Kia’s Trendy New Camper Van One-Ups The PV5 In Nearly Each Means

If you grew up within the Eighties or 90s, you bear in mind when minivans dominated the suburbs. You and your folks would pile into one to hit up the mall or carpool to soccer follow. They have been a preferred alternative for households, however SUVs rose to domination, providing a “cooler” vibe whereas nonetheless offering loads of cargo and passenger area. As the average price of a new car hovers near $50,000, nevertheless, some households are starting to rethink the minivan. In 2025, minivan gross sales jumped 21%.

If you need to get an electrical minivan, the one one presently on the market right here is the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, and a pause on manufacturing has restricted its availability. It will return for the 2027 mannequin 12 months, however Kia’s PV7 may supply competitors — if it was slated for launch within the U.S. Unfortunately, it is going to solely be obtainable in Europe and South Korea, a minimum of for now.

The PV7 expands Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle, or PBV, lineup, which debuted with the electrical PV5 van in 2025. It’s about two ft longer than the PV5 and can are available passenger and cargo variants. The PV7 will come normal with a 71.5 kWh battery, which is an optionally available choice on the PV5. If you need to go even additional, this new electrical van may even be bought with a 96.2 kWh battery. But that is not all this minivan has to supply.

Minivan buyers are typically looking for excellent fuel efficiency (or in terms of EVs, vary) and considerable inside cargo and passenger area. The PV7 shouldn’t disappoint on both. Much just like the PV5, it gives a flat flooring, however whereas the PV5 gives room for as much as seven passengers, the passenger model of the PV7 can maintain as much as 9. Additionally, the PV7’s structure gives straightforward motion between the entrance and rear seats with seats that swivel for face-to-face configuration.

The PV5 has a most WLTP-rated driving vary of 256 miles, which roughly interprets to about 205 EPA-rated miles. The long-range cargo model of the PV7 will supply a spread of 289 miles and the power to cost from 10% to 80% in about 20 minutes. While the PV5 has a typical 400-volt electrical structure, the PV7 can have 800-volt charging and will probably be appropriate with ultra-fast chargers.

While the PV5 is obtainable solely in front-wheel drive in each the passenger and cargo fashions, Kia plans to supply a dual-motor, all-wheel drive configuration on the PV7, although it is going to first launch as a 268-horsepower, single-motor car with front-wheel drive. The cargo model will probably be supplied in two- and three-seat configurations and in common, lengthy, and excessive roof fashions. Buyers can choose both a twin-swing tailgate or lift-up tailgate.

Kia’s latest electrical van has vastly totally different exterior styling in comparison with the Carnival, its solely minivan providing within the U.S. It has a boxy, upright, and ultra-modern design, with a blunt nostril and vertically oriented headlights. It could not attraction to American consumers who do not historically embrace the cab-forward design.

Inside, the cabin has a 14.6-inch touchscreen and a digital gauge cluster. It additionally boasts Kia’s new Android OS-based Pleos Connect system, which is designed to really feel extra like a smartphone. It has an open app market and an AI-powered voice assistant for navigation, car features, and extra. Like the PV5, the PV7 additionally has the Kia Business Solutions Portal, which permits fleet managers to extra simply keep the autos. Innovative security options embrace Pedal Misapplication Safety Assist 2.0, which helps cut back the chance of unintentional acceleration.

The PV7 is each wider and longer than the PV5, making it an ideal choice for a camper van conversion. Several companies offer camper van conversions of the PV5. In the UK, Sussex Campervans, which has transformed the PV5 for campers, already introduced plans to do the identical with the PV7 with two totally different layouts. Kia plans to launch the PV7 in Europe and Korea within the latter half of 2027. At time of writing, the automaker has not introduced plans for a U.S. launch.