Kia is breaking into the UK LCV sector with a new “and disruptive” electric van business and UK-wide van centre launch from this spring.

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Dubbed Kia Professional Business Vans, the new division will debut at the CV Show from 29 April to 1 May 2025, showcasing the Kia PV5 fully electric van as a rival to the Ford E-Transit and VW ID. Buzz.

The South Korean carmaker first announced its electric vans plans in its 2020 Plan S strategy and previewed the new line-up at CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

While PBV initially referred to ‘Purpose Built Vehicle’ and ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’, the branding has been overhauled for the UK market and now stands for ‘Professional Business Vans’.

This self-explanatory term will spearhead Kia UK’s commercial vehicle business and be used for Kia’s van centres across the UK.

First to arrive is the mid-size PV5, shown in concept form at CES 2024 and aimed at sectors such as delivery, utilities and ride hailing. Built on a dedicated EV platform, it will be offered as a panel van, a chassis cab and a passenger variant in the UK. The chassis cab will stand out from the norm in the mid-size van market, straddling conventional van sizes in a move to offer “further scope for diverse customer needs and customisation”. Specification will be announced in more detail at the CV Show.

Other vehicles will follow in the brand’s multi-phase plan. At CES 2024, Kia announced a line-up running from the ‘PV7’ – the largest product in the line-up – to the ‘PV1’ at the bottom of the range, with other models expected to sit in-between.

Every Kia PBV product will come with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard. Kia’s strategic collaboration with Geotab will deliver advanced data solutions with enhanced in-vehicle technology, including native access to the Android App store on the van’s central display.

Paul Philpott, president and CEO of Kia UK, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for Kia, as we build an entirely new commercial business to deliver world-class electric vans to UK customers.

“Our first electric van, the PV5, arrives at an important time for the UK, amid an unprecedented transition towards electric power across both the car and van markets.

“Our strategy is to approach the market confidently but responsibly, launching in a phased and progressive manner to ensure each element of our commercial vehicle business is exacted with the same industry-leading standards we’re known for in the passenger car industry. This will cover dealer sales excellence, customer care, service and experience.

“Together with our industry-leading seven-year warranty that will apply to all our vans, we are confident that our new LCV range will help businesses across the country achieve their carbon reduction goals while importantly never compromising logistical requirements.

“We invite all van operators, users and drivers to come along to the show to see the Kia PV5 for themselves and learn more about how we’ll deliver Kia Professional Business Vans.”

The CV Show runs 29 April to 1 May 2025. Registration is online here.