Kia PV7 and PV9 to build on the brilliant PV5 MPV’s success in 2027

Kia’s PV electric van range will get a tangible boost next year when the firm launches the follow-up to its lauded PV5. The larger PV7 will arrive in 2027, ahead of the flagship PV9 coming in 2029.

The maker will be hoping the appointment of a new European boss will cement its place alongside the continent’s commercial-vehicle elite. Erhan Eren, Kia’s new PBV Director for Europe, will oversee the launch of both new models, as well as a range of variants including pick-ups, minibuses and even “light campers”.

Eren apparently brings almost two decades of “international expertise in commercial vehicles and mobility leadership” to the job, having worked in roles spanning “P&L responsibility, international expansion, and the rollout of battery‑electric and fuel‑cell technologies”.

As hinted, Kia is looking to strengthen its commercial-vehicle offering by investigating the feasibility of giving the forthcoming PV7 electric van a modular rear end, allowing owners to swap from minibus to camper, or from panel van to pick-up, literally overnight. 

Kia CEO Song Ho-Sung previously told Auto Express the company is looking at offering the PV7 “as a donor model without anything” – giving customers greater scope for personalisation, as well as the opportunity to modify their van on the fly according to their ever-changing needs.

“We are now developing the tech; it is not yet, but we are developing”, Ho-Sung said. “We are working with our partners. We are serious about the [body-swap] technology.”

Without going into detail, Ho-Sung suggested the system would use magnets to secure the different bodies, possibly with fixing pins or clips for safety. “PV7 is the platform for this technology”, Ho-Sung confirmed – insisting the new PV5 was simply too small for this kind of complexity.

The difficulty comes with homologation, in that every market has nuanced sign-off procedures for individual bodystyles, creating a logistical nightmare for companies like Kia wanting to offer modular products like the PV7 and future PV9. “We need a formal process for the swap”, Ho-Sung told us. “Otherwise, how do you allow for homologation?”

Both PV7 and PV9 will be optimised for the domestic Korean and European markets, where Kia is targeting sales of 250,000 units by 2030. Like with the PV5, Kia will also partner with local conversion companies to ensure the different variations are best suited to multiple use cases across diverse markets.

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