Kia gets van oven ready
standard, with a three-seat option. T ere’s also a 7in instrument cluster and a 12.9in navigation screen, which uses an Android Automotive OS-based infotainment system. T is will allow business-specifi c applications to be used, as well as providing over-the-air (OTA) updates to the vehicle. Systems will also allow a huge amount
of proactive data to be gathered to enable predictive maintenance, keeping vehicles on the road and reducing repair time and costs. Kia also announced a partnership to
integrate Samsung's ‘SmartT ings Pro’ internet-of-things (IoT) platform into the PBV range. T is will help give businesses enhanced wireless control over connected devices through its plug-and-play system. Businesses could potentially manage IoT-enabled appliances without complex installations, connecting vans to other business environments. Kia cited the example of a small bakery owner who could pre-programme their vehicle to adjust its refrigeration system during ingredient pickups and then activate features like air conditioning and lighting upon their return to the premises. Samsung's SmartT ings Pro will also use AI to suggest and refi ne automated business routines, which can be monitored and controlled through the vehicle's system or a tablet. T e initial focus will be on pilot services for small businesses and the self-employed.
Other functions for the vans include V2L (vehicle to load) functionality in the cargo area to supply power to tools and accessories. "Every two years we are going to launch a new product; 2025, 2027 and 2029," explained Sangdae Kim, head of PBV Division, Kia Corporation. Since fi rst revealing the PV5, Kia has been talking extensively to fl eets, learning about the market and its requirements, and although a great deal of focus has
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been placed on the passenger version – you only need to look at the teaser images ahead of the reveal, which all focused on the passenger version – Kia sees a huge opportunity for the PV5 panel van. Despite the dominance of existing OEMs like Ford and Renault, as well as several new Chinese competitors, Kia is especially keen on cracking the market in Europe where it hopes to attract fl eet, SME and owner-driver customers with its van range. "We had some requests, and the market
is changing; we are allowed to be bigger and a bit heavier. T at requires some new versions,” explains Pierre-Martin Bos, director PBV, Kia Europe. “I think it is important to see that there
is this reaction, obviously it takes time to develop, but the E-GMP.S [platform] can hopefully adapt,” Bos adds. Kia is backing the new venture with a
massive investment of nearly £750m in a new manufacturing facility in South Korea. T e dedicated PBV plant, known as the ‘EVO Plant’, will use a fl exible production process, with both conveyor and cell-based systems, alongside a conversion centre for customised vehicle production. More importantly, factory-built
conversions will also be backed by the same seven-year warranty Kia will apply to the vans, when they go on sale later this year.
Last year at the PBV range unveil in Las Vegas, I was more than sceptical about the chances of Kia producing a commercial vehicle that would of autonomous Ubers and pods city environment made the whole There were a few raised eyebrows when it came to the ultra-narrow above the wheelarch level would be possible, and that this version was purely to demonstrate the in the van the PV5 made a lot commercial vehicle party that they might bring their own broom to help the margins with clever little design
George Barrow is the UK judge for the International Van of the Year, the prestigious prize awarded by leading European LCV journalists.
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