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Seoul to roll out Kia's purpose-built vehicle as taxi this year

Published: 26 Jun. 2025, 18:11

Visitors view Kia’s first mass-produced model in its purpose-built vehicle lineup, the PV5, at the EV Trend Korea 2025 exhibition at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 3. [NEWS1]

Kia’s purpose-built vehicle (PBV), the PV5, is set to roll out as a universal design (UD) taxi in Seoul by the end of this year.

“The city has been requesting that domestic carmakers develop vehicles meeting UD taxi specifications,” a Seoul official told the JoongAng Ilbo on Thursday. “Now that the PV5 is available and well-suited for UD taxi operations, we plan to introduce it in stages starting at the end of this year.”

Seoul will begin with a pilot run of several dozen PV5 taxis in late 2025 and gradually phase out its current fleet of 810 wheelchair-accessible vehicles in favor of the new model. The city also plans to convert its roughly 20,000 corporate taxis to UD taxis, likely paving the way for a broader rollout of the PV5.

UD taxis are designed to serve a wide range of passengers, including wheelchair users, older adults and families with children. The vehicles allow seats to be folded away to accommodate a larger wheelchair model. The vehicles must have low step-in heights, high roofs and foldable seats.

Among domestic vehicles, only the PV5’s accessible version — marketed as the PV5 WAV — meets these specifications.

The WAV model features a 399-millimeter (15.7-inch) step height, which is lower than the 480-millimeter height of the Kia Carnival, a vehicle commonly used by disabled people.

The vehicle also does not have second-row seats, and the third row folds down.

With government subsidies, the PV5 WAV is expected to cost between 30 million won ($21,700) and 40 million won, and prices will likely drop further when the vehicle is supplied as a taxi.

The model uses an electric motor powered by a nickel, cobalt and manganese battery, aligning with national and municipal goals to expand eco-friendly vehicles.

Similar concepts exist abroad, such as the TX model from Britain’s LEVC — commonly known as the “black cab”— and Toyota’s Japan Taxi.

“Kia developed the PV5 not only for the wheelchair-accessible market, but also to enter the broader corporate multipurpose vehicle market,” said Kwon Yong-joo, a professor of automotive and transport design at Kookmin University. “If the PV5 succeeds, other carmakers may begin developing PBVs as well.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM HYO-SEONG [[email protected]]