VinFast

The potential EVs have for the developing automotive industry is hard to overstate. With the environmental benefits and the simplicity of ownership and maintenance, industrial powerhouses are beginning to plunge headfirst into the EV market.

Being Vietnam’s first automaker, VinFast has no track record and not a single series car produced yet. But if the two very convincing models it showed at the Paris motor show are any indication, the fledgling automaker has high ambitions and its sights set on the premium segment.

One of the two vehicles it unveiled in Paris is the SA2.0 SUV, a high-riding model almost the same size as a BMW X5, with sleek styling and a rather luxurious appearance. It has been said that the model makes use of a BMW-derived platform and, from the side, it really does look a bit like the aforementioned X5 (the previous generation), especially in the lower part of the body.

VinFast wants its vehicles to evoke the beauty of the land where they were made, which is why it employed Italdesign Giugiaro to come up with the design and then had Pininfarina further refine it before going public. The resulting design is actually quite successful, even if it looks a bit too Mazda Kodo-esque from some angles - definitely not a bad look.

It comes with one turbocharged engine choice, standard rear- but optional all-wheel drive and a modern seven-seater interior complete with massive portrait-style infotainment screen and hints of BMW.

VinFast is a new manufacturer from Vietnam that brands itself as “the first volume automotive manufacturer” in the nation, as well as the first to ever take part in a major motoring venue such as the 2018 Paris motor show. It used the event to reveal its first two models in production trim, theLUX A2.0 sedan and the LUX SA2.0 SUV, models whose planned production is set to kick off in mid-2019 out of a brand new plant built in the north of the country.

Both vehicles are meant to evoke the beauty of their land of origin, and both vehicles are modern and pleasant to look at. But it’s the A2.0 sedan that looks like the classier design of the two, featuring a clean overall design with striking front and rear fascias and an interior that looks a lot like what Volvo is doing with its latest models.

VinFast apparently asked the local public to vote on the car’s design, and a reported 60,000 people cast their vote and choose out of a total 20 possible models designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, Pininfarina, Torino Design and Zagato. Most popular designs for the sedan and SUV were two by Italdesign Giugiaro, but they were further refined by Pininfarina with which VinFast collaborated to create the two cars that debuted in Paris.

VinFast, a Vietnamese carmaker founded only one year ago, made its global debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. Vietnam’s first volume car manufacturer and also the country’s first vehicle company to take part in a major international motor show debuted not one, but two automobiles at the French event.

Who can actually give birth to a new car company? The process can be jump-started with innovative technology ( think Tesla or Rimac), or created from scratch by a really, really massive company like Hyundai or Lexus. In this case, I am writing about the birth of the first car company from Vietnam, ever. Called VinFast, the first Vietnamese automotive producer may sound like a joke at first. It is anything but. Behind it is the largest Vietnamese private conglomerate Vingroup JS. It is backed by automotive minds from the depths of the American and European car industry, its foundation is German technology, and its soul is Italian design. If you ever thought that money couldn’t buy a car company, think again, because I think VinFast is the definition of money making/buying a car company.

This is a car company built from scratch after the completion of a complicated business plan with a bunch of SWOT analysis, market research, and competition assessment. Welcome, VinFast.

A newborn Vietnamese automaker is looking to make a name for itself in the auto industry using old parts from BMW. That’s the direction VinFast is taking as it prepares to present its first two creations at the 2018 Paris Motor Show next month. Both models are still unnamed, but a report from Autocar states that the two models, a sedan and an SUV, will use BMW platforms, among other parts from the German automaker. Likewise, the two models will feature designs that VinFast developed in collaboration with legendary Italian design house Pininfarina.