After unveiling its three-car-strong EV line-up earlier this year, Vinfast has now finally shown off the VF e34 in the metal back in its home country, alongside some new information about the fully-electric compact SUV.
Previously called the VF31, the VF e34 will be the flag bearer of the Vietnamese EV efforts. Sizing wise, the compact SUV measures 4,300 mm long, 1,793 mm wide, and 1,613 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,611 mm, putting it in the ballpark of your typical B-segment SUVs such as the Honda HR-V.
Propulsion on the VF e34 is provided by a single electric motor, dishing out 110 kW (147 hp) and 242 Nm of torque to the front wheels. Vinfast did not disclose the size of the battery, but noted that it’s a lithium-ion unit, capable of providing the e34 with a range of 300 km based on the NEDC test cycle.
The Vietnamese carmaker says that the e34 can travel up to 180 km after only just 15 minutes of charging at a VinFast fast charging terminal, which the company is planning to roll out over 40,000 of them across the country.
In terms of equipment, Vinfast highlighted its smart infotainment system inside the cabin, with a 10-inch vertical-oriented display in the centre of the dashboard. Aside from the usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, the system also comes with an intelligent machine learning voice assistant feature, that can control everything in the car from climate control to navigation.
As for safety, the VF e34 is equipped with the standard suite of features such as ABS with EBD, traction control, stability control, hill start assist, and six airbags as standard. However, there are no mention of any advanced driver feature assistance on board.
The Vinfast VF e34 was made available for pre-order earlier this year at a price of VND690 million (approx. RM124k), and according to VN News, the carmaker has already racked-up over 25,000 bookings back in August. Deliveries are expected to begin in November this year.
The price includes a 10-year warranty for the vehicle, though does not actually include batteries. For the latter, Vinfast is offering a unique battery subscription model for the EV SUV priced at VND1.45 million (approx. RM264) per month, where the company will replace the EV batteries whenever its capacity falls below 70% – essentially an alternative to the traditional “scheduled maintenance” programme of regular ICE cars.
[images: Vinfast Vietnam/Facebook]
