Kia PV5 Cargo first drive: Big things have small beginnings

Six hours in Oslo, Norway, spent driving Kia’s new PV5 Cargo electric panel van were six hours well spent. This vehicle has been making headlines since it was first announced back in January 2024, and with good reason. Kia’s reputation for making well-priced electric cars makes any new launch a noteworthy event, but this is its first light commercial vehicle. We have a new player in the e-LCV market, one we’ve already covered extensively as UK pricing and specification was revealed, when it launched (alongside several other new electric vans) at 2025’s Commercial Vehicle Show and further information flooded in just recently.
But the e-LCV market is not an easy place to make waves. It’s packed with product, is set to see a raft of new electric van launches from major manufacturers, and it requires an understanding that a big proportion of the audience you’re aiming to sell to still needs some convincing. It means that Kia’s reputation for making good electric vehicles earned with electric cars will be put to the test, putting the company in an optimistic position while providing a slightly harsher measuring stick to judge the vehicle by. But when you consider that the entry-level model in the UK will cost £27.6K excluding VAT and the full £5000 reduction provided by the Plug-In Van Grant, this van stops being a curiosity and becomes something more seismic. It’s true that Kia’s first electric van plays it safe. It draws on the company’s proven ability to make good electric cars and transfers that into a van. It’s not the most powerful on the market, nor is it the most practical, but the cabin is roomy, the range is good for its size class, pricing is amazing and it’s covered by a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. It’s clear that Kia wants the PV5 to be the whole package, which is why it doesn’t have to overperform in any one area, it just has to come together perfectly. And for the price, it’s about as close to perfect as you could reasonably ask for. Let’s get into it.

We were lucky enough to drive the PV5 Cargo on a variety of conventional road surfaces including motorway, town and winding Norwegian roads. This has given us a good impression of its abilities, aside from the vehicle not being loaded with any cargo. The model we drove was the Long Range version with the bigger 71.2 kWh battery and 120 kW motor outputting around 163 brake horsepower and providing around 250+ miles of range. We’re told this vehicle is as close to the incoming UK version at the highest trim level. So, let’s take the surfaces in step.

Motorway driving

Motorway driving was as smooth as you’d expect, acceleration was lurch-free and powerful, allowing us to get up to speed and able to weave through the traffic. The vehicle’s small size allowed us to slot in and out of traffic as required with little bother. Usefully, blind spot cameras on the door mirrors feed into the driver information display behind the steering wheel and provide a nice view of the lanes around you when the indicators are activated. Notably, the vehicle is very quiet to drive even at speed.

Hill roads

The next stage of the test drive were some excellent Norwegian hill roads that wound up and down inclines. There was some roll in the corners, most likely because it was unloaded, but nothing that felt uncontrollable. It handled steep inclines easily with no noticeable loss of power and it always felt like the vehicle still had plenty to give. We experienced no loss of traction, something we saw highlighted in other reviews.

Town roads

We also drove on some town and city roads during our time with the PV5 Cargo, and found it to be a solid urban vehicle capable of confident low-speed cruising. It was in this environment that the vehicle’s excellent turning circle was revealed as we were able to turn the vehicle round in a very tight car park on the edge of a dock.

Driving conclusions

Overall, the vehicle’s got the goods when it comes to driving performance. It’s quiet and confident, has a variety of drive modes to choose from, and packs enough power to cope with all types of roads. It’s not the most exciting electric van to drive, but then it doesn’t really need to be. Some of its competitors are more powerful, the Volkswagen ID.Buzz Cargo for one, but as said earlier the PV5 Cargo is more about the whole package than excelling in one category.

For a small van, the PV5 Cargo’s cabin is very roomy with Kia making good use of the space. Wherever you turn there’s a storage cubby, drawer or compartment to stash bits in. Our favourite storage areas are the drawer in the middle of the console and Above the driver’s screen is another storage compartment with a pop-top lid. The doors have plenty of storage in them, with room for a couple of drinks bottles.
Visibility is pretty good with the windscreen providing a clear forward view and nice big side windows with a low sill for flank visibility. The A pillar is quite thick and can obscure some obstacles and traffic, but leaning around solved the issue. It’s not ideal to be leaning all over the place, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker. The door mirrors are large but not imposing and provide good awareness of surrounding traffic, although the inclusion of blind spot cameras that activate a small video feed on the driver display when the indicators are activated is an inspired choice by Kia. The seats are very comfortable and heated at the highest trim level, with the driver getting an armrest in the middle. Just two seats are offered so far, with a three-seat option coming in 2026, but a third person would definitely be squeezed in. Despite not getting its own armrest, the passenger seat (like the driver seat) benefits from a cushioned rest on the door sill for your elbow. The dominating features of the cabin are undoubtedly the digital screens: one big 12.9-inch screen in the middle of the dashboard (edged slightly closer to the driver than the passenger) and a seven-inch screen behind the steering wheel. The main screen features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, but the base system is easy to navigate even if some of the touch screen controls are a little small and fiddly for those of us with bigger fingers. Overall, it’s a modern cabin with good comfort levels and excellent storage. Kia’s experience of making comfortable car interiors is on display here, with just enough van-style durability and tough plastics to sell the package.

The L2H1 model we drove provides 4.4 cubic metres of load volume in a 2.2m long by 1.5m high and 1.5m wide load space. The width between the wheel arches is over 1.3m meaning Euro pallets will fit in there. The bigger L2H2 model (coming soon) will increase that load volume to 5.1 cubic metres. At the rear end, the load height is just 40cm and even lower at the side door (or doors if you fancy another) making it a very easy cargo area to access. Although watch your head on the rear door catches at the top of the aperture, they do stick out a bit.
Payloads vary across the range, sitting between 665 kg on the Long Range four-door version and 790 kg on the Standard Range three-door version. Lashing points line both sides of the load floor providing plenty of places to secure your loads to. The version we drove was not ply-lined, but we imagine this will be an option and is often provided free if you lease one.

A cyberpunk’s dream come true. While recognisably a van, the Kia PV5 Cargo is a good example of what we can expect aesthetically from future electric vans in general. Sweeping curves at the front end, interesting light structures, lots of glass, shiny surfaces and a screen-dominated interior. It’s low to the ground giving it a sporty edge with attractive wheels and a boxy back end. It looks great from all angles and certainly drew some impressed glances from pedestrians as we glided through Oslo city centre. It will stand out on UK roads, for sure.

Let’s be real: the Kia PV5 Cargo is the whole package and sets a new bar for small electric vans. As said, it doesn’t excel in any one area, but it all comes together perfectly. Once you do the maths and set the features against the price, the Kia PV5 Cargo is incredibly hard to argue against. It makes us very excited to see customer reactions on launch, and even more excited about the next vans Kia plans to bring to market. Big things have small beginnings, and Kia has thrown down a gauntlet with the PV5 Cargo.

We recently ranked the best electric vans by range. You might also want to have a look at our article about the best electric pick-up trucks currently available if you need something to drive for business and pleasure.
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