The VF7 is Vinfast’s flagship crossover SUV in India, positioned against rivals such as the Mahindra XEV 9e and Tata Harrier EV. It’s offered with two battery options – 59.8kWh and 70.8kWh. The smaller pack is paired with a single motor driving the front wheels, while the larger battery also gets a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup in higher variants. We put the top-spec dual-motor AWD version to the test to evaluate its real-world efficiency.
Gets 3 drive modes – Eco, Normal and Sport
3 levels of regenerative braking; no single-pedal mode
Top-spec weighs 2,218kg
Vinfast VF7 AWD real world range
In this configuration, the VF7 produces a combined 354hp and 500Nm, and it tips the scales at 2,218kg. For our tests, we drove the car in its most efficient Eco mode, with regenerative braking set to the highest level in the city and the lowest on the highway.
The VF7 returned an efficiency of 5.10km/kWh in the city and 5.92km/kWh on the highway. Extrapolated, the combined real-world range works out to 391km, which falls well short of the Vietnamese carmaker’s claimed 510km.
On a 180kW DC fast charger, the VF7 charged from 20 percent to 80 percent state of charge in approximately 38 minutes, with a peak charging speed of 95.4kW.
Autocar India’s range testing
Before our real-world range test, the battery of our test car was fully charged, and we maintained tyre pressures in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. The car was driven on a weekday in Mumbai city and on the adjoining state highway in a fixed loop, and we maintained the set average speeds. At the end of each cycle, we calculated the range based on the percentage charge consumed.
Throughout our test, the climate control was set to 22deg C in full-auto setting, and other electricals, such as the audio system, indicators and ventilated front seats, were used as and when required, just as a regular user would. We take pride in our testing data, which isn’t merely consistent but also gives users an accurate indication of what they can expect in the real world.