The DriveLife team heads to KIA headquarters in Auckland for the launch of the all-new PV5 Cargo & Passenger Van in New Zealand.
KIA are looking to change the way people and businesses think. From a metro courier driver managing a hectic multi-drop schedule, a trade fleet looking to slash operating costs, or a lifestyle buyer looking for a highly versatile family lounge, Kia has built a vehicle specifically targeting you. The all-new Kia PV5 represents a total shift in how consumers think about space and utility. Engineered with an ultra-low 419mm step-in height and a perfectly flat floor, the PV5 acts as a modular blank canvas.
Arriving first as a 4,420-litre Cargo van—complete with unique options like factory corporate paint customisation and an internal walkthrough cabin door—the lineup will quickly expand into a flexible 7-seat Passenger people-mover and a high-volume High Roof variant. It’s a clean-designed, highly customisable ecosystem engineered to make everyday life and business seamless
Entering the market in Q3 of 2026, the PV5 will be available first in the Cargo variant, which is more attuned to a commercial panel van. After the Cargo Van, it will be shortly followed by the Passenger variant in Q1 of 2027, which is the 7-seater people carrier/minibus variant. Both options will be an exciting shake-up for the New Zealand market. The commercial space is constantly looking for ways to reduce running costs with the ongoing global fuel crisis. The Passenger variant will be the icing on the cake that KIA already has with the popularity of the Carnival and the limited stylish and eco-friendly options in the large family/people carrier market space.
The Kia PV5 has quickly established itself as a heavyweight in the electric commercial vehicle segment, backed by a history-making Guinness World Record. Fully loaded with its maximum payload of 665kg, the PV5 Cargo Long Range set a global benchmark by achieving the “greatest distance travelled by a light-duty battery-powered electric van with maximum payload on a single charge,” covering an astonishing 693.38 kilometres (430.84 miles) on a single charge during real-world testing north of Frankfurt.
This remarkable efficiency is matched by an influx of prestigious global awards. Most notably, the PV5 was named the 2026 International Van of the Year (IVOTY), making historic waves as the first Korean vehicle to ever win the LCV sector’s most authoritative global accolade. Adding to its trophy cabinet, the PV5 Cargo swept the UK’s leading industry honors, clinching overall Van of the Year and Compact Van of the Year at both the What Van? Awards and the What Car? Van and Commercial Vehicle Awards. The passenger model proved its lifestyle appeal by taking home Family Car of the Year at the BBC Top Gear Awards, while the platform’s structural engineering earned a perfect five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP Commercial Van Safety.
2026 has been a very strong year for KIA, at number 2 in New Zealand for passenger vehicle sales. KIA claim the PV5 couldn’t have landed at a better time, as they indicate they already offer the biggest and broadest range of EV’s in New Zealand. The PV5 is the highly anticipated first step of a 3-stage launch over the next 3 years, with the PV7 Cargo and Passenger coming to market in 2027 and the PV9 Cargo and Cab Chassis in 2029.
The KIA PV5 was born with a true form-follows-function design, which is at the essence of its flexibility of use. The range kicks off in New Zealand with the entry-level PV5 Cargo Standard Roof, priced from $64,990 (plus on-road costs). Underpinned by a specialised commercial variation of Kia’s electric platform (E-GMP), the PV5 puts down a functional 120 kW of power and 250 Nm of torque through its front-mounted electric motor, offering a payload capacity of 765 kg on the standard cargo model. To handle heavy-duty demands, it rides on a double-wishbone front and a coupled torsion beam rear suspension, with an optional stiffer suspension upgrade available for fleets consistently hauling maximum capacity. The lineup arrives late this year with the Cargo 5-Door, followed by a 7-seater Passenger version in late 2026, and a taller Cargo High Roof joining the fleet in early 2027.
Step inside, and the PV5 replaces traditional commercial utility with a high-tech cabin centred around a 12.9-inch main entertainment screen paired with a 7.5-inch driver supervision display. This setup marks Kia’s local debut of the Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS), integrating native, Google-powered maps and reducing the need for smartphone mirroring. Standard convenience highlights include a 6-year complimentary Kia Connect subscription, over-the-air (OTA) updates across 33 individual vehicle control units, 100W USB-C fast charging, and an interior Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) 3-pin household plug delivering up to 3.6 kW of power to run tools or gear. Drivers are also backed by a class-leading safety suite featuring a Surround View Monitor, Smart Cruise Control 2, Blind-Spot View Monitor, and a comprehensive 7-year/150,000 km warranty with a generous two-year/30,000 km service interval.
Rather than the cheaper LFP chemistry found in other electric vans, the PV5 utilises a high-efficiency 71.2 kWh NCM (Nickel Cobalt Manganese) battery pack. It is built using advanced “cell-to-pack” technology, which removes traditional module casings to squeeze cells directly into the pack, optimising energy density and achieving a low average consumption of 19.1 kWh/100km. This translates to a best-in-class WLTP-rated range of 416 km for the Cargo Standard Roof (dropping slightly to an estimated 372 km for the taller High Roof variant). For charging, the van supports 150 kW DC fast-charging, letting operators top up from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes during busy workdays.
Customisation is a major focal point for the PV5, starting with Kia’s unique factory program that allows fleet clients to order the vehicle in custom corporate identity paint directly from the assembly line. Standard cargo models roll out on 16-inch steel wheels with hubcaps, which can be finished in Clear White (standard) or upgraded to five optional premium colours—like Starry Blue or Silk Silver—for an additional $1,500.
Key mechanical upgrades include swapping the standard 11 kW AC onboard charger for a 22 kW unit for $2,000 (slashing AC charge times to just over 3 hours) and upgrading the standard 5-door configuration to dual-sliding doors for $500. Additionally, buyers looking at the upcoming High Roof model can option an internal walkthrough door to easily step between the driver’s seat and the cargo hold, which sits beneath an impressive 1.8-metre interior ceiling height.
First Impressions of the 2026 Kia PV5 Cargo Van
Later in the year, we expect to see the PV5 Cargo Van or Passenger Van in Wellington for a more in-depth review, but for now, we will give you our first impressions and cover some of the finer points of the interior and first drive test.
Inside the cabin is a really nice place to be, too; it doesn’t feel commercial, it feels like a premium vehicle, with heated seats, a leather steering wheel, nice big LCD screens, and tons of storage space. Visibility is amazing, thanks to the large side windows and huge rear view mirrors; if anything, the only blind spot I could find was the larger A pillar.
And behind the wheel was a bit of a surprise, too. I have driven many cargo vans in my time, and they all have one thing in common. They are not great to drive, and they feel like a commercial vehicle. But the PV5 was a surprise; it was no different to drive than any other KIA model. If it weren’t for the fact that the rear-view mirror looks right at a blank wall, you wouldn’t know there is a cargo van behind the driver’s seat. It’s so quiet to drive, even when empty or on the highway. It’s as comfortable and effortless to drive as any other KIA EV we have driven, and that is saying a lot for a cargo van.
It can be a challenging thing to test drive a commercial vehicle, as you do not get to use it in its everyday environment. But KIA has something a bit different in mind, and the press drive headed north out of Auckland to Muriwai, to the Good from Scratch Farm. Onsite Chef Michael Van de Elzen already had his very own PV5 kitted out with a mobile market kitchen, which demonstrated how versatile the vehicle is. Right beside his vegetable garden, hooked up to the PV5, he cooked up a storm, using everything that came out of the van, including the power for the hob. Having a 250V 16Amp plug right in the back of the van is something the PV5 has that not many other vans do. And enough power to keep a kitchen going for a whole day is not an easy feat.
I can see the PV5 doing very well for KIA, in the face of the current market challenges, cost-cutting and efficiency are key, and this new cargo van brings a new dimension to the New Zealand market.
