VinFast Philippines recently launched its VF3, the Vietnamese carmaker’s baby electric SUV. For this comparo, we’ll be pitting it against something many of us are familiar with: the popular Suzuki S-Presso mini crossover. So how does this new high-riding entry-level BEV compare to an entry-level ICE crossover? Let's find out.
The VF3 measures 3,190mm long, 1,679mm wide, and 1652mm tall, making it 375mm shorter, 153mm wider, and 5mm lower than the S-Presso. The tiny VinFast rides on a 2,075mm wheelbase, which is 305mm less between the axles than the little Suzuki crossover, and wears 26.3-inch diameter 175/75 R16 tires, which is 3.2 inches bigger than the S-Presso’s 23.1-inch diameter 165/70 R14 rubber. The Vietnamese contender has a ground clearance of 191mm, or 11mm greater than that of its Japanese rival, and a turning circle of 4.05m, or 0.45m less than the S-Presso’s.
For cargo capacity, the VF3 has a 36-liter cargo capacity behind the rear seats, which is 203 liters less than the S-Presso’s cargo area with the seats up. The VinFast’s cargo space can be increased to a decent 285 liters, but you would have to leave your rear passengers behind. For those wondering, this little EV can only seat up to four because its rear bench seat is positioned between the rear wheel wells.
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Here’s a little overview of our featured pint-sized featured vehicles. The VF3 is VinFast’s entry-level four-seater battery electric vehicle that happens to be a cool-looking tiny and boxy retro SUV. While it has the appearance of a traditional body-on-frame off-roader, it has a monocoque construction. For now, it only exists in this short three-door body form. It’s rear-wheel drive with a 43hp rigid axle-mounted motor and a range of up to 210km on a full charge.
The S-Presso, on the other hand, is Maruti Suzuki’s front-wheel-drive car-based crossover, although it’s marketed in the Philippines as a hatchback. It’s the lifted boxy sibling of the current-gen Alto city car, which is currently not sold in the Philippines. Under the hood is the familiar 66hp 1.0-liter K10C in-line-three that can be paired with either a five-speed manual transmission or an Auto Gear Shift automated manual tranny.
When it comes to pricing, the VF3 stickers in at P645,000 with a battery subscription and P745,000 without a battery subscription. Introductory pricing shaves off P40,000 from the VF3’s regular prices. The S-Presso carries a price tag of P620,000 for the manual variant and P660,000 automated manual variant.
What do you think of the new VinFast VF3? Would you consider this tiny four-seater BEV over a five-seater gasoline-powered crossover like the S-Presso? Let us know in the comments.
