The EV revolution is upon us. Sure, our local infrastructure is nowhere near what it needs to be. It’s quite a sacrifice for any EV owner to drive their electric car.
Still, charging stations are often filled, and with gas prices hardly changing ever since the pandemic, getting an EV for your next car is not far-fetched at all
Enter VinFast: A New Player from Vingroup
Founded in 2017 by Vietnamese billionaire Phạm Nhật Vượng, VinFast became the first Vietnamese company to introduce products on the global stage. Starting with electric scooters and gas-powered vehicles, the brand rapidly transitioned into a major player in the electric vehicle (EV) industry.
As part of the large Vingroup conglomerate, VinFast made its mark globally, and in 2024, VinFast Philippines launched with the VF5. This model takes a more “local” approach compared to its American and Chinese competitors. The VF5 offers an affordable entry point, and its battery subscription model further eases the purchasing process, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious consumers.
The Signature Vinfast Look
Checking out the exterior of the Vinfast 5 and other models(VF7,VF9,VF3) you’ll notice we don’t see the usual “Mecha” look, no sharp edges and no anime-inspired designs here, what you get is the Signature front “V” look wrapping the front end of the VF5 with the back continuing its smooth curves. It looks good, and you don’t really have to know that Pinanfirani penned its design, the VF5 just looks good as is.
You get 17 inch wheels with good year tires, dual disc brakes and a impressive 168mm of ground clearance.
(Shocking) Excellent Build Quality
I’m no artisan but I do know that it takes experience and skills to build something that fits well together. I checked the decent panel gaps, knocked and rocked on the interior fittings of the car , my impressions of the build quality of this vietnamese car has been nothing but impressive, especially for such a young company. Bravo Vinfast!
But what about its specs?
Well, it has a range of 326km, accepts Type 2 charging and you can charge from 10% to 70% in just over 30 minutes, has around 134 HP and 120 Hm of Torque. Not the pocket rocket I had hoped but it’s perfectly fine in a city setting. That range should be enough for trips to Tagaytay, Rizal and even Subic (coming from Manila of course), a Baguio trip should be doable with just a quick charge along Rosario. If you plan on driving this along your local neighborhood, you can charge it at home as well.
Is the interior a nice place to be?
It’s ok, this is an entry-level EV after all, but it gets leather seats, the steering wheel feels solid and like the outside, and the build quality is excellent. Although if you were sitting at the back and you were tall, you might have trouble with the seats being a bit short on the height, but 2 adults at the back should be fine.
A sunroof would have been awesome but at least you get a 12V socket, 1 USB port in front and another in the back. A rotary dial for changing err gears, you have two drive modes (Eco & Sport)
How’s the tech?
It’s all an all-digital display affair here with an 8-inch infotainment system with Apple carplay and Android Auto, the screen is pretty responsive. The menus are logically laid out, like many cars, this is where you’ll be changing drive modes but at least it’s a once-touch affair, no need to go through menus.
Safety? Practicality?
Standard safety equipment is good with 6 airbags, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection, and Rear View Camera with Guidelines
With the seats up you get 260 L of luggage space and up 900L with the seats down. Nice.
How does it drive then?
Except for the atrocious turning radius, It drives like any small city car. The steering is light with just enough feedback that you feel confident having a bit of fun in it. There’s a fair amount of body roll but with its 134HP, as long as you don’t drive like the VF5 is a race car, the 0-100 KM/H time of 10.9 secs is about the same as other entry-level cars.
You might miss the instant torque that EVs often have, I’ve been told that this is deliberate so that the drivers aren’t “shocked” and that the VF5 will deliver the same sort of experience with an ICE car.
Being an electric car, it of course is quiet, the A/C does a good job of keeping the car cool. It’s easy to see out. The brakes are good, but an Auto hold function would have been nice while in manila standstill traffic.
What all this talk about a Battery Subscription?
Vinfast Philippines is making purchasing your EV even easier by offering a battery subscription with your car. See Below
In a nutshell, you pay the extra Php 5,800 on top of your monthly payments to get full coverage of the battery maintenance, if performance drops to 70%, you get a battery replacement. Our only gripe is the 1,500 KM monthly limit, although this recent VF3 launch we saw an updated offer for it so we’re hoping Vinfast Philippines updates it.
Thats one way to get rid of the concern on batteries but even more important is how this “first drop” of VInfast in the country, they’re offering new ways to acquire an EV and the VF5 is a genuine City Crossover, that doesn’t skip on safety, tech and features.
It’s good. Make sure to give it a test drive!
You can watch our full video feature below
In collaboration with VinFast PH. All opinions and views expressed are entirely my own
