Later this year, the Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast will pull the curtain on a completely new model, a crossover that also includes a fully electric version. Techzle can exclusively show the patent drawings of that mystery-shrouded newcomer.
Last year around this time, the farm version Vietnamese car manufacturer VinFast lifted its first two models on stage: the Lux A2.0 and the Lux AS2.0. The first is a sedan based on the previous generation BMW 5 series (F10), the second an SUV based on the previous generation of BMW’s X5. Although the cars themselves come from BMW, they are not simply BMWs with VinFast logos on them. The Vietnamese manufacturer has brought in the Pininfarina design house to have unique coaches folded around it, so the pair are not immediately recognizable as BMW. VinFast’s third model is the Fadil, a car that is nothing more than an Opel Karl with its own logos. The company is working hard behind the scenes on a crossover, of which Techzle can now exclusively show the design.
These excavated patent sketches show a crossover, but not just one. In addition to a relatively conventional-looking copy that gets regular combustion engines, we also immediately have a fully electric version of that car. The left front screen shows a loading opening, a detail that, together with the fully closed muzzle, indicates that there is a fully electric drivetrain underneath. The overall design of the newcomer, if we forget about the Fadil, fits well with that of the rest of the VinFast family.
It is difficult to estimate whether this new crossover, like its siblings, is based on an existing model. VinFast may have screwed its own body on an existing model again. It does not seem to be a converted X1, because the car seems too short for that. The shape of the crossover is somewhat reminiscent of that of the Renault Captur, although the whole is also somewhat reminiscent of the Hyundai Kona. Reportedly, the electric version of the as-yet-unnamed newcomer gets a battery pack from the Korean LG Chem and an electric heart that delivers around 470 hp.
Later this year, the newcomer in the United States, where the model should also be marketed, will be introduced to the world. We may then learn more about the technical basis of the car.