Kia PV5 Passenger Review: The Cool Electric Van That Thinks Beyond Cars

The Kia PV5 Passenger is futuristic, spacious and deeply practical, but the five-seat launch version feels like the story has started before the best chapter has arrived

This is the Kia PV5 Passenger, and no, I don’t normally review commercial vehicles, but this one sits in that interesting space between van, MPV, taxi, family bus and rolling sci-fi appliance. Kia calls it a Platform Beyond Vehicle, or PBV, which sounds like marketing nonsense until you understand the idea. Because electric vehicles use a flat skateboard-style platform, Kia can build different bodies on top of it: a proper van, a passenger version like this, a chassis cab for conversions, and potentially all sorts of specialist versions in future. You know, I’ve been taking about this flexibility for years – looks like manufacturers are finally starting to exploit it.

So this is not just “a van with windows”. It is Kia looking at the EV platform and saying: why stop at making another crossover when we could build a whole mobility toolkit? And visually, I think they have done a surprisingly good job. For something this boxy and practical, the PV5 actually looks properly smart. It has a cool, futuristic, concept-car-meets-delivery-van vibe, and in the right colour it has real presence. Handsome for a van? Absolutely. And yes, I realise that sounds like praising a fridge for cheekbones, but to be fair, it does have nice cheekbones!

Kia PV5 Passenger range, prices and specs

The UK passenger range is simple. There are two trims: Essential and Plus. The Essential can be had with the smaller 51.5kWh battery or the larger 71.2kWh battery, while the Plus comes only with the larger battery. The car tested here is the Kia PV5 Passenger Essential 51.5kWh FWD, finished in Lakehouse Grey premium paint.

All versions are front-wheel drive and top out at 84mph. Charging peaks at 150kW DC, with a quoted 10-80% charge in under 30 minutes in ideal conditions. The Essential 51.5kWh also supports 11kW AC charging, taking around 4 hours 45 minutes from 10-100%.

Kia PV5 Passenger model	Battery	Power	WLTP range	0-62mph	Price
Essential Standard Range	51.5kWh	120bhp	183 miles	12.8 sec	£32,995
Essential Long Range	71.2kWh	160bhp	256 miles	10.6 sec	TBC/varies by spec
Plus Long Range	71.2kWh	160bhp	256 miles	10.6 sec	About £38,000

Design: concept car meets delivery van

The PV5 looks unlike most family cars because, frankly, it is unlike most family cars. Up front you get a clean, upright face with the charging port neatly placed in the centre. The LED daytime running lights sit vertically, while the main headlights are positioned lower down. That actually makes sense on a tall vehicle, because if the main beams were mounted higher up, you would be dazzling everything from hatchbacks to hedgehogs.

The huge windscreen, big mirrors, square stance and black upper glasshouse give it a purposeful, futuristic look. The two-tone effect works well, and even on the Essential, the steel wheels with covers do a decent impression of alloys. The Plus does get proper 16-inch alloys, along with flush windows and extra equipment, but the basic shape already looks sharp.

Around the back, there is a huge tailgate, bold vertical rear lighting and a massive glass area. It is not trying to be delicate, but it is cohesive, modern and surprisingly cool. This is about as stylish as this type of vehicle gets.

Boot space and practicality: absolutely ginormous

This is where the PV5 really starts to justify itself. Open the enormous rear tailgate and you are greeted by a cavernous boot. With the five seats in place, there is 1,330 litres of luggage space. Fold the second row down and that expands to 2,300 litres. That is not “weekend away” space. That is “move house, start a business, possibly live in it after annoying your family” space.

The load lip is low, which makes loading heavy items far easier, and there are underfloor compartments, side pockets and accessory mounting points. On the Plus, you also get Vehicle-to-Load capability, meaning a proper three-pin socket for powering devices, camping equipment or work tools.

Practicality figure	Kia PV5 Passenger
Seats	5 at launch
Boot space, seats up	1,330 litres
Boot space, rear seats folded	2,300 litres
Side door opening width	775mm
Second row step height	399mm
Braked towing capacity	750kg, standard range / 1,500kg, long range

Rear seats: huge space, but where is the third row?

The sliding doors are brilliant. They open wide, access is easy, and once you step inside, the amount of room is almost comical. I am six foot one and there is space everywhere. There are USB-C ports, vents, storage pockets, ISOFIX points and those clever accessory mounting points where you can attach hooks and other bits.

The cabin feels light thanks to the big windows, though a sunroof would make it feel even more open. The flat floor helps massively too. In fact, it is so big inside that we actually flew a drone around the cabin while filming. That is how much space there is.

But here is the problem: at launch, the PV5 Passenger is only available as a five-seater. For me, that is a fundamental issue. This thing looks like it should be a seven-seater, and honestly, you could imagine an eight-seat layout with another bench in the back. Kia says more seating configurations are coming later, including seven seats, and I would strongly recommend waiting for that if you are buying this as a family vehicle. As it stands, it makes excellent sense as an Uber XL or airport transfer vehicle, where you carry five people and lots of luggage. For a large family, it needs those extra seats.

Front cabin: van-like, but well thought out

Climb into the front and yes, you do feel like you are stepping into a van. You sit high, the windscreen is huge, the dash is broad and flat, and the mirrors are enormous. But it is not crude. It is simple, functional and cleverly thought through.

The materials are basic rather than plush, but they feel designed for wear and tear. There are storage areas everywhere: door pockets, dash compartments, under-seat trays, cupholders, a glovebox, a drawer, and extra mounting points for accessories. Kia has clearly thought about drivers who spend all day in this thing, whether they are doing deliveries, airport runs or family taxi duties.

There is a 7-inch driver display and a 12.9-inch central touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The infotainment is clear enough, and the EV menus are genuinely useful, showing range estimates, energy use, charging information and nearby chargers.

One omission on this Essential model is heated seats. On an EV, that feels like a miss, because using heated seats instead of blasting the cabin heater can help preserve range. The Plus does get heated front seats, heated outer rear seats and a heated steering wheel, and that alone makes it feel more suitable for private buyers.

Equipment: Essential versus Plus

The Essential gives you the basics: LED lights, air conditioning, smart entry, navigation, wireless smartphone connectivity, reversing camera, front and rear sensors, adaptive cruise control, Highway Driving Assist, lane systems and regenerative braking paddles. It is not bare, but it feels functional.

The Plus adds the equipment that makes the PV5 feel more like a proper family or lifestyle vehicle. However, even the Plus does not get a 360-degree camera. That seems strange when tiny cars now get bird’s-eye camera systems, but in fairness, the PV5’s huge glass area, big mirrors, sensors and reversing camera make it easier to place than you might expect.

Feature	Essential	Plus
Battery options	51.5kWh or 71.2kWh	71.2kWh only
Wheels	16-inch steel with covers	16-inch alloys
Heated seats	No	Front and outer rear
Heated steering wheel	No	Yes
Powered tailgate	No	Yes
Wireless phone charging	No	Yes
V2L three-pin socket	No	Yes
Blind-spot assist	No	Yes
Rear cross-traffic assist	No	Yes
360-degree camera	No	No

Driving: easy, composed and very much not sporty

I covered about 300 miles in the PV5 and spent around 10 hours behind the wheel, including town driving, B-roads and motorways. Let’s be clear: this is not sporty and never pretends to be. With 120bhp in this version and a 0-62mph time of 12.8 seconds, it is not going to trouble anything more dramatic than a supermarket trolley with ambition.

But in traffic and around town, it feels perfectly adequate. The instant electric response means it never feels painfully slow, and even with family onboard it coped fine. The steering is light, the controls are easy, visibility is excellent, and for something this big, it is genuinely simple to drive and park.

On the motorway, it cruises well enough at 70mph. The adaptive cruise control works nicely, and it also has steering assist and lane keeping, although I often turned the steering assistance off because I still prefer to be the one doing the steering. The system momentarily relaxes when you indicate to change lanes, then resumes afterwards, which is useful.

The ride is decent too. You feel potholes and road scars, because London roads are basically a replica or moon craters, but the PV5 is not harsh. It feels solid, composed and impressively free from the rattles, echoes and panel vibrations you often associate with vans. It feels more like a passenger vehicle than a commercial vehicle grudgingly dressed up for family duty.

The regen is adjustable via paddles, but it defaults back to a low setting, so you have to increase it again if you want stronger regeneration. Even at maximum, it slows the vehicle but does not behave like a proper one-pedal system that brings you to a full stop.

Range: fine for city use, not ideal for long journeys

This is the most important point about the 51.5kWh model. Around town, it works really well. I saw as much as 3.5 miles per kWh in urban driving, and the displayed range felt fairly honest when using it locally. The regen helps, the speeds are lower, and this is clearly where the smaller-battery PV5 makes the most sense.

But for longer motorway journeys, I would not recommend this version. The official WLTP range is 183 miles, but in real use the car may show closer to 150 miles on a full charge. And because you usually charge to 80% rather than 100%, you are often looking at around 120 miles shown. Then, once you factor in motorway consumption and the natural desire not to arrive at a charger with 1% and a prayer, your practical motorway leg can feel more like 60 to 80 miles before you start thinking seriously about charging again.

That is fine for urban drivers, school runs, local business use, taxi work and short hops. For regular long-distance use, get the larger 71.2kWh battery. Simple as that.

Also, heating affects range. Turning on the climate system can knock several miles off the estimate, which is another reason heated seats should really be standard on an EV like this.

Verdict: impressive, but wait for the right version

The Kia PV5 Passenger is a genuinely impressive piece of kit. It looks cool, it feels futuristic, it is massively practical, and it drives with far more refinement than you might expect from something that shares its thinking with commercial vehicles. It is easy, calm, solid and clever.

But this exact version is not the one I would personally buy for family use. The smaller battery is fine for city work, but limiting for long trips. The five-seat layout wastes the potential of that enormous body. The Essential trim has enough, but misses some kit that really matters in an EV, especially heated seats and the comfort features that come with the Plus.

So my advice is simple: if you are an Uber XL driver, airport transfer operator or business user staying mostly local, this Essential model could make a lot of sense. But if you are a private buyer looking for a true family replacement, I would hold off until the seven-seat version arrives, ideally with the larger battery and Plus specification.

Because when Kia adds the seating layout this vehicle deserves, the PV5 could become properly compelling. Right now, it is a fascinating glimpse of the future, but for many buyers, the best version has not quite arrived yet.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but with conditions. Get the bigger battery, wait for the extra seats, and then this futuristic box on wheels could make SUVs look a bit daft.

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