Emerging Vietnamese car company VinFast has announced a new model that would definitely appeal in Australia – a mid-size SUV with a 340kW 6.2-litre V8 engine under the bonnet.
Originally previewed at the 2019 Geneva motor show as the Lux V8 on the show stand of automotive supplier Magna, it is going into limited edition production as the VinFast President.
While VinFast doesn’t report the origins of the engine, the company does have close ties with General Motors. The 340kW/624nm outputs further suggest a small-block LS Chevrolet such as the LT1 is the motive force.
The V8 engine is a huge step-up in powertrain from the standard Lux SA SUV with its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine offering up to 170kW.
But the underpinning architecture is sourced from the BMW X5 so it should be able to cope. VinFast claims the President can achieve 300km/h!
Hopefully VinFast will also jam the 6.2 into its Lux A sedan, which is based on the BMW 5 Series. A four-door with a big Chev under the bonnet sounds familiar!
Having enthused about all that, the reality is the President or any other VinFast isn’t available in Australia and there is no timeline for when the brand will be launchedl here.
Its Australian connection is strong though. Some of its most senior executives are Australian, it also runs a new R&D facility in Port Melbourne and it has been linked with the purchase of axed GM Holden’s Lang Lang proving grounds.
The Melbourne R&D centre has recruited heavily among former Holden employees and is deeply involved in the development of VinFast’s first electric vehicle due on sale in 2021.
But that EV is a million miles from the President, which is distinguished from its lesser Lux SA brethren by its bonnet vent, mesh grille fascia openings, 22-inch wheels and 2x2 exhaust pipes.
And as you’ve probably noticed already, there’s a fair bit of gold paint splashed around too, including the wheels, roof rails, window surrounds, front undertray and – of course – the badges.
There are no images of the interior provided, but VinFast promises suede and carbon-fibre trims are part of the package.
An Asian car company building a naturally-aspirated V8 performance SUV … who’d have thunk it? It’s easy to suspect a few Aussie have had some input here. Let’s hope we get the chance to check it all out one day and maybe even drive it.