2026 VinFast VF 8 Review, Specs, Dimensions – We look at the company’s first car, an all-electric SUV, and discover more about the global influence behind America’s up-and-coming carmaker.
With Tesla’s historic victory and the promise of electric, autonomous mobility in the future, future electric car manufacturers are springing up everywhere. The fact that more businesses have been founded in the last ten years than at any other time since the introduction of the automobile shows that the floodgates have opened.
Most individuals have already discovered the hard way that making vehicles is a terrible way to make money. Because they are the most complex consumer goods in the world, cars are governed by the most international rules and regulations. They are also very costly to manufacture and market. The overwhelming majority of intenders will fail before delivering even one car, according to all the statistics.
Even though businesses seldom test-drive prototypes, VinFast has a number of reasons to be successful and go above and beyond. First of all, this company has the means to complete the task. Vingroup, a massive Vietnamese conglomerate, owns and operates hundreds of businesses, including amusement parks, hospitals, opulent resorts, and even massive housing estates that resemble whole cities complete with skyscrapers and shopping centers.
More significantly, Vingroup’s portfolio appears to contain a variety of helpful related technologies, including divisions for artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. The group even started the process of creating a new institution from the bottom up in order to foster local talent. All of this shows that this company not only has the resources to become a significant player in the global car business, but it also expands rapidly. At 28, Vingroup is just coming out of corporate adolescence.
It should come as no surprise that the two VF 8 prototypes I’m looking at are noticeably unfinished given VinFast’s rapid growth. In actuality, in addition to employing various versions of the development software, a number of the cars’ software features are flawed. When you include a built-in driving loop, which may be several kilometers long, it becomes difficult to determine whether or not this EV should be on your list of purchases. However, my drive clearly demonstrates the VF 8’s intrinsic potential. There is a lot of work that has to be done quickly, but everything is in place.
To begin with, the 2026 VinFast VF 8 is the perfect vehicle at the perfect time. Gaining momentum in the rapidly expanding North American market for small electric crossover SUVs is the aim of this five-seater car.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that it took decades for Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota to release vehicles that would be able to appeal to the vast majority of Americans, much alone produce vehicles with a style that was acceptable to the general public. This approach can appear simple and obvious. The same is true for Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia, which, to be honest, completed the process more quickly. 2026 VinFast VF 8 Review
2026 VinFast VF 8 Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior & Interior
The inside of the VF 8 is very modern. The majority of the dashboard is occupied with a 15-inch infotainment touchscreen that faces landscape mode. Notably, the color head-up display has been replaced by a traditional gauge cluster; you can now only see your speed by looking at the main screen or the HUD.
The central console is dominated by a push-button gear selector, and the three-spoke steering wheel’s most distinctive feature is a tiny driver-facing camera that is fixed to the column, indicating VinFast plans to offer hands-free driving assistance. It is too early to assess the fit and finish of the VF 8 due to some preproduction and poorly fitting components (such as a power seat controller fitted in reverse).
It’s interesting to note that VinFast’s popularity is mostly due to its capacity to offer a large number of interconnected services and entertainment features, such as an e-commerce tool, a sentry mode, and the ability to play games and movies on the main screen.
Does this sound like you? These characteristics are absent from the test automobiles I’m examining. Furthermore, I have trouble opening and closing the panoramic sunroof with the voice control, and the virtual assistant just marginally changes the temperature when I tell it I’m cold. The system leaps directly from 65 to 90 degrees on the second attempt. If VinFast comes up to the hype, the VF 8 should have a very competitive feature set.
The VF 8 measures 187 inches in length, 74.8 inches in width, and 65.4 inches in height, making it the same length as a Tesla Model Y. They are barely an inch apart in terms of height and breadth. Curiously, chief engineer Huy Chieu claims that the company recently compared the VF 8’s driving performance to Hyundai’s excellent Ioniq 5 EV, a fantastic example.
After decades of working with well-known companies, Chieu, who began his career at General Motors in the late 1990s, just joined VinFast along with several of his fellow executives. Importantly, VinFast has seasoned industry professionals at every level of the company who can design and manufacture a lot of cars. Although it is clear that engineers are continuously enhancing the vehicle’s performance as it gets closer to production, we won’t know if Chieu and colleagues have been successful with the dynamics and technology of the VF 8 until it is in final production.
Despite these awful conditions, I would wager on VinFast, a young Vietnamese company, to prevail. In fact, there are several grounds to believe that the company would not only endure but also develop into a significant global force, particularly in America. I say this after flying to Asia to study the company and test drive the 2026 VF 8 electric SUV, which will be the first car to reach the United States. My trip quickly turned into a test drive for VinFast rather than for its next battery-powered small crossover.
You won’t have to wait long to obtain a VF 8—the first cars are anticipated to be in US driveways by the end of the year, despite the fact that my brief encounter with VinFast’s electric future was in a preproduction prototype. The young automaker even plans to launch the VF 9 EV, a stylish three-row sedan that will be the first of its larger siblings, before 2026. Despite these ambitious goals, the organization has a history of accomplishing the seemingly impossible, thanks in part to its leadership team of seasoned business experts.
Three different passenger cars were being manufactured in a large, cutting-edge production facility in Haiphong, around two hours east of Hanoi, just 21 months after VinFast’s 2017 start. Even though those early cars were obviously heavily dependent on technology purchased from other automakers, particularly BMW, the accomplishment cannot be overstated.
The VF 8’s V-shaped grille, integrated daytime running lights that show the brand’s emblem, and standard LED illumination give it a contemporary look. Even if you dislike the face, the nose is the most expressive and somewhat controversial aspect of the outside. Most buyers won’t be put off by the design, though. From a profile, the VF 8 looks very ugly; its most noticeable characteristics are the slanted rear window and the gradual drop along the bottoms of the doors. 2026 VinFast VF 8 Review
2026 VinFast VF 8 Specs
Engine & Performance
VinFast intends to manufacture two VF 8 vehicles, with dual-motor Plus variants like the ones I’m tasting generating up to 402 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. According to official estimations, a vehicle with basic all-wheel drive can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds. Even while it’s only a brief moment, it’s more than a half-second slower than what we’ve previously observed from Tesla and Hyundai cars. (The eco version says it can hit 60 mph in 5.9 seconds with 348 horsepower and less power.)
With a U-turn on one end and a keyhole loop return on the other, my driving consists of rapid acceleration up and down a road between manufacturing facilities. The engineer in my passenger seat permits me to go significantly faster—up to 100 mph—before slamming a strong brake into the left-handed keyhole, despite the sign stating that our testing is restricted to 80 kph (50 mph).
As an EV, acceleration is predictable, but the steering’s power assistance occasionally seems oddly nonlinear when the 19-inch Goodyear Eagle Touring tires are loaded in the last bend.
It was also notable for lacking regenerative braking. VinFast experts claim that a single-pedal version is in development and will likely be made accessible to early cars via an over-the-air update. At least one other member of the media also reported suffering a momentary total power loss during their test drives after releasing the brakes, and I noticed differences in power levels between the two test cars (perhaps due to differing software versions).
Engineers clearly have their job cut out for them because VinFast plans to deliver production automobiles to eager customers in just over six months, despite the fact that these types of incidents are very common in early prototype cars. 2026 VinFast VF 8 Review
2026 VinFast VF 8 Fuel Economy
The greater price of the aforementioned batteries is another crucial consideration. VinFast will be the first automaker in North America to provide cars with a separate subscription or lease plan for charging and batteries. Since batteries are the most constant cost in EVs, the company thinks that by subtracting the pack cost, it will be able to boost pricing attractiveness. Officials hope to ease concerns over the robustness and reliability of power packs by accepting responsibility for these problems. In the end, it will also provide a more traditional car-with-battery pricing option, but not until 2024.
The Flexible plan, which has a range of up to 310 miles (plus $0.11 per mile for overages), starts at just $35 per month, while the unlimited-range Fixed battery leasing plan is $110 per month. Electrify America has previously been announced as VinFast’s preferred charging partner in the United States. For all the information, see our explanation article. You should be aware that, despite its complexity, the value equation seems positive even in the case of a significant drop in gas prices.
As you can see, there is a lot of promise for the 2026 VinFast VF 8, but much more work needs to be done. The VF 8’s specification list includes automated lane-change and summon technology, among other state-of-the-art technologies, but this is before taking into account the company’s objectives for improved driver-assist systems.
It will be interesting to see the executives’ self-imposed on-sale date as it will show whether the company can provide a high-quality product right away, with or without the bulk of the features it has promised.
Of course, meeting deadlines is not enough for a company with VinFast’s ambitious objectives. Not at all. Before the company has sold a single vehicle in the United States, officials have already unveiled plans for a multibillion-dollar EV production and battery factory south of Raleigh, North Carolina. The business quickly declared that it has applied for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States.
2026 VinFast VF 8 Release Date & Price
Surprisingly, VinFast plans to give its Plus and Eco variants two different battery capacities. I use the word “strangely” since there isn’t much of a difference in the ranges and prices. On Europe’s more lenient WLTP test cycle, the basic Eco Battery Version 1 is expected to last 260 miles and costs $40,700 (plus an unknown delivery price). The extended-range Battery Version 2 Eco is anticipated to deliver 292 miles for $41,000 for just $300 extra.
The more costly (and hence heavier) VF 8 Plus should have a range of 248 miles with its Battery Version 1 configuration ($47,700); it should have a range of 277 miles with its Battery Version 2 configuration ($48,800). Because of the EPA’s more stringent test cycle, mpg statistics are somewhat lower in the US.
VinFast has not yet disclosed the exact dimensions of the Samsung-celled packs in the Battery Version 1 cars, despite the fact that the larger packs have a 90 kWh capacity. With a DC fast charger, version 1 automobiles can be charged from 10% to 70% full in 24 minutes; larger pack vehicles need 31 minutes.
Conclusion
It will be interesting to observe how this new Vietnamese company settles in the United States. I respectfully encourage VinFast to consider renaming the business “VinFaster” if it can finish all of these things by the deadlines it has set.
Note: The details included in this blog post are derived from pre-release material that was accessible when the article was written. If you want the latest information, you should check official sources or call your nearest dealership.
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