Kia‘s PV5 fully electric van was spotted roadtesting in the United States on Tuesday, images shared by the American outlet Car and Driver showed.
The South Korean brand’s first dedicated light commercial EV was unveiled a year ago, in Spain, with a subsequent launch in the second half of 2025 in South Korea and Europe.
The model was spotted in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with marker lights at the front and rear.
Since these features are required for any vehicle in the US, and are typically not found on units sold elsewhere, Car and Driver believes that “Kia could potentially be evaluating the possibility of bringing the PV5″ to the country.
The company announced that it will launch the Cargo variant of the PV5 in the Canadian market in the final months of this year.
However, the US debut is still unconfirmed.
Kia PV5 Specs
The fully electric PV5 comes in two main Passenger and Cargo variants sold in South Korea and Europe, with Crew and Chassis Cab versions available in select markets.
The Passenger trim is priced from 47,820,000 won ($32,800) in South Korea and €38,290 ($45,200) in Germany, while the Cargo starts at 42 million won and €39,190, respectively — $28,800 and $46,300.
The new Open Bed version debuted in South Korea last week, starting at 43.45 million won – equivalent to $29,800.
The full electric van measures 4,695 mm in length and between 1,899 mm and 1,923 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2,995 mm.
The PV5 Passenger is equipped with either a 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh battery pack, delivering a WLTP range of up to 183 or 256 miles, respectively.
The trim can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h (0-62km/h) in 12.8 or 10.7 seconds, depending on its version.
The Cargo variant features the same battery packs as the Passenger version.
However, it can achieve a maximum combined WLTP range of 184 or 258 miles and provide 0-100 km/h acceleration in between 12.4 and 16.2 seconds, depending on the configuration.
Kia aims to launch a total of seven PV5 variants — including the PV7 and PV9 — which are set to debut next year.
New Kia Models
At last month’s Brussels Motor Show, Kia globally launched its EV2 SUV — becoming the brand’s smallest and most affordable EV model.
Hyundai‘s subsidiary has not disclosed pricing for the model, but it is expected to start at approximately €30,000 in Europe, equivalent to about $35,400.
This month, Kia started selling the 2026 K4 Hatchback in the US, with a starting price of $24,890.
After being unveiled at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, the new flagship 2027 Telluride SUV is scheduled to debut this quarter.
The model will offer ICE and hybrid options, with the former’s price starting at $39,190 (excluding taxes) for an FWD LX trim, as confirmed by the automaker.
Kia’s US Sales
Last year, Kia registered 852,155 vehicles across all powertrains in the US, setting a new annual record for the brand in the nation.
In the first month of 2026, 64,502 units were sold in the country — a 13.1% rise compared to January 2025.
Even though Kia‘s electrified vehicles in general jumped year-on-year by approximately 45.0%, sales of its fully electric models slumped last month in the US.
The registrations of the EV9 three-row SUV fell by 45.3% to 674 vehicles last month from 1,232.
However, the EV6 crossover SUV suffered a steeper decline, dropping 65.0% to 540 from the 1,542 units recorded a year ago.
