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VinFast’s first eSUV for Europe, the VF 8, is the first car designed entirely remotely by Pininfarina using virtual reality and mixed reality technologies.
For decades, car manufacturers have used a distinctive front-end design to create a unique identity in a highly competitive market. Trends emerge, styles evolve, and factors such as safety have led to changes in the height and design of bumpers, headlights, and hood lines, but manufacturers have remained true to the elements that have defined their brand.
Electric vehicles have largely rendered grille design obsolete, once a mechanical necessity and a practical, eye-catching feature to create an instantly recognizable identity. With electric vehicles, developing a design identity from the ground up is a very different matter.
Joining forces with famed Italian design house Pininfarina, Vietnamese electric car manufacturer VinFast was far more optimistic about the horizon. Initially, VinFast was tasked with developing a new design language for VinFast’s first appearance ahead of the 2018 Paris Motor Show. The two companies’ collaboration included exhibition stands, scooters, buses, interiors and basic designs of two stunning new eSUVs, the VF 8 and VF 9. The partnership took the two companies on an exciting journey into a turbulent world, resulting in a series of firsts that culminated in the VF 8 being the first vehicle to be designed entirely remotely by Pininfarina. The design house used a mix of digital, virtual and mixed reality technologies to bring the visualization to life.
VinFast’s brief to Pininfarina was clear: to create a design that reflected VinFast’s values and represented the company’s Vietnamese roots. VinFast wanted to stand out from other Asian brands in the European markets.
A global vision digitally realized
During the early design phase of VF 8, Covid struck and changed the way the world worked. The Pininfarina and VinFast teams had worked closely across multiple time zones to create a distinctive brand identity that matched the vision of VinFast Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong. However, a digital process relying on a mix of virtual and mixed reality technologies provided a solution that enabled the computer-aided styling (CAS) teams to overcome the limitations imposed by Covid restrictions.
Pininfarina’s international team saw the opportunity to streamline workflows while working closely with VinFast teams spread thousands of miles and across multiple time zones. This was the first time they delivered a project built entirely remotely, including all 2D and 3D creative modeling phases.
VinFast approached Pininfarina with what the Italian design house calls a “worldwide vision” for its cars, looking for a design, quality and drivetrain that reflected its global focus. Beauty was at the heart of the project from the start, inspiring what became the VF 8’s signature front end.
The V logo, which adorns the front of each VinFast product in the growing range and is illuminated with glowing LEDs, was inspired by a vision of Vietnam’s rice fields, waves and mountain ranges that make up the country’s famously picturesque landscape.
The lights wrap fluidly around the front end, without the constraints of a design born with ICE fundamentals, flowing into an asymmetrical, muscular shoulder line with a distinctive taper. Below, the curves in the lower body represent the power and energy stored in the batteries, flowing rearward to the wheels, giving a sense of graceful movement.
Universal attraction
The VF 8 has been designed to be suitable for everyone, reflecting VinFast’s commitment to making electric vehicles accessible to as many people as possible, with a clear focus on European markets. The extended rear, for example, suggests a sedan or coupe shape, while maintaining the SUV profile and reinforcing a stance that conveys a sense of comfort and confidence without being overly aggressive.
The same language is successfully implemented in the interior, where Pininfarina has ensured that the dashboard area retains the clear VinFast DNA. The signature 15.6-inch high-definition central screen has been positioned to represent the tip of the V logo, drawing passengers’ gaze to the eye level of the front and rear seats, forming a virtual “V” in an airy space that is further enhanced by a panoramic roof and subtle ambient lighting.
Pininfarina was responsible for all design aspects of the VF 8’s interior, working closely with VinFast to find a balance between soul, character and the seamless integration of infotainment technology. The Italian design team was responsible for contours, colors and material feel at key touchpoints and identified complementary seating patterns that would help create an environment that would set VinFast apart from other new car manufacturers. VinFast then worked to find high-quality, sustainable materials that would reflect the company’s environmental focus without compromising its ultimate pursuit of premium quality and customer satisfaction.
The partners’ journey of innovation, bringing stylish European design to life using the latest VR and CAS technologies, is symbolic of VinFast’s commitment to inspire change through the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Combining tradition with cutting-edge technology, the result is a remarkable, all-new eSUV that feels familiar enough to inspire confidence. The groundbreaking design process has overcome global challenges and created the distinctive, recognizable face of VinFast’s growing electric vehicle model range.
Email from VinFast Europe
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