![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 01]()
VinFast, Vietnam’s first local carmaker founded by the country’s richest man, has taken its first luxury foray with the unveiling of the VinFast President. The luxury SUV will cost a whopping $ 164,000 (that’s RM 684,716) and limited to only 500 units.
![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 02]()
The President is VinFast’s very ambitious project to go up against SUVs like the Toyota Land Cruiser and Nissan Patrol. Ambitious because, like the rest of the world, the country is currently experiencing an economic downturn due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 01]()
According to the Nikkei Asian Review, Rong Viet Securities, a financial service company in Vietnam, reported that the country’s automotive sales have fallen roughly 30 percent in the first half of the year, while the luxury segment fell 10 percent.
![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 02]()
By launching a luxury vehicle at this time, VinFast is taking a very aggressive approach by using the lull in the global economy to try to make an impression for the brand.
![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 03]()
The President is based on VinFast's existing Lux SA2.0 SUV. Yes, under the glossy design by Pininfarina, the President is built on the previous generation F15 BMW X5 platform. But the President will be powered by a 6.2-litre V8 engine that crunches 426 PS and 624 Nm mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all 4 wheels.
![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 04]()
The President is capable of making the century sprint in 6.8-seconds and has a top speed of nearly 300 km/h.
![VinFast unveils Vietnam's first luxury SUV based on the BMW X5 05]()
Can you justify a car like the VinFast President that has close to zero reputation? VinFast is known to build cars with technology from partners like BMW and Bosch, but does it justify the close to RM 700k price tag?
There isn’t a time in memory that doesn’t involve staring at cars. After discovering the excitement of watching Schumacher vs Hakkinen, Formula 1 became a major part of life. The love for cars and F1 ultimately led to a job with CAR Magazine. The untimely death of the magazine meant a hiatus from cars at lifestyle women’s magazine Marie Claire before another opportunity came knocking again.
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