Paris Motor Show

Vietnam throws its hat into the automotive manufacturing ring.

Vietnam has a homegrown car company known as VinFast and this upstart automaker is showcasing its new models at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. VinFast is not a household name and its vehicles aren’t likely to be sold in the U.S. anytime soon.

VinFast LUX SA2.0 Nevertheless, the Vietnamese automaker has two models to show for it, with both going into production in 2019.

VinFast is the first Vietnamese automaker, but it isn’t the first company to produce new cars in this Southeastern Asia nation of nearly 100 million residents. Most passenger vehicles produced in Vietnam are from knock-down kits, cars partially assembled abroad then completed locally. Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Toyota are among the brands present.

As for VinFast, the company is making it clear that its Italian-inspired models are Vietnamese influenced.

VinFast LUX SA2.0 The company tapped Pininfarina, the Italian design house with developing the new models based on consumer input. The result is two models, a sedan and a crossover utility vehicle, that the company believes reflect the country’s spirit.

VinFast calls its two models the LUX A2.0 and LUX SA2.0, names that hardly roll off of the tongue or are easy to commit to memory. Nevertheless, this naming strategy has been embraced by upstart automakers before (e.g., Ford Model T and A; every European manufacturer), but may eventually change especially as the company eyes foreign markets.

David Beckham Presents

Not wasting any time, VinFast tapped retired English professional footballer David Beckham to tout the brand. Beckham was introduced at the 2018 Paris Motor Show for the official unveiling of the two VinFast models.

“I’ve always been a car fanatic, and it’s a thrill to be here in Paris to celebrate the arrival of a new carmaker on the global stage. When I met you and your colleagues backstage earlier, the passion that you all have for the cars is infectious. It’s an inspirational story and I’m really excited to be part of this launch moment for VinFast,” noted Beckham to VinFast personnel.

New Model Highlights

Not all details about the new model have surfaced yet. The only photos supplied by the manufacturer are exterior shots. But those photos do reveal the artistic design flair incorporated. VinFast could have chosen a more utilitarian look and satisfied its home audience. But the automaker is looking to begin exports not too soon after Vietnam consumers become acquainted with the brand.

VinFast LUX A2.0 We do know that powering both models is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Apparently, there will be two performance variants. The first one will produce 173 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. The second one has an output of 231 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The sedan will offer both choices, while the utility vehicle will have the higher output version only.

Both models, by the way, offer standard rear-wheel drive. The SUV will also have an all-wheel-drive option. This is a common layout for premium European models.

Letting Loose and Looking Ahead

VinFast has already indicated it won’t stop with its two initial models. Indeed, the company has struck a deal with General Motors to market a city car under the VinFast name. VinFast and GM also have a partnership agreement in place, which resulted in the transfer of GM’s Hanoi automotive plant to VinFast.

VinFast LUX A2.0 Other models planned include an electric car and an electric bus. All three models are currently under development.

What are VinFast’s chances of success? It may be quite good as the company has extensive government backing and sought early on to bring consumers to the development process. It would be foolish for anyone to underestimate the company’s potential, given that manufacturers such as Hyundai and Tesla have successfully disrupted the market in their own time and expertise.

Photos copyright VinFast.

VinFast aims to grow with Vietnam’s car market.

If you consider Vietnam, automotive manufacturing is not one of its strong suits. But with more than 93 million people, this southeast Asia nation is following a well-established passage taken by other emerging countries as consumers trade up from scooters and motorcycles to automobiles.

So far, the Vietnamese market has been served mostly by Chinese manufacturers, along with Toyota, Hyundai, Ford and GM. But the country’s leaders see an opportunity for a native manufacturer to take root and earn its own slice of the consumer pie. That company is VinFast, the automotive arm of the Vingroup, which is a leader in Vietnam’s construction and real estate sectors.

VinFast and GM

Indeed, VinFast has already inked an agreement with one automaker, the General Motors Company, to launch its nascent enterprise. In June, the two companies signed a strategic partnership whereby GM will transfer its Hanoi plant, dealer network and employee base to VinFast by the end of 2018.

As part of the transfer agreement, VinFast will produce small cars under a GM global license beginning in 2019. Further, VinFast will become the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet models throughout the country. In effect, GM is entrusting VinFast to further its own growth.

VinFast at the Paris Motor Show

But a strategic partnership with GM isn’t the only thing VinFast is doing to make a name for itself. For example, the automaker is working with the Pininfarina design and engineering company to develop its first two vehicles — a sedan and an SUV.

Just this week, VinFast released sketches of the new models and announced plans to unveil prototypes at the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October.

The two models will not be manufactured at the Hanoi plant. Instead, the company is building a new plant in northern Vietnam to accommodate the new models and others that will follow.

When the assembly plant is operational it will produce the two new models, with sales set to commence in September 2019. The company plans to saturate the domestic market before launching abroad a few years later. With a top capacity of 500,000 units, the new plant launches as consumer demand for passenger vehicles surges.

Company Leadership

Besides working with GM and Pininfarina, the company hired outside executives to build the enterprise. James DeLuca is the company’s Chief Executive Officer, who had a long history working at GM. He began his senior management career in 2002 as the plant manager for GM’s Fort Wayne Assembly plant in Indiana. From there, he headed the stamping operation in Pontiac, Michigan.

Beginning in 2008, DeLuca traveled to South Korea to head Product Quality for GM Daewoo. Following stints in China and Michigan, DeLuca retired from GM in 2016, ending his 37-year tenure with the company. But his retirement didn’t last long as VinFast appointed him CEO in September 2017.

DeLuca is one of four members of the company’s executive team. Le Thi Thu Thuy is the Chairwoman of VinFast and also serves as Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup. Le Thanh Hai is the CEO of VinFast Trading and Service, while David Lyon is the Executive Design Director. Both Hai and Lyon previously held senior positions with GM.

Ready, Set, Launch

VinFast’s $US1.5 billion investment in a new manufacturing plant, its collaboration with GM and the Pininfarina design relationship collectively underscore its purpose. By debuting its new models on a world stage, its mission as an automotive manufacturer should become clear.

Finally, with Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) projected to rise by at least 6.5-percent annually over the next three years and car ownership expected to double within just a few years, VinFast’s launch couldn’t come at a better time.