2013 KIA Sportage steering

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.

521
Driving your vehicle
Engine 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.Tight corner brake effect
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of four-wheel drive vehicles
caused by the difference in tire rotation at
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 oper-
ate effectively off road. However, it
was not designed to drive in chal-
lenging off-road conditions. Driving
in conditions that exceed the vehi-
cle's intended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.
WARNING
If the 4WD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the 4WD
system.
If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia deal-
er as soon as possible.
CAUTION - 4WD
When turning sharply on a pavedroad at low speed while in four-wheel drive, steering control will be difficult.

Driving your vehicle
24
5
You must consciously take the effort to
learn how to corner in a 4WD vehicle.
Do not rely on your experience in con-
ventional 2WD vehicles in choosing
safe cornering speed in 4WD mode.
For starters, you must drive more slow-
ly in 4WD.
Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with the
off-road conditions where you are
going to drive before you begin driving.
Always hold the steering wheel firmlywhen you are driving off-road.
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts. If you need to drive in the water, stop
your vehicle, set your transfer to the
4WD LOCK mode and drive at less
than 8 km/h (5 mph).
WARNING- Steering
wheel
Do not grab the inside of the steer-
ing wheel when you are driving off-
road. You may hurt your arm by a
sudden steering maneuver or from
steering wheel rebound due to
impact with objects on the ground.
You could lose control of the steer-
ing wheel.
WARNING- Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind, the
vehicle's higher center of gravity
decreases your steering control
capacity and requires you to drive
more slowly.
WARNING- Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving too
fast in water, the water can get into
the engine compartment and wet
the ignition system, causing your
vehicle to suddenly stop. If this
happens and your vehicle is in a
tilted position, your vehicle may roll
over.
OXM059027N
WARNING- 4WD
Reduce speed when you turn cor-
ners. The center of gravity of 4WD
vehicles is higher than that of con-
ventional 2WD vehicles, making
them more likely to roll over when
you turn corners too fast.

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 (see
“Maintenance under severe usage
conditions” in section 7). 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.
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 coulddamage the 4WD system.
WARNING - 4WD driving
Avoid high cornering speed.
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 high speed.
In a collision, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die
compared to a person wearing a
seat belt.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to re-enter the roadway. In
the event your vehicle leaves the
roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
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.

527
Driving your vehicle
E070100AHM
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.
E070101AUN
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 steephill, 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.
Always, confirm the position of the brake and accelerator pedal
before driving. If you don’t check
the position of the accelerator
and brake pedal before driving,
you may depress the accelerator
instead of the brake pedal. It may
cause a serious accident.
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)
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.
CAUTION
Do not operate the parking brakewhile the vehicle is moving except in an emergency situation. It coulddamage the vehicle system and make endanger driving safety.

Driving your vehicle
32
5
✽
✽
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 low bat-
tery voltage. It does not mean your ABS
has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
E070500AHM-EU
Electronic stability control (ESC)
The Electronic Stability control (ESC)
system is designed to stabilize the vehicle
during cornering maneuvers. ESC checks
where you are steering and where the
vehicle is actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine management
system to stabilize the vehicle.
CAUTION
When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,and have operated your brakescontinuously, the ABS will beactive continuously and the ABS warning light may illuminate. Pullyour car over to a safe place andstop the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light goes off, then yourABS system is normal.Otherwise, you may have a prob-lem with the ABS. Contact anauthorized Kia dealer as soon aspossible.WARNING
Never drive too fast according to
the road conditions or too quickly
when cornering. Electronic stability
control (ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents. Excessive speed in turns,
abrupt maneuvers and hydroplan-
ing on wet surfaces can still result
in serious accidents. Only a safe
and attentive driver can prevent
accidents by avoiding maneuvers
that cause the vehicle to lose trac-
tion. Even with ESC installed,
always follow all the normal precau-
tions for driving - including driving
at safe speeds for the conditions.
OSL050015

533
Driving your vehicle
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system designed
to help the driver maintain vehicle control
under adverse conditions. It is not a
substitute for safe driving practices.
Factors including speed, road conditions
and driver steering input can all affect
whether ESC will be effective in
preventing a loss of control. It is still your
responsibility to drive and corner at
reasonable speeds and to leave a
sufficient margin of safety.
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 ESC is active.
✽ ✽NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehicle
begins to move after the engine is start-
ed. These conditions are normal and
indicate that the Electronic Stability
Control System is functioning properly.
E070501AUN-EU
ESC operation
ESC ON condition

and ESC OFF indicator lights illuminate
for approximately 3 seconds, then ESC
is turned on.
half a second after turning the ignition
ON to turn ESC off. (ESC OFF indica-
tor will illuminate). To turn the ESC on,
press the ESC OFF button (ESC OFF
indicator light will go off).
hear a slight ticking sound. This is the
ESC performing an automatic system
self-check and does not indicate a
problem. When operating
When the ESC is in operation,
ESC indicator light blinks.
Control is operating properly,
you can feel a slight pulsation
in the vehicle. This is only the
effect of brake control and
indicates nothing unusual.
or slippery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm (revo-
lutions per minute) to
increase.

535
Driving your vehicle
E070504AAM-EU
ESC OFF usage
When driving
It’s a good idea to keep the ESC turnedon for daily driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminat-
ed). If the ESC is left on, it may pre-
vent the vehicle speed from increas-
ing, and result in false diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
Vehicle stability management
(VSM) (if equipped)
This system provides further enhance-
ments to vehicle stability and steering
responses when a vehicle is driving on a
slippery road or a vehicle detected
changes in coefficient of friction between
right wheels and left wheels when brak-
ing.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC indi-
cator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability management
is operating properly, you can feel a slight
pulsation in the vehicle and/or abnormal
steering responses (EPS). This is only
the effect of brake and EPS control and
indicates nothing unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on bank road such as gradient
or incline
Driving rearward
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to turn
off the ESC, the VSM will also cancel and
the ESC OFF indicator light ( ) illumi-
nates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light goes
out.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if you
don’t cancel the VSM operation by press-
ing the ESC OFF button. It indicates that
a malfunction has been detected some-
where in the Electric Power Steering sys-
tem or VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light remains
on, take your vehicle to an authorized Kia
dealer and have the system checked.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function
above approximately 15 km/h (9 mph)
on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 30 km/h (18
mph) when a vehicle is braking on a
split-mu road. The split-mu road is
made of surfaces which have different
friction forces.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button
while ESC is operating (ESC indica-
tor light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip out
of control.