
Driving your vehicle
14 4
Power brakes  
Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes
that adjust automatically through normal
usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a stalled
engine or some other reason, you can
still stop your vehicle by applying greater
force to the brake pedal than you nor-
mally would. The stopping distance, how-
ever, will be longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially depleted
each time the brake pedal is applied. Do
not pump the brake pedal when the
power assist has been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when neces-
sary to maintain steering control on slip-
pery surfaces.
In the event of brake failure 
If service brakes fail to operate while the
vehicle is in motion, you can make an
emergency stop with the parking brake.
The stopping distance, however, will be
much greater than normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM 
(Continued)
• When descending a long or steep
hill, shift to a lower gear and
avoid continuous application of
the brakes. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
• Wet brakes may result in the vehi-
cle not slowing down at the usual
rate and pulling to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying
the brakes lightly will indicate
whether they have been affected
in this way. Always test your
brakes in this fashion after driv-
ing through deep water. To dry the
brakes, apply them lightly while
maintaining a safe forward speed
until brake performance returns
to normal.
WARNING- Parking brake
Applying the parking brake while
the vehicle is moving at normal
speeds can cause a sudden loss of
control of the vehicle. If you must
use the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING-Brakes
• Do not drive with your foot rest-
ing on the brake pedal. This will
create abnormal high brake tem-
peratures, excessive brake lining
and pad wear, and increased
stopping distances.
(Continued) 

417
Driving your vehicle
Check the brake warning light by turning
the ignition switch ON (do not start the
engine). This light will be illuminated
when the parking brake is applied with
the ignition switch in the START or ON
position.
Before driving, be sure the parking brake
is fully released and the brake warning
light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released, there
may be a malfunction in the brake sys-
tem. Immediate attention is necessary.
If at all possible, cease driving the vehi-
cle immediately. If that is not possible,
use extreme caution while operating the
vehicle and only continue to drive the
vehicle until you can reach a safe loca-
tion or repair shop.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) The ABS continuously senses the speed
of the wheels. If the wheels are going to
lock, the ABS system repeatedly modu-
lates the hydraulic brake pressure to the
wheels.
When you apply your brakes under con-
ditions which may lock the wheels, you
may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensation
in the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible or as hard as the situa-
tion warrants and allow the ABS to con-
trol the force being delivered to the
brakes.
W-75
WARNING- ABS
Your ABS is not a substitute for
good driving judgement. You can
still have an accident. In fact, your
ABS will probably not be able to
prevent an accident in the following
driving conditions:
• Dangerous driving, such as
neglecting safety precautions,
speeding, or driving too close to
the vehicle in front of you.
• Driving at high speed in situa-
tions providing considerably less
traction, such as wet conditions
where hydroplaning could occur.
• Driving too fast on poor road sur-
faces. The ABS is designed to
improve maximum braking effec-
tiveness on typical highways and
roads in good condition. On poor
road surfaces in poor condition,
the ABS may actually reduce
braking effectiveness. 

Driving your vehicle
18 4
• Even with the anti-lock brake system,
your vehicle still requires sufficient
stopping distance. Always maintain a
safe distance from the vehicle in front
of you.
• Always slow down when cornering.
The anti-lock brake system cannot pre-
vent accidents resulting from exces-
sive speeds.
• On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping dis-
tance than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the engine
may not run as smoothly and the ABS
warning light may turn on at the same
time. This happens because of the low
battery voltage. It does not mean your
ABS is malfunctioning.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
W-78
CAUTION
• If the ABS warning light is on and
stays on, you may have a problem
with the ABS. In this case, howev-
er, your regular brakes will work
normally.
• The ABS warning light will stay on
for approximately 3 seconds after
the ignition switch is ON. During
that time, the ABS will go through
self-diagnosis and the light will go
off if everything is normal. If the
light stays on, you may have a
problem with your ABS. Contact
an authorized Kia dealer as soon
as possible.
CAUTION
• When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and operate your brakes continu-
ously, the ABS will be active con-
tinuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your car
over to a safe place and stop the
engine.
• Restart the engine. If the ABS
warning light is off, then your
ABS system is normal.
Otherwise, you may have a prob-
lem with the ABS. Contact an
authorized Kia dealer as soon as
possible. 

419
Driving your vehicle
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
monitors information from various vehicle
sensors and then compares the driver's
commands with the actual behavior of the
vehicle. If an unstable condition occurs - a
sudden evasive movement for example -
ESC intervenes within fractions of a
second via the engine computer and
brake system and attempts to stabilize
the vehicle.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
• When the ignition is turned
ON, ESC and ESC OFF indi-
cator lights illuminate for
approximately 3 seconds,
then ESC is turned on.
• Press the ESC OFF button
for at least half a second after
turning the ignition ON to turn
ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator
will illuminate). To turn the
ESC on, press the ESC OFF
button (ESC OFF indicator
light will go off).
• When starting the engine,
you may hear a slight ticking
sound. This is the ESC per-
forming an automatic system
self-check and does not indi-
cate a problem.
When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.
• When the Electronic Stability
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.
• When moving out of the mud
or slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (IF EQUIPPED)
-ESC
❈The location of the ESC OFF button may
be changed depending on your model.
OVQ048001N 

Driving your vehicle
20 4
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
• To cancel ESC operation,
press the ESC OFF button
(ESC OFF indicator light illu-
minates).
• If the ignition switch is turned
to LOCK position when ESC
is off, ESC remains off. Upon
restarting the engine, the
ESC will automatically turn
on again.
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
ESC OFF indicator light comes on when
either the ESC is turned off with the but-
ton, or ESC fails to operate when turned
on.
ESC
ESC
OFF
■ESC indicator light (blinks)
■ ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control
system is only a driving aid; use
precautions for safe driving by
slowing down on curved, snowy, or
icy roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
ESC
OFF 

423
Driving your vehicle
Non-operational conditions of
rear parking assist system
Rear parking assist system may not
operate normally when:
1. Moisture is frozen to the sensor. (It will
operate normally when moisture
melts.)
2. Sensor is covered with foreign matter,
such as snow or water, or the sensor
cover is blocked. (It will operate nor-
mally when the material is removed or
the sensor is no longer blocked.)
3. Driving on uneven road surfaces
(unpaved roads, gravel, bumps, gradi-
ent).
4. Objects generating excessive noise
(vehicle horns, loud motorcycle
engines, or truck air brakes) are within
range of the sensor.
5. Heavy rain or water spray exists.
6. Wireless transmitters or mobile phones
are within range of the sensor.
7. Sensor is covered with snow.
8. Trailer towing
Detecting range may decrease when:
1. Sensor is stained with foreign matter
such as snow or water. (Sensing range
will return to normal when removed.)
2. Outside air temperature is extremely
hot or cold.
Following objects may not be recog-
nized by the sensor:
1. Sharp or slim objects such as ropes,
chains or small poles.
2. Objects which tend to absorb sensor
frequency such as clothes, spongy
material or snow.
3. Undetectable objects smaller than 1 m
(40 in.) and narrower than 14 cm (6 in.)
in diameter.
CAUTION
1. The rear parking assist system
may not sound sequentially
depending on the speed and
shapes of the objects detected.
2. The rear parking assist system
may malfunction if the vehicle
bumper height or sensor installa-
tion has been modified or dam-
aged. Any non-factory installed
equipment or accessories may
also interfere with the sensor per-
formance.
3. Sensor may not recognize
objects less than 40 cm (15 in.)
from the sensor, or it may sense
an incorrect distance. Use cau-
tion.
4. When sensor is frozen or stained
with snow, dirt, or water, sensor
may be inoperative until the
stains are removed using a soft
cloth.
5. Do not push, scratch or strike the
sensor. Sensor damage could
occur. 

425
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where you
drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how many
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
• Avoid lengthy warm-up idling. Once the
engine is running smoothly, begin driv-
ing. Remember, engine warm-up may
take a little longer on cold days.
• Save fuel by accelerating slowly after
stopping.
• Keep the engine in tune and follow the
recommended periodic maintenance
schedule. This will increase the life of
all parts and lower your operating
costs.• Do not use the air conditioner unnec-
essarily.
• Slow down when driving on rough
roads.
• For longer tire life and better fuel econ-
omy, always keep the tires inflated to
the recommended pressures.
• Maintain a safe distance from other
vehicles to avoid sudden stops. This
will reduce wear on brake linings and
pads. Driving in such a way will also
save fuel because extra fuel is required
to accelerate back to driving speed.
• Do not carry unnecessary weight in the
vehicle.
• Do not rest your foot on the brake
pedal while driving. This can cause
needless wear, possible damage to the
brakes, and poor fuel economy.
• Improper wheel alignment results in
faster tire wear and lower fuel econo-
my.• Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
• Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset some of
this loss, slow down when driving in
these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating con-
dition is important both for economy and
safety. Therefore, have an authorized Kia
dealer perform scheduled inspections
and maintenance.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
WARNING - Engine off dur-
ing motion
Never turn the engine off to coast
down hills or anytime the vehicle is
in motion. The power steering and
power brakes will not function
properly without the engine run-
ning. Instead, keep the engine on
and downshift to an appropriate
gear for engine braking effect. In
addition, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which could
cause serious injury or death. 

Driving your vehicle
26 4
Hazardous driving conditions  
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow
these suggestions:
• Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
• Avoid sudden movements in braking or
steering.
• When braking with non-ABS brakes
pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle is
stopped.
• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use
second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
• Use sand, rock salt or other non-slip
material under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction when stalled in ice, snow,
or mud.
Rocking the vehicle  
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic transaxle. Do
not race the engine, and spin the wheels
as little as possible. If you are still stuck
after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled
out by a tow vehicle to avoid engine over-
heating and possible damage to the
transaxle.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS 
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident.
The sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid. Be
careful when downshifting on slip-
pery surfaces.
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine over-heating, transaxle dam-
age or failure, and tire damage.
CAUTION
The ESC system (if equipped)
should be turned OFF prior to rock-
ing the vehicle.
WARNING- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, especially
at speeds more than 56 km/h (35
mph). Spinning the wheels at high
speeds when the vehicle is station-
ary could cause a tire to overheat,
explode and injure bystanders.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may
attempt to rock the vehicle free by
moving it forward and backward. Do
not attempt this procedure if people
or objects are anywhere near the
vehicle. During the rocking opera-
tion the vehicle may suddenly move
forward or backward as it becomes
unstuck, causing injury or damage
to nearby people or objects.