- Kia PV5 Cargo named each ‘Van of the 12 months’ and ‘Compact Van of the 12 months’
- Judges reward refined driving efficiency, distinctive consolation and calmness, urban-friendly agility and excellent worth
- Acknowledged for refined driving efficiency, distinctive consolation and calmness, urban-friendly agility and powerful buyer worth
- Newest accolades additional strengthen Kia’s quickly rising presence within the international LCV and PBV markets
The Kia PV5 Cargo has achieved a double victory on the 2026 What Van? Awards, claiming each ‘Van of the 12 months’ and ‘Compact Van of the 12 months’.
The annual What Van? Awards spotlight essentially the most succesful, modern and high-performing fashions throughout the sunshine industrial car sector, with winners chosen by an impartial panel of veteran LCV specialists. The PV5 Cargo’s sturdy efficiency confirms its arrival as a extremely aggressive international contender within the electrical industrial car sector.
This achievement follows a standout lead to a separate 2025 What Van? Assessment printed in November 2025, which awarded the PV5 a good 10/10 rating — making it the one electrical LCV to obtain such a score this 12 months. The assessment highlighted the PV5’s distinctive real-world efficiency.
“Profitable ‘Van of the 12 months’ on the What Van? Awards is an incredible endorsement for the PV5 that arrives simply because the very first models arrive within the UK. We consider PV5 units new benchmarks for the trade, because of its versatile platform, superior electrified powertrain, and nice worth for patrons. We’re immensely happy with this new product, and our new UK community of devoted PBV Centres will paved the way in demonstrating its strengths to clients as we search to steer electrification efforts within the mild industrial car sector.” — Paul Philpott, President & CEO of Kia UK.
Why did the PV5 win? An distinctive real-world efficiency
Within the awards analysis, the PV5 Cargo demonstrated a steadiness of vary, functionality and practicality fitted to various industrial operations. Its refinement, usability and driving traits place it as a compelling various to conventional ICE and EV vans out there.
“The Kia PV5 Cargo is a well-researched and meticulously developed electrical van that instantly jumps to the highest of its class. Its subtle, versatile design and excellent real-world vary make it an distinctive product.” — James Dallas, Editor of What Van?
What units the PV5 aside globally?
Early this 12 months, What Van?’s 2025 Assessment highlighted a spread of strengths that contributed to the PV5’s excessive score, together with real-world usability, cabin consolation, dynamic stability and worth issues — all traits that reinforce the mannequin’s aggressive place throughout the international eLCV section.
The analysis additionally emphasised the PV5’s fashionable, useful design tailor-made particularly for industrial use, together with an inside that delivers passenger-car-level expertise by means of twin shows, Android Automotive OS and over-the-air functionality. Its low heart of gravity allows a extremely steady and quiet EV driving expertise, whereas versatile physique configurations — spanning Cargo, Crew and Chassis-Cab choices in a number of lengths and heights — supply sensible versatility for various operational wants. Complete commonplace options, together with superior security programs, LED lighting, a rear digital camera and climate-comfort applied sciences, additional improve the PV5’s enchantment for international industrial clients.
The PV5 has additionally been acknowledged for its broader contribution to the electrified industrial section. Its success on the What Van? Awards follows earlier recognition because the 2026 Worldwide Van of the 12 months (IVOTY), a big milestone in its first 12 months of worldwide market entry. As well as, the PV5 Passenger earned ‘Household Automotive of the 12 months’ on the BBC TopGear.com Awards 2026. Collectively, these achievements spotlight the PV5’s emergence as a next-generation industrial EV that delivers practicality, refinement and long-distance functionality.
PV5 Cargo: Vary, functionality and real-world validation
The PV5 Cargo is engineered to assist various industrial wants throughout international markets. At launch, it’s provided in L2/H1 format with two battery choices.
Key specs[1] embrace:
- Lengthy Vary (71.2 kWh): as much as 258 miles WLTP, 690 kg payload
- Customary Vary (51.5 kWh): as much as 184 miles WLTP, 790 kg payload
- Load quantity: 4.4 m³
- Motor output: as much as 120 kW and 250 Nm
- Future variants: L1/H1, L2/H2, Crew, and Chassis Cab launching in 2026
Actual-world functionality was additional confirmed in October 2025, when the PV5 Cargo achieved a Guinness World Data™ title for the best distance travelled by a light-duty battery-electric van with most payload on a single cost, masking 430.84 miles (693.38 km).
Supported by Kia’s PBV technique, the PV5 Cargo gives a sensible, sturdy and environment friendly resolution for fleets and operators in search of versatile electrical mobility tailor-made to industrial calls for.
Following the lead established by the PV5, Kia plans to introduce the bigger PV7 in 2027 and the PV9 in 2029.
[1] Based mostly on the UK mannequin. Specification could range by market.
