The Ultimate 2025 Ride: A Vehicle to Rule Them All

Below is the content of the August 15th episode of ‘Trên Ghế 157’ broadcast on HTV9.

Today’s episode of ‘Trên Ghế’ continues with guest Lê Mạnh Linh, discussing the Car Choice Awards (CCA) 2025 in the ‘Service Vehicle’ category.

According to Mr. Linh, what makes a good car for service purposes?

A good service car should serve the customers well and also be cost-effective for the car owner. For the latter, it’s about optimizing costs.

Specifically, what factors led you to believe that a particular model is suitable for service operations?

In Vietnam, at the present time, I believe that’s electric cars, specifically VinFast electric cars, due to the company’s excellent policies.

There are many long-time service drivers in the ‘Anh em Mê Xe’ community whose lives have improved significantly since switching to VinFast vehicles. They now own houses and cars, and their VinFast models help them earn a good income.

In today’s story, I’m referring to common service operations like intra-city taxi services, airport transfers, and inter-provincial travel using 7-seater vehicles or smaller.

Speaking of service vehicles, the VinFast Limo Green has gained a lot of attention lately. ‘Mê Xe’ is also one of the units that own this model. So, what impressed you about this car, Mr. Linh?

The first thing that impressed me about the Limo Green is its well-optimized space. This is an extremely important criterion for service vehicles, especially 7-seater common vehicles. In the current market, some competitors in this segment include the Mitsubishi Xpander, Toyota Veloz Cross, and Suzuki XL7, which sometimes offer less comfortable third-row seating.

Secondly, based on my experience with previous VinFast models, I found that the Limo Green has been improved in terms of engine and chassis. The new integrated 6-in-1 engine has many advantages, including reduced weight, lower energy consumption, better space utilization, and improved range. Additionally, with the new engine, the car is more stable and free from glitches. After about 10 days of owning the Limo Green, I haven’t encountered any issues.

We tested this car at high speeds of up to 120km/h on the highway with six people, and it managed to travel 300km from a full charge to empty. When I shared this figure, many people compared it to VinFast’s claim of 450km per charge and thought that 300km was low. However, with experience driving various electric cars from different brands, I believe they would understand that 300km at high speeds with a full load is a good figure.

Next, looking at the Limo Green from a service perspective, VinFast’s current policies are extremely favorable for drivers, as the more they drive, the more they earn. In the ‘Anh em Mê Xe’ community, a driver using the VF 5 to its full potential can earn up to 80 million VND per month, and this figure would be even higher with the Limo Green.

Regarding the Limo Green, there has been some online debate about its basic equipment, lack of features, fabric seats, and more. So, do service drivers really need those extra features, in your opinion, Mr. Linh?

With the name ‘Green’ and its distribution through GSM, the Limo Green is positioned as a dedicated service vehicle. I believe VinFast has thoroughly researched driver habits and knows what they need to optimize costs.

However, from the perspective of an individual customer, comparing the price of the Limo Green to similarly priced vehicles, it is reasonable to expect a less ‘base’ model. But as mentioned, I think VinFast is focusing on space and engine optimization, hence the lack of certain features.

Personally, as a car enthusiast who enjoys experiencing different vehicles, I appreciate the engine optimization. Moreover, VinFast’s policies are so attractive that it’s hard to overlook the Limo Green when choosing a vehicle for service purposes.

In a personal speculation, I believe the company could offer a different version with a different name, like ‘Limo Red,’ which could be a more fully equipped model for individual customers.

We can’t deny the optimization and suitability of electric vehicles for service operations. So, why are there still many transport companies that rely on gasoline vehicles?

I think we need to clarify the type of services they offer, as they might be providing more specialized services.

As mentioned earlier, we are discussing common transport services for daily urban commuting, airport transfers, and occasional inter-provincial travel. For companies still choosing gasoline vehicles, I can’t say exactly why, but perhaps they are thinking more long-term, with a 5-10 year vision.

However, I have come across information about businesses willing to order up to 10,000 Limo Green vehicles on reputable online news sources. These are things that an average person can see.

If possible, could you choose five models for the ‘Service Vehicle’ category?

From the start, I’ve chosen VinFast models, but it wouldn’t be reasonable to pick all five from the same brand. Currently, at least in the short-term calculation, electric vehicles in general and VinFast, in particular, are suitable for service operations. Some speculations even suggest that VinFast might offer free charging until 2030, which further strengthens my opinion.

Getting back to Mr. Viet’s question, my top pick is still the Limo Green for intra-city, airport, and inter-provincial travel, unless a very specific, smaller vehicle is required.

Next are the VF 5, VF 6, and VF e34. The VF 6 now offers better value for the price, and the VF e34 has, in my opinion, the most comfortable second-row seats in the premium taxi segment.

Besides VinFast models, I think the BYD M6 could be another option. It’s also an electric vehicle, and while charging isn’t free, it still offers reasonable operating costs.

So, you didn’t choose any gasoline or hybrid models, right?

Regarding hybrid engines, I’m still skeptical about their maintenance costs. While fuel costs may be lower than gasoline vehicles, the long-term maintenance costs might not be as advantageous. Electric vehicles save on both energy and maintenance and repair costs.

Once again, I’d like to emphasize that only those offering very specific services would choose non-electric vehicles. For example, a customer might need an 8-seater with ample space, a premium luxury vehicle, or a car that can continuously travel 1,000km without recharging.

So, in the short-term calculation until 2030, electric vehicles remain the optimal choice for those purchasing vehicles for service operations.

Thank you very much, Mr. Linh, for your insightful sharing.