We’ve become used to limited-edition sports cars and luxury vehicles, but are you ready for limited-edition SUVs?
Vietnamese automaker VinFast has unveiled the VinFast President, a Pininfarina-designed SUV. Only 500 units will be produced. To encourage what it calls “pioneering customers, who have capability of leading, influencing, sharing vision and have a strong will to rise strongly,” the first 100 vehicles will be priced at $164,000, while the final 400 will have a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $198,000.
Why so expensive? Well, for one thing, VinFast says the President is among the most powerful of sport utility vehicles, with a 420-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 engine capable of propelling the vehicle to speeds of nearly 300 km/h (190 mph), which is supercar territory. The vehicles get an 8-speed automatic transmission and full-time 4-wheel-drive system.
VinFast is Vietnam’s first automaker and is part of the Vingroup of technology, industrial and property services companies. VinFast has been producing cars for two years, with Pininfarina designing the LUX A2.0 sedan and LUX SA2.0 SUV, as well as two concept cars.
Pininfarina terms the President’s exterior design as “majestic, elegant and powerful.”
The interior features Nappa leather and Italian wood trim, with each unit getting wood showing its own “natural vortex structure,” and thus unique to that vehicle.
In addition to vehicles such as the President, VinFast is working on electric-powered vehicles and plans to begin export to the US market in 2021.
For more information, visit the VinFast website.