Mat Watson reviews the new Kia PV5: why this electric MPV could be a winner, and a few odd quirks

I’ve just spent some time driving the new Kia PV5, and I have to admit, I liked it more than I expected to.

At first glance, this people carrier is basically a big electric box. It’s tall, square and van-based, but Kia has done a stellar job of making it feel more like a car while keeping all the practicality you’d expect from a van.

Here’s what I liked about the Kia PV5, and a few quirks I noticed along the way.

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The first thing you notice is how massive it is inside. There’s storage everywhere, including a big drawer, dashboard cubbies and space beneath the front seats. The sliding rear doors are really handy in tight spaces, while the boot gives you a whopping 1,330 litres of space. That’s way more than what you’d get in a Kia EV9. I even managed to fit 15 suitcases with room to space for even more.

There’s loads of room for passengers, too. You get three proper seats in the back,and the body is wide enough to comfortably fit three adults. There’s also a seven-seat version on the way. If space is your priority, then the PV5 is better than any SUV.

What surprised me most, though, is how it drives. The most powerful version has 160hp and does 0-60mph in around 9.1 seconds. That’s hardly sports-car territory, but it feels surprisingly nippy.

It’s also easy to drive, with light steering and great visibility thanks to its high seating position. The suspension is soft, but the low-mounted battery means it doesn’t lean excessively through corners. It feels much more car-like than I expected.

The range isn’t as quite as impressive. Kia claims up to 256 miles, but I was seeing around 210 miles in real-world driving. That’s adequate for this sort of vehicle, but not great for a big EV. You get slightly more range out of the Volkswagen ID Buzz – I managed around 2.8 miles per kWh in the Volkswagen ID Buzz, giving me a real-world range of 215 miles.

Still, the PV5 is more about carrying people and stuff than covering huge distances, so I don’t think it’s a complete dealbreaker.

Inside, there’s plenty of equipment, including heated and electric seats, plenty of USB-C charging ports and a large central touchscreen. The screen can be a bit laggy, but I like the simple controls on the steering wheel that help you turn off some driver assistance systems. Acoustic glass in the front windows also keeps things quiet at speed.

There are a few annoyances, though. The PV5 has plenty of driver assistance systems, but some are a little too keen to get involved. The lane-keeping and speed-limit warnings can become irritating, although you can switch some of them off.

I also noticed that hitting a bump while accelerating can give the steering wheel a surprisingly hard kick. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s hard to ignore.

Then there’s the price. The PV5 starts from around £30,000, with this higher-spec version costing £38,000. An equivalent VW ID Buzz is close to £56,000.

On a lease, however, the gap isn’t quite so big. The figures I was looking at put the Kia at roughly £610 a month and the ID Buzz at about £660. For that extra £50, I’d opt for the Volkswagen. It feels more special and has a more interesting interior.

However, if you’re buying outright and want as much space and practicality as possible for my money, the Kia makes a lot more sense.

I didn’t expect to like the PV5 as much as I did. It’s practical, easy to drive and surprisingly car-like. The range could be better, and some of the driver-assistance systems are annoying, but they don’t get in the way of what the PV5 does well.

If you want a big, practical EV without spending a fortune, I’d just go right ahead and buy the Kia PV5.

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