Kia PV5 Lands Prestigious International Van of The Year 2026 Title
The all-new Kia PV5 Cargo has been crowned International Van of the Year 2026 (IVOTY) after earning a unanimous verdict to clinch the prestigious industry award.
The PV5 Cargo represents the Kia’s maiden entry into the commercial vehicle market as the Korean firm looks to extend its immense success in the passenger car sector to a new division.
The Kia PV5 Cargo is built on an all-new platform, known as PBV (Platform Beyond Vehicle) and boasts modular ‘skateboard’ underpinnings that can be extended for different size vehicles. It means the platform will go on to spawn larger PV7 and PV9 vans in the coming years.
Regardless, the PV5 Cargo is a stellar debut for Kia with the electric van – whose dimensions place it between the small and medium van classes – praised for its realistic 258-mile range, flexible packaging, generous seven-year warranty and impressive cloud-based technology.
IVOTY 2026 comprised 26 industry specialists on a jury that decided the winner during the Solutrans show in Lyon.
Jarlath Sweeney, Chairman, IVOTY, said: “Well done to Kia on winning the 34th International Van of the Year Award for 2026.
“The PV5 is the first of a batch of new light commercial models due from the Korean brand in the next few years, so we will hear a lot more from Kia in due course. As we know Kia cars have won numerous accolades, now it’s the deserved turn for its new van division.”
On a big evening for all-new brands, the Farizon SV was another notable performer as it finished second behind the Kia PV5 Cargo.
The all-new brand – created and managed by Chinese automotive giants Geely – earned several notable scalps too, beating the Ford E-Transit Courier into third place, while the Volkswagen Transporter, Volkswagen Crafter/MAN TGE and Ford Transit were beaten into fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
