VIETNAM'S INDIAN AMBITION

VINFAST'S VF7 SUV PAIRS BOLD DESIGN WITH TECH-LADEN INTERIORS AND EV MUSCLE AHEAD OF ITS INDIA LAUNCH

- BY YOGENDRA PRATAP

VinFast, part of the Vietnamese conglomerate VinGroup, will be launching two electric SUVs in India later this month. The VF6 and VF7 will be made in India at its new state-of-the-art plant in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.

We were in Vietnam to experience the two cars engineered for the Indian market at the company's sprawling mother plant in Haiphong, northern Vietnam. Here is what we think of the VF7, the larger and more premium of the two.

Unlike its smaller sibling, the VF7 has a much sharper design with more angles and a bit more flair, with a very pronounced sporty roof that slopes back a lot, resulting in a minimal glasshouse on a very chunky body. The front V signature is more upright and similar to the design at the rear, and both the tail lamp and the front DRLs are quite attractive and have a lot more panache than the VF6. The VF7 is shorter than the MG Hector and Mahindra XUV700 but is exactly the same width as the latter and not as tall.