The First Vinfast Break ins. Special Feature

The Vietnamese electric car manufacturer has recently entered the Indian market with two products – the VF 6 and VF 7. The company is competing with the likes of Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra and MG, among others, which are well-established and offer multiple products. We head to the flagship dealership of VinFast, located in Gurugram - Haritash Mobility, and spoke to a few customers regarding their experience with the new EV brand in town.

Our first interaction got us to meet Ashwin Chaudhary and his brother, who are business owners in Ghaziabad and have bought the VF 6 recently.

First Impressions

On asking about his introduction to the VinFast brand, Ashwin told us an interesting story. He and his family were looking to purchase an EV sedan; however, our SUV-obsessed country doesn't have many sedans to offer. Hence, after going through the usual strong EV players like Tata and Mahindra, they zeroed in on the MG Windsor. As fate would have it, a friend intervened at the last moment and asked them to check out the VinFast cars and go for a test drive. The rest of the story is self-explanatory.

About first impressions, Ashwin said that this is a new brand, and there is a lot of curiosity around the name, sure, but after experiencing the car first-hand, he had zero doubts, and he booked the VF 6 immediately. Ashwin also went ahead to add that VinFast may be new, but the brand should attract the premium segment buyers, as it has great build quality, features, road presence and compelling performance.

Dealership Woes or Wows?

Vinfast has just arrived, and they are prepping in full force to lay down their goods for the Indian audience. Ashwin's visit to the VinFast showroom was a pleasant surprise, despite the showroom still going through construction touchups; the staff stole the show. A warm and welcoming, and comfortable environment is essential for a brand to gain the customer's trust, and that is exactly what the people at VinFast did with utter patience and grace. Something Ashwin cannot talk enough about.

Ashwin and his brother had visited the Okhla showroom first; however, they did not have a vehicle ready for dispatch, hence the visit to the Gurugram showroom. Next is when we were surprised by Ashwin's answer. It took Ashwin around 2 hours to go through the paperwork and bank work, which was easily and comfortably done at the showroom, and within the next 48 hours, the VF 6 was ready to be taken home. If there were a last-mile delivery service for cars and VinFast could keep this speed up, they would be the first ones to execute that.

What about the VF 6?

Ashwin and family have had the car for two months now, and the odometer looks impressive at 3500 Km plus, which includes a trip to Nainital. The biggest plus of the VF 6, according to Ashwin, is its suspension and ride quality, something he says he can't get enough of. He also adds that VinFast, as a brand, should do well in our country. Yes, it is a new brand, and that is the exact thing that needs to be taken advantage of to create a new experience for the Indian customer. Be it the dealership experience where you can find great people who take their job seriously and do it with the utmost amount of care and patience, or be it the performance of the cars. However, the portfolio is small with just two cars now, but it should grow in no time.

Ashwin also points out that the rear seat of the VF 6 feels a teensy bit cramped, and some charging stations don't recognise the car as of yet; however, it's just a matter of time till the numbers increase and so does the recognition and acceptance.

Next, we spoke to Sumit Agarwal, a businessman based in Delhi and now a proud owner of the VF 7.

VinFast Knowhow.

Sumit is an existing EV owner and drives an MG ZS-EV, and for the last few months, he has been looking for a second car. As fate would have it, VinFast launched during the same time. His YouTube research led him to a video about VinFast and Sumit being a numbers person, saw the VinFast cars, and it instantly grabbed his attention. Further research led him to know of VinFast's India plans, which clearly show the brand is here to stay. Vinfast has invested a hefty amount in India as its next big market; the second investment amounts to 500 million USD, which is part of a bigger 2 billion USD commitment.

The second factor that led Sumit down the VF 7 lane is the completely new experience of brand, dealerships, aftersales and the work of it. However, the apprehension towards investing a big amount in a car from a new brand remained, which was washed away once he took his first test drive. There was no looking back; the VF 7 had to come home to Sumit.

Does the Dealership Win Fast?

Sumit is going gaga about the behaviour and professionalism of the people at the VinFast dealerships. The entire process took him 3 to 4 days from entering the dealership to getting the keys in hand. The staff have developed a warm and friendly relationship with him over the course of such a short time. There is a WhatsApp group where customers can raise concerns at and they are promptly responded to, which gives a certain ease and accessibility to the customer. Talking about the people at the dealership, Sumit said that they are patient, they understand your concerns, listen carefully to your worries and do their best to mitigate them. The entire process was completed by the staff at the dealership with very little input from him. The paperwork and other formalities were almost on autopilot. And wherever there was any lapse on his part, it was rectified, or a solution was presented so that the process would not suffer from any unnecessary turbulence.

How is the VF 7?

Sumit and family are spontaneous travellers, and their trips span 3 to 4 days. The list of requirements is: spacious cabin, spacious boot, latest features, significant performance and range. The VF 7 checked all the boxes. With a 70-kWh battery pack offering 176 PS and 250 Nm of torque, the VF 7 also offers All Wheel Drive and is very spacious with a giant 537 litre boot. Sumit is also very impressed with the suspension and ride quality of the VF 7, which he also calls feature-rich, as it keeps things interesting whether he is travelling in the city, on the highways, or even climbing the Himalayas.