
Introduction
41
"E85" fuel is an alternative fuel com-
prised of 85 percent ethanol and 15 per-
cent gasoline, and is manufactured
exclusively for use in Flexible Fuel
Vehicles. “E85” is not compatible with
your vehicle. Use of “E85” may result in
poor engine performance and damage to
your vehicle's engine and fuel system.
KIA recommends that customers do not
use fuel with an ethanol content exceed-
ing 10%.A020104AUN
Use of MTBE
KIA recommends avoiding fuels contain-
ing MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether)
over 15.0% vol. (Oxygen Content 2.7%
weight) in your vehicle.
Fuel containing MTBE over 15.0% vol.
(Oxygen Content 2.7% weight) may
reduce vehicle performance and produce
vapor lock or hard starting.
A020105AUN
Do not use methanol
Fuels containing methanol (wood alco-
hol) should not be used in your vehicle.
This type of fuel can reduce vehicle per-
formance and damage components of
the fuel system.
A020106AUN
Gasolines for cleaner air
To help contribute to cleaner air, KIA rec-
ommends that you use gasolines treated
with detergent additives, which help pre-
vent deposit formation in the engine.
These gasolines will help the engine run
cleaner and enhance performance of the
Emission Control System.
A020107AUN
Operation in foreign countries
If you are going to drive your vehicle in
another country, be sure to:
Observe all regulations regarding reg-istration and insurance.
Determine that acceptable fuel is avail- able.
CAUTION
Your New Vehicle Limited Warrantymay not cover damage to the fuelsystem and any performance prob-lems that are caused by the use of fuels containing methanol or fuelscontaining MTBE (Methyl TertiaryButyl Ether) over 15.0% vol.(Oxygen Content 2.7% weight.)
CAUTION
Never use gasohol which containsmethanol. Discontinue use of anygasohol product which impairs dri-vability.
CAUTION
Your New Vehicle Limited Warrantydoes not cover damage to the fuelsystem or any performance prob-lems caused by the use of “E85” fuel.

329
Safety features of your vehicle
C020300AUN-EU
Seat belt precautions
C020306AUN-EU
Infant or small child
You should be aware of the specific
requirements in your country. Child
and/or infant seats must be properly
placed and installed in the rear seat. For
more information about the use of these
restraints, refer to “Child restraint sys-
tem” in this section.
✽ ✽NOTICE
Small children are best protected from
injury in an accident when properly
restrained in the rear seat by a child
restraint system that meets the require-
ments of the Safety Standards of your
country. Before buying any child
restraint system, make sure that it has a
label certifying that it meets the Safety
Standard of your country. The restraint
must be appropriate for your child's
height and weight. Check the label on
the child restraint for this information.
Refer to “Child restraint system” in this
section.
WARNING
All occupants of the vehicle must
wear their seat belts at all times.
Seat belts and child restraints
reduce the risk of serious or fatal
injuries for all occupants in the
event of a collision or sudden stop.
Without a seat belt, occupants
could be shifted too close to a
deploying air bag, strike the interior
structure or be thrown from the
vehicle. Properly worn seat belts
greatly reduce these hazards.
Even with advanced air bags,
unbelted occupants can be severe-
ly injured by a deploying air bag.
Always follow the precautions
about seat belts, air bags and occu-
pant seating contained in this man-
ual.
WARNING
Every person in your vehicle needs
to be properly restrained at all
times, including infants and chil-
dren. Never hold a child in your
arms or lap when riding in a vehi-
cle. The violent forces created dur-
ing a crash will tear the child from
your arms and throw the child
against the interior. Always use a
child restraint appropriate for your
child's height and weight.

349
Safety features of your vehicle
Main components of the occupantdetection system
A detection device located within the front passenger seat cushion.
An electronic system which deter- mines whether the passenger air bag
systems should be activated or deacti-
vated.
A indicator light located on the instru- ment panel which illuminates the
words PASSENGER AIR BAG “OFF”
indicating the front passenger air bag
system is deactivated.
The instrument panel air bag warning light is interconnected with the occu-
pant detection system. If the front passenger seat is occupied by
a person that the system determines to
be of appropriate size, and he/she sits
properly (sitting upright with the seatback
in an upright position, centered on the
seat cushion with their seat belt on, legs
comfortably extended and their feet on
the floor), the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator will turn off and the front
passenger's air bag will be able to inflate,
if necessary, in frontal crashes.
You will find the PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicator on the center facia panel.
This system detects the conditions 1~4
in the following table and activates or
deactivates the front passenger air bag
based on these conditions. Always be sure that you and all vehicle
occupants are seated and restrained
properly (sitting upright with the seat in
an upright position, centered on the seat
cushion, with the person’s legs comfort-
ably extended, feet on the floor, and
wearing the safety belt properly) for the
most effective protection by the air bag
and the safety belt.
The ODS (Occupant Detection System)
may not function properly if the passen-
ger takes actions which can defeat the
detection system. These include:
(1) Failing to sit in an upright position.
(2) Leaning against the door or center console.
(3) Sitting towards the sides or the front of the seat.
(4) Putting legs on the dashboard or rest- ing them on other locations which
reduce the passenger weight on the
front seat.
(5) Improperly wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.

Safety features of your vehicle
50
3
C040301AMG
Condition and operation in the front passenger occupant detection system
*1) The ODS system uses a field to evaluate a person's size to determine whether the
air bag should deploy. It is possible for a child to be detected and activate the ODS,
thus allowing the airbag to deploy. To maximize safety, do not allow children to ride
in the front passenger seat.
*2) Never install a child restraint system on the front passenger seat.
WARNING
Riding in an improper position or
placing weight on the front passen-
ger's seat when it is unoccupied by
a passenger adversely affects the
Occupant Detection System (ODS).
Your ODS is designed to resist
electronic waves, but do not place
an electronic device such as laptop
computer on or near the seat cush-
ion since it may defeat the proper
functioning of the ODS. (Continued)
Condition detected by the
occupant detection system
1. Adult or child*
1
2. Child restraint system*2
3. Unoccupied
4. There is a malfunction in the system
Off
On
On
Off Off
Off
Off
OnActivated
Deactivated
Deactivated
Activated
"PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF" indicator lightSRS warning lightFront passenger air bag
Indicator/Warning light Devices

Features of your vehicle
106
4
When not in use, place the cargo securi-
ty screen on the lower portion of the
cargo area.
WARNING
Do not place objects on the cargo
security screen. Such objects
may be thrown about inside the
vehicle and possibly injure vehi-
cle occupants during an accident
or when braking.
Never allow anyone to ride in the luggage compartment. It is
designed for luggage only.
Maintain the balance of the vehi- cle and locate the weight as far
forward as possible.
CAUTION
Since the cargo security screenmay be damaged or malformed, donot put the luggage on it when it isused.
OSL040117

4107
Features of your vehicle
D290100AAM
Roof rack (if equipped)
If the vehicle has a roof rack, you can
load cargo on top of your vehicle.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If the vehicle is equipped with a sunroof,
be sure not to position cargo onto the
roof rack in such a way that it could
interfere with sunroof operation.
EXTERIOR FEATURES
CAUTION
When carrying cargo on the roof
rack, take the necessary precau-tions to make sure the cargo doesnot damage the roof of the vehicle.
When carrying large objects on the roof rack, make sure they donot exceed the overall roof length or width.
When you are carrying cargo on the roof rack, do not operate thesunroof (if equipped).
WARNING
The following specification is the maximum weight that can be
loaded onto the roof rack.
Distribute the load as evenly as
possible on the roof rack and
secure the load firmly.
Loading cargo or luggage in
excess of the specified weight
limit on the roof rack may dam-
age your vehicle.
(Continued)
ROOF100 kg (220 lbs.)
RACK EVENLY DISTRIBUTED
(Continued)
The vehicle center of gravity will be higher when items are loaded
onto the roof rack. Avoid sudden
starts, braking, sharp turns,
abrupt maneuvers or high speeds
that may result in loss of vehicle
control or rollover resulting in an
accident.
Always drive slowly and turn cor- ners carefully when carrying
items on the roof rack. Severe
wind updrafts, caused by passing
vehicles or natural causes, can
cause sudden upward pressure
on items loaded on the roof rack.
This is especially true when car-
rying large, flat items such as
wood panels or mattresses. This
could cause the items to fall off
the roof rack and cause damage
to your vehicle or others around
you.
To prevent damage or loss of cargo while driving, check fre-
quently before or while driving to
make sure the items on the roof
rack are securely fastened.
OSL040150

5
Before driving / 5-3
Key positions / 5-4
Engine start/Stop button / 5-7
Manual transaxle / 5-12
Automatic transaxle5-15
Four wheel drive (4WD) / 5-21
Brake system / 5-27
Cruise control system / 5-40
Economical operation / 5-44
Special driving conditions / 5-46
Winter driving / 5-51
Trailer towing / 5-54
Vehicle load limit / 5-63
Vehicle weight glossary / 5-68
Driving your vehicle

Driving your vehicle
20
5
E060203AUN
Moving up a steep grade from a stand-
ing start
To 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.
When accelerating from a stop on a
steep hill, the vehicle may have a ten-
dency to roll backwards. Shifting the
shift lever into 2 (Second Gear) will
help prevent the vehicle from rolling
backwards.
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.