Kia has widened the PV5 Passenger range with a seven-seat version, giving its electric van a stronger role in shuttle, taxi, and people-moving work. The United Kingdom gets the new variant first, and the model now sits at the upper end of the PV5 family.
The PV5 story started more than two years ago at the Consumer Electronics Show, where Kia introduced a modular electric vehicle built around its Platform Beyond Vehicle idea. For now, this is the main product in that lineup, ahead of future PV7 and PV9 models, with a possible PV1 also mentioned. The current PV5 already covers Cargo, Passenger, Crew, Chassis-Cab, and wheelchair-accessible versions.
This latest Passenger model changes the cabin more than the body. Until this week, the Passenger version used a five-seat configuration. Kia has now added a 2-2-3 layout, giving the van three rows while keeping the same basic footprint. Access to the second and third rows comes through sliding doors, helped by a 399 mm low step height.
The target audience is not hard to understand. Ride-hailing companies, airport transfer firms, taxi operators, and commercial shuttle services now have a Kia-branded electric van with more seats and no major mechanical departure from the rest of the range.
The seven-seat PV5 uses the Long Range setup only. That means a 71.2 kWh battery pack. The smaller Standard Range 51.5 kWh battery remains tied to the five-seat model. Kia lists a maximum range of 242 miles (390 km), while DC charging at up to 150 kW takes the battery from 10 to 80 percent in under 30 minutes.
Space numbers are still a big part of the pitch. Kia mentions best-in-class legroom of 1,041 mm, headroom of up to 1,076 mm, and shoulder room of up to 1,732 mm. Rear cargo volume stands at 318 liters with all seats in place. Fold the third row and the figure rises to 785 liters.
Alongside the seven-seater, Kia has added a new Elite trim. This version joins the existing Essential and Plus grades, bringing electric sliding doors, ventilated front seats, a surround-view monitor, and premium paint.
The PV5 Passenger 7-seat starts in the UK at £36,995 for the Essential version. The Elite grade rises to £41,975. At the exchange rates shown in the report, those figures translate to $49,650 and $56,300. That makes this new seven-seat model the most expensive PV5 Passenger currently listed.
