The first time I saw the new Kia PV5, I thought it was a seven-seater. I drove Kia’s first electric passenger van last week and it’s still a five-seater, but a seven-seater version is due here in July.
The PV5 is Kia’s first panel van to be sold in Ireland. I drove a passenger version, but it’s also available as a commercial vehicle.
It’s a tall vehicle and different to anything I have driven recently. Looks-wise you cannot really compare it to the fully electric ID Buzz, which is also available as a passenger and commercial. The ID Buz was yellow, while the PV5 is available in discreet colours like grey/black and all black.
My test model came in Midnight Black, and a neighbour remarked that it looked a like a ‘Black Maria,’ but I don’t take any prisoners, even after midnight! I think black does more for the car/van than the grey and black version.
When you sit in, the first thing you notice is the huge amount of glass on the doors and the size of the wing mirrors; they are massive. It’s strange and at first, it reminded me of a baker who had a sliding door in his van a few decades back.
However, while the rear doors slide open and shut, the front ones close in the usual way. All that glass on the front doors does take a bit of getting used to.
It’s a massive motor, but so easy to handle and it has a brilliant turning circle. If you have a touch of arthritis, it might be difficult to climb on board, but sturdy grips are provided on both sides to help everybody to get in.
The three passengers in the middle get huge leg and head room. In a normal car I can reach for an item placed in the back seat, but I would need to grow a few inches to reach a bag in the middle row of the PV5. That’s because there is so much leg room for the passengers in the middle row.
In the five-seat version there is massive boot space, officially 1,338 litres and that will rise to 3,000 litres with the back seat folded down. There are several storage areas and phone charging points located throughout the interior of the car/van. And for anybody who might have a problem reversing such a large motor, the charging point is located at the front.
I think it would be an ideal car for a family holiday in Ireland as there is plenty of room for bikes in the back end. And by leaving down one of the middle row of seats you would then have plenty of room for a long item like a canoe.
With a 71.2kWh battery on board the claimed range is 412km. In press cars the range often depends on the driving habits of the previous tester. But with steady driving and fine weather you should get close to 400km.
Prices for the five-seater start at €42,550, while the commercial version starts at €33,230. If you are thinking of buying as a taxi, a wheelchair grant is available. Viewed from the back the car/van looks very tall and the black alloys with Kia branding look cute.
Right now, Kia can do no wrong when it comes to new vehicles, be they cars or vans.
My grandchildren are abroad, but some of the children on the road who wanted a look at the car/van, loved the idea of the sliding rear window; but no ‘99 ice creams’ available last week.
