The VinFast VF e34 has been spied testing on Indian roads for the first time ever. It will be the first EV from the Vietnamese carmaker in our market. VinFast has been expanding its global footprint for a few years now. Initially, it went to the U.S. market. It experienced mild success there. Now, it wants to take a bite of the rapidly burgeoning Indian automobile market. In fact, it was in talks to acquire Ford’s Chennai plant a while ago. But the deal fell through and now the company has begun setting up its manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. This plant is expected to produce 50,000 EVs per year initially, which will increase to 150,000 EVs per year later.
VinFast VF e34 Spied Testing
These images surfaced courtesy of carwaleindia on Instagram. Interestingly, the electric SUV is not wearing any camouflage. That is pretty unusual for any new car. As a result, we are able to witness the vehicle in all its glory. There are only the rear and side profiles visible in these images. At the rear, the VF e34 gets a connected LED taillamp cluster with a ‘V’ logo at the centre, a shark fin antenna, a roof-mounted spoiler, a sturdy bumper with reflector lights and a skid plate. All these elements accentuate the SUV traits of the EV. On the sides, we get to see large wheel arches, tiny roof tails, side body cladding, chrome surrounds on window frames, etc. All in all, it certainly looks imposing.
Specs
The VinFast VF e34 in Vietnam comes with a 41.9 kWh LFP battery. The electric motor produces a decent 147 hp (110 kW) and 242 Nm of peak power and torque. It offers an NEDC range of 318.6 km on a single charge It takes 27 mins to charge from 10% to 70%. The SUV is 4.3 m long and has a wheelbase of 2.61 m. There are tons of modern amenities including ADAS, Virtual Assistant, a large Vertically-oriented Infotainment Display, Digital Instrument Display, Smartphone Connectivity, 6 Airbags and more.
| Specs (exp.) | VinFast VF e34 |
| Battery | 41.9 kWh |
| Range | 318.6 km (NEDC) |
| Power | 147 hp (110 kW) |
| Torque | 242 Nm |
| Charging | 27 mins (10-70%) |
Our View
The electric vehicle segment is growing rapidly in India. The upcoming VinFast VF e34 will rival the likes of the Mahindra XUV400, MG ZS EV and Tata Nexon EV in India. I am particularly excited to see if the Vietnamese automaker is able to crack the challenging Indian market. Note that it is not easy to please Indian customers. Hence, aspects like price, performance and features need to be in balance to make the VF e34 a value proposition for people to consider it over the established rivals. Let us keep an eye out for details in this case.
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