VinFast VF7 First Drive Impressions: Can this XEV 9e rival disrupt the segment?

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

The VinFast VF7 is all set to arrive in India later this year as the brand's maiden offering
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For Vietnamese carmaker VinFast, India is a major hub of growth it plans to tap into. The brand showcased its range at the 2025 Bharat Mobility Global Expo earlier this year, and we now had the opportunity to head to its home market, Vietnam, to try out the first products scheduled to arrive soon. The VinFast VF7 will be the brand's maiden offering, promising a premium experience while taking on highly competitive offerings. Here are our first impressions from a short drive at the automaker's test track at its manufacturing facility.
VinFast VF7: What is it?
The VF7 sits in the middle of the brand's global lineup. It's positioned above the VF6, which will also come to India this year, and sits below the VF8 and VF9 that are sold in developed markets. VinFast says the VF7 would help the brand position itself as a premium player in India, competing in the midsize electric SUV segment against the BYD Atto 3, Mahindra XEV 9e, Tata Harrier EV, and the like. VinFast VF7: Design
The design language is conservative and gets the familiar VinFast styling shared across the automaker's range. The front sports the V-themed LED DRLs with split projector lens headlamps. There's a two-part large air intake in the front bumper, which lends a sporty look. The bonnet gets muscular haunches that add more visual heft to the front. The profile has a sharp appearance with the receding roofline and a raised shoulder line that comes together rather well. I do like the styling around the C-pillar, which helps reduce the visual bulk, while 19-inch aero wheels fill the wheel arches well. The raked rear windscreen further brings out the sporty look, followed by the V-themed lights running across the width of the vehicle, which aren't connected, and run separately from the vertically stacked LED taillights. The rear gets an extra dose of cuts and creases, all intended for a sporty look
The receding roofline and raked rear windscreen add a sharp look to the SUV. The ground clearance measures 190 mm, plenty to tackle the unpredictable roads in India
Is the VF7 striking? Yes. It has elements that do come out well, including the muscular touch on the bonnet, the flush door handles, and the raked rear windscreen. We sampled the pre-production prototypes for India in the right-hand drive guise. The build quality appears decent, but there could be improvements in terms of panel gaps, as well as the overall fit and finish.
The cabin gets a minimalist approach. There's no digital console, but you get a head-up display, whereas most of the controls are integrated into the 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system VinFast VF7: Interior
With a wheelbase spanning 2,840 mm, it's the most spacious on the inside, with plenty of room at the front and rear. The seats are plush with a generous dose of leather upholstery running across the cabin. The interior is finished in a dual-tone black and tan theme with the soft-touch materials running across the dashboard, armrests, door pads, and more. In effect, it also helps mask the dark and basic plastics tucked underneath.
Step into the cabin, and the first thing you notice is its minimalist approach. The multi-function, flat-bottom steering wheel is compact and takes a while getting used to, especially when compared to the overall size of the car. But what stands out is the lack of a conventional instrument console. Instead, VinFast offers a Head-Up Display (HUD) as standard that promises to minimise distractions, while giving you all the necessary information at a glance. The HUD is customisable and can go from giving out just the speed to directions. It takes a while getting used to, but I'm genuinely curious about what the masses will think of it.
The rear seat is spacious with plenty of room for all three occupants on the VF7. The fixed glass roof adds to the roomy feel, while the seats come with a reclining function further making it a comfortable experience
Move to the rear, and the spacious seats welcome you with plenty of legroom. The seats come with a reclining function, and there are AC vents with Type-C charging ports for added convenience. Five will be able to sit comfortably in the second row of the VF7, although you do sit with a slight knees-up position, given the battery rests below the floorboard, a common trait with EVs. What also adds to the sense of space is the fixed glass roof on the electric SUV that extends end-to-end on the roof. This should help the cabin feel roomier, especially for those who find the receding shoulder line to be claustrophobic. That said, the VF7 does not get a fabric cover for the moonroof, which is a concern for the Indian market. While the vehicles can be heavily tinted in Vietnam, India does not have that provision, and we need the fabric cover to keep the heat at bay. VinFast tells us that the brand is devising a fabric cover as an accessory for India, instead of a motorised unit seen on other vehicles with a panoramic sunroof.
Look closer, and the quality levels leave a bit to be desired on the VF7. The plastics feel sturdy but never premium, and that remains a pain point in an otherwise spacious car. The boot capacity measures a healthy 537 litres, which is expandable to a massive 1,576 litres with the rear seats folded.
The toggle switches essentially are individual drive selectors. You also get three driving modes - Eco, Normal and Sport, as well as regen modes to enhance battery life VinFast VF7: Features
Compensating for the lack of a console is the large touchscreen infotainment system. The 12.9-inch unit is angled towards the driver and is divided into two parts. The smaller section on the right essentially gives you all the tell-tale information as a digital console would, including the speed, range, battery health, and safety warnings, while the left side provides access to nearly all other features. The minimalist cabin translates to nearly all major functions being integrated into the screen, right from the HVAC unit to the outside rear-view mirror adjustments.
The screen itself is easy to use, and we didn't find any trouble concerning latency. The icons on the screen could be bigger for better access, especially when operating on the move. VinFast says the UI has been developed in-house and integrates everything from maps to a pet mode, and even finding the nearest charging station. Keeping up with the theme, you find five toggle switches just below the air-con vents on the centre console. The five switches are essentially gear selectors - P, D, R and N, while the fifth switch is customisable to what can be a shortcut button. The default setting makes it a drive mode selector, allowing you to switch between Eco, Normal, and sport.
Other feature highlights include electrically adjustable driver's seat, ventilated front seats, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, and more. The automaker has added vegan leather upholstery and 1-litre bottle holders, which have been specially developed for India.
On the safety front, the SUV comes with Level 2 ADAS, seven airbags, TPMS, a 360-degree camera system, and more. VinFast says the VF7 and VF6 will come with voice commands in Hindi at a later stage via over-the-air (OTA) updates. The company is also working on adding regional languages. VinFast VF7: Battery & Range
Powering the VF7 is a big 75 kWh battery pack (70.8 kWh usable capacity) running on the Lithium-Iron-Phosphate (LFP) chemistry. This has been specifically developed for India, switching from the NMC chemistry seen in other markets. VinFast says this should help with the varied temperatures across the country, as well as offer a longer shelf life. The battery pack promises a range of 431 km (WLTP) on a single charge. We will have to wait for the MIDC range figures for the India-spec model. The SUV is expected to come with a 7.2 kW AC charger.
The VF7 is spirited in the Plus AWD variant that gets dual motors churning out 349 bhp and 500 Nm of peak torque with 0-100 kmph coming up in 5.8 seconds VinFast VF7: Performance
The VF7 will arrive in two trims - the VF7 Plus and VF7 Plus AWD. We drove the latter on VinFast's test track at its manufacturing facility in Haiphong, Vietnam, allowing us more acceleration opportunities. The AWD variant comes with a dual motor setup churning out 349 bhp and 500 Nm of peak torque, as opposed to the VF7 Plus with the single e-motor that develops 201 bhp and 310 Nm. The AWD version is the way to go if power is what you seek. The VF7 accelerates and is quite quick for its size. The electric SUV can sprint from 0-100 kmph in 5.8 seconds, giving you a proper kick in the seat. In contrast, the single motor variant takes 9.5 seconds to do the same run.
Rolling acceleration is fantastic, and the VF7 certainly feels sporty when it comes to straight-line speed. You will find torque steer under hard acceleration, with the steering wheel beginning to shudder. Much of the road noise translates into the cabin at high speeds, something which VinFast says will be improved upon by the time the cars come to India. The SUV also comes with regen modes, which worked without being intrusive in our limited time with the car.
Bodyroll is well contained while the independent suspension setup promises a comfy ride on the VF7 VinFast VF7: Handling & Braking
The VF7 offered a rather dynamic experience around the test track in our limited time with the car. Bodyroll is well contained but will creep in if you get enthusiastic. The steering wheel weighs up nicely, especially when moving up to Sport mode. Straight-line stability is impressive, and the SUV urges you to floor the pedal, which is always a good thing. The SUV gets an independent suspension setup, which has been tuned to be on the softer side. We can't talk about the ride quality just yet, but expect it to be comfy. Braking feels progressive on the VF7 with the ADAS kicking in at the slightest lane change.
The VinFast VF7 is a promising offering for India that delivers in performance and an exhaustive list of features. A competitive pricing will be crucial for its success VinFast VF7: Verdict
VinFast has its work cut out, especially when it comes to after-sales, dealer network, and charging infrastructure - all aspects the brand says it is proactively working on. Both the VF6 and VF7 will be locally assembled in India at the automaker's upcoming facility in the Toothukudi, Tamil Nadu, which will have an initial production capacity of 50,000 units. VinFast offers a seven-year battery and vehicle warranty in most markets, which is likely to be the case in India as well.
The automaker is coming to India with a 360-plan covering all bases, including third-party workshops, buyback offers, lease options and more. The company will also set up its charging infrastructure, which it dominates in its home market, Vietnam, but is likely to partner with existing players in India first. Bookings will begin later this month, while production should commence around July or August this year. Deliveries will commence right in time for the festive season around September.
The VF7 is entering a segment that has some formidable Indian players with more on the way. For VinFast, then, the VF7 seems like a solid choice to dig its feet into the competitive EV landscape in the country and establish a strong foothold. However, it all boils down to the pricing of the VF7, which will be a key decider on how the brand fares in India.
First Published Date: 10 Jun 2025, 11:58 AM IST