2025 VinFast VF 9 Review: High Hopes, Heavy Hiccups

• Beautiful design and high-end-looking materials stand out, but software and UX fall short daily.

• Ride comfort is decent, but floaty suspension and low-speed steering bugs kill confidence.

• Packed with features and power, but the VF 9 isn’t quite ready to compete with the big names.

I’ve been sitting with this one longer than I expected. Not literally, but the 2025 VinFast VF 9 has stayed in my head long after I returned the keys. And not for the reasons I had hoped. In fact, I was off on vacation for two weeks after returning the SUV, and it occupied far too much of my limited brain capacity during my downtime.

Let’s back up. When I first drove the VF 8, it surprised me in a good way. So naturally, I approached the larger, more attractive VF 9 with cautious optimism. VinFast, as a brand, still carries more question marks than answers in Canada. The product lineup, the corporate strategy, even the website, everything is shrouded in confusion and uncertainty. But I wanted to give it a fair shot, so I waited until after I completed a comparison test between the VF 9, Kia EV9, and Hyundai Ioniq 9 to collect my thoughts.

First Impressions Count, and I Was Impressed

At first glance, the VF 9 is a stunner. The Pininfarina-designed body is low-slung, sleek and premium, especially in Neptune Grey. It’s got road presence, it’s longer than both the Ioniq 9 and EV9, with a wheelbase that screams limo. Inside, it’s just as bold: cross-stitched vegan leather almost everywhere, soft-close doors, ambient lighting, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen take centre stage. The layout and attention to detail are genuinely impressive, especially when you consider the price.

Starting at $74,890 for the Eco model (2025) and $78,490 for the Plus (only listed as a 2024 at the time of review), the VF 9 is well-equipped. Dual motors, a massive 123-kWh battery, massaging seats (yes, in the second row too), an 8-inch rear screen, HUD, truly the works. It’s a proper luxury EV on paper.

The Driving Experience: Heavy Metal

And then you start driving.

The good news? It’s surprisingly peppy. With 402 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque, the VF 9 is no slouch. Despite its hefty 6,500-lb curb weight, it can sprint to 100 km/h in a claimed 6.7 seconds. You’d swear the ton is reached in at least one fewer second in Sport mode. Unfortunately, throttle response is woefully slow, even in Sport. The regen braking is customizable, and the ride, at low speeds on smooth roads, is better than both the EV9 and easily matches the Ioniq 9.

But then come the bumps, literally and figuratively.

The rear air suspension struggles somewhat over seams and dips. The ride becomes floaty and bouncy, struggling to keep the masses on the level. Low-speed manoeuvres are even worse: an oddly inconsistent steering feel, decidedly inconsistent gear-select buttons that sometimes lag, and a huge turning radius (over 14 m!) make parking lots and three-point turns a serious chore.

Efficiency? Meh. I averaged over 25 kWh/100 km, which makes the rated 462 km range optimistic at best. And while 10-80% charging takes about 40 minutes thanks to its 160-kW peak rate, it’s not particularly fast for such a big battery. If the rated range was closer to 550 km, the charging speed would be more acceptable.

The Space Race

Now, for a vehicle this large, you’d expect it to excel at hauling people and stuff. But the VF9 is best for four passengers and their gear. Anything greater than that poses a challenge. Behind the third row, you only get 212 litres (best as I can tell, excludes generous underfloor storage), barely usable for a Costco run. Fold that row and you’ve got 926 litres, or only about 7.5% more than my VW Golf Sportwagen. Thankfully, there’s a 100-litre frunk.

The six-seat layout (two captain’s chairs in the middle) adds luxury but kills access to the third row. In my situation, accessing the rear row involves removing the child booster seat, manually tumbling the seat forward, and climbing in. And after all that, once back there, the third row is barely usable for anyone over, say, the age of 12. Knees-up, cramped, and lacking in comfort.

Glitches and Gripes

This is where things fall apart. Software and usability quirks are everywhere. Steering wheel buttons control your mirrors and other accessories only after selecting the function via the touchscreen. The rear touchscreen can mess with the front seat controls (my kids would have a field day). And don’t get me started on the door handles. They’re noisy and awkward, anything but ergonomic and not child-friendly as they will pinch if not careful.

Oh, and that giant door sill? Guaranteed to soil your pants in winter. Then there’s the rear door window trim that began flapping in the wind… Not to mention that the VF 9 detects the key to “start” or shut off. Unfortunately, it doesn’t know when to shut off… While on my phone in the house, the keys in a cupboard about 15 meters away, I missed a call because the VinFast’s Bluetooth picked it up, some 30 minutes after I left the vehicle.

It doesn’t stop here unfortunately. The large screen failed to load multiple times. The HUD did not display multiple times. Some windows would not close multiple times, citing “object in path”. The flashers and third row A/C failed multiple times… There’s more, but I’ll spare you…

Final Thoughts

The VF 9 has moments that truly shine. Be it its design, its materials, its spec sheet, there’s something there. But those highs are repeatedly dragged down by equally and more numerous strong lows. I don’t want to say it’s a bad vehicle as 2/3 of the issues are software-related, but it’s not one I can recommend right now. VinFast clearly has a vision, and I genuinely want them to succeed. But unless major updates are in the works and reliability proves itself over time, this one’s still a few steps behind its rivals.

Check back in two years. Until then, admire the VF 9 from a distance.

https://motorillustrated.com/2025-kia-ev9-vs-2026-hyundai-ioniq-9-vs-2025-vinfast-vf-9-comparison-test-review-dressed-to-the-nines/160883/

2025 VinFast VF9

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