\u201cThe VinFast VF 8 has the worst body control of any modern car I\u2019ve ever driven.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d be embarrassed to look a customer in the eye when handing over the keys to this vehicle.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s terrible, especially when you put the\u00a0VF 8\u00a0in Sport mode, and the steering becomes so overboosted that it\u2019s borderline uncontrollable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those comments, from\u00a0Road & Track,\u00a0Motor Trend, and\u00a0InsideEVs, just scratch the surface of complaints journalists had after their first drive of the new\u00a0VinFast VF 8 SUV.<\/p>\n
The Vietnamese automaker invited a group of test drivers to sample its first product for the American market recently, and the results probably couldn\u2019t have been worse.<\/p>\n
Founded in 2017,\u00a0VinFast It\u2019s a subsidiary of Vingroup, Vietnam\u2019s largest conglomerate, which does business in fields as varied as real estate and healthcare. The company has been planning aggressive growth. It now has offices on five continents, with plans to sell vehicles on each.<\/p>\n That sales plan includes the U.S., where VinFast is in the process of opening\u00a0a handful of dealerships in Southern California.<\/p>\n More: <\/strong>What is a VinFast VF 8 and what\u2019s it like to drive one?<\/p>\n VinFast is entering the U.S. market with a pair of midsize SUVs \u2014\u00a0probably the right move since that\u2019s America\u2019s bestselling type of car.<\/p>\n The VF 8 is a 2-row electric crossover, roughly analogous to the\u00a0Ford The design was penned by the famous Italian design studio Pininfarina \u2014 the car sculptors behind many of history\u2019s most beloved cars. It features standard all-wheel drive, a range of up to 207 miles between charges, and a starting price a little under $50,000.<\/p>\n A larger\u00a0VF 9\u00a0is also planned. It will offer three rows of seating. Both will be available only in California at first.<\/p>\n You might like:<\/strong> 10 new electric cars with the longest range<\/p>\n Kelley Blue Book was among a large group of outlets left off the invite list for VinFast\u2019s first drive event in the U.S. But our Matt Degen drove an early example of the VF 8 in Vietnam last year.<\/p>\n He found the car \u201cneeded further tuning, especially with initial throttle application,\u201d but thought it had the potential to be competitive with some adjustments.<\/p>\n Those adjustments apparently didn\u2019t happen. Road & Track says, \u201cOver a 90-minute drive, the 5,600-pound SUV never stopped bobbing, swaying, and bucking, producing near-constant head-tossing motions.\u201d The site\u2019s test driver \u201cbecame car sick for the first time in years\u201d riding in the passenger\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n InsideEVs has similar complaints about the suspension but also says, \u201cThe crap suspension damping and motion sickness\u2013inducing body movements aren\u2019t even the biggest issues. The steering response is nonlinear and inconsistent, and there is absolutely no feedback delivered through the wheel.\u201d<\/p>\n Motor Trend notes many surprising failures, including turn signals that didn\u2019t work every time, \u201cHVAC systems that would only blow cold air when set below 80 degrees and only blow hot air when set above 80, but never warm or cool air,\u201d and even a car that \u201cshudders violently\u201d in reverse.<\/p>\n VinFast is one of many startup automakers spurred on by the arrival of electric cars in the mainstream. Lucid Check out:<\/strong> Canoo dig it? Startup\u2019s EV looks like a cross between a city bus and a space pod<\/p>\n Early reviews trashing a model are never good news. In VinFast\u2019s case, they\u2019re particularly concerning because the company seems to have served the car half-baked after many warnings about what could happen.<\/p>\n Degen, after testing a prototype in Vietnam last year, said many of the fixes the car needed \u201care relatively easy modulations.\u201d<\/p>\n But they didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n However, this may not be the end at the beginning for VinFast.<\/p>\n
\n VFS,
\n
\n \u00a0is the first Vietnamese car brand to market cars outside that country\u2019s borders.<\/p>\nWhat is the VF 8?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n F,
\n
\n Mustang Mach-E\u00a0or\u00a0Tesla
\n TSLA,
\n
\n Model Y.<\/p>\nWhat are people saying?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Is this fatal for the startup?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n LCID,
\n
\n Faraday Future
\n FFIE,
\n
\n Fisker
\n FSR,
\n
\n Lordstown Motors
\n RIDE,
\n
\n Aptera, and other brands you may have yet to hear of are all attempting to break into the automotive market. Few are gaining much traction.<\/p>\n