The Kia PV5 wins one award after another... selected as 'Van of the Year' at the 'Wat Van Awards' in the UK

Kia's first electrified purpose-based mobility (PBV), 'The Kia PV5', continues to win major international commercial vehicle awards.

Kia on the 3rd (local time), the British commercial vehicle media “What Van (What Van?)” It was announced that the PV5 cargo model was selected in the “Van of the Year (Van of the Year)” and “Compact Van of the Year (Compact Van of the Year)” categories at the “2026 Wat Van Awards” organized by this company.

PV5 was selected as “One to Watch (One to Watch)” at the “2025 Wat Van Awards” last year, and was named for the second year in a row. The Wat Van Awards is an award ceremony that selects the best brands, vehicles, and companies in the UK light commercial vehicle market, and is evaluated by a jury composed of light commercial vehicle experts from all over the UK.

PV5 received praise for its stable ride, comfortable handling, and practical design in Wat Van reviews in November, and received a score out of 10. This is the only perfect score among Wat Van's electric light commercial vehicle reviews this year.

James Dallas Watvan, editor-in-chief, said, “The Kia PV5 Cargo is an electric van that was developed with precision based on thorough research,” and “it quickly rose to the highest level in its class with a design that can be used for various purposes and excellent driving range.”

Paul Philpot, CEO of Kia's UK corporation, said, “PV5 provides excellent value to customers and is setting a new standard in the light commercial vehicle market based on a flexible platform and advanced electrified powertrain,” and “we will continue to lead electrification in the light commercial vehicle market by actively utilizing the strengths of PV5.”

Earlier, on the 19th of last month, PV5 won the “2026 World Van of the Year”, the most prestigious award in the commercial vehicle industry. It was the first Korean brand in the 34-year history of the World's Van of the Year and the first Asian electric light commercial vehicle to win the award. The award was decided unanimously by all 26 members of the jury.

The PV5 passenger model was selected as the “Family Car of the Year” at the “2026 Top Gear Awards” organized by the leading British automotive media “Top Gear.” The PV5, which is a van type, was selected for the first time in this year's Family Car category, where sports utility vehicles (SUVs) or passenger cars were selected, and became a hot topic.

In addition, the PV5 cargo model was listed in the Guinness World Records as an electric light commercial vehicle that carried the maximum payload and achieved the longest driving range of 693.38 km on a single charge.

The PV5 is Kia's new-concept mid-size PBV optimized for various personal mobility services and business environments based on the “E-GMP.S” electrification platform dedicated to PBVs. Starting with PV5, Kia will continue to expand its PBV lineup by launching PV7 in 2027 and PV9 in 2029.