A poster for Kia's 5th PBV Idea Contest [Kia]
A poster for Kia's 5th PBV Idea Contest [Kia]

Kia announced Tuesday it will hold its 5th PBV Idea Contest.

Kia has been running the PBV (purpose-built vehicle) idea contest since 2022 to gather diverse consumer insights and incorporate them into the actual PBV development process.

This year's contest aims to develop products and services linkable to the PV5 — Kia's first dedicated PBV model — and will be held across five categories: conversion, accessories, solutions, business and general.

The conversion category targets businesses that operate or have capabilities in the special-purpose vehicle sector. Entrants are asked to submit ideas and commercialization plans related to structural and functional improvements or specialized modifications to the vehicle, taking into account the operational characteristics of various industries where the PV5 could be deployed.

The accessories category is open to specialized companies with capabilities in planning and manufacturing modular vehicle accessories. It seeks ideas for products — including dedicated accessories, cargo modules, storage solutions and interior/exterior space utilization — that can enhance the value of various PV5 conversion models.

The solutions category targets startups and software developers operating mobile app services. It looks for PBV-specific apps that integrate proprietary app services with the PV5's in-vehicle infotainment system to improve the customer experience across areas such as logistics, utility, mobility for the transportation-disadvantaged and camping.

The business category, open to companies, institutions, organizations and prospective entrepreneurs, will select business models or service innovation ideas that can generate new revenue streams by leveraging the PV5's spatial versatility and operational efficiency across various industries.

The general category is open to anyone — including members of the public and small business owners — and invites freely submitted creative improvement ideas for the PV5 that could be applied to everyday life or work from the perspective of actual users.

Those wishing to participate in the 5th PBV Idea Contest can submit entries through the contest's official website until Oct. 31.

Kia will evaluate submissions based on factors including marketability and business viability, and plans to select 16 teams in total: one grand prize winner across all categories (10 million won ($7,070)), one excellence award winner per category (3 million won each) and two merit award winners per category (1 million won each), for a combined prize pool of 35 million won.

In addition, Kia said it will continue to pursue various collaborations to ensure that standout ideas discovered through the contest can lead to actual product development, pilot programs and commercialization, and be applied across the broader PBV ecosystem.

"Through this contest, we hope to gather diverse perspectives on products, services and content that can be linked to the PV5, and to create opportunities to collaborate with outstanding companies — ultimately building a more advanced PBV ecosystem," a Kia official said. "We will continue to introduce a wide range of PV5 conversion models and build out our PBV lineup to meet customer needs."

Meanwhile, Kia has been rapidly expanding the range of PV5 applications, most recently unveiling a healthcare demonstration model — a medically converted version of the PV5 Cargo Long — at the 2026 Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show.


likehyo85@heraldcorp.com