News from the Solutrans 2025 Commercial Vehicle Show

Solutrans in Lyon was a successful event for our French colleagues and also offered several exciting industry updates. Among the highlights were new launches from Kia, Renault and Flexis.

Kia Launches the PV5 Chassis Cab

Kia unveiled the PV5 Chassis Cab for the first time – the next model release in the Platform Beyond Vehicle series. Despite its compact length of under five meters, the model offers a payload capacity of up to 1,005 kilos and a cargo volume of up to eight cubic meters.

The PV5 Chassis Cab is said to have been developed in close collaboration with several European bodybuilders and will primarily be sold as a bare chassis for customer-specific builds. However, it will also be available as a complete vehicle from the start, with options such as flatbeds, tipper beds or box bodies.

The estimated sales start is this December, with customer deliveries expected in March 2026.

New Renault Trafic E-Tech – Platform Developed by Newcomer Flexis

Renault presented another major highlight of the show with the launch of the all-new Trafic E-Tech Electric, featuring, among other things, 800V fast charging and V2L functionality that allows external electrical equipment to be powered directly from the battery. The cargo volume is 5.1 m³ for the L1 version and 5.8 m³ for the L2 version. In addition to the panel van, chassis versions with flatbed, tipper and box body solutions are planned.

The platform has been developed by Flexis, the joint company and brand created by Renault and Volvo Trucks, founded on the need for efficient urban logistics and the growing demand for electrification in cities.

Flexis, which also exhibited at the show, is launching its own product family consisting of the Flexis Panel Van, Flexis Cargo Van and Flexis Step-in Van.

Production for both the new Renault E-Tech and the Flexis models will begin in the second half of 2026 in Sandouville, France.

Awards

The Kia PV5 Cargo won the title Van of the Year, and the Ford Ranger PHEV Hybrid received the award for Pickup of the Year.