Kia confirmed last month at the 2026 Philippine International Motor Show that the fully electric PV5 commercial van is coming to the local market in the near future. It’s actually already landed in other nearby markets like Australia, and the folks at the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) wasted no time putting it to the test.
The results? ANCAP gave the Kia PV5 Cargo a Platinum grade with an overall performance score of 91%. It was tested along a batch of other cargo vans in the Australian market, and was just one of two vans in the batch of five to net that same grade.
Watch: ANCAP tests the Kia PV5 Cargo
You may have noticed a lack of stars in this rating, and that’s no mistake. For this round of testing, ANCAP assessed the PV5 Cargo for the performance of its collision-avoidance features. Crash testing and passenger protection is a different methodology entirely, and grading for that is done with the star system most readers might be familiar with.
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ANCAP thoroughly put the PV5’s ADAS package through its paces. For example, the testers evaluated the automatic emergency braking (AEB) function in three scenarios: car-to-car, car-to-pedestrian, and car-to-cyclist. The AEB worked well in scenarios with cars and cyclists, netting it a ‘Good’ rating; its performance with pedestrians was functional but not quite as effective, giving it an ‘Adequate’ rating in that category.
Other safety features rated ‘Good’ include occupant status monitoring (features that detect driver fatigue and distracted driving), lane-keeping assists, and speed-limit alerts. The one feature ANCAP noted as missing, though, is AEB while reversing.
All in all, the Kia PV5 Cargo demonstrated its safety features well enough for ANCAP to merit a 91% Platinum rating. Other cargo van models in the batch include the Volkswagen Transporter, the Peugeot Boxer, and the Fiat Ducato and Scudo. Notably, only the VW managed to score higher at 93%; the remaining three vans scored Gold with scores of 77% for the Boxer and Ducato, and 67% for the Scudo.
We’re curious: how well will these safety features work in the real world, especially on Philippine streets? Hopefully this Platinum rating bodes well for its local performance. With EVs steadily growing in presence in the commercial sector, we’d say it won’t be long before these Kias start becoming a common appearance on the road.
