At the Paris Motor Show last month, newborn Vietnamese automaker VinFast unveiled two premium cars, the LUX A2.0 sedan and LUX SA2.0 SUV. The company also revealed plans to make a battery-electric car developed by EDAG, and an electric bus with the support of Siemens, as well as a city car based on a GM. Well, the VinFast Fadil is exactly that - a more affordable city car that the company hopes will cater to the rising car demand and ownership in Vietnam.
To start, the Fadil, which made its debut in Hanoi, is essentially a rebadged version of the Vauxhall Viva/Opel Karl, and by extension the Chevrolet Spark. It’s a rugged-looking A-segment crossover with a jacked-up ride (up by 18 mm) and unpainted plastic mouldings all around.
There are silver roof rails, rugged front and rear bumpers with integrated skid pads, as well as 15-inch dual-tone alloy wheels. The headlights are halogen reflectors, but they feature LED DRLs. Other exterior features include front fog lamps, LED-combination tail lights, fender-mounted turn indicator and keyless entry.
As of yet, no interior photos have been published, but the Fadil is expected to feature the same carryover cabin as the Viva/Karl/Spark. That includes a multifunction steering wheel, shift paddles (top spec only) and fabric seats. The rear bench folds in a 60:40 split configuration, which expands boot volume to 1,013 litres.
Also available on the GM triplet is a seven-inch Navi 4.0 IntelliLink infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionalities. It also supports Bluetooth hands-free calls, audio streaming and phone book access, and the head unit is hooked up to six speakers. Lesser variants could get a more basic R300 BT unit with Bluetooth and audio streaming functions, but this hasn’t been confirmed.
Performance-wise, the Fadil is powered by a 1.4 litre four-cylinder petrol engine that makes 98 hp at 6,200 rpm and 128 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. The engine is paired to a CVT, which drives the front wheels.
The said 1.4 litre engine is the same unit powering the latest-generation Chevrolet Spark. In other markets, the Viva/Karl is available with a smaller 1.0 litre three-cylinder petrol engine, producing 73 PS and 95 Nm of torque. There, it gets a five-speed Easytronic 3.0 automatic gearbox.
Where the VinFast Fadil truly shines is in the safety department. According to reports, the range-topping model comes with ABS with EBD, and bundles electronic stability control, traction control system, horizon slope assistance, anti-flip ROM function, reverse parking camera with rear sensors, as well as six airbags.
Not much else is known about the car, but we do know that it will cost around 423 million Vietnamese dong (RM76k) in its home market. The Fadil will be built at a GM-licensed manufacturing facility in Hanoi (VinFast’s second plant), which is focused on the production of the company’s small cars. Its primary plant in Hai Phong is currently being built at a cost of US$3.5 billion (RM14.67 billion).
GALLERY: 2015 Vauxhall Viva/Opel Karl
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