The Kia PV5 has been named as the winner of the International Van of the Year 2026 with its brand-new electric van and first attempt at an electric light commercial vehicle.
The Kia PV5 Cargo beat strong competition from fellow electric van rival Farizon, as well as Ford, MAN and Volkswagen.
Kia’s new global commercial vehicle is the first model of three planned to launch before 2030, with the compact medium sized PV5 being joined by a more conventional medium van called Kia PV7 and a larger Kia PV9 and is part of their Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) range. There is also a people mover version called the Kia PV5 Passenger, which is available in 5-, 6- and 7-seat configurations.
Runner up was the Farizon SV with the Ford E-Transit Courier completing an all-electric podium.
Volkswagen Transporter’s as well as the revised Crafter and sister model MAN TGE were also shortlisted alongside the Ford Transit Connect PHEV and the revised, bigger battery, Ford E-Transit.
The International Van of the Year (IVOTY) jury, made up of 26 specialist LCV journalists, voted unanimously to elect the Kia PV5 as the 2026 winner.
Kia’s PV5 is an electric modular van design built on a dedicated electric vehicle skateboard platform, called E-GMP.S, a commercial vehicle version of the E-GMP platform, it's built at the Hwaseong plant in South Korea.
The prize was presented at the Solutrans 2025 Gala Banquet at EurExpo in Lyon, by Jarlath
Sweeney, IVOTY chairman, who congratulated Kia on its inaugural win.
“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 I’m sure we will hear a lot more from Kia in due course,” Sweeney said.
Accepting the award were Marc Hedrich, president of Kia Europe, and Sangdae Kim, executive vice president and head of PBV division at Kia Corporation.
Marc Hedrich said: “While we always believed in the Kia PV5 ever since its launch, we are humbled by its acknowledgement: Earlier this year the PV5 Concept earned Red Dot Design recognition. Just a few weeks ago, we set a Guinness World Record, proving the Kia PV5’s real-world capability and advanced engineering."
"Winning the prestigious International Van of the Year Award is a true honour and a strong endorsement from some of the most respected journalists in the LCV industry - especially as the first vehicles are just arriving in Europe. Though new to the LCV market, this achievement confirms Kia’s readiness to deliver engineering, design and practicality - strengthening our position as a leading mobility solutions provider. Our sincere thanks go to the IVOTY jurors for this recognition and to all Kia employees for their dedication”.
Sangdae Kim added: “In 2022, we launched our PBV division with a clear ambition: to redefine the LCV market through innovation, something Kia has always stood for. The Kia PV5 brings that vision to life, and receiving the International Van of the Year Award with our very first PBV model confirms we are heading in the right direction."
"The PV5 has been developed by actively listening to customer voices, with every detail thoughtfully designed to meet real-world business needs. This award marks an important milestone, yet our journey to deliver meaningful value to customers continues as we expand the PBV lineup," Kim added.
Also presented at the Solutrans Gala was the winner of the International Pick-Up Award 2026/27, which went to the Ford Ranger PHEV.
The Ranger PHEV beat competition from Ineos, and Chinese brands Foton and Maxus. Ford's win is the fourth time in 15 years that they have won the prestigious biennial award.
