Kia has revealed a nifty new version of its PV5 electric van that transforms from a two-seater cargo van into a five-seater crew at the yoink of a lever. 

We’ve not seen this new magical version of Kia’s new load lugger in action, but the three-seat rear bench sits on sliding rails and features a nifty mechanism that folds the seats flat laterally. (We have driven the standard version of the van, though – check out our review...)

A moving bulkhead that’s fixed to the back of the seats then creates a barrier between the fold seats and the load bay behind. Kia says that the switch is done with one lever and doesn’t require any tools. 

In its two configurations the load bay grows from 2.4 cubic metres to 3.7 cubic metres, the load area increasing to a smidge under two metres. 

The sliding mechanism built into the floor uses an L-track mounting that Kia says can be used for a variety of other purposes, like lashing points or cargo boxes. 

The PV5 Crew also benefits from V2L tech, which means you can power electronics directly from the van’s own system. It has a 51.5kWh battery pack in standard range format for 176 miles of range, which increases to 71.2kWh in its longer range guise for almost 260 miles of range. 

The PV5’s innovative ‘skateboard’ platform allows for plenty of flexibility on Kia’s part when it comes to build the van and selling niche variants that might otherwise have been the purview of aftermarket coachbuilders. A wheelchair accessible version of the passenger PV5 is on the way, and we also spotted a flatbed version of the PV5 out testing in Korea last year.

Kia says that the PV5 Crew is going into production in Korea at the end of April, which means it’ll be another few months before we see any arriving in the UK. It also says that prices and specifications for the UK will be announced in due course.