Kia PBV Passenger review: the electric ‘Lego car’ that could change everything

"What on earth is that"? Asked my neighbour, as I parked up the Kia PBV Passenger outside my house at the start of the week I spent in it. As I started to explain it to him, it dawned on me that describing the PBV is far less interesting than the car itself.

Essentially, it's an all-electric platform which serves as a blank canvas for an array of different vehicles that can suit a variety of different purposes. Seriously, it's no wonder my neighbour glazed over.

What's far more engaging is to open the huge sliding doors and the massive boot and have a poke around.

The launch model sitting on my driveway is a five-seater MPV-style vehicle which has an interior big enough to hold parties in, and is aimed at showing off the sheer versatility of the template before Kia gets going turning it into all sorts of weird and wonderful vehicles.

It's often described as a bit of a Lego car, with a flat, electric base not unlike a skateboard that can have any sort of body or cabin bolted on to the top.

This was the day I found out my neighbour was a closet Inspector Gadget fan, and I think he has a point. If the PBV takes off, and I hope it does, we might see all sorts of clever creations emerging.

For example, a company can buy in the base and turn it into a lavish campervan (watch out VW). Or a delivery company might want to fashion a bespoke body to suit its bulky cargo, or it could serve as the base for a new wave of autonomous passenger pods.

All this makes the current template, essentially a rebirth of the long-lost people carrier genre, feel a trifle underwhelming - until you realise you're basically driving around in an example.

It all feels a bit utilitarian inside, but not in a bad way. The dashboard might be a symphony of function over form, but the lack of a centre console running between the seats makes it feel roomy and practical, and it's an ergonomic delight, if not a visual one.

The windows are also huge, which adds a new layer to the visibility, and the column-mounted gear selector is easier to get used to than you might think.

This being the five-seater launch model, you can think of it as a massive estate car, or a curiously empty MPV. It's not a layout that's likely to become popular, because its vast boot space is crying out for another row of seats - and that's going to happen soon.

Living with the PBV it's hard not to think back to the years when pretty much all manufacturers were peddling people carriers, and one has to wonder whether we took a wrong turn when we started to shun them for our growing SUV addiction. This amount of practicality is an absolute joy to have in your motoring fleet.

Kia has also launched a cargo version of the PBV to properly show off its load-lugging credentials, but I'm personally very excited about the seven-seater, and I can't wait to see what happens when the camper van companies get their hands on it.

Because, here's the other exciting thing about the PBV... It's really cheap. Prices start at around £33,000 and, as a template, it's going to be a very inviting prospect. Especially when you consider the only genuine electric alternative is the VW ID. Buzz which, as wonderful as it is, essentially costs double the amount.

Of course, the PBV isn't quite as nicely appointed as the Buzz. There are no electric doors yet, for example, but imagine the possibilities when the bespoke coachbuilders get to have a play with the platform.

It's important to add, however, there are some potential pitfalls on the PBV's journey to success. Firstly, this first iteration isn't exactly attractive. There's more than a whiff of Fiat Multipla about its overall external layout, and that's a car that failed to extol its own virtues to people that couldn't look past the styling.

It's less likely to be an issue these days, but range and charging speed will be. There are two battery sizes, offering 183 or 256 miles, and these of course will vary wildly on the creation that sits on top of them.

Less variable is the charging speed, and it's "only" 150kW at this stage, which isn't overly impressive.

For commercial fleets that charge overnight after a working day, that won't be an issue. But it might be for campervan owners or large families.

Something all drivers will like, though, is its road manners. For such a big, slab-sided sort-of-van, it drives remarkably well. Far better than a vehicle of its size should. It accelerates well, corners securely, and rides better than it needs to. That E-GMP platform hasn't failed to impress in other iterations it's been in, but in this phenomenally practical car, it really shines.

As a five-seater, it will only make sense if you're a family who doesn't like to travel light. As a seven-seater, it becomes one of the most affordable super-practical cars you could wish for.

As a van, it's doubtless a compelling workhorse, but I'm not really the target market, so it's difficult for me to comment.

But as a design concept, as a base on which to allow creative minds to run wild and spawn new generations of leisure, family, and commercial vehicles, it's absolutely brilliant.

Kia just doesn't seem to be putting a foot wrong right now, and this could be its cleverest step yet. It could be a game-changer.