VinFast VF7 – Fast, Smooth, and Affordable, But Not Perfect

The VinFast VF7 is a new electric car that offers amazing performance and a smooth, European-like ride at a very low price. But it has some problems too. The controls are too dependent on the big touchscreen. And you can hear a lot of road noise when driving on the highway. Let us look at all the good and bad points.

First, let us talk about performance and power. The top model has two motors and all-wheel drive. It makes a huge 350 horsepower and 500 Newton-meters of torque. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.8 to 6.06 seconds. That is very fast. The mid-range power is also very strong. It goes from 20 to 80 km/h in just 3.16 seconds. This makes overtaking on the highway very easy. The car has four braking regeneration settings: Off, Low, Medium, and High. But even the strongest mode does not give true one-pedal driving. You still have to use the brake pedal often. The brakes themselves are very good. Even though the car weighs 2.2 tonnes, the brakes stop it from 80 to 0 km/h in just 24.82 metres. That is a short distance.

Next, let us look at ride, handling, and refinement. The ground clearance is 190mm on 19-inch tyres. This is specially tuned for Indian roads. The suspension handles big potholes very well without feeling harsh. At high speeds on the highway, the car feels very stable and planted. It does not lean much in corners because it has a long wheelbase of 2,840mm. The handling is sharp, and the car has great grip because all four wheels get power. The steering feels direct and sharp, but it does not give much feedback at low speeds. The biggest problem is noise. The motor is quiet, but you can hear a lot of road and tyre noise when driving on the highway.

Now, let us talk about the interior space and technology. The cabin looks premium but has some quirks. It has soft vegan leather, high-quality switches, and stalks from BMW. But there is no traditional instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. Instead, the driver has to rely on a detailed head-up display. The car has a massive 12.9-inch touchscreen. This screen controls almost everything. Even basic things like adjusting the side-view mirrors are done through the screen. This can feel frustrating and distracting while driving. The rear seat has very good legroom and knee room. But because the battery sits under the floor, the seat is a bit low. This makes your knees sit up higher, and your thighs do not get enough support. The India version tries to fix this by adding a reclining rear backrest that you can adjust.

Finally, let us talk about battery, range, and charging. The car has a 70.8 kWh battery pack. VinFast claims a range of 510 to 532 km. But in real-world driving, the range is closer to 380 to 400 km. That is a big drop. When you use a 180 kW DC fast charger, the battery goes from 20% to 80% in 38 minutes.

So what is the final verdict? Here are the good points. The car has amazing performance for the price. It has a smooth, mature ride at high speeds. The starting price is very aggressive at around ₹20.89 lakh. It also has many features like Level 2 ADAS and cooled seats. Here are the bad points. The car relies too much on the touchscreen for basic controls. There is too much road and tyre noise on the highway. The high floor makes rear seat thigh support poor. And there are concerns about the brand’s after-sales service and spare parts availability.