Kia PV5 Could Be the ID. Buzz Alternative Everyone Wanted

• This comparison between the Kia PV5 and the VW ID. Buzz makes one look sensible and the other like a splurge.
• The PV5 costs about half as much as the Buzz, making it feel surprisingly upmarket for the price.
• Kia hasn’t ruled out bringing the PV5 to America and one was spotted testing in the U.S. earlier this year.

Watching this comparative review of the new Kia PV5 and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, it looks like Kia might be on to a real winner. The Korean contender costs half as much as the German, it has more interior load volume, it still feels premium inside and the design isn’t trying to relive some 1960s fantasy.

This comparison didn’t make the VW look too appealing, even if it’s still a very good vehicle that, in theory, doesn’t address the same buyers as the Kia. It’s a more premium proposition, and it certainly looks and feels it, but the Kia isn’t far off, with a cool futuristic design theme inside and out, nice hard-wearing materials, and plenty of fancy features of its own, like heated seats in the second row.

Even though its footprint on the road is smaller, the Kia has more interior room than the VW when you fold the second row. You can only get it as a five-seater for now, but a seven-seater version is on the way and Kia is also considering offering electric sliding doors just like the ones on the Buzz.

The PV5 is the first model built on the new E-GMP.S (Electric-Global Modular Platform for Service) architecture, which is modified from the front-wheel-drive version of E-GMP used in cars like the EV3, EV4 and EV5. This makes the PV5 feel a lot like a regular car to drive, basically like a more upright version of the aforementioned front-wheel drive EVs that Kia already sells.

The base battery pack has 51.5 kilowatt-hours and powers a 122-horsepower motor in the front, while if you get the larger 71.2 kWh battery, it also increases power to 163 hp. With the big battery, the PV5 provides up to 258 miles (416 km) on one charge. Kia managed to drive a fully loaded cargo version of the PV5 for 431 miles (693 km) on a single charge in real-world traffic in Germany, showing that it had no trouble exceeding the claimed range.

Charging from 10-80% takes around 30 minutes, thanks to a peak charging power rating of 150 kilowatts.

Electrifying says it’s nice and pleasant to drive, with light steering, excellent all-around visibility, and a great turning circle radius for a vehicle of its size. It’s not quite as refined at higher speeds as the Buzz, and its cabin is definitely noisier, but it’s still a pleasant place to be on a long journey, even if you get the middle seat in the rear.

What will make the PV5 successful is its affordability, while the ID. Buzz struggles to find buyers. In the U.S., Volkswagen will pull the plug on the Buzz, leaving the segment open for the PV5 if Kia ever decides to offer it here. One PV5 was spotted in the U.S. this summer, so Kia is perhaps testing it on U.S. roads, hinting at a possible future launch.