Bold new Kia PV5 MPV to rival Volkswagen ID.Buzz and target Uber drivers

Kia is gearing up to launch a series of electric commercial vehicles from 2025, alongside which will sit a choice of practical people movers designed to hit models like the long-wheelbase Volkswagen ID.Buzz exactly where it hurts.

The first of these will be the MPV version of the Kia PV5, which we recently caught testing on the open road ahead of its launch early next year. Our exclusive image shows how the vehicle could look, with a few notable differences from the concept version first revealed at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January.

We can see from the spy images that the van’s proportions won’t change dramatically from the show car. Dimensions are unknown, but it’s understood Kia has had feedback from fleet operators to ensure it offers generous capacity and a low total cost of ownership. As such, expect the PV5 to push the extremities of the segment, sitting at the top of the market that models like the near-five-metre-long ID.Buzz and Ford Tourneo Custom also compete in.

It’ll be boxier (and therefore more practical) than the VW, however, with a huge wheelbase and what looks like sliding rear side doors. The upright windscreen and stubby front end are similar to those on the ID.Buzz, although the Kia looks to have a smaller quarterlight, which may affect forward visibility.

One point of note is the door mirrors, which will grow for the production version. These were shown in a shadowy teaser image at the IAA Transportation show in Hannover last month, but don’t appear on the disguised prototype testing here. From that same teaser shot we can see the van’s distinctive daytime running-light signature, which will extend from the nose, right up to the base of the windscreen. This design should feature on each of Kia’s future CVs from 2025 and beyond.

From the spy pictures, we can see a separate set of headlights lower down, alongside plenty of contrast trim and silver scuff plates. Deep side windows run the length of the car, with darkened A, B and C-pillars giving the effect of a Range Rover-style floating roofline. At the rear, there’s a set of tail-lights; a single-piece tailgate will set the MPV apart from the van, which will get two doors split vertically down the middle.

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The concept version of the PV5 MPV was apparently designed specifically for private-hire drivers, with a single seat in the front and a space on the passenger side reserved for suitcases and other luggage. However, the production version is likely to follow a more conventional format, with two chairs up front and a further two rows of seats behind. It’s not clear at this time whether Kia will squeeze in two rows of three, or go for the normal two, three, two (or two, two, three) layout.

Either way, the electric architecture, developed specifically for the maker’s LCVs, should ensure every occupant gets plenty of headroom and legroom, with a totally flat floor and the possibility of a walk-through cabin in both the front and rear. There’s a chance Kia may fit sliding and swivelling seats, plus it should also offer the ability to remove the second and third rows entirely to allow it to double as a van.

We don’t know all that much about the batteries or electric motors that will sit under the skin of the PV5, although the fact Kia has said the van will charge from 10-80 per cent capacity in “less than 30 minutes” and offer fast charging of “up to 150kW” would suggest it’ll use a 400-volt electrical system like the one found on the EV3, rather than the more advanced 800v set-up from the EV6 or EV9. 

Vehicle to Load (V2L) tech will also feature, allowing owners to power external appliances such as hobs or coolboxes. Given the car’s size and the space inside, Kia might see the opportunity for its PV5 to double up as a part-time campervan, and offer bespoke aftermarket accessories like fold-out beds or awnings.

Assuming a battery of around 81kWh (as found in the top-spec EV3) the PV5 should be capable of returning around 300 miles of range. Smaller batteries, strictly targeting urban mobility solutions like taxis or private-hire vehicles, may also be offered.

Kia has confirmed that its commercial vehicle range – including passenger variants like the PV5 – will get the same seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty as its car line-up. There’s no explicit confirmation that the MPVs will come to the UK, but we’re told Kia is eyeing up 30 sites capable of selling and servicing its electric LCVs through the next 12 months, and a total of 60 in time.

We expect the PV5 to be unveiled as both a cargo van and an MPV in tandem, possibly as soon as February next year. Specs and prices will follow in time, with production likely to start in the summer.

The PV1 and PV7 have also been shown as concepts, and are due towards the end of the decade. A PV3 has been mooted, too; Kia’s plans to conquer the light commercial vehicle market clearly knows no bounds.

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