Vietnamese carmaker VinFast has grand designs on the global market, with two new electric SUVs due to go on sale worldwide – including in the United States – starting in 2022. The company has now announced it will reveal the cars, the VF e35 and e36, at the Los Angeles Auto Show, slated to kick off on November 17.
The new models are significantly larger than the B-segment VF e34, which was launched in Vietnam earlier this year. The e35 will be a D-segment SUV sized similarly to the previous-generation Kia Sorento (albeit with a much longer wheelbase), while the e36 will be a massive BMW X7-rivalling luxury SUV.
VinFast has also confirmed that the cars will come with a smart infotainment system with voice control, a “Virtual Assistant” and in-car payment services, among others. They will also ship with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as lane centring assist, collision warning, driver monitoring, fully-automated parking and a Tesla-style vehicle summoning feature.
The firm says it has been able to incorporate these features through strategic investments, research and development and a global collaboration with automotive industry leaders and start-ups affiliated with VinFast and parent company Vingroup.
“We have made vigorous investments and conducted extensive market research to create premium EVs that will satisfy the desires of global customers,” said Vingroup vice chairwoman Le Thi Thu Thuy. “This is just the beginning. We hope to capture the hearts and imaginations of even the most demanding customers with VinFast’s dedicated service and smart, high-quality products.”
Previously, the company said that the e35 and e36 will feature dual electric motors, providing all-wheel drive and a total output of 300 kW (402 hp) and 640 Nm of torque. The smaller model is slated to get a 90 kWh lithium-ion battery, while the e36 is due to receive a larger 106 kWh unit for a range of 550 km.
Last we heard, the new cars will be built in a purpose-built plant in America. The timelines have shifted quite a bit since then – pre-orders will now only kick off in the first half of 2022, some way off the original November 2021 date.
GALLERY: VinFast VF e35
GALLERY: VinFast VF e36
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
A noname copy can never top a branded original. Vinfast car will never get the better of ori BMW.
Vinfast truly the real BMW of Asia, not Proton.
I agree, a real BMW of Asia that only sells to the 1% of Asia. How will they survive against the real BMW?