Is VinFast Plotting A New Family Electric SUV For India?

This is your first glimpse of what VinFast’s newest SUV will look like. The Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) firm is already on the verge of beginning commercial sales in India with the impending launch of the VF6 and VF7 SUVs, but it appears the brand already has another model in the pipeline for our market. VinFast has registered the design of a new, as-yet-unnamed SUV, which could be positioned as its flagship in India and other export markets. 

Also Read: VinFast Opens First Showroom In India In Surat

What’s clear from the registered design is that this new VinFast SUV looks nothing like any existing VinFast model. Overseas, the company has an expansive lineup, spanning the dinky VF3 to the range-topping VF9, but this new SUV takes a decidedly distinct design approach.

While its face features a full-width LED light bar that dips towards the middle to form the ‘V’ like other VinFast models, it has a more muscular and rounded silhouette, which contribures to its chunky stance. LED headlights are vertically stacked low in the front bumper. The roof is taller and more upright than on other VinFast SUVs, and this appears to be a full-size, three-row SUV, that is larger, more imposing and more conventional than the VF9, which is almost MPV-like – and somewhat polarising – in appearance.  

Also Read: VinFast VF6 And VF7 Bookings Open For Rs 21,000; Will Go On Sale Next Month

It remains to be seen where exactly this new SUV would fit into VinFast’s existing portfolio, considering every number except 4 – VF3, VF5, VF6, VF7, VF8 and VF9 – is already occupied. However, there is a possibility that this new SUV could be introduced as the VF8 or VF9, in markets where the existing VF8 and VF9 aren’t already on sale.

VF3 expected to follow VF6 and VF7 in India.

VinFast is expected to follow up the VF6 and VF7 with its most accessible model, the three-door VF3, early in 2026. The company recently began rollout at its first India plant located in  Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, which is spread out over 400 acres of land and has an annual capacity of 50,000 vehicles, which can be scaled up to 1.5 lakh units annually. VinFast has confirmed this plant will serve as an export hub for markets in South Asia, Middle East, and Africa, and it is quite likely that this new SUV – along with other VinFast models – could be produced in India for exports.

Also Read: VinFast To Launch MG Comet-Rivalling VF3 In India Next Year

VinFast is expected to announce prices for the VF6 and VF7 in the coming weeks, with bookings for both models opened on July 15. The VF6 is expected to compete with the likes of the Hyundai Creta Electric, while the VF7 is likely to be positioned as a rival to the likes of the Tata Harrier EV and Mahindra XEV 9e.