New van makers are eyeing up the UK market, with some dipping their toe in, but Kia is going all in with its PV5, the first of a range of electric commercial vehicles. And by all in, we mean it — the likes of Farizon have opened a handful of dealers, while others like Skywell are circling, deciding on strategy. Kia, on the other hand, has signed up more than 60 dealers, promised to back its vans with a seven-year warranty, and is undercutting its rivals on price.
The premise is simple. Offer purpose-built electric vans (no converted diesel models here) that promise competitive range, clever packaging, and a warranty story fleets can trust, and wrap it all in a body that stays within the realm of ‘normal’ while also making every other van on the road look distinctly old-fashioned.
Is that enough to get buyers out of their familiar models, such as the UK’s best-selling compact electric van, the Peugeot E-Expert, and rivals like the Ford E-Transit Courier, Nissan Townstar EV, Renault Kangoo E-Tech and Toyota Proace City Electric, and into a Kia? We take a first drive of this critical new model to find out.
Kia has pitched the PV5 between small and medium vans — it’s longer and roomier than an E-Partner or E-Transit Courier, but without quite the bulk of a Renault Trafic E-Tech or Vauxhall Vivaro Electric. It’s a useful middle ground that’s currently occupied by the Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo, and could find a lot of fans, being that bit more capable than a compact van but with a footprint not much larger than a Kia Sportage.
Open the driver’s door and step inside, and the benefits of that dedicated EV platform are immediately obvious. The floor is low, the step-in height modest, and the driving position car-like, with no clambering over a high sill or stretching too far up into the cab.
Two seater digital cab
Kia has gone for a two-seat layout at launch, with a three-seat option arriving in 2026. That could be a downside for firms that regularly need to carry an extra crew member, but the upside is plenty of space for the driver and passenger, and lots of storage. Door bins, under-seat boxes and trays across the dash mean there’s no excuse for loose paperwork or bottles rolling around.
Tech is front and centre, with a 12.9-inch touchscreen running Android Automotive OS dominating the dashboard, backed up by a 7.5-inch digital instrument panel for the driver. That means there’s Google Maps navigation out of the box, with live traffic, voice input, and a proper search function, but wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are in place if you want to use your own apps. That said, being part of Google’s ecosystem means you can download apps to the van directly, so you’ll be able to log in to your own Spotify account and stream your own music.
The system isn’t flawless, though. The row of tiny buttons at the bottom of the screen for shortcuts and climate adjustments is fiddly when static, and nearly impossible to use when on the move, requiring multiple finger prods before you finally hit the right option. A proper volume knob and a couple of tactile climate controls would improve everyday usability.
For everything digital, over-the-air updates and the app store add a degree of future-proofing, while fleet buyers will appreciate direct integration with Kia’s PLEOS Fleet platform and Geotab’s FMS solution.
Electric driving experience
The van we drove was the Long Range version, with a 71.2kWh battery feeding a 120kW (163hp) motor to the front wheels. On paper, that gives you 258 miles of range, according to official WLTP testing, but we all know how optimistic those numbers can be. More on that later…
A smaller 51.5kWh battery option is also available, with a range of 184 miles. It’s been tagged the Short Range model, but to eke out every mile power is cut to 89.4kW (122hp). Both models provide a generous 250Nm of torque, though.
How does that stack up to other electric vans? The 79kWh ID Buzz Cargo packs a 286hp punch and can go for 277 miles, while the E-Partner gives out 134hp and can reach 213 miles on a charge.
Performance feels punchy, even if the PV5 gives away more than 100hp to the ID Buzz. Fully loaded, Kia claims it’ll reach 62mph in 12.4 seconds. While I only had 400kg in the back, it felt like that was a realistic figure, and was certainly enough to comfortably join a busy motorway from an alarmingly short slip road.
From a standstill, it might be harder, as the Nexen N Blue S tyres that are fitted to the PV5 didn’t seem to give great traction. The load had shifted the centre of gravity towards the back, of course, but even then it needed frequent interventions from the PV5’s traction control computers to stop the front wheels spinning out of junctions. It was never unruly, but unnecessary. Perhaps gripper rubber will help, but that will then compromise efficiency.
Once up to speed, what stands out is the refinement. Kia targeted around 65dBA of noise at motorway speeds, and it certainly feels hushed. At 60mph, the loudest noise was the air conditioning fan working to keep the airy cabin cool. Aero tweaks, including a drag coefficient of 0.286 — that’s sleeker than a Toyota Corolla — and lots of underbody coverage have clearly paid off.
In tighter, urban areas, the steering gains more assistance, and becomes light and easy to work. Combined with an 11 metre turning circle — about the same as the much smaller E-Transit Courier — it makes three-point turns in narrow streets easy.
Ride quality is good, too. The suspension is tuned on the softer side, so it irons out speed cushions and potholes nicely, without feeling wallowy. Push harder into corners and there’s some body roll, but it stays under control. The one downside of that softer set-up is a tendency to scrape the nose coming off particularly tall speed humps if you take them with a bit too much enthusiasm.
The only real weak spot is visibility from the driver’s seat. The thick A-pillar and small quarter light can easily hide a pedestrian or an entire car at a roundabout, and it’s something Kia will struggle to improve in later updates.
Payload and practicality
In L2H1 Cargo form, the only version available at launch, the PV5 offers 4.4m3 of space. The load bay is 2,255mm long, 1,520mm tall, and 1,330mm wide between the arches. What does that mean? While the van is slightly narrower, lower, and shorter than an ID Buzz Cargo, clever packaging means there’s 0.5m3 more space in the back. That’s also true of the E-Partner (even the longer XL model), and the PV5 even takes more cargo than a Renault Kangoo E-Tech.
There’s enough space for two Euro pallets. Sort of. If you want to get two in there, you’ll need to turn the forward pallet sideways to create a T-shape. Easy enough, apart from the minor detail that a pallet won’t fit through the side door, and the floor isn’t flat, so you can’t push it forward. Of course, if you don’t use pallets, this doesn’t matter.
Even if you do, Kia has a solution. An innovative high flat floor option is available, raising the floor of the van above the wheel arches and creating a flat floor across the entire load area. The downside to that is you lose some height, but you do gain some handy underfloor storage.
You’ll be able to put 790kg in the back of the Short Range PV5, and 690kg in the Long Range. Not bad, when compared to the ID Buzz’s 712kg peak and the E-Partner’s 781kg. Towing is limited to just 750kg.
Access to the load area is excellent. The rear step height is just 419mm, and the side sill is 399mm — both lower than the norm, and 20cm lower than an ID Buzz’s entry point. That’s going to be welcome news for multi-drop drivers. Dual sliding doors are available if you want them, though the standard setup is a single nearside slider. Rear barn doors come as standard, with a tailgate option due later.
A useful tool is V2L (vehicle-to-load). A plug socket in the back can be used to power tools, lighting, or a laptop directly from the drive battery without needing to ask a customer for a power source. For trades, that’s a genuine benefit, not a gimmick.
Kia PV5 charging and running costs
How often will you need to stop and charge? I said we’d get to the economy…
With 400kg in the back of our Long Range PV5, on a mix of motorways, urban roads, and steep climbs and descents, I achieved 3.61mi/kWh, at least according to the onboard computer. That works out to around 257 miles in real use — just a single mile shy of the official figure.
This wasn’t some economy run. I wasn’t even driving on a route Kia had carefully selected. This was real, everyday driving. The caveats are that the weather conditions were absolutely perfect, and traffic was light, but it was a representative drive. I look forward to seeing what it can do on a miserable winter’s day in the UK.
When you do need to stop, charging speeds are competitive. The PV5 accepts up to 150kW, which is good for a 10–80% charge in around 30 minutes. An empty-to-full charge on a standard home charger will take around 10 hours, so plugging in overnight should always leave you with a full tank of electrons.
Helpfully, the charging port is mounted in the nose, so you don’t block access to the side or rear doors when plugged in.
Kia backs the van with the same seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty that it covers its cars with. That will appeal to owner-operators and small businesses, especially those that tend to keep their vans beyond a standard three-year lease deal. Servicing is required just once every two years, or every 20,000 miles.
Kia PV5 Cargo pricing
UK prices start at £27,645 before VAT for the entry-level Short Range Essential and rise to £31,410 before VAT for the current range-topping Long Range Plus. Helpfully, all models qualify for the £5,000 Plug-in Van Grant. More variants — including crew vans and chassis cabs — will follow in 2026.
Kia PV5 Cargo rivals
Compared to similarly priced models, which are all from the compact van sector, the Kia PV5 Cargo performs rather well. After the government’s plug-in van grant, the PV5 Long Range Essential is the second cheapest electric van on the market, costing just a fraction of the very compact Ford E-Transit Courier. No other van can come close to the Kia’s claimed range, and it matches the best-in-class for load volumes, while also hitting the class average for payload limits. Only the Maxus eDeliver 3 is an outlier, offering significantly more load volume and weight, but it’s more expensive and will cover barely half the miles before needing to recharge.
| Model | Spec | Basic price | PiVG | Range | Payload | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citroen e-Berlingo | XL | £29,905 | £2,500 | 213 | 709kg | 3.9m3 |
| Fiat E-Doblo | L2 | £29,905 | £2,500 | 213 | 691kg | 3.9m3 |
| Ford E-Transit Courier | – | £27,000 | £2,500 | 181 | 698kg | 2.9m3 |
| Kia PV5 Cargo Long Range | L2H1 | £30,145 | £5,000 | 258 | 690kg | 4.4m3 |
| Maxus eDeliver 3 | L1H1 | £30,000 | £2,500 | 141 | 1,045kg | 4.8m3 |
| Mercedes eCitan | L2 | £33,890 | £2,500 | 167 | 616kg | 3.6m3 |
| Nissan Townstar EV | L2 | £35,495 | £5,000 | 167 | 713kg | 4.3m3 |
| Peugeot E-Partner | Long | £29,905 | £2,500 | 213 | 691kg | 3.9m3 |
| Renault Kangoo E-Tech | LWB | £33,137 | £5,000 | 186 | 702kg | 4.3m3 |
| Toyota Proace City EV | Long | £31,141 | £2,500 | 213 | 681kg | 3.9m3 |
| Vauxhall Combo Electric | XL | £29,550 | £2,500 | 213 | 691kg | 3.9m3 |
Kia PV5 Cargo: The verdict
The Kia PV5 makes an incredibly strong case for itself. It’s refined, efficient, and thoughtfully packaged, with the kind of warranty and support businesses want to see. Electric range figures look realistic, ride quality is good, and it’ll carry plenty of cargo in the back.
It’s not perfect: the A-pillar blind spot is a genuine niggle, traction on the front tyres could be better, and loading a couple of pallets isn’t as straightforward as it might be. But these are relatively small flaws in an otherwise confident debut.
It’s a class-leading van, but the fact that Kia has slapped a price tag on it that undercuts even a diesel-powered Vauxhall Combo Cargo is incredible. Lease deals undercut every rival, and cash buyers will save a ton. Unless you’re covering hundreds of miles a day, it’ll be hard not to put the PV5 Cargo at the top of every list.
Kia may be new to this market, but it’s arrived with a van that feels like it belongs.
Model tested: Kia PV5 Cargo Long Range Plus
Professional Van rating: ★★★★★
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