As much as it pains me to say it, I’ve had my fill of concept cars. These days, I want to see vehicles that could actually exist and improve people’s lives, be it through driving enjoyment, genius practicality, or refreshing design. Back in January of last year, Kia shared a vision of a line of modular utility vehicles built on an electric skateboard platform. It’s the sort of thing so many companies have promised, but few have delivered. Credit to Kia though—this wasn’t just a pie-in-the-sky dream, because the PV5, and all 16 of its possible body style configurations, have officially entered production.
The most obvious application for the PV5—the first of Kia’s “Platform Beyond Vehicle” line—is cargo and fleet operations. There are three cargo body styles available at launch: a standard-length one, a longer body, and a high-roof variant. Every PV5 has the same front cabin and first-row structure; it’s everything behind them that changes.
The passenger version is built on the long-body base, and offers multiple seating options. Buyers can configure their PV5 with or without third-row seating, and swap out the second-row bench for captain’s chairs if they like. The automaker is taking full advantage of the potential for drag-and-drop customization with more body styles due in the coming months, including a chassis cab, as well as accessories focused on camping.
Kia is even planning to offer factory conversions, “built to the same durability and safety standards” as its core lineup, per the company’s press release. It also worked with mobility-impaired consultants to design a wheelchair-accessible version of the PV5, which it showed off during its PV5 Tech Day in Korea this week. The van offers a choice of three battery packs, ranging from 43 to 71 kWh, all coupled with the same electric motor that produces 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. In the U.K., the passenger version will start at the equivalent of $44,000. Not exactly a bargain, but much better than the $60K Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
Unsurprisingly, Kia has no plans to bring its PBV range stateside. Why would it, what with all the chaos surrounding tariffs and the imminent death of EV tax credits? We see a lot of vehicles here at The Drive that we’re personally sad to miss out on in North America, but every so often, there’s one that really stings because it represents more than a niche enthusiast car. GM had a good idea with its BrightDrop electric cargo vans, but compared to what Kia’s doing here, that initiative was just scratching the surface by only courting the commercial market.
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