By dedicating itself to offering EV products across every segment, Kia has become one of the major electric car sellers in the category, writes Brian Byrne. Now the brand is getting into the light commercial van business and, in the process, adding yet another electric passenger model: the PBV5 5-seater. Although there's no tradition of family van buying in Ireland, unlike many of our EU neighbours, the PBV5 could find a place in this segment, thanks to its practicality and driveability. Not to mention its pleasant looks.
The name is quirky and can trip you up if you try to say it quickly. Apparently, it stands for Purpose Built Vehicle, the idea being that every variant and configuration required by individual customers will be bespoke-built at the special assembly plant in Korea. Though for Irish purposes, local conversions will still be carried out here for the moment.
I'm concentrating this week on the passenger version of the PBV5, which I've had a first drive in and which left a promising impression. It's not surprising that there's already strong interest from the taxi community, but Kia Ireland MD Ronan Flood says the company will also be directly targeting the family car segment for those with a busy lifestyle.
Stylewise, yep, it's unmistakably a van. Designed for load efficiency. Short front and rear overhangs give it a manageable look and contribute to the tightest turning circle among its Peugeot, Renault and Volkswagen competitors. There's a pleasing, clean look to the short, sloping bonnet and a grille-free front. The low front windows both mitigate the van look and improve visibility and airiness from inside. At the back, there's a lift-up tailgate that's high enough for me to walk under and could make a very useful shelter from the showers while parked at the picnic spots.
The clean-cut look is repeated inside, with a flat dashboard and neat screens for infotainment and driving information. Storage options reflect the needs of the commercial driver in terms of size and capacity, and that's no bad thing for a family's requirements too. The two front seats — there will be a 3-seat option if there's demand — are comfortable in artificial leather, supportive, and incorporate individual armrests. It's an easy cab to get in and out of, not quite as high as some D-degment vans. For three in the rear, there's lots of space, and even more legroom than expected. The ability to partially recline the rear seatbacks will make a longer haul easier. Worth mentioning, too, is the low floor there, which also eases access and egress. There's a brace of USB ports on the front seatbacks to keep the teens' devices going for the trip. A massive boot capacity of up to 1,300 litres will take a lot of leisure gear.
In the Irish market, the PBV5 is only sold with the 71kWh long-range battery, with a rated range of 412 km in the passenger version — better possibilities are suggested by a Guinness World Record for the van achieving 693 km on a single charge with a full payload. Carefully driven, of course. A heat pump heating system is standard and is estimated to improve the range by up to 10 per cent.
My introductory drive felt car-like. The driver's setup offered good visibility, and the ride and handling were not at all typical of a commercial vehicle. As an EV, there's no clutch work, which adds to the PV5's appeal as a worthwhile consideration for the busy family. It comes here in just one, high-level specification.
Kia in Ireland topped the 10,000-unit mark in sales for the first time last year, boosted by more than a quarter of these coming from the brand's comprehensive EV offering. With the vans, they're taking it handy first to see how best to reach a new market. But with half of the 400 expected PBV5 2026 sales going to be passenger models, expect to see quite a few new Kia electric taxis, and a noticeable number gracing private home driveways.
As for the vans, 200 would represent 10 per cent of the electric vans sold in Ireland in 2025. That wouldn't be a bad start.
PRICE: €42,550. WHAT I LIKED: The flexible possibilities in an affordable family contender.
