New Kia PV5 Spielraum concepts are designed for both work and play
Korean brand Kia has only just revealed its new range of vans, but is already giving us a clue to the new PV5’s full potential
Kia has revealed two PV5 Spielraum concepts at the Seoul Mobility Show, showing off how much buyers will be able to personalise the company’s new commercial vehicles. The two concepts have been built in collaboration with LG and are based around the German word Speilraum, which means playspace. Here, that applies in two ways: firstly as a mobile workspace, and secondly a more lifestyle-oriented vehicle designed for outdoor picnics.
The PV5 Spielraum Studio concept has been designed as a sort of mobile office, and is fitted with various LG home appliances, such as a coffee machine and smart mirrors. These are all powered by an AI software system that can monitor the user’s schedule and make recommendations to optimise the workflow.
By contrast, the second concept, PV5 Glow, is set up as the ultimate picnic vehicle. Inside is a campervan-like kitchen set-up, integrating appliances including a fridge, wine cooler and oven. Kia has also integrated colour-changing LG lighting panels for an extra layer of customisation.
The amazing bit about this collaboration between Kia and LG is that the intention is to bring both models to the market sometime in 2026. And beyond that, the pair will co-develop these appliances and the integration of AI technology to create some truly wild future products.
Kia will be responsible for the car’s technical elements, including the battery-electric powertrain that is available in 51.5 and 71.2kWh sizes in the existing production car. These power a front-mounted e-motor producing 161bhp and 250Nm of torque. Kia quotes a range of around 249 miles on the regular PV5, but this figure will likely drop for any production version of these concepts due to their extra weight.
Kia’s PV5 will be arriving in the UK later this year, and while it’s unlikely that we’ll see versions of these concepts in Europe, the brand is still considering a more traditional camper van, with the head of Kia’s PBV division, Sangdae Kim, telling Auto Express: “We have been studying many different use cases in the market. Camping cars is one of the important domains for our potential market, so considering our PV5, we are going to study the camping car market.”
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