VinFast Announces Two New Compact Electric SUVs

What’s so special about the VF 6 and VF 7?

Aside from projected prices that are considerably lower than those of the VF 8 and VF 9, the VF 6 and VF 7 electric SUVs deliver relatively city-friendly dimensions and some pretty suave styling. The latter is subjective, but we can quantify the former: The VF 6 is a Chevy Trax-sized runabout at roughly 167 inches bumper to bumper, while the VF 7’s 180-inch length puts it about an inch shy of a Toyota RAV4.

If you ask us, the smart money’s on the VF 7. We’ve seen SUVs of that size dominate the sales charts for both mainstream and luxury brands, and the VF 7’s sleek looks could help it straddle the line and get consideration from both sides of the fence. Entry-level VF 7s will have a single electric motor good for around 201 horsepower, while the VF 7 Plus adds a second motor for an impressive total of 349 hp.

But the VF 6 seems like a smart idea, too, giving VinFast a head-to-head competitor for the Chevrolet Bolt EUV and other pint-sized EV players. Although the VF 6 comes only with a single motor, you can opt for the 201-hp version from the base VF 7, so acceleration shouldn’t be an issue. The base VF 6 isn’t far behind at 174 hp.

We expect both the VF 6 and the VF 7 to be sold with the same unusual battery lease terms as their larger stablemates, which is a caution flag for interested shoppers. If you want to own the battery in your VinFast, prepare to pay considerably more than the base MSRP — and even if you’re OK with leasing it, you’ll be taking on an extra monthly payment.

Notably, range estimates were unavailable as of this writing.