HUGE AMBITION

VinFast is making a bold foray into the Indian market with big ambitions. Here's our first look at their products.

- ISHAN RAGHAVA

The Indian market – as some of the world’s top automotive executives have admitted – is arguably the most difficult and complex market to navigate. It's even more so if the brand trying to enter the Indian market is relatively unknown to the masses here. But VinFast doesn't seem to be bothered by this; in fact, they have declared India a priority market, and apparently, they intend to be a big player in the country – not just in automotive, but also in other sectors. That, however, is a story for another day. Right now, I'll share my first impressions of the first two products that the company is set to debut in the market - the VF6 and VF7.

VF6

The company’s first offering will be an SUV aimed squarely at the heart of the market - the midsize SUV segment. Measuring just over 4.2 metres, the VF6 is slightly shorter than the Creta but about the same size as the VW Taigun. Of course, all VinFast models in India will be EVs. The VF6 will have only one drivetrain option – a single motor paired with a 59.5kWh battery. This also means that VF6 will be front-wheel drive only, and that's precisely what the market demands in this segment.

On paper, the VF6's specs are quite impressive, with the power and torque outputs rated at 201bhp and 310Nm, respectively – both of which should be more than enough. The car is still being fine-tuned for the Indian market, and we will have the confirmed figures at its launch in the coming weeks.