- Kia inches closer to commercial vehicle launch
- Fully-electric PV5 will make UK debut at CV show in April
- Will be available as panel van, chassis cab and passenger variant
- An 'incredibly exciting time for Kia', Korean firm says
Kia is moving into the commercial vehicle space with a fully electric van, the PV5, with the Korean manufacturer giving its pre-production version of the mid-sized van its debut at the 2025 Commercial Vehicle Show in April.
Kia first unveiled its commercial vehicle range — including some future concepts — at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2024, where they were known as PBVs or Platform Beyond Vehicles. A rebrand in time for the IAA commercial vehicle show in Hannover to Purpose Built Vehicle made more sense, but the UK will bow to customer expectations and know the new models as Professional Business Vans.
The CV Show will see Kia provide details of the mid-sized PV5’s specifications and features for the first time. The PV5 is aimed at a broad and diverse range of industries, from delivery services and utilities to ride-hailing, and is built on a platform which will be available in three configurations to support wide-ranging use cases: a traditional panel van, a versatile chassis cab and a passenger variant.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Kia, as we build an entirely new commercial business to deliver world-class electric vans to UK customers. Our first electric van, the PV5, arrives at an important time for the UK, amid an unprecedented transition towards electric power across both the car and van markets. Our strategy is to approach the market confidently but responsibly, launching in a phased and progressive manner to ensure each element of our commercial vehicle business is exacted with the same industry-leading standards we’re known for in the passenger car industry. This will cover dealer sales excellence, customer care, service and experience.”
In addition to introducing the PV5 to the UK at the CV Show, Kia will share more information about its commercial vehicle strategy in the UK and its intention to establish Kia van centres nationally to support customers and businesses.
Kia has already released some details of the support that will be available for the PV5 and its future siblings, the PV3 and PV7. Thanks to a partnership with Geotab, fleet-management technology will be available, with fleet managers and drivers able to tailor the van’s central dashboard display to meet their specific requirements. Relevant apps will also be available directly from a native Android app store.
The PV5, like Kia’s passenger cars, will feature the company’s impressive seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard.
Paul Philpott, President and CEO of Kia UK: “We are confident that our new LCV range will help businesses across the country achieve their carbon reduction goals while importantly never compromising logistical requirements. We invite all van operators, users and drivers to come along to the show to see the Kia PV5 for themselves and learn more about how we’ll deliver Kia Professional Business Vans.”
The CV Show runs at Birmingham’s NEC from 29 April until 1 May.
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