Kia PV5 Exports Rise for Third Straight Quarter... PV7 to Join Next Year

Q3 exports reach 9,570 units... cumulative exports total 26,665
Export share rises from 50.7% to 61.1%, up 10.4 percentage points
Kia targets PBV market with launch of large PV7 in second half of 2027

Exports of the Kia PV5, the automaker's first purpose-built vehicle (PBV), have increased for three consecutive quarters this year. As domestic sales slowed and overseas shipments grew, exports accounted for more than 60% of total shipments. With the PV7 also scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027, Kia is expected to step up its push into the global commercial vehicle market.

Kia PV5. PV5

According to data from the Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) on November 2, PV5 exports totaled 9,570 units in the third quarter of this year. That marked a third consecutive quarterly increase, following 8,319 units in the first quarter and 8,776 in the second. Third-quarter exports rose 9.0% from the second quarter and 15.0% from the first. Cumulative exports from January through September totaled 26,665 units.

The PV5, Kia's first dedicated electric PBV, went on sale in the second half of last year. Exports totaled 9,323 units in the fourth quarter of 2025, and the third-quarter figure this year was 2.6% higher. After securing substantial export volumes from the early days of its launch last year, the model has steadily expanded its quarterly shipments this year.

Domestic sales and exports are moving in opposite directions. Domestic PV5 sales fell 24.5%, from 8,086 units in the first quarter of this year to 6,104 in the third. Exports, by contrast, rose 15.0% over the same period. As a result, exports' share of total shipments increased by 10.4 percentage points, from 50.7% in the first quarter to 61.1% in the third.

Kia is expanding its dedicated PBV lineup, starting with the PV5. At IAA Transportation 2026, held in Hannover, Germany, in September, the company unveiled the PV7, its second dedicated PBV, for the first time globally. Larger than the PV5, the PV7 is a large electric PBV developed to serve a range of needs, including passenger transport and high-capacity freight transport.

The Kia PV7 Cargo exterior. Kia

Kia plans to launch the PV7 Passenger Long and Cargo Long models first in South Korea and Europe in the second half of 2027. It will then roll out a total of 23 derivative and conversion models in global markets in stages. The company plans to expand its PBV lineup further with the launch of the PV9 in 2029.

Kia's global annual PBV sales target for 2030 is 232,000 units. As overseas shipments of the PV5 continue to grow, the introduction of follow-up models such as the PV7 is expected to be a key factor in the future growth of Kia's PBV business.

"European cities have narrow urban roads and limited parking, and people do not travel long distances," said Lee Hogeun, a professor in the Department of Future Automotive Engineering at Daeduk University. "Electric vans are competitive in export markets because, in this environment, they can meet delivery and logistics needs and replace some existing freight vehicles."

He added, "To sustain growth, companies will need to manage not only vehicle prices but also charging convenience, battery durability, service networks and used-car prices."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.