VinFast held an event Monday night to deliver eight whole VF9 crossovers, marking the beginning of the model's North American run. VinFast priced the VF9 at $69,800 for the base car with 330 miles of range and $73,800 for the up-spec 291-mile Plus model, a full $23,800 more than the incredibly well-selling VF8. VinFast is so confident in its pricing that the company is already offering lease discounts, specific to the first 100 VF9s sold: The top Plus trim can be had for $529 per month with just $2,000 down, which the company says includes a $3,500 "direct discount." Discounting your freshly released car is a good sign, right? That means things are going well?

The VF9 is a fairly early entrant into the three row EV space, where it will go up against competitors like the Rivian R1S and Mercedes EQS SUV and EQB. VinFast clearly has the utmost confidence in the new model, as the VF9 out prices the EQB by a full $13,000, and why shouldn't it? I mean, what does Mercedes-Benz offer that VinFast doesn't? Who would buy a car from a stalwart automotive brand that will certainly be around in ten years, when they could spent just $13,000 more to get a car from a company that's blowing through its CEO's cash?

It remains to be seen whether the VF9 can outdo the VF8's stunning successes in engineering and in the market, but by this point VinFast has firmly proven its automaking chops. The company has already sold 44,260 VF8s this year, nearly as many cars as Toyota sold in September! That there's a promising company on a good path if ever I've seen one.