75 Kia PV5 89kW Essential Standard Range 52kWh 5dr Auto

Kia's PV5 Passenger aims to shake up the market for big five or seven-seat MPVs. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

It's about time a brand took a completely fresh look at the market for big van-derived five or seven-seat people carrying MPVs. Which is exactly what Kia has done with this all-electric PV5 Passenger model. Turns out that EVs of this sort can be cheaper, more spacious and cleverer.

Background

If you want big full-electric MPV with five or seven seats, you can either have something very van-like (most models in this segment are clearly LCV-derived). Or pay more for something quite avant-garde in the form of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz. But what if you could get a bit of both - and at a very affordable price? That's the thinking behind this car, Kia PV5 Passenger Sure (like the ID.Buzz) it shares its design with a van, but a very trendy-looking one, the PV5 Cargo. And it's been created in every way for passenger practicality. Mindful of the target audience, Kia even turned to Uber for help in its design. Sounds intriguing. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Spec

The PV5 Passenger sits on a 'commercialised' version of the E-GMP.S electric platform the Korean brand uses for its family EVs. Drive comes from a single front-mounted electric motor with 161bhp, but there's a choice of three battery packs. Things kick off with a small 43.3kWh unit offering up to 181 miles, for those needing only urban delivery mileage. Most sales will be generated by the mid-range 51.5kWh pack. And at the top of the line-up, there's a larger 71.2kWh pack capable of taking the PV5 up to 249 miles. Those mileage figures will be hard to replicate in colder winter months unless you pay more for the optional heat pump. The front wheel drive powertrain format enables a tight turning circle, giving greater manoeuvrability in confined spaces. And this vehicle comes with Kia's Plug & Charge app, which is designed to make finding charging points when you're out and about that much easier. It includes a route planner showing public chargers around the owner's home. Performance is adequate, the standard range 51.5kWh version making 62mph in 12.8s, a figure the long range 71.2kWh model improves to 10.7s. Maximum speed for both versions though, is limited to just 84mph.

Design and Build

This PV5 Passenger model has a slightly boxier profile than its PV5 Cargo van counterpart - and obviously a huge amount more glassware has been added to the sides of the vehicle. Equally obviously, the Cargo's side-hinged rear doors have been replaced on the MPV by a top-hinged tailgate. This model is clearly LCV-derived, but the commercial version's quite fashionable design means you might not mind that so much. This Passenger model is based on the long body / low roof L2/H1 PV5 body shape. Inside up-front, there's quite a utilitarian feel, but you'd expect that in a practical MPV and all versions are well equipped with part-synthetic leather upholstery, LED cabin lighting and a reversing camera. The driver's instrument display you view through the thin-rimmed steering wheel is quite small (7.5-inches) with the centre screen decently large (12.9-inches), the latter running an Android operating system. The seat beside the driver can be removed to create an extra multi-storage area. The second row seats are spacious and there's generous elbow space, leg room and head room. The second row has USB ports and can be fitted with foot rests and heated seats. Plus there's cupholders in the floor console, as well as coat hooks. Both five and seven-seat variants are being offered. With the five-seat version, up to 1,320-litres of boot space is available, rising to 2,315-litres with the second row folded. It's the seven-seat version that forms the basis for the factory-produced Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle model. This differs from a lot of its rivals with a side-entry approach (lots of other WAVs force you to wheel chairs in from the back, which is very inconvenient in tight parking spaces). The side-entry format works via a third row tip-up seat, with the chair then placed in the area in the middle of the vehicle where the second row would normally be. There's also a 300kg-rated access ramp and a bespoke belt-fastening system to help keep the wheelchair firmly secured on the move.

Market and Model

PV5 Passenger pricing from launch started from just £33,000 for a five-door model with the standard range battery and base 'Essential' trim. For reference, that's a massive £25,000 less than a similarly-sized Volkswagen ID.Buzz. There's also a plusher 'Plus' version of this Kia if you want more kit. Kia also offers a factory-made WAV wheelchair accessible variant based on the seven-seat model with side entry and a ramp. Across the PV5 Passenger range, the Korean maker includes lots of standard kit; auto LED headlights, rain sensing wipers, all-round parking sensors, heated mirrors, a reversing camera and twin sliding doors. Inside, there's part-synthetic leather upholstery, automatic air conditioning, LED cabin lighting, a 7.5-inch drivers display and a 12.9-inch touchscreen navigation system running an Android Automotive operating set up with wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. Base 'Essential' models come with 16-inch steel wheels, but the 'Plus' version adds alloy rims, along with heated seats, a heated steering wheel, a powered tailgate, powered front seats, a wireless 'phone charger and vehicle-to-load charging so you can power external devices from the vehicle's drive battery. Safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane assist and forward collision assist. The PV5 Passenger will be sold by Kia's new network of commercial vehicle dealers - there are currently around 50 of these in the UK, with 60% of them being new stand-alone outlets.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you the EV range figures in our 'Driving' section, which start from 181 miles with the smallest 43.3kWh battery and top out at 249 miles from the largest 71.2kWh battery. Unlike Kia's mid-sized car EVs, there's no 800V electrical infrastructure, so this van can't use the very fastest ultra-rapid chargers springing up around Europe. Still, at a reasonably fast DC public charger, battery replenishment can be completed from 10-80% in under 30 minutes. AC charging of the 51.5kWh battery from 10-80% via an 11kW wallbox takes around 5 hours if you've a three-phase 11kW supply.AC charging of the 71.2kWh battery from 10-80% via a 7.4kW wallbox takes 12 hours - or around 7 hours if you've a three-phase 11kW supply. Across the line-up, a heat pump is optional. And the PV5 Passenger comes with a standard seven year/100,000 mile warranty, matching other models in Kia's passenger car line-up. In addition, a separate eight year warranty covers the high voltage batteries.

Summary

The PV5 Passenger is a welcome arrival in the full-EV large MPV segment. Previously, contenders in this class were either very LCV-like or very expensive - or both. This Kia is clearly van-derived but styled confidently, plus it's practically configured and priced to undercut all its main rivals. As a second car for a large family or an Uber driver's dream, you could certainly see a market for it. And it's going to make the other players in the segment up their game.