CES 2024: Kia presents its new modular van concept

The fact that there were also van models under the Kia brand is little known. They were sold in Europe under the model names Besta and Pregio - and were regarded as inexpensive and unambitious alternatives in their segment. However, the Koreans have long since reinvented themselves and positioned themselves significantly higher, and the commercial vehicles on a completely newly developed, all-electric platform called PBV, which Kia has now presented at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in the US state of Nevada, fit in well with this.

The "Platform Beyond Vehicle" is not just an ordinary vehicle platform. Rather, the Koreans want to open up previously unimagined possibilities for modularization with the beautifully designed PBV types. The electric chassis including cockpit remains, but the main body module is interchangeable and not welded, meaning that one and the same vehicle can be used as a cab, a van or a large saloon, for example, by swapping the bodywork. The mechanical and electromagnetic connections can be quickly detached and reattached. Kia intends to supply the bodies in the form of standardized kits.

The first model on the new platform is called the PV 5 and will initially be launched in four variants: as a basic passenger van, as a van for freight, as a high-roof variant with more comfort and as a chassis with cab for even more luxurious applications or potentially also as a basis for motorhomes. Later comes the Robotaxi version, developed together with the supplier Aptiv; it is externally recognizable by a cluster of roof sensors and a screen for communication with the outside world. This model is to be characterized by next-generation autonomous driving functions.

The PV 5 is due to be launched in Korea in the course of next year. This will be followed in a second step by the significantly larger PV 7 and the smaller PV 1, with AI capabilities to be expanded at the same time. In a further, third step, the PV vans will become part of the "mobile ecosystem of the future": Highly equipped with apps from various providers, with fleet management software and with other AI elements, they should not only compensate for many disadvantages compared to the classic combustion engine drive, but also pave the way for new business models.

Up to 150,000 units of the PV models are expected to roll off the production line in Korea each year. The fact that Kia in particular is the Group-wide vanguard for numerous new technologies shows how agile and modern the brand has become. And its van models will in future be at the diametrically opposite end of the market to the brand's first commercial vehicles. (aum)