As some of you likely know, the camper variant of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz has been indefinitely delayed, and that phrase usually means that for the short term, it’s not happening. Not from the factory, anyway. It’s disheartening, and it means van enthusiasts will have to hope for someone else to fulfill their factory-spec electric campervan dreams. Perhaps it could be Kia.
Yes, for the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas, Kia has worked over one of its PV5 electric van concepts to create the PV5 WKNDR concept van, and it rips. Sure, the name might be disemvoweled, but rest assured, this thing isn’t short on interesting ideas to make life off the grid a little more comfortable.
For starters, the interior is modular. Think IKEA hacking, and you’re on the right track. Basically, the plan is for everything to clip into the rails that run along the van’s interior walls, creating a certain configurability and modularity. Some people might want to camp lighter than others, some heavier, some with bunk beds, who knows? Either way, having the framework to DIY without having to do a full-on vanlife build should appeal to an audience looking to do a bit more than press a button and go.
Kia’s already shown off a whole raft of accessories from traction boards for getting unstuck from deep terrain to a canteen to little organizers for trinkets and treasures. Also, can we take a second to appreciate the Dutch doors on the back of the PV5 WKNDR, like you’d get on a Chevrolet Astro or a Ford Excursion? I know Jason made fun of these doors in the past, but for a bit of extra shelter when tailgating or camping, they’re brilliant.
Here’s another neat touch: the left sliding door doesn’t slide backward, it slides out like the wall in a big RV, taking a floor and a false ceiling with it. Not only should this move cargo to the side out of the way when the van is parked, it should also give it some shelter from the elements, which could theoretically then be wrapped up with a tarpaulin or something similar material for increased protection. Considering how space really is at a premium when someone packs their life into your vehicle, an arrangement like this would give people some additional living space.
Roof-mounted solar panels are becoming fairly standard in the vanlife world, so a nice array on top of a pop-up camper roof is on deck here. What’s less standard is what Kia calls “hydro turbine wheels,” which seem to work like the turbines in a hydroelectric dam to recharge the van’s batteries. Obviously, this feature seems less viable for production than solar panels, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t cool.
With the void left by Volkswagen not building a proper pop-top camper version of the ID.Buzz, now’s a prime opportunity for another automaker to sweep in and capture a huge slice of that battery-powered van life pie. Given that the commercial variant of the PV5 is set to enter production next year, the thought of putting something like this into production could be a lifestyle move that may pay off for Kia, building on the desirability of products like the Telluride and EV9 crossovers.
(Photo credits: Kia)
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“… the left sliding door doesn’t slide backward, it slides out like the wall in a big RV, taking a floor and a false ceiling with it. Not only should this move cargo to the side out of the way when the van is parked,… “
Err – did you even look at the photo? the “floor” of the slide-out panel is quite clearly slotting into a hole in the chassis UNDER the interior floor within the cargo area. Cargo won’t be sitting on the movable floor.
Do you think The Wknd would buy a Wkndr?
Nice that a Gorn photobombed the hero image.
I’ll take the updated Kia Soul taillights.
I’d love to hear how they propose ‘hydroturbine wheels’ would work. Do you park with one wheel in a stream and jack up a corner? Sounds very sketchy.
O is it that there’s water in the wheel, that spins a turbine as you drive, giving you FREE ENERGY? Go go perpetual motion machine!
My question, too. Perhaps it is a device one tosses into a running stream akin to a fish snag. I searched for a portable hydro electrical generator, but my Google skills failed. In a vehicle this small, storage space is a premium, so I think I would avoid hauling around something designed to get soaking wet.
Were you looking for something like the WaterLily?
https://get.waterlilyturbine.com/paddling-charger/
At 15 watts max output, it would take a six months for the WaterLily to make a noticeable difference charging an EV’s battery. The WaterLily would be useful for a Lewis & Clark type of expedition.
i was just throwing this out as an example of the basic concept.
The wheels of the Kia thing-a-ma-bobber are considerably larger than the WaterLily, so you would presumably generate higher output. Plus you have 4 wheels, so four times the output of one WL. I guess the idea is that you’d park the Kia in a stream/creek/low-water-crossing-in-a-flash-flood to recharge?
Oh, I get it:
I see no flaw in this plan.
Option 2a. Built-in air jacks ala Indy/F1 cars
Option 2b. Spinners!
Sign me up for the range extended plug-in hybrid version, please.
A profile shot is required. That looks like the most cab over cab over I’ve seen since cab over stopped being cab over.
Pretty cool looking for a plastic wheelie bin.
It’s like an overlanding Multipla from the future, I like it!
If they can do the AWD version this for less than $65K, I’m in. If it seats four, sleeps four, and I can use it to haul sheets of plywood, it’s my perfect vehicle.
With the blocky brutalistic design, at least it’s VERY Kia.
I’d like 50% of this on an awd Carnival!
Their corporate partner already makes the Staria Camper. I’d buy one tomorrow if they’d bring it here.