Kia PV5 Cargo 89KW Essential Standard Range 52KWH Auto

Ten Second Review

Kia gate-crashes the lower mid-sized EV van market with this avant-garde PV5 Cargo. The looks are trendy and the technology competitive but what's perhaps most impressive here is the value proposition.

Background

As a car maker, Kia has been one of the UK market's success stories. In just three decades, the company have progressed from market newcomers to our nation's fourth most popular brand. So far in Britain, all of this has been achieved purely by selling cars, but in other parts of the world, Kia is well known as a commercial vehicle maker too. In fact, the marque's heritage in LCVs is much longer than it is in cars; Kia's first commercial vehicle - the three-wheel pick-up K-360 of 1962 - appeared 14 years before its first car (and even that car was a passenger-carrying version of a pick-up model, the Brisa). For the last half-century though, Kia has left LCV market to others in the UK - until now. The EV revolution is opening up big opportunities in the van segment which the Korean maker hopes to exploit with a new line of models it calls PBVs (which stands for 'Platform Beyond Vehicles'). The first of these is the lower mid-sized PV5 Cargo model we look at here, also offered as a passenger-carrying MPV (which we'll review separately). It will be followed by larger PV7 and PV9 models and aims to really shake up the EV van market with futuristic styling and aggressive pricing. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Spec

Drive comes from a single front-mounted electric motor with 161bhp, but there's a choice of three battery packs. Things kick off with a small 43.3kWh unit offering up to 181 miles, for those needing only urban delivery mileage. Most sales will be generated by the mid-range 51.5kWh pack. And at the top of the line-up, there's a larger 71.2kWh pack capable of taking the PV5 up to 249 miles. Those mileage figures will be hard to replicate in colder winter months unless you pay more for the optional heat pump. The front wheel drive powertrain format enables a tight turning circle, giving greater manoeuvrability in confined spaces. And this vehicle comes with Kia's Plug & Charge app, which is designed to make finding charging points when you're out and about that much easier. It includes a route planner showing public chargers around the owner's depot. Performance is adequate, the standard range 51.5kWh version making 62mph in 12.8s, a figure the long range 71.2kWh model improves to 10.7s. Maximum speed for both versions though, is limited to just 84mph.

Design and Build

Get a PV5 Cargo and your deliveries will certainly stand out a bit more. Flush-fitting glass, aero-style wheels and high vertical tail light strips suggest a van derived from an MPV. In this segment, it's usually the other way round. Beneath the boxy panelwork it's a stretched LCV-orientated version of the 400V E-GMP platform used in Kia's EV3 family hatchback, re-worked to offer a flat rear load bay and improved payload capacity. The L2/H1 body shape most customers will choose is 4.7-metres long - similar to a Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo or the lengthiest versions of more compact EV vans like Citroen's e-Berlingo. But at 1.92-metres tall, the PV5 looks larger than both such rivals. A digital key makes it easier for multiple drivers to share the van. And there's vehicle-to-load capability that allows external appliances to be powered by the vans drive battery. Inside, there are just two seats in the cab and, as expected, two screens - for an Android Automotive operating system never previously used in a Kia. This uses a 7.5-inch instrument display and a 12.9-inch central touchscreen. The central monitor comes with an app store, from which business-orientated applications can be installed.

Market and Model

Here, we're looking at the PV5 Cargo van, offered with standard range or long range batteries and either base 'Essential' or plusher 'Plus' trim levels. The PV5 Cargo is additionally available in Crew and Chassis cab forms. There's also a PV5 Passenger MPV version, offered with five or seven seats. Plus a dedicated WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle) variant offering step-free access via a side door. You can even have a camper model (developed with specialists Westfalia). All of these variants come primarily in L2/H1 long wheelbase/standard roof form, but with this PV5 Cargo, you can also consider a smaller L1/H1 version or a larger high-roof L2/H2 variant. Pricing is very affordable by segment standards, with the L2/H1 PV5 Cargo van with the standard range battery and base 'Essential' trim starting from £27,645 (ex-VAT) at launch after government PiVG deduction. It's £2,500 more if you want the long range battery. You'll need just over £1,000 more for better-specced 'Plus' trim. Via an 'AddGear' feature, optional cabinets and seats can be clipped into the novel rail system on the cargo area floor and Kia offers software solutions for fleet management. Kia is establishing a network of commercial vehicle dealers to sell this PV5; there are currently around 50, with 60% of these being new stand-alone outlets. Initial sales projections see sales of PV5 at around 3,000-4000 units a year but Kia expects to increase its commercial vehicle sales to around 17,000 a year by 2030.

Practicalities and Costs

Kia is basing UK PV5 Cargo sales around an L2/H1 body shape with a cargo volume of 4.4m3 and a load floor height of 2.26-metres. There's a width of 1.33-metres between the wheel arches and an overall width of 1.57-metres inside. Access to the back is via the usual twin rear doors or a single sliding side door (a second sliding door is optional). You can also talk to your dealer about a smaller L1/H1 body shape. And, unusually in this segment, there's also the option of a high roof body shape variant, the L2/H2. The cargo area has a clever L-track rail system on its floor and ceiling to allow for items like cabinets and seats to be added or removed more easily. Across the line-up, payloads are from 690-790kg. The Crew van version offers a cargo area of 2.4-3.7m3 and a 605kg payload, while the Chassis cab can take up to 995kg, ready for a range of specialist and bespoke conversions. Fast charging tech means the battery can be charged from 10-80% in under 30 minutes. AC charging of the 51.5kWh battery from 10-80% via an 11kW wallbox takes around 5 hours if you've a three-phase 11kW supply.AC charging of the 71.2kWh battery from 10-80% via a 7.4kW wallbox takes 12 hours - or around 7 hours if you've a three-phase 11kW supply. Across the line-up, a heat pump is optional. And the PV5 Cargo comes with a standard seven year/100,000 mile warranty, matching Kia's passenger car line-up. In addition, a separate eight year warranty covers the high voltage batteries. There's also connectivity with the Geotab fleet management platform.

Summary

The EV van market needed a shake-up. This Kia PV5 Cargo model provides just that. Competitors will be dismayed by its value proposition - and the load stats look competitive too. Plus the futuristic looks will give your deliveries a trendier vibe. Looking at what Kia has brought us here, it's difficult to understand why the Korean maker didn't get serious about the European LCV sector much earlier. Now that it has, competitors are going to need to up their game. And British van fleet managers still wedded to diesel power might just start taking the EV revolution a bit more seriously.