Kia's Off-Road Van And EV9 Are The Perfect Electric Escape

Kia unveiled two adventurous concepts at SEMA, the EV9 ADVNTR and the PV5 WKNDR. Both look excellent, but the adventure version of the PV5 van looks like a perfect product for modern America, filling a void never quite covered by more pedestrian commercial vans like the Ford Transit Connect. This has me excited for the PV5, which Kia says will enter production next year.

Kia isn't much of a name in the overlanding scene. Despite experimenting with a body-on-frame V-8 SUV in the Aughts with the short-lived Borrego (sold through this year as the Mohave in other markets), off-roading hasn't really been a focus for the Korean brand. The Telluride may look tough, but it's about as capable as any other crossover. And the EV9 is too low to the ground, with tires too slim for trail work. Well, the production version, anyway.

This concept is quite different.

The company unveiled the Kia EV9 ADVNTR concept at this year's SEMA show, the automotive industry's biggest aftermarket trade show. The ADVNTR concept gets a 3-inch lift over the standard EV9, with knobby tires, exposed recovery hooks, a custom roof rack and two off-road light bars to complete its overlander look. It also appears to have a pair of MaxTraxx—or a green knock-off of the ubiquitous traction boards—mounted on its roof. 

Kia says the roof rack can handle luggage containers and "bespoke" roof tents, though it's strange to claim a concept car "could support" an accessory it isn't shown with. That's the only hint we have that this may preview some production-intent design, with an accompanying accessory suite. There's no comment, there, but I can hope. 

But the EV9 ADVNTR isn't even the coolest concept. Kia already had an awesome van concept in the PV5, a vehicle that aims to disrupt the commercial vehicle market with its modular design. It's part of a family Kia calls "PBV," or "Platform Beyond Vehicles." The PV5 concept can transform between a van and a pickup, and Kia says a few versions of the PV5 are headed to production in 2025. One could even be a cheap electric pickup truck. I hope the PV5 WKNDR Concept Kia showed at SEMA is heading to the market, too.

The WKNDR is off-road adventure van that puts a Sprinter 4x4 to shame. While it's smaller and may not work as well as a motorhome, its big tires and short wheelbase mean it looks far more capable than any existing commercial van. It's got recovery hooks, too, and a utilitarian interior that looks built for the #vanlife.

There's a passenger seat that can swivel around and become a lounge-style recliner, a dining table, a roof-mounted cargo net, a modular rack system inside and a roof tent on top. Kia also included an awning, a pop-up rear window, and mount points for a shovel and other off-road tools.   

It looks incredible. And if Kia is serious about bringing the PV5 here, there's no reason the company couldn't do a van-life version. The biggest hurdle for any foreign automaker to overcome is that commercial vehicles imported from outside North America face a 25% tariff, but the company will have to overcome that anyway if it wants to sell a cargo van or pickup truck version of the PV5.

If it can build PV5s here, an adventure model designed for van camping would be a no-brainer to raise awareness and get people excited about Kia's EV offerings. Sure, it probably wouldn't have massive off-road tires, but a short wheelbase, a bit of clearance and a gob of electric torque can get you down any forest road in the country. That's plenty of capability for an adventure van.

So I hope that the PV5 WKNDR is a sign of real products to come. Kia's on a hot streak right now, and if it continues to launch new products that get people excited—from the excellent EV9 to the affordable, delightful EV3—it will cement itself as one of America's best EV brands. The company has the talent, design team and know-how to build the types of lifestyle vehicles Americans love. It just needs the courage, and the business case.