2023 VinFast VF 7

VinFast is a relatively new Vietnamese automaker. In the U.S., it sells all-electric SUVs, including the two-row VF8 and the three-row VF9. These vehicles are built in Vietnam, but VinFast plans for factories in the U.S. So far, the company has had growing pains. The VF8 has only a two-star passenger-side frontal crash test rating from NHTSA, which the agency says indicates a higher risk of head injury in a crash. These days, scores below four stars are exceedingly rare. In addition, the VF8 we drove lacked refinement, and its active driving assistance features occasionally behaved oddly. Since so few VinFast cars have been sold in the U.S., Consumer Reports does not yet have any data on the brand’s reliability or owner satisfaction. Usually, we caution buyers to avoid cars that are brand new to the market as it can take awhile for a manufacturer to work the bugs out.

VinFast, the Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer that debuted two all-wheel drive electric midsized SUVs, VF8 and VF9 earlier this year, has unveiled another two new small SUVs, VF6 and VF7. The compact VF 7 offers both front-wheel drive and a two-motor all-wheel-drive system. Front-wheel-drive has 201-hp and all-wheel-drive comes with 349-hp. Ranges have not been announced. VinFast offers a battery subscription that provides a lifetime battery warranty covering all maintenance and repair costs. As part of it, the manufacturer will replace the battery free when charging capacity dips below 70 percent. This should reduce some concerns among shoppers wary of EV battery reliability. A full suite of active and passive safety features will be standard. Eventually it will be on sale in the US.