Kia Enter PBV With 'Flexible Body System' Based PV5
Jul 17, 2025
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The flexible body system is a PBV-specific technology that flexibly develops and produces various specifications by modularizing major parts of the ▲ body ▲ moving (door, tailgate, etc.) ▲ exterior ▲ interior with a new design and production method called "body that assembles like Lego blocks."
Kia applied the flexible body system to PV5 for the first time, securing design flexibility and production efficiency optimized for the development of a variety of vehicles based on customer needs, as well as structural stability and ease of maintenance of the body.
PV5 is designed to selectively combine body and exterior parts such as rear overhang, tailgate, quarter glass, and roof by modularizing the front and first row structures into the same common part of the entire model.
Through this, Kia has established a system that can expand the PV5's body lineup to up to 16 types, and has developed a total of seven types as basic bodies, including ▲ Passenger (long) ▲ Cargo Compact (3 doors/4 doors), ▲ Cargo Long (3 doors/4 doors), and ▲ Cargo High Roof (3 doors/4 doors).
This design and development provides high compatibility and flexibility by reflecting customer preferences according to customer needs and changes in the market environment.
For example, the PV5 Cargo Long is manufactured by moving the Cargo Compact's 'Rear Overhang Module' to the back and adding a 'Long Body Module' between the D Pillars to increase the battlefield, and can be easily converted to a passengers body by replacing the 'Quarter Glass Module' and the 'Tail Gate Module'.
Kia applied "assembled rear-side around garnish" and "exoskeleton annular structure" to ensure safety and convenience of maintenance while responding flexibly and quickly to new customer needs.
The prefabricated rear-side round garnish is applied to the outside of the side body after the D-pillar, and is made of a plastic composite material that is easier to form than a general steel panel, so it can be manufactured and applied in various sizes and shapes depending on the vehicle's battlefield, electricity, and use (passenger, cargo, etc.).
Kia also secured customer maintenance convenience and maintenance cost savings by configuring the rear-side round garnish in three pieces to easily replace the damaged area in case of rear collision or scratch.
In addition, based on the prefabricated garnish structure, an 'exoskeleton annular structure' that thickly extends the body frame to the outside has been applied to improve the structural stability and NVH performance of the body.
In the case of long-body models, this structure is designed as an "exoskeleton dual annular structure" that is double applied to the rear overhang extension part (long-body module) and the rear side (rear overhang module) to further strengthen the rigidity of the body.
In addition, on the outside of the body in front of the D-pillar, a two-row sliding door and a steel panel distinguished by the presence or absence of quarter glass were produced in only two molds, which can be applied to various bodies, maximizing development and production efficiency.A flexible body system is also applied indoors so that customers can use it in various ways according to their use.
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The luggage side trim located in the trunk space is operated in a total of seven types depending on body specifications and customer needs, and it also supports a customized space configuration that can be equipped with various supplies such as Kia Ad Gear and L-Track mounting.
Kia plans to introduce various models of PV5 sequentially, starting with mass production of PV5 passengers (2-3-0) and cargo long models this month, and launch large-class PBVs in 2027 to expand its product portfolio and lay the foundation for responding to various customer needs in the PBV market.
The concept of assembling Lego block-type modules, which is different from the previous one, was a challenging task in the beginning, but as a result, it has created a turning point in the new vehicle development method that fits the PBV era. We will continue to innovate technology to effectively provide customized vehicles that can respond to changes in customers' various lifestyles and business environments.
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Meanwhile, Kia will hold a media event at Ibex Studio in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do on the 22nd (Tue) to introduce the core technologies and specialized marketability of PV5, including flexible body systems.
Editor Kim Tae-jin, tj.kim@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
