Plug in and camp out: Kia PV5 WKNDR concept showcases electric van life

Kia has used Milan Design Week to showcase the PV5 WKNDR, a striking camper van concept built on the same platform as the upcoming PV5 commercial vehicle. While it’s still very much a design study, the WKNDR joins the Tasman WKNDR pickup and gives a clear indication of how Kia’s future LCV range might support lifestyle conversions, particularly those geared towards leisure and adventure.

The WKNDR isn’t destined for production in its current form, but it showcases how flexible the PV5 platform can be. Designed by teams in Seoul and California, the concept blends a futuristic aesthetic with practical camping features that could influence upcoming factory-built or third-party camper conversions.

The PV5 WKNDR stands apart from other vans with its stubby front end, off-road wheels, and an open-plan side profile that replaces conventional doors with modular panels. The EV powertrain means there’s no need for a traditional bonnet, allowing designers to maximise cabin space and push the wheels to the corners for improved manoeuvrability and presence.

“We have ‘Opposites united’ as our design philosophy, and I think that WKNDR is a perfect example of this — the briefing was ‘dream big, travel smart,’” explains Jochen Paesen, Head of Future Design for Kia in Seoul. Tom Kearns, Chief Designer at Kia Design Center America, said the team wanted to merge the clean, modern feel of Kia’s future-facing vehicles with a rugged, adventure-ready look. “It looks kind of futuristic, but kind of rugged,” Kearns told Professional Van. “It creates a nice feeling when you look at it.”

The concept’s compact size is a core part of the idea. While larger campervans offer more space, the WKNDR is aimed at customers who want something easier to park in cities but still capable away from the tarmac. “The idea was about making it on a more efficient footprint that allows you to actually manoeuvre in an urban environment,” said Andre Luis, Head of Future Design at Kia Design Center America. “But once you get out, off the beaten track, you can expand the inner cabin space and, with clever engineering, it suddenly becomes this little space wanderer.”

Interior space is designed around a modular rail system known as ‘Beyond Organisation’, intended to make it easy to reconfigure storage and living areas — something likely to find its way to the PV5 van in one form or another. Kia has developed accessories, including a plug-in pantry system and an inductive cooktop that slots into electrified rails, prioritising convenience and safety, particularly in fire-prone areas like California, where open-flame cooking is discouraged.

At the core of the WKNDR’s layout is versatility. Whether it’s weekend surfing trips, long-distance hiking, or just a mobile base for small business use, the concept aims to be adaptable. The design team describes it as the “ultimate cool van” — a term coined early in the project to define a vehicle that’s aspirational yet grounded in real-world usability.

Though it carries an undeniably bold aesthetic, the WKNDR still fits within the visual language of the PV5 van range. According to the designers, the PV5 family already has a distinctive, graphical look that gave them a strong foundation. “It was kind of take that chemistry, add a bit more stance, a bit more expression, a bit more character, and you suddenly have the secret sauce,” said Luis.

Speaking to Professional Van at the event, Karim Habib, Executive Vice President of Design at Kia, confirmed that the WKNDR itself will not enter production — but the idea behind it will live on. “The car that you see here will not go into production,” he said. “But the one thing we definitely will do on the PV5 is a camper version.”

That positions the PV5 not just as a next-gen electric van for commercial use, but as a viable platform for factory-built lifestyle models. Kia has already confirmed the PV5 will be part of a broader family of vehicles, with versions likely to include people movers and delivery-focused variants.

The production Kia PV5 van is expected to arrive in the UK in 2026, with commercial variants leading the rollout.

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Phil Huff

Phil Huff, a seasoned automotive journalist since 2011, specialises in new car and van launches for national and regional newspapers, magazines, and online platforms. As the editor of light commercial vehicle publications Professional Van and Professional Pickup, Phil delivers high-quality content for a UK audience of LCV owner-operators and small business users.