A van teaser that opens on a campsite tells you plenty about where Kia’s head is at. The company has released its first images and a video of the PV7, the second dedicated electric model in its Platform Beyond Vehicle range, and it’s already clear this isn’t just a bigger delivery box.
Kia will pull the covers off the PV7 on September 14 at IAA Transportation in Hannover, positioning it as the larger, more capable sibling to the electric PV5. As the name suggests, it climbs higher into the light commercial vehicle segment, trading on extra room and capability, and it rides on the same dedicated E-GMP.S electric architecture as the smaller van. Crucially, Kia is developing it for both commercial and lifestyle use from the outset.
The campsite is the giveaway
Look at the setting of the teaser shots and the strategy becomes obvious. The PV7 is shown in what looks like a campsite, a strong hint that Kia plans a dedicated factory camper version of the larger van. That lines up with earlier comments from Kia’s European PBV director, who previously suggested the PV7 could eventually spawn “light camper” variants alongside the expected cargo and passenger models. Kia has also confirmed it plans to add more PV7 variants down the line.
Kia is wasting little time turning its first ground-up electric van into an entire family. To prove just how far the modular platform can stretch, the company will use the Hannover show to display a spread of PV5 body styles: Cargo L1/H1 and L2/H2 models, a chassis cab, a seven-seat passenger version, a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, and even a food truck.
How much bigger is it?
Exactly how much larger the production PV7 will be remains unconfirmed, but the 2024 PV7 concept gives us a benchmark. That concept measured 5.27 meters long. Depending on body style, the PV5 spans between 4.695 and 4.890 meters, which made the concept roughly 38 to 57.5 cm longer — the equivalent of about 15 to 23 inches of extra van.
Despite the growth spurt, the PV7 stays instantly recognizable as part of the same family. Its upright one-box body carries over the PV5’s high-mounted lighting, contrasting black hood and pillar trim, and protective cladding. It looks more planted, though, with what appear to be wider flared fenders, while the vertical taillights gain extra plastic elements top and bottom and a fresh lighting signature to set it apart from the rear.
Production dimensions, powertrain details, and pricing all remain under wraps until the September 14 reveal. But the message from a single teaser is already loud enough: Kia isn’t building one van, it’s building a range — and it wants your weekend as much as your workweek.
