Kia's PV5 has been named family car of the year at the UK’s 2026 Top Gear Awards, becoming the first van to claim the honor, the automaker announced Thursday.
According to Kia, the award underscores the PV5’s early momentum in the global electric commercial vehicle market, even though the model has begun its global launch in the second half of this year. It also represents a breakthrough for the segment, as the family car award has traditionally gone to SUVs and passenger cars rather than vans.
Top Gear editors said the PV5 — Kia’s first dedicated electric Platform Beyond Vehicle — stood out for its spacious interior, modern design, strong efficiency and competitive pricing, along with its refined driving performance and quiet cabin suited for family use. The publication also highlighted the model’s versatility, noting high expectations for the upcoming six- and seven-seater variants and the Wheelchair Accessible PV5, which will join the five-seat model already available in Europe.
The PV5 is built on Kia’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform for Service, a dedicated architecture for its PBV lineup. The mid-size model is designed to accommodate a wide range of personal mobility and commercial uses by pairing optimized hardware with integrated, data-driven software — the core of Kia’s Platform Beyond Vehicle concept.
Kia Europe President and CEO Marc Hedrich stated, “The PV5 Passenger opens a new chapter for practical electrified mobility ... This TopGear recognition reinforces that vision and will accelerate our PBV expansion in Europe.”
This recognition follows the model’s unanimous win, from all 26 judges, as the 2026 international van of the year last week, the highest honor awarded at a leading European commercial vehicle event.
Hyundai Motor Company also secured a major win at the same ceremony, with the Casper Electric being named supermini of the year. Developed to boost EV adoption in Europe, the compact electric SUV offers a robust yet city-friendly design and an estimated range of up to 368.5 kilometers, delivering strong performance even on longer drives.
This year’s wins extend Hyundai Motor Group’s Top Gear Awards streak to five years. Hyundai won major titles from 2021 to 2024 with models, including the i20 N, N Vision 74, Ioniq 5 N and Santa Fe. Kia also marks five consecutive wins, following honors for the EV6, Kia as manufacturer of the year, EV9 and EV3, now joined by the PV5’s family car of the year award.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
