PV5 Adventures

This one is for the nerds and the brave.   If you have followed my previous blog post and had a tinker with the PV5 Mixed Reality app, and know how to drive modelling software, it's possible to extract the full Kia PV5 model from the app, this could be useful for measuring and creating adaptions. I'm going to keep the instructions here brief and to the point, and they assume some tech knowhow, but then someone wanting to tinker with automotive Unity model and it's data will likely have that automotive knowhow. Pull the PV5 CAD Model From Android Device This will be the the type of vehicle last viewed in the app. Use Android.  This can't be done on iOS, there are ways, but it's more complicated, and I don't have any iOS devices, and don't want any either. :-) In your Android Device, Enable USB Debugging, it's in Developer settings, so you might need to enable that first also (Google is your friend here) Connect your phone to a PC Install ADB Explorer from...

After a year of the PV5 infotainment system being an embarrassing wasteland consisting of just two mediocre apps, things are finally—slowly—happening. In the last few days, European models started getting the Spotify app for PLEOS. A good start, for sure, but still nowhere near enough. There are now three apps in the store, one of which is high-profile. So, how is it? Actually, pretty good. It's streaming-only—there is no way to download content (I'm not even sure how much storage the PV5 infotainment system has), so it's subject to mobile network quality. In my initial tests, it works well. It's easy to log in: just scan the QR code and sign in on your mobile (take note, Kia—this is what the Kia PLEOS app store so desperately needs). One area of frustration is the lack of connection to the AI voice assistant. On 2026 when you have just 3 apps in the store, it doesn't take an army of rocket scientists to figure out how to achieve this. A good...

OK, so summer is over, and it's now a great time to pick up bargains online and in store. Whilst we have an awning tent that attaches to our roof rail, which is great for overnight and longer stays, sometimes you just want something simple and quick to set up, just a sun canopy for a bit of shelter for a few hours stopover. Been looking for something for a while, and there are lots on the market, and most aren't overly suitable for the 2m rail on the PV5 when using the kombi rak rail. The best I found was the Dulepax Car Awning. https://amzn.eu/d/0btbJ7LF It actually fits really well, and is pretty easy to set up. I loved the telescopic poles, so you can set whatever height you want.  There is a 250m overhang on each end of the roof rail, but this does come with a couple of suction limpets to tidy that up. First time setup was a little longer due to setup of guide ropes, I think next time it's 10mins to be ready to sit down with a cup of tea.

This post has a dual purpose. I'm going to show a smart app Kia have made for the PV5 to explore the look of the vehicle in a mixed reality model. The app is really good and allows you to pick your desired PV5 model—cargo or passenger—and also a few variants yet to launch on the European market. You can also pick colour and RHD/LHD. If you aren't sure on model or colour, have a play; the app is free. Before I mention more about the app, I will mention the other purpose. The Android version of the app downloads a full Unity 3D model that can be scaled and loaded into Unity PC software. If you are looking at creating modifications for a PV5, extracting this model will give you millimetre accuracy once scaled correctly. I will go into how to do all this in a separate post. For now, let's look at the app itself. Whilst the Android version is the useful one for Unity model extraction, as it downloads and stores the model, the app is also available for iOS. Official App Download ...