KIA announces a pickup variant of its PV5 commercial vehicle

KIA has just taken an important step forward in its Platform Beyond Vehicle strategy, which aims to carve out a place in the competitive electric commercial vehicle market, thereby becoming a relevant player alongside other brands that have been well established for years. Following this path, the South Korean manufacturer has just presented a new pickup variant of its PV5 commercial vehicle, which we have already discussed on other occasions here at HighMotor.

This new model, under the name Open Bed, is already available for reservation in South Korea, where its base price starts at 43.45 million won, which at the current exchange rate comes to just under 28 thousand euros. It should be noted, however, that with the government grants and discounts for electric vehicles offered in this Asian country, its final price can drop even slightly below 30 million won, which would amount to just under 21 thousand euros.

The new KIA PV5 Open Bed is exactly the same as the conventional model up to the B-pillar, but from there on it incorporates a metal panel that gives way to an open cargo box. It is important to point out that this modification eliminates a possible second row of seats and features only the two front seats.

As for its dimensions, it barely exceeds five meters in length – 5.04 meters to be exact – while its width reaches 1.90 meters, with a height of 1.95 meters. The wheelbase, on the other hand, is 2,995 mm. The cargo area measures 2.42 meters long by 1.75 meters wide, which makes it a truly practical vehicle for logistics uses, or even in other sectors such as agriculture, although it does not offer off-road capabilities.

Available configurations of the new PV5 Open Bed

In the South Korean market it is sold in two trims, Basic and Plus, and is available with two battery packs to choose from. The first of these, with 51.5 kWh of capacity, offers a combined range of 250 km, while the higher-capacity one, with 71.2 kWh, allows it to travel up to 330 km on a single charge.

Following the July 2025 presentation of the PV5 in its Cargo and Passenger variants, this new Open Bed variant is the first to arrive additionally several months later. For now, it is unknown whether the PV5 Open Bed will also reach Europe.

In Europe, KIA showed in November 2025 at the Solutrans fair held in the French city of Lyon the PV5 Chassis-Cab version, which serves as a basis for conversions. On this chassis it is already possible to order in Germany a variant with a flat platform, and at the fair itself an example converted into a food truck was on display.

Both the Chassis-Cab and the Cargo and Passenger variants are built on the dedicated E-GMP.S platform – Electric Global Modular Platform for Service – designed specifically for the brand’s PBV commercial vehicles.