New Vietnamese Builder Introduces Its First Vehicles "Designed" by Its Citizens – TechCrunch

VinFast, the only Vietnamese automaker, has turned to its citizens to decide on the appearance of its inaugural vehicles. Now, VinFast shares the first images of the final product – a sedan and an SUV that will debut on October 2 at the Paris Motor Show.

The vehicles were officially designed by the Italian company Pininfarina, who collaborated with VinFast. Before the design process began in earnest, VinFast took 20 sketches from four Italian automotive design houses and allowed the public to vote for their favorite in a national survey that drew 62,000 people. The images below are the ultimate fruits of this early vote on the direction that VinFast should take.

VinFast presents the first images of its sedan, photographed here, and SUV before 2018 Paris Motor Show

Both vehicles feature a large chrome "V" in the center of the grille and LED daytime running lights that create an italicized F pattern. The high-end sedan has a long hood and horizontal lines while the SUV has a more muscular hood.

The first SUV from VinFast. Photo: VinFast

VinFast, a unit of Vietnam's largest private conglomerate, Vingroup JS, has some DNA from General Motors. GM sold its Vietnam operations to VinFast earlier this year. Under this agreement, VinFast has taken possession of the GM plant in Hanoi and holds the rights to distribute GM's Chevrolet brand in Vietnam.

VinFast, whose CEO Jim DeLuca is a former GM executive, will use the plant to produce its own vehicles, in addition to a planned factory in Hai Phong. Construction of the Hai Phong factory started in 2017.

Sales of the sedan and SUV are expected to begin in September 2019. The automaker plans to produce a range of passenger cars and electric scooters, some of which will be exported to foreign markets in the future.