VinFast MPV 7 vs Rivals: Clavis EV, eMax 7 and XEV 9S

VinFast has finally confirmed the arrival of the MPV 7 in India as its third offering. Bookings are open, and launch is around the corner. On paper, with its three-row seating, it’s aiming straight at the sweet spot of India’s growing electric MPV space. So let us take a look at the three other three-row EVs that the MPV 7 will go up against.

Dimensions:

The MPV 7 leads in wheelbase, which translates to better third-row practicality, at least on paper. But the XEV 9S is the widest and tallest owing to its proper SUV stance, and that matters to a lot of buyers in India. Also, the VinFast rides on 19-inch wheels, a size larger than its competitors here.

Powertrains

The VinFast positions itself right in the middle, offering more power than the Kia Clavis EV. It does match the top-spec BYD on power but sits below the Mahindra on outright performance. Battery-wise, too, it threads the gap, offering a 60kWh battery pack that’s larger than the Kia’s 51kWh but is slightly smaller than the biggest BYD and Mahindra packs, both of which offer 70+kWh.

When it comes to range, we will consider the claimed figures for this comparison, and the eMax 7 and XEV 9S stretch significantly further on paper. VinFast’s 450 km claimed figure is under NEDC, but the Vietnamese carmaker claims a 500+ km MIDC figure is expected for India. Also worth noting here is that the Mahindra is the only rear-wheel-drive model here, while the rest are only offered as front-wheel drive.

Pricing:

We have already discussed the shock price strategy VinFast can adopt to disrupt this segment on the MPV 7’s arrival. While at the moment, the Kia remains the most accessible, and the BYD sits at the premium end. The Mahindra spans both ends of the spectrum. The VinFast is expected to make this segment a lot more accessible, and that’s critical for its success, too.