VinFast VF8 takes a step back: the new generation is smaller and weaker

The new VF8 is more compact than the previous version, drops to a 60.1 kWh battery and a single 231 hp motor. NEDC range — up to 500 km.

VinFast VF8 has switched generations, but it has gone against the usual playbook. The new version of the electric crossover has already arrived in Vietnam and turned out smaller than its predecessor. Cars usually grow with each update, gaining a bigger battery and more power — here the situation is reversed.

The dimensions have changed noticeably. The previous VF8, still sold in Europe, is 4.75 m long with a 2.95 m wheelbase. The new VF8 is shorter: 4.70 m at a 2.84 m wheelbase. A smaller body is not necessarily a downside on its own, but the changes don’t stop there.

The old European VF8 comes with an 87.5 kWh battery and two power options — 354 or 408 hp. The new VF8 so far is announced with a 60.1 kWh battery and a single electric motor rated at 231 hp. The gap is significant: the car has become not only more compact but also visibly weaker in the powertrain department.

There are questions about range too. VinFast quotes 480–500 km on the NEDC cycle for the new VF8, but on the stricter WLTP cycle the figure is expected to drop below 450 km. For comparison: the current VF8 Eco in Europe is rated at 471 km WLTP, and the more powerful Plus — at 457 km. Fast charging has also become more modest: 100 kW versus 150 kW on the previous VF8.

For now, VinFast is not commenting on export plans for the new VF8, so it remains unclear whether this version will replace the European model and in what form it might reach markets outside Vietnam.