Kia PV5 review

The Kia PV5 isn't just a new electric car; it is a statement of intent. Just as tech giants pivot to conquer new markets, Kia is pivoting from standard EVs to PBVs – Purpose Built Vehicles. This is the first fruit of that labour, trading the curves of an SUV for modular underpinnings and an oblong body that prioritises maximum interior space above all else.

There's the PV5 Cargo that we've reviewed separately if you're looking for a commercial van. However, in this review, we’re focusing on the PV5 Passenger, which is designed for transporting, well, passengers. It's a fully electric MPV that enters the market as a direct (albeit much cheaper) rival to the VW ID Buzz, offering a vast interior, a huge boot and a respectable range between charges.

At the moment the PV5 is a strict five-seater, but a seven-seat version will be arriving later in 2026. So, has Kia hit the ground running with the PV5 Passenger or would you be better off with the ID Buzz – or perhaps an electric SUV, such as the Kia EV6 or Tesla Model Y?

What’s New?
– December 2025: First UK deliveries take place
– May 2025: PV5 open for pre-orders
– February 2025: Kia PV5 first shown in Passenger and Cargo forms

How fast is it and which motor is best?

You can have the Kia PV5 as either a 120bhp Standard Range or 161bhp Long Range, so neither has the grunt to match the 282bhp VW ID Buzz. Indeed, on paper, the PV5 takes 12.8sec or 10.7sec respectively to get from 0-62mph – although those times were apparently recorded with a full payload.

The Standard Range feels nippy enough in urban environments (thanks to the electric motor’s instant get-up-and-go). Things tail off at higher speeds, but the gutsier Long Range feels comfortable cruising at motorway speeds.

Both versions have a top speed limited to 84mph, which is just about fast enough to cruise at the speed limit on the French Autoroutes if you take your PV5 on holiday.

Is it agile and is the ride comfortable?

The PV5 has fairly soft suspension, meaning it soaks up most lumps and bumps with ease. Indeed, it irons out minor imperfections in the road surface better than the VW ID Buzz. Mind you, the ID Buzz does feel more controlled and less bouncy along undulating country lanes.

As you might expect, the PV5 wasn’t exactly designed for sporty handling. However, body lean isn't too extreme, and the PV5 feels predictable if you do decide to push on. The ID Buzz feels marginally lighter on its toes, but if you want an electric family car that's significantly more agile, we'd recommend checking out the smaller Kia EV6 or the Tesla Model Y. 

As the PV5 Passenger is essentially a van with seats inside, you might be worried that's it's cumbersome to drive in town, but that really isn’t the case. In fact, thanks to light steering at slow speeds and a turning circle of just 11.0m, it’s remarkably easy to thread the PV5 through city streets. 

Better still, as your speed increasse, the steering weight builds progressively, giving you a good idea of what the front wheels are up to. 

Is it quiet and how easy is it to drive smoothly?

The oblong-shaped PV5 doesn't exactly slick through the air like a Formula One car, so on the motorway you do hear some wind noise. There's also a fair amount of suspension noise along bumpy roads – more than in the ID Buzz – meaning booms reverberate around the vast interior. In short, the PV5 isn't the quietest electric car on the market, but it isn't exactly deafening inside, either.

There are four different levels of brake regeneration to choose from, including a 'one-pedal' driving mode. You cycle through these using paddles behind the steering wheel. All four modes feel natural as you lift off the accelerator pedal, slowing the PV5 predictably and smoothly.

When you do need to use the actual brake pedal, you'll find it smoother more predictable than the brake pedal in an ID Buzz, making it easy to slow down smoothly. 

What’s the range and efficiency like, and how quickly can it charge?

The Standard Range version has a battery with a usable capacity of around 48kWh. That gives an official range of up to 183 miles, which isn't great to be honest – it's less than a Peugeot e-Traveller, let alone a Volkswagen ID Buzz or Tesla Model Y. 

That's why we'd recommend upgrading to the Long Range model. This increases the size of the battery to 67kWh and the official range to 256 miles. That’s comfortably more than the e-Traveller and much closer to the ID Buzz’s range, albeit still some way off the Model Y. 

Every PV5 charges at a maximum rate of up to 150kW and should get from 10-80% in around 30 minutes in ideal conditions. The Buzz can charge slightly faster, and Kia's own EV6 (which has an 800-volt electrical architecture) can go from 10-80% in less than 20 minutes.

“The range-topping PV5 Long Range Plus is available with a heat pump for better efficiency in cooler weather. It's an expensive option, though, so I wouldn't bother.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

What does the interior look like and is it well made?

The Kia PV5’s interior is pretty simple in its design and, sadly, you can't choose from a variety of colour schemes like you can in the VW ID Buzz. In the UK, all versions have a rather drab-looking, dark grey interior.

Most of the surfaces are covered in hard plastic rather than the soft touch materials that you’ll find in most electric SUV rivals. That said, the PV5 feels well screwed together inside and it isn't as though the ID Buzz has lots of plush, squidgy materials in its interior, either.

Is the driving position comfortable and is it easy to see out?

You definitely sit high up and far from the road in the PV5, which makes the driving position similar to a van's but also a large SUV's. There's plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel, too, although very tall drivers might wish the seat slid a bit farther back.

Go for entry-level Essential trim and said seat is adjusted manually. Plus trim gets you full electric adjustment and the added bonus of adjustable lumbar support. Either way, there's a fold-down armrest on the left side of the seat, but annoyingly not one of the right. You're supposed to use the door instead, but that's a bit of a stretch so won't work for most drivers.

Thanks partly to that high driving position, the view out of the front of the PV5 is really good. Things aren’t quite so positive when you need to look diagonally at junctions, though, because the thick windscreen pillars can get in the way. Cutouts help to slightly reduce the issue, though.

Your view out of the back and over your shoulder, meanwhile, is excellent, thanks to the sheer amount of glass compared with most modern cars. To make manoeuvring into parking spaces easier, every PV5 comes with front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Is the dashboard and infotainment system easy to use?

Unlike in most other Kia models, there are no physical controls for the air-conditioning. As a result, you have adjust the interior temperature or fan speed using the touchscreen or the hit-and-miss voice control system. Mind you, it's the same story in the Tesla Model Y and ID Buzz.

The 12.9in touchscreen infotainment system is roughly on a par with the Buzz's for usability, with our main gripe being the small size of most icons. Standard features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring and over the air updates to make sure the system stays current. Stepping up to top-spec Plus trim adds a wireless phone charging pad.  

“Kia's clever AddGear mounting system allows you to clip things like cup holders to certain spots throughout the interior. I think it’s a neat trick and hope that Kia lets people 3D print their own accessories, like Dacia does.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

How much space does it have for people?

There's so much space inside the Kia PV5 that you’ll likely struggle to figure out what to do with it all. Indeed, sitting in the front, even two really tall and broad adults will have loads of head and shoulder room. 

There are lots of clever storage spaces up front, too. These include a tray for your phone, a pull out draw at the based of the dashboard, a lidded cubby on top of the dashboard and a couple of trapdoors under the floor.

As in the front, those sitting in the back will have more space than they could ever need, with limo-like leg room and a super-high ceiling. Even three adults sitting side-by-side will have lots of space, thanks to the PV5's broad interior and completely flat floor. The rear seats don't slide back and forth, but you can recline the angle of the backrest a fair way.

It’s worth noting that, despite all of the space, the PV5 is currently only available with five seats, whereas you can have the Volkswagen ID Buzz in seven-seat form. Kia has confirmed that a seven-seater PV5 will join the range in the future but, until then, those needing to carry more than four passengers seats will need to look elsewhere.

How much room does it have for luggage?

Given that the PV5 is shaped like a van, you probably won't be shocked to learn it has lots of space for luggage. Indeed, even with all five seats in use, we managed to fit 16 carry-on suitcases into the boot below the retractable load cover (which, incidentally, you only get with Plus trim).

That's a match for the number we squeezed into the boot of the ID Buzz SWB, and far more than in any electric SUV. For reference, we squeezed a total of nine cases into the Tesla Model Y's main boot, plus a further case in the same storage compartment under the bonnet. The PV5 doesn't have a front boot.

Should you find yourself needing even more space, the rear seats in the PV5 fold down in a 60/40 split. Doing so leaves a fair step in the floor of the extended load bay, though, which isn’t ideal when feeding long items through from the boot. At least there's no lip at the boot entrance, though.

Like the ID Buzz, the tailgate is huge and is hinged at the top, giving you a massive opening when loading things into the boot. The only problem with that is you need to leave a good amount of space behind the car when parking to actually open the thing. 

“Entry-level Essential trim misses out on a powered tailgate, and that means plenty of muscle is required to haul the massive boot lid up and down.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews editor

How much does it cost and what equipment do you get?

Price is a major strength for the Kia PV5 Passenger, with the entry-level Essential Standard Range undercutting every rival by quite some margin – buy it outright and it’ll cost you around half the price of an entry-level VW ID Buzz, once a £1500 grant from the government is factored in.

Opting for Essential Long Range doesn’t add much to the price, so it’s worth considering. As the name suggests, though, Essential trim only covers the basics when it comes to standard kit, coming with 16in steel wheels, electrically-adjustable and heated door mirrors, automatic air conditioning, adaptive cruise control and all of the bits we’ve mentioned already. 

We’d go for the top-spec Plus version, because it adds lots more niceties and still costs less than rivals. It adds 16in alloy wheels, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, the electric front seats with lumbar support, a powered tailgate and vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging. It also gives you the option of adding a heat pump for more efficient interior heating in winter months – although this is too expensive to recommend.

Is it reliable, and how long is the warranty?

With the PV5 being a completely new model, it wasn’t included in the 2025 What Car? Reliability survey. Kia as a brand, though, came an impressive 8th out of the 30 manufacturer that featured. 

That puts the Korean brand one spot below Tesla, but above the rest of its rivals, including Peugeot (in joint 11th place) and Volkswagen way down in joint 24th. 

Better still, should anything go wrong, the PV5 is covered by Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile standard warranty. Its battery, meanwhile, is covered by a separate eight-year warranty, providing it doesn’t drop below 70% of its original capacity. 

How safe is it, and is it easy to steal?

The safety experts at Euro NCAP awarded the PV5 four out of five stars, which is a little disappointing considering the ID Buzz gets the full five stars. At least the PV5 gets most of the safety equipment that you’d expect as standard, including automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance. 

Upgrading to the Plus trim adds rear-cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and safe exit warning into the mix. To keep thieves at bay, every PV5 comes with a Thatcham category 1 alarm and immobiliser with interior protection.   

“When you look at how much the ID Buzz costs to buy, I find it amazing how much affordable the PV5 is – even in our favourite Long Range Plus form.” – Dan Jones, Senior reviewer

Buy it if...

-You want a really massive electric car

-Value for money is a priority 

-You value a long warranty

Don’t buy it if…

-You need seven seats  

-Agile handling is high up on your list of priorities

-You need a really long range

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here