VinFast President SUV – 420 hp 6.2L V8, near-300 km/h top speed; limited to 500 units, fr RM680k in Vietnam - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Vietnamese carmaker VinFast has released pricing and additional details for its limited-run President SUV, which is listed at 4.6 billion VND, or around USD198k (RM822,096). Based on the prior VinFast LUX SA2.0, the President is capped at 500 units, and the first 100 customers to place their orders will get a special price of 3.8 billion VND, or approximately USD164,000 (RM680,928), according to the company.

While the SA2.0 is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the President packs something altogether more aspirational, namely a 6.2 litre V8 engine that produces 420 hp and 624 Nm of torque. This is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4WD, and can propel the President along the 0-100 km/h acceleration benchmark in 6.8 seconds, and to a top speed of nearly 300 km/h, VinFast claims.

Keeping the luxury SUV’s performance in check is a host of safety systems including brake assist, ABS, EBD, stability control, traction control, hill descent control, hill start assist and roll-over mitigation, while further driver assistance includes blind spot warning, lane departure warning and a 360-degree camera system. Six airbags round up the passive safety kit list.

The President wears a rather sporty exterior, with a bonnet scoop near the front of the panel, while the front bumper features large air intakes. Customers can specify the colour of the logo, roof rails, running boards, door exterior garnish and front and rear bumper trim pieces from a choice of gold, copper bronze, gunmetal or silver.

The President is claimed to offer exceptional space from a segment-leading wheelbase of 3,133 mm, which isn’t far-fetched – this measure is longer than that of the BMW X7, which sports a wheelbase of 3,105 mm. Space for occupants is a primary consideration here, as VinFast notes that the President has been given wide door openings and a second row of seats that has been enlarged to its maximum.

The roof gets large, UV-resistant panoramic glass sections, and the running boards have been designed to offer easier access up into the cabin, says VinFast. Meanwhile, armrests in the second row include cup holders, and the interior also features a wireless device charging pad and USB connectivity.

Premium Nappa leather is used for seat upholstery throughout the President’s cabin, and can include a new Cotton Beige leather colour option, as well as the choice of made-in-Italy wood veneer. As natural woods are used, each example of wood trim will have its own distinct grain, and therefore no two units of the President will be exactly alike, thus ‘ensuring the exclusivity of each car’.

Interior equipment in the President also includes a central seven-inch multi-function display within the driver’s instrumentation panel, while infotainment is handled by a 12.3-inch screen, while audio is handled by a high-end 13-speaker setup, according to the company.

The exterior colour palette for the VinFast President includes Sunset (orange), Deep Ocean (dark green), Gun Metal, Competition Red and Purple Rain. Additionally, customers for each of the 500 units exclusively for the Vietnamese market can select from a further 18 customised colours “according to their preferences, personalities and feng shui requirements,” says VinFast.

The President SUV is on display at showrooms and dealers in Vietnam, and customers can place orders for the vehicle from today.