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The Kia PV5 has barely gotten off the design table, and it’s already won an award in the UK. The only downside: I’ve never heard of this award before. But an award is an award.
The award is from What Van? Awards 2025 in London, and the PV5 won in the “One to Watch” category.
The “One to Watch” category is for innovative new vehicles expected to influence or even transform the market. The way Kia phrases it is that this award “is only given to the most appealing and interesting vehicle set to change, invigorate or even disrupt the sector.” The PV5 was originally conceived and presented as just this kind of vehicle.
The “PBV platform offers users a blank canvas to redefine how space and mobility can adapt to their needs by providing exceptional flexibility through radical modularity,” Kia wrote several months ago at CES 2024 when introducing the PBV platform and PV5, and added that it was “determined to overcome all existing restrictive and one-dimensional industry product line-up offerings.”
“Kia says its PBVs will be characterized by ‘Easy Swap’ technology, meaning the vehicle chassis can be used in combination with interchangeable upper bodies,” Steve Hanley wrote at the time. “These are connected to the base vehicle using a hybrid electromagnetic and mechanical coupling technology, ‘turning the PBV into a taxi during the day, to a delivery van at night, and a personal recreational vehicle on weekends.’ Sounds vaguely reminiscent of the Nissan Pulsar, which debuted in 1978 with a removable rear section that allowed it to transition between a notchback coupe and a small station wagon in a matter of minutes.”
So, unless one wants to dig back into 1978 (and that comparison itself must be dubious, even though I know nothing about the Nissan Pulsar and have no evidence to back me up), it does seem like the PBV platform is a fresh step into the future.
“An experienced panel of independent judges from across the light commercial vehicle sector” came up with the award winners. “Kia’s entry into the LCV market with this versatile, modular van promises to signal the shape of things to come for electric load carriers,” James Dallas, Editor of What Van?, noted regarding this winner.
It was just a month ago that I wrote about Kia’s plans to bring the PV5, PV7, and other PBV vehicles to the British and European markets, and it doesn’t official launch or start getting delivered until 2025. In fact, the final production version of the PV5 hasn’t even been shown yet! So, I was a bit surprised to already see it winning awards. But that shows how much of an impression Kia is already having with this new platform.
“Kia’s entrance in the van industry is a ground-breaking moment for our brand and comes at a time of significant industry change,” Simon Hetherington, Kia UK’s Commercial Director, says. “We’re confident with our starting place: 100% electric with a dedicated EV platform and the unique benefit of being able to tailor our commercial vehicle business to modern challenges. We gratefully accept What Van?’s ‘One to watch’ award and we are all very proud of this recognition.” It sounds like a good idea, and Kia seems like a company that could carry out this vision in an effective, efficient, appealing way.
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