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Even by the standards of a car firm that has radically transformed its line-up in recent years, the new Kia PV5 is a hugely significant machine. Which is saying something for what is essentially a van.

Actually, Kia would rather you call it a Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV), a descriptor that will be applied to the Korean firm’s new line of electric light commercial vehicles (LCVs). The PV5 is the first, and it will be joined by the larger PV7 and PV9 in 2027 and 2029 respectively – and there are more to come.

Kia is plotting what it terms a “brazen journey” to become a leader in the e-LCV segment: it’s targeting 250,000 PBV sales globally by 2030. Given Kia’s growth in recent years, don’t bet against that happening.

The PV5 will launch with two variants: a Cargo van and a Passenger MPV. A Chassis version, on which different types of rear compartment can be fixed, will follow, along with further options for each of the variants. There will eventually be a High Roof version and variants of differing lengths too.

We had the chance to sample Cargo and Passenger variants on the launch event in Seoul, but this review will focus primarily on the latter.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating:

Kia PV5

Boxily charming, hugely spacious and keenly priced; should reward those still prepared to pick a big MPV.

Good

Hugely spacious interior with massive luggage area

Strong value for money

More refined to drive than you expect

Bad

Not that thrilling to drive

Ride can be a bit jostling on the wrong surface

Interior is built for practicality more than luxury

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Sleek and modern styling for a van-based MPV

Use of modified car platform aids dynamics

Boxy shape creates plenty of interior space

Cons

Boxy dimensions mean it can be a bit unweildy

The PV5 sits on the new E-GMP.S (Electric Global Modular Platform for Service) platform, a CV-focused variant of the bespoke electric architecture that underpins Kia’s EV and Hyundai’s Ioniq model ranges.

Because the PV5 is desinged to be flexibile, using what Kia calls an Integrated Modular Architecture, each of the three planned versions can be easily adapted for various purposes, either on the main production line in Hwaseong, South Korea, or by third-party firms. Kia says it has done extensive research with both business and private CV buyers to help develop the customisation offerings.

Given the PV5’s potential for popularity with taxi drivers, the front and rear bumpers are each divided into three segments so they can be replaced more cheaply.
James Attwood
Associate editor

At 4695mm long, the PV5 Passenger is slightly shorter than the Volkswagen ID Buzz or the Citroën e-Spacetourer and its various siblings. As the only other bespoke electric van-based MPV on the market, the ID Buzz is the obvious rival, but while that trades on retro design charm, the PV5 opts for cutting-edge futurism, particularly its distinctive vertical LED headlights.

Both the Cargo and Passenger versions will be launched with two nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries and power outputs, both utilising a single front-mounted electric motor.

Standard Range models offer 120bhp and 184lb ft of torque and use a 51.5kWh battery for a range of 183 miles. Long Range versions can travel 256 miles using a 71.2kWh battery, with power boosted to 160bhp (torque is unchanged). That range is competitive for an e-LCV, but private buyers might expect more.

Both batteries can be charged at speeds of up to 150kW. The charging port is located in the middle of the bonnet, a placement designed to ensure unimpeded access to all the doors when plugged in but which you might curse when reversing out of tight charging bays.

The Passenger will initially be offered with five seats; six- and seven-seaters and a wheelchair-accessible variant will follow next year. Access to the rear is via sliding doors, and Kia makes much of the low 399mm step-in height.

The Cargo is offered with three doors as standard, featuring a sliding side door on the vehicle’s nearside and a 'barn door' boot. An extra sliding door on the other side can be added as an option.

In some markets, the Cargo will be offered with a smaller 43.3kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery, but this won’t be available in the UK.

INTERIOR

Pros

More space inside than you will know what to do with

Huge boot area with acres of space

High seating position gives good visibility

Cons

Materials are solid but don't feel that luxurious

No six- or seven-seat options at launch

Given it’s shorter than Kia's EV9 SUV, the PV5 Passenger’s interior is Tardis-like: there is a ridiculous amount of leg room in both rows, and even with all the seats up the boot is 1311mm long and has a capacity of 1330 litres. Fold down the rear seats and the capacity is 3615 litres.

Up front, the dashboard is reminiscent of Kia’s cars, with a 7.0in digital instrument display and a 12.9in infotainment touchscreen. The latter uses bespoke Android Automotive-based software that's simple to use.

In the UK, PV5 Cargo buyers will be able to buy pre-selected racking options developed by assembly and fastenings specialist Würth.
James Attwood
Associate editor

There are fewer physical controls than we would like: the heating controls are on the touchscreen and the row of hard buttons are largely for opening the various doors.

Don’t expect lashings of premium splendour: the PV5’s working roots show in the hard-wearing but practical materials. It’s all very well designed, with more neat storage solutions than you would find in an Ikea showroom, such as storage areas underneath the cabin floor.

The slight disappointment is that Kia UK will take only a single, relatively plain interior design. We briefly tested a Korean-spec model with a distinctly stylish dark brown interior finish and imagine it could have been a bit of a cult hit.

The driving position is high and upright, as you would expect from a van, and, despite the PV5's considerable bulk, visibility is largely good, thanks to a large window and huge wing mirrors.

The cabin of the Cargo is very similar, although many of the materials such as the TPO flooring are harder-wearing to reflect the harder life these vehicles will encounter as business tools.

The passenger seat can be removed to increase storage capacity, while there's some useful storage space between the seats and the bulkhead that separates the cabin from the cargo bay.

Kia notes that with up to 5.1m3 cargo capacity in L2/H2 form, the PV5 Cargo offers 1.5m3 more capacity than the longer ID Buzz Cargo. It also benefits from a low 419mm loading lip and a side-loading height of 399mm.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

All the power you would really need for a big MPV

Smooth and quiet power delivery

Cons

Not the most powerful machine

Given the PV5 has been developed as a commercial vehicle, the focus is very much on productivity rather than performance – yet it's a very agreeable thing to drive, in both Cargo and Passenger forms.

The electric motor’s delivery is very smooth, and while it’s not flush with power, even with the higher 160bhp output of the Long Range variant (as tested), it copes well with the PV5 Passenger’s 2070kg kerb weight.

You’re unlike to win many drag races, but it offers decent pick-up and response and settles into a quiet, contended cruise on motorways.

The PV5 features the latest version of the brake regeneration system seen on Kia’s EV cars, with four levels of adjustable regen selectable via paddles behind the steering wheel.

Holding the right paddle turns on a new Smart Regenerative Braking system, which monitors navigation data and the distance of vehicles ahead to automatically regulate speed. It feels quite intuitive in operation, especially when driving in congestion.

The Cargo we tested wasn’t carrying a load in the back, but there’s little to suggest this machine would struggle for reasonable performance even if it were weighed down.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Car-like handling is a bonus for a van-based MPV

Relaxing and easy to drive

Cons

Cabin isolation could be improved

Ride can occasionally jostle on big bumps

You can tell the PV5's platform is derived from a car platform rather than one made for CVs, because there’s a maturity and poise to its handling that’s missing from many vans.

The minimal overhangs makes it easy to place and the steering is light if unengaging. If you really try and hustle it through bends, though, the PV5’s bulk does reveal itself.

It can be a bit crashy and jostling over bumps, too, but it rides better than many van-based MPVs.

It’s also really refined on 16in wheels, barely making any sound making for a hushed and relaxed ride, even if the cabin isolation has limits.

While the electric motor is quiet and the interior is generally calm, the isolation isn’t quite as refined as you would expect of a pure passenger car, but it’s all perfectly acceptable.

When unladen, the PV5 Cargo rides virtually identically to the PV5 Passenger, which should make it a comfortable tool for drivers using it for extended periods every day.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Starting price is on a par with far smaller MPVs

Surprisingly good efficiency for a big, boxy van

Cons

Maximum of 256 miles may deter some buyers

The PV5 Passenger proved impressively efficient: on our mixed test route in Korea, it averaged around 4.0mpkWh, which would be a decent figure for an electric SUV, let alone a slab-sided, boxy MPV.

But the head-turner is the price: Standard Range models start from £32,995, rising to £35,995 for Long Range ones. That’s essentially ten grand cheaper than the similar ID Buzz – and makes this colossal load-lugger cheaper than many far smaller EVs. Pound for pound, you will struggle to find more EV for your money.

Two trim levels will be offered: Essential and Plus. Entry-level models are decently specced, with manual seat adjustments up front and 16in steel wheels. For an extra £3000, Plus models add 16in alloy wheels, flush windows, electric folding door mirrors, heated and electrically controlled front seats, a powered boot opener, a wireless phone charger and vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlet. Plus models also gain extra driver assistance functions, such as blindspot warning.

Essential models will be offered only with the small battery and lower power output, so if you want the 256-mile Long Range version, you will need to buy Plus trim. Kia UK expects the Long Range Plus to be the best-seller anyway.

There are very few options to consider, at least before you get into the world of extensive customisation. White is the only no-cost paint, with the seven other colours all an extra £750. Meanwhile, an efficiency-boosting heat pump is a £780 option that's offered only on Long Range cars.

The PV5 Cargo is also offered with Essential and Plus trims, which broadly match the Passenger equivalents in terms of kit. Unlike with the MPV, both the Standard and Long Range powertrains are offered on both trim levels of the van.

The PV5 Cargo pricing starts from £27,465 (including VAT) for the Standard Range Essential three-door; adding the extra rear door brings that total to £28,000. The top-spec Plus Long Range four-door costs £31,410.

Notably, those prices for the Cargo model don't include the UK government's £5000 Plug-in Van Grant, for which every variant is eligible. Add that in and the effective starting price dips to £23,465, undercutting a host of combustion-engined vans.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating:

Kia PV5

Boxily charming, hugely spacious and keenly priced; should reward those still prepared to pick a big MPV.

Good

Hugely spacious interior with massive luggage area

Strong value for money

More refined to drive than you expect

Bad

Not that thrilling to drive

Ride can be a bit jostling on the wrong surface

Interior is built for practicality more than luxury

Ultimately, commercial vehicles such as the PV5 are essentially developed as utiliatarian tools to do a job, and the compromises that entails can sometimes be felt in passenger variants.

Yet despite it thoroughly meeting that utility brief through some smart design features and a focus on simplicity, there’s something inherently likeable about the PV5 Passenger.

Its charm is similar to that of its nearest rival, the ID Buzz. But while the VW generates emotion through its neat throwback styling, the Kia succeeds simply because it feels honest, simple and nice.

It’s also astonishingly good value, with a keen price that helps make some of the compromises in the ride and overall refinement forgiveable.

Its charm might grate if you had to drive an extended difference on flowing, bumpy roads, but for relaxed cruising the PV5 Passenger should be fine.

The compromise that some might find less forgiveable is the range: a maximum of 248 miles would be fine for most people for day-to-day use but would make longer journeys more challenging. Kia’s argument is that adding a bigger battery to add range would compromise the performance and range while also adding cost.

Still, if you can live with that range and you’re looking for a massive, practical EV, the PV5 Passenger is a compelling proposition – and an immensely likeable one.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Model tested:

Kia PV5 Passenger Long Range Plus

Price:

£38,295

Engine:

Single, permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor

Driveline layout:

FWD

Transmission:

1-spd reduction gear

Model tested

Kia PV5 Passenger Long Range Plus

Price

£38,295

Engine

Single, permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor

View all specs and rivals

Driveline layout

FWD

Transmission

1-spd reduction gear

Power

160bhp

Torque

184lb ft

Kerb weight

2070kg

0-62mph - claimed

10.6secs

Battery size

71.2kWh

Electric range

256 miles

CO2

0g/km

BIK tax band

Rivals Volkswagen ID Buzz Ford Tourneo Connect

Power

160bhp

Torque

184lb ft

Kerb weight

2070kg

0-62mph - claimed

10.6secs

Battery size

71.2kWh

Electric range

256 miles

CO2

0g/km

BIK tax band

Rivals Volkswagen ID Buzz Ford Tourneo Connect

James Attwood

Title: Associate editor

James is Autocar’s associate editor, and has more than 20 years of experience of working in automotive and motorsport journalism. He has been in his current role since September 2024, and helps lead Autocar's features and new sections, while regularly interviewing some of the biggest names in the industry. Oh, and he once helped make Volkswagen currywurst. Really.

Before first joining Autocar in 2017, James spent more than a decade in motorsport journalist, working on Autosport, autosport.com, F1 Racing and Motorsport News, covering everything from club rallying to top-level international events. He also spent 18 months running Move Electric, Haymarket's e-mobility title, where he developed knowledge of the e-bike and e-scooter markets.