i-DM.

Conclusion and Final Verdict

Being a new player in the automotive industry, the VinFast VF 6 struggles with a few challenges, like limited after-sales support and stiff competition from other already established carmakers. However, at the price points in which it is being offered, the VF 6 is a practical all-electric crossover with appreciable performance, range, ride quality, comfort and space in the cabin.