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Driving
Shifting
Change the shift position in accordance with your driving needs.
■ Shift lever positions
Automatic transmiss ion (CVT) models
1Shifting
You cannot turn the ignition switch to LOCK
(0 and
remove the key unless the shift lever is in
(P.
The vehicle may move forward very slightly even in
(N while the engine is cold.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and, when necessary,
apply the parking brake.
The engine may cut in and out in
(R or depending on
the road condition, even when the engine speed is
lower than the ta chometer’s red zone. This is the
engine’s computer working to protect the
transmission.
Park
Used when parking or starting the engine
ReverseUsed when reversing
Neutral Used when idling
Drive Used:● For normal driving
● When temporarily driving in the 7-speed
manual shift mode (when driving in ECON
or NORMAL mode)
● For driving in the 7-speed manual shift
mode (when driving in SPORT mode)
● For driving in L mode
Release Button
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Driving
■Shift Lever Operation1Shift Lever Operation
NOTICE
When you change the shift lever from (D to (R and
vice versa, come to a complete stop and keep the brake pedal depressed.
Operating the shift lever before the vehicle has come
to a complete standstill can damage the transmission.
Use the shift lever position indicator to check the
lever position before pulling away.
Whichever position the shift lever is in when driving,
a blinking
(D indicator indicates a transmission
problem.
Avoid sudden acceleration and have the transmission
checked by a dealer as soon as possible.
The fuel supply may be cut off if you drive at engine
speeds in or over the tachometer red zone (engine
speed limit). If this happens, you may experience a
slight jolt.
It may not be possible to operate the shift lever if the
brake pedal is applied while the shift lever release
button is held down. Depress the brake pedal first.
READY
Tachometer's
Red Zone
Shift Lever Position Indicator Depress the brake pedal and
press the shift lever release
button to shift.
Shift without pressing the
shift lever release button.
Press the shift lever
release button and
shift. M
(7-Speed Manual Shift Mode) Indicator/
Shift Indicator
P
R
N D
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uuWhen DrivinguShifting
Driving
Use the paddle shifters to change between 1st and 7th speeds without removing
your hands from the steering wheel. The transmission switches to the 7-speed
manual shift mode when you pull a paddle shifter while driving. This mode is useful
when engine braking is needed.
You can cancel this mode by pressing any of the three driving mode buttons, or
pulling the
(+ paddle shifter for a few seconds.
■ When the driving mode is in ECON or NORMAL
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode temporarily, and the
number is displayed in the shift indicator.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is canceled automatically if you drive at constant
speed or accelerate, and the number in the shift indicator goes off.
The 7-speed manual shift mode is especially useful when reducing the vehicle speed
temporarily before making a turn. ■ When the driving mo de is in SPORT
The shift mode goes into the 7-speed manual shift mode. The M indicator and the
speed number are displayed in the shift indicat or. As the vehicle speed slows down,
the transmission automatically shifts down accordingly. When the vehicle comes to
a stop, it automatically shifts down into 1st.
If the vehicle speed increases and the engine speed reaches near the tachometer’s
red zone, the transmission automatically shifts up.
■7-Speed Manual Shift Mode17-Speed Manual Shift Mode
To improve fuel economy, the transmission may shift
up to a higher speed than the seventh under certain circumstances. In this case, the number in the shift
indicator remains as 7.
In the 7-speed manual shift mode, the transmission
shifts up or down by operating either paddle shifter
under the following conditions:
Shift Up: The engine speed reaches the lowest
threshold of the higher speed position.
Shift Down: The engine speed reaches the highest
threshold of the lower speed position.
When the engine speed reaches near the
tachometer’s red zone, the transmission shifts up
automatically.
When the engine speed reaches the lowest threshold
of the selected speed position, the transmission shifts down automatically.
Operating the paddle shifters on slippery surfaces
may cause the tires to lock up. In this case, the 7-
speed manual shift mode is canceled and goes back
to the normal D driving mode.
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To switch to the L mode, pull and hold both paddle shifters ((+ and (- ) at the same
time with the shift lever in
(D .
To cancel this mode, pull and hold both paddle shifters again, or press any of the
three driving mode buttons. The L indicator goes off.
■L Mode Operation1L Mode Operation
Use the L mode in the following situations:
• When you want to increase engine braking to
maximum when in 7-speed manual shift mode
• When going up or down hills
• When the IMA battery is low
(L is displayed in the 7-speed
manual shift mode indicator.
Pull both
(+ and (- paddle shifters at the same time.
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Driving
Shifting
Fully depress the clutch pedal to operate the shift lever and change gears, then
slowly release the pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal, and pause for a few seconds before shifting into
(R, or
shift into one of the forward gears for a moment. This stops the gears so they do not
“grind.”
When you are not shifting, do not rest your
foot on the clutch pedal. This can cause your
clutch to wear out faster.
■Shift Lever Operation
Manual transmission models
1Shifting
NOTICE
Do not shift to (R before the vehicle comes to a
complete stop.
Shifting to
(R before stopping can damage the
transmission. Recommended Shift Points
Driving in the highest gear that allows the engine to
run and accelerate smoothly helps to optimize fuel
economy and effective emissions control. The
following shift points are recommended:
If you exceed the maximum speed for the gear you
are in, the engine speed will enter into the
tachometer's red zone. When this happens, you may
experience a slight jolt.
NOTICE
Before downshifting, make sure the engine will not go
into the tachometer's red zone. Should this occur, it
can severely damage your engine.
There is a metallic part on the shift lever. If you leave the
vehicle parked outside for a long time on a hot day, be
careful before moving the shift lever. Because of heat,
the shift lever may be extremely hot. If the outside
temperature is low, the shift lever may feel cold. Shift Up Normal Acceleration
1st to 2nd15 mph (24 km/h)
2nd to 3rd 25 mph (40 km/h)
3rd to 4th40 mph (64 km/h)
4th to 5th 47 mph (76 km/h)
5th to 6th52 mph (84 km/h)
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uuWhen DrivinguShifting
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Come on to indicate when a gear change is
appropriate to maintain the most fuel efficient driving style.
The shift up indicator: Comes on when
shifting up is recommended.
The shift down indicator: Comes on when shifting down is recommended.
uThe indicators do not come on in the
SPORT mode.
■Shift Up/Down Indicators1Shift Up/Down Indicators
This indicator will not prompt you to downshift to
increase engine braking. It is up to you to downshift to increase engine braking when driving downhill.
Always shift down at the appropriate vehicle speed.
The shift down indicator does not come on when downshifting from
(2 to (1.
Ambient meter color may change if you do not
change gears when a shift indicator illuminates. This
can result in a change in fuel economy.
Road and traffic conditions may require you to shift
at times other than those indicated.READY
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uuWhen DrivinguShifting
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The manual transmission has a lockout mechanism that stops you from accidentally
shifting into
(R from a forward gear while the vehicle is moving above a certain
speed.
If you cannot shift to
(R when the vehicle is stopped, do the following:
1.Depress the clutch pedal, move the shift
lever all the way to the left, and shift to
(R .
2. If you still cannot shift into
(R , apply the
parking brake, and turn the ignition switch
to ACCESSORY
(q or LOCK (0 .
3. Depress the clutch pedal and shift into
(R .
4. Keep depressing the clutch pedal and start
the engine.
Have the vehicle checked by a dealer if you
have to go through this procedure repeatedly.
■Reverse Lockout
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Driving
Auto Idle Stop
To help maximize fuel economy, Auto Idle Stop shuts off the engine when the
vehicle comes to a stop, depending on environmental and vehicle operating
conditions. The AUTO STOP indicator blinks at this time.
The engine then restarts once the vehicle is
about to move again, and the indicator goes off.
If the driver’s door is opened while the
indicator is blinking, a buzzer sounds to notify
you that the Auto Idle Stop function is in operation.
Automatic transmiss ion (CVT) models
1Auto Idle Stop
The duration of the Auto Idle Stop operation:
• Increases in the ECON mode, compared to normal
or sport mode, with climate control in use.
• Decreases if you operate the wipers and climate
control simultaneously.
AUTO STOP
Indicator
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