
517
Driving your vehicle
E060203AHMMoving up a steep grade from a stand-ing startTo move up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start, depress the brake pedal, shift
the shift lever to D (Drive). Select the
appropriate gear depending on load
weight and steepness of the grade, and
release the parking brake. Depress the
accelerator gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is signifi-
cantly more likely to be seriously
injured or killed than a properly
belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when corner- ing or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp
lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed lim- its.
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
operation the vehicle may suddenly
move forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing injury
or damage to nearby people or
objects.

Driving your vehicle18
5E170000AHMEngine power can be delivered to all front
and rear wheels for maximum traction.
4WD is useful when extra traction is
required on road, such as, when driving
on slippery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads. These vehicles are not designed
for challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-high-
way that the driver carefully reduces the
speed to a level that does not exceed the
safe operating speed for those condi-
tions. In general, off-road conditions pro-
vide less traction and braking effective-
ness than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to avoid
driving on slopes which tilt the vehicle to
either side.
These factors must be carefully consid-
ered when driving off-road. Keeping the
vehicle in contact with the driving surface
and under control in these conditions is
always the driver's responsibility for the
safety of him/herself and his or her pas-
sengers.
E170201AHMTight corner brake effectTight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation of
the four wheels and the zero-degree
alignment of the front wheels and sus-
pension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be car-
ried out with caution.
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
- Off road driving
This vehicle is designed primarily
for on road use although it can
operate effectively off road.
However, it was not designed to
drive in challenging off-road condi-
tions. Driving in conditions that
exceed the vehicle's intended
design or the driver's experience
level may result in severe injury or
death.
CAUTION -
4WD
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in four-wheel drive (4L mode for full-time 4WD operation or 4L/4H mode forpart-time 4WD operation), steeringcontrol will be difficult.
CAUTION
Do not select four wheel drive on flat and normal roads.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period causes poor fueleconomy and noise and it also causes tires to wear faster.
Four-wheel driving on flat and normal roads can result in asevere binding and chatteringcondition when turning the steer- ing wheel.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period can also causethe differential oil temperature to increase, resulting in damage toparts in the power train.

525
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehicle.
• Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press the
brake pedal several times as you move
slowly until you feel normal braking
forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled maintenance interval if you drive in off-road condi-
tions such as sand, mud or water.
Always wash your vehicle thoroughly
after off road use, especially cleaning
the bottom of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the perform-
ance of the 4WD vehicle is greatly
affected by the condition of the tires.
Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
• A full time four wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary tow
truck. Make sure that the vehicle is
placed on a flat bed truck for moving.
E170800AHMReducing the risk of a rolloverThis multi-purpose passenger vehicle is
defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
SUV’s have higher ground clearance and
a narrower track to make them capable
of performing in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design characteris-
tics give them a higher center of gravity
than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of
the higher ground clearance is a better
view of the road, which allows you to
anticipate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger vehi-
cles, any more than low-slung sports
vehicles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. Due to this
risk, driver and passengers are strongly
recommended to buckle their seat belts.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
more likely to die than a person wearing
a seat belt. There are steps that a driver
can make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof
rack with heavy cargo, and never modify
your vehicle in any way.
CAUTION -
Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheels
begins to spin in mud, snow, etc. the vehicle can sometimes be driv-en out by depressing the accelera- tor pedal further; however avoidrunning the engine continuously athigh rpm because doing so could damage the 4WD system.

Driving your vehicle26
5
E170600AHM E170700AHM
Full-time 4WD vehicles must be tested
on a special four wheel chassis
dynamometer.
Part-time 4WD vehicles must be tested
on a 2WD roll tester with the transfer
shift knob in the 2H position.✽ ✽ NOTICENever engage the parking brake while
performing these tests. A full-time 4WD vehicle should not be
tested on a 2WD roll tester. If a 2WD
roll tester must be used, perform the
following:
WARNING -
Jacked vehicle
While the full-time 4WD vehicle is
being raised on a jack, never start
the engine or cause the tires to
rotate.
There is the danger that rotating
tires touching the ground could
cause the vehicle to go off the jack
and to jump forward.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with tires
designed to provide safe ride and
handling capability. Do not use a
size and type of tire and wheel that
is different from the one that is
originally installed on your vehicle.
It can affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which could
lead to steering failure or rollover
and serious injury. When replacing
the tires, be sure to equip all four
tires with the tire and wheel of the
same size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you never-
theless decide to equip your vehi-
cle with any tire/wheel combination
not recommended by KIA for off
road driving, you should not use
these tires for highway driving.
WARNING -
Rollover
As with other Sports Utility Vehicle
(SUV), failure to operate this vehi-
cle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.
Utility vehicles have a significant-ly higher rollover rate than other
types of vehicles.
Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, nar-
rower track, etc.) give this vehicle
a higher center of gravity than
ordinary vehicles.
A SUV is not designed for corner- ing at the same speeds as con-
ventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more like-
ly to die than a person wearing a
seat belt. Make sure everyone in
the vehicle is properly buckled
up.

527
Driving your vehicle
1. Check the tire pressures recommend-ed for your vehicle.
2. Place the rear wheels on the roll tester for a speedometer test as shown in the
illustration.
3. Release the parking brake.
4. Place the front wheels on the tempo- rary free roller as shown in the illustra-
tion.
E070100AHMPower brakesYour 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.
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.
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 impair the vehi- cle’s ability to safely slow down;
the vehicle may also pull 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
driving through deep water. To
dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
WARNING -
Dynamometer
testing
Keep away from the front of the vehi-
cle while the vehicle is in gear on the
dynamometer. This is very danger-
ous as the vehicle can jump forward
and cause serious injury or death.
OHM058020
Roll tester (speedometer)
Temporary free roller
BRAKE SYSTEM

Driving your vehicle28
5E070101AUNIn 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.
E070102AHMDisc brakes wear indicatorWhen your brake pads are worn and new
pads are required, you will hear a high-
pitched warning sound from your front
brakes or rear brakes. You may hear this
sound come and go or it may occur
whenever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving con-
ditions or climates may cause a brake
squeal when you first apply (or lightly
apply) the brakes. This is normal and
does not indicate a problem with your
brakes.
Parking brakeE070201AHMApplying the parking brakeTo engage the parking brake, first apply
the foot brake and then depress the park-
ing brake pedal down as far as possible.
In addition it is recommended that when
parking the vehicle on an incline, the shift
lever should be in the P (Park) position.
WARNING
- Brake wear
This brake wear warning sound
means your vehicle needs service.
If you ignore this audible warning,
you will eventually lose braking
performance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
CAUTION
To avoid costly brake repairs, do
not continue to drive with wornbrake pads.
Always replace the front or rear brake pads as pairs.
CAUTION
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessive brake pad and brake rotor wear.
OHM058021
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.

529
Driving your vehicle
E070202AHMReleasing the parking brakeTo release the parking brake, depress
the parking brake pedal a second time
while applying the foot brake. The pedal
will automatically extend to the fully
released position. If the parking brake
pedal does not release or does not
release all the way, have the system
checked by an authorized KIA dealer.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 igni-
tion 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 while the
engine is running, there may be a mal-
function in the brake system. 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.
WARNING
To prevent unintentional move-
ment when stopped and leaving
the vehicle, do not use the shift
lever in place of the parking
brake. Set the parking brake AND
make sure the shift lever is
securely positioned in P (Park).
Never allow anyone who is unfa- miliar with the vehicle to touch
the parking brake. If the parking
brake is released unintentionally,
serious injury may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadver-
tent movement of the vehicle
which can injure occupants or
pedestrians.
OHM058022
W-75

Driving your vehicle30
5E070300AHM-ECAnti-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 allows the ABS to control the force
being delivered to the brakes.
WARNING
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or danger-
ous driving maneuvers. Even
though vehicle control is improved
during emergency braking, always
maintain a safe distance between
you and objects ahead. Vehicle
speeds should always be reduced
during extreme road conditions.
The braking distance for vehicles
equipped with an anti-lock braking
system (or Electronic Stability
Control System) may be longer
than for those without it in the fol-
lowing road conditions.
During these conditions the vehicle
should be driven at reduced
speeds:
Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
(Continued)
(Continued)
On roads where the road surfaceis pitted or has different surface
height.
The safety features of an ABS (or
ESC) equipped vehicle should not
be tested by high speed driving or
cornering. This could endanger the
safety of yourself or others.