VF5: VinFast’s bold, no-nonsense entry in the PH EV market

When VinFast rolled out its electric vehicles last year, it certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. After all, Filipinos have yet to fully embrace brands from China. Now, here comes a badge from Vietnam—offering electric vehicles, no less.

So, essentially, there are two major roadblocks for VinFast in its bid to conquer a Philippine automotive market that remains deeply enamored with established global brands and fuel-fed vehicles.

In carrying out that daunting mission, VinFast didn’t attempt to clash head-on with the big names. Instead, it adopted a more low-key strategy, churning out a fleet of fully electrified vehicles that could keep pace with the competition.

One of them is the sub-compact hatchback VF5, which has just about everything that other brands are offering.

Body

At first glance, the front of the car resembles Boba Fett’s helmet, carrying with it the same air of mystery as the Mandalorian bounty hunter. It’s as if the VF5 is telling you it’s a no-nonsense car, built for city duties.

The VF5 boasts 17-inch alloy wheels and a ground clearance of 168 millimeters, delivering 135 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 10.9 seconds. While I didn’t get to test that exact figure, I can attest to its quick acceleration—so much so that I had to make sure my foot was firmly on the brake pedal at all times, especially during bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Fortunately, I didn’t need to test the six airbags either, but the blind-spot monitoring system proved invaluable when swarming motorcycles were darting around in tight, rolling traffic.

It was also impressively energy-efficient, using just six percent of its battery on a relaxed Sunday drive from Timog Avenue in Quezon City to Mall of Asia.

The dashboard and infotainment system were angled toward the driver. Upon pressing the start button, the car greets you in Vietnamese.

The VF5 also comes equipped with cameras to aid with parking. Despite its compact dimensions—3,967mm in length, 1,723mm in width, and 1,578mm in height—the car is remarkably easy to maneuver.

Side view of the VF5. Photo by Marc Anthony Reyes

What sets the VF5 apart from the competition, however, is the option for a battery subscription.

We know that the battery is as integral to an EV as it is to a smartphone—on a much larger scale, of course. In fact, many other brands offer at least an eight-year warranty. Whether a prospective buyer opts to "gamble" on their first EV or sticks to the trusted internal combustion engine often hinges on the EV's battery capabilities.

VinFast took this into account. It offers a VF5 unit for P1,050,000, including the battery, with no subscription. However, you can also avail of the same unit at a reduced price of P880,000 with a battery subscription.

The subscription costs P5,800 a month, covering 1,500 kilometers per month (or an average of 50 km per day). It includes comprehensive coverage for battery maintenance and replacement.

On top of that, the VF5 comes with a 7-10 year or 160,000 to 200,000 kilometer (depending on the model) warranty, which guarantees battery replacement once its capacity falls below 70 percent.

--VAL, GMA Integrated News