
Driving your vehicle
14
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely even
on the slightest incline unless the parking
brake or service brakes are applied.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving posi-
tion. The transmission will automatically
shift through a 5 (6 or 8) -gear sequence,
providing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the trans-
mission will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
✽✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Driving).
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stopped or in
motion, sports mode is selected by push-
ing the shift lever from the D (Drive) posi-
tion into the manual gate. To return to the
D (Drive) range operation, push the shift
lever back into the main gate.
In sports mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you to
make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a
manual transmission, the sports mode
allows gearshifts with the acceleratorpedal depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one gear.
CAUTION
The transmission may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage the transmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion, except when “Rocking thevehicle” explained in this section.OHM058005L
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports modeWARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work and lead to an accident.

515
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
In sports mode, the driver must exe- cute upshifts in accordance with road
conditions. Be cautious to keep the
engine speed below the red zone.
In sports mode, only the 5 (6 or 8) for-
ward gears can be selected. To reverse
or park the vehicle, move the shift
lever to the R (Reverse) or P (Park)
position as required.
In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows
down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear
is automatically selected.
In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone, shift points
are varied to upshift automatically.
To maintain the required levels of vehi-
cle performance and safety, the system
may not execute certain gearshifts
when the shift lever is operated.
When driving on a slippery road, push
the shift lever forward into the +(up)
position. This causes the transmission
to shift into the 2nd (or 3rd) gear which
is better for smooth driving on a slip-
pery road. Push the shift lever to the -
(down) side to shift back to the 1st gear.E060102AHM
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the automatic transmis-
sion has a shift lock system which pre-
vents shifting the transmission from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition switch to the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly depressed and released with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, a chattering
noise near the shift lever may be heard. It
is a normal condition. Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved from the
P (Park) or N (Neutral) position into the R
(Reverse) position even though the brake
pedal is depressed, continue depressing
the brake pedal, then do the following:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering the
shift-lock access hole.
2. Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down on the screwdriver.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting out
of the P (Park) position into another
position to avoid inadvertent motion
of the vehicle which could injure
persons in or around the vehicle.
OHM053006N

539
Driving your vehicle
Don't coast down hills with the vehicleout of gear. This is extremely haz-
ardous. Keep the vehicle in gear at all
times, use the brakes to slow down,
then shift to a lower gear so that
engine braking will help you maintain a
safe speed.
Don't "ride" the brake pedal. Resting your foot on the brake pedal while driv-ing can be dangerous because the
brakes might overheat and lose their
effectiveness. It also increases the
wear of the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driving, apply the brakes gently and keep the
vehicle pointed straight ahead while
you slow down. When you are moving
slowly enough for it to be safe to do so,
pull off the road and stop in a safe
place. If your vehicle is equipped with an
automatic transmission, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid creep-
ing forward, keep your foot firmly on
the brake pedal when the vehicle isstopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (Park). If your
vehicle is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
vehicle from rolling. If your vehicle is
facing uphill, turn the front wheels
away from the curb to help keep the
vehicle from rolling. If there is no curb
or if it is required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block the
wheels. Under some conditions your parking
brake can freeze in the engaged posi-
tion. This is most likely to happen when
there is an accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk that the
parking brake may freeze, apply it only
temporarily while you put the shift lever
in P (Park) and block the rear wheels so
the vehicle cannot roll. Then release
the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on the upgrade with the accelerator pedal. This can
cause the transmission to overheat.
Always use the brake pedal or parking
brake.

Driving your vehicle
46
5
E090300BHM
To decrease the cruising speed:
Follow either of these procedures:
Push the -/SET switch and hold it. Your
vehicle will gradually slow down.
Release the switch at the speed you
want to maintain.
Push the -/SET switch and release it immediately. The cruising speed will
decrease by 2.0 km/h (1.2 mph) each
time the -/SET switch is operated in
this manner. E090400AUN
To temporarily accelerate with the
cruise control on:
If you want to speed up temporarily when
the cruise control is on, depress the
accelerator pedal. Increased speed will
not interfere with cruise control operationor change the set speed.
To return to the set speed, take your foot
off the accelerator.
E090500AHM
To cancel cruise control, do one
of the following:
Depress the brake pedal.
Shift into N (Neutral) with an automatictransmission.
Push the CANCEL switch located on the steering wheel.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by 15 km/h (9 mph).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 40 km/h (25 mph).
OHM058046NOHM058045N

Driving your vehicle
50
5
E110100AHM
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions are
encountered such as water, snow, ice,
mud, sand, or similar hazards, followthese suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra dis-
tance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering. When braking with non-ABS brakes
pump the brake pedal with a light up-
and-down motion until the vehicle isstopped.
If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to
avoid spinning the drive wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, tire chains, or other non-slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when stalled
in ice, snow, or mud. E110200BHM
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 driving wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and any forward gear in vehicles
equipped with an automatic transmission.
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 overheating and possible damage
to the transmission.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
1VQA3002
WARNING -
ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING - Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an acci-
dent. The sudden change in tirespeed could cause the tires to skid.
Be careful when downshifting on
slippery surfaces.
CAUTION
Prolonged rocking may cause engine overheating, transmission
damage or failure, and tire damage.

561
Driving your vehicle
Making turns
When you’re turning with a trailer, make
wider turns than normal. Do this so your
trailer won’t strike soft shoulders, curbs,
road signs, trees, or other objects. Avoid
jerky or sudden maneuvers. Signal well
in advance.
Turn signals when towing a trailer
When you tow a trailer, your vehicle has
to have a different turn signal flasher and
extra wiring. The green arrows on your
instrument panel will flash whenever you
signal a turn or lane change. Properly
connected, the trailer lights will also flash
to alert other drivers you’re about to turn,
change lanes, or stop.
When towing a trailer, the green arrows
on your instrument panel will flash for
turns even if the bulbs on the trailer are
burned out. Thus, you may think drivers
behind you are seeing your signals
when, in fact, they are not. It’s important
to check occasionally to be sure the trail-
er bulbs are still working. You must also
check the lights every time you discon-
nect and then reconnect the wires.
Do not connect a trailer lighting system
directly to your vehicle’s lighting system.
Use only an approved trailer wiring harness.
An authorized Kia dealer can assist you
in installing the wiring harness.
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear
before you start down a long or steep
downgrade. If you don’t shift down, you
might have to use your brakes so much
that they would get hot and no longer
operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down and
reduce your speed to around 70 km/h (45mph) to reduce the possibility of engine
and transmission overheating.
If your trailer weighs more than the max-
imum trailer weight without trailer brakes
and you have an automatic transmission,
you should drive in D (Drive) when tow-
ing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive) when
towing a trailer will minimize heat build up
and extend the life of your transmission.
WARNING
Failure to use an approved trailer wiring harness could result in dam-
age to the vehicle electrical system
and/or personal injury.
CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steep grades (in excess of 6%) pay
close attention to the engine coolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not over-heat. If the needle of the coolant
temperature gauge moves acrossthe dial towards “H” (HOT), pull over and stop as soon as it is safe
to do so, and allow the engine to idle until it cools down. You mayproceed once the engine hascooled sufficiently.
You must decide the driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade to reduce the possibility of engine andtransmission overheating.

Driving your vehicle
62
5
Parking on hills
Generally, if you have a trailer attached to
your vehicle, you should not park your
vehicle on a hill. People can be seriously
or fatally injured, and both your vehicle
and the trailer can be damaged if unex-
pectedly roll down hill.
However, if you ever have to park your
trailer on a hill, here's how to do it:
1. Pull the vehicle into the parking space.
Turn the steering wheel in the direction
of the curb (right if headed down hill,left if headed up hill).
2. Shift the vehicle to P (Park) for an automatic transmission.
3. Set the parking brake and shut off the vehicle.
4. Place chocks under the trailer wheels on the down hill side of the wheels. 5. Start the vehicle, hold the brakes, shift
to neutral, release the parking brake
and slowly release the brakes until the
trailer chocks absorb the load.
6. Reapply the brakes, reapply the park- ing brake and shift the vehicle to P
(Park) for automatic transmission.
7. Shut off the vehicle and release the vehicle brakes but leave the parking
brake set. When you are ready to leave after park-
ing on a hill
1. With the automatic transmission in P
(Park), apply your brakes and hold the
brake pedal down while you:
and
2. Slowly remove your foot from the brake pedal.
3. Drive slowly until the trailer is clear of the chocks.
4. Stop and have someone pick up and store the chocks.
WARNING - Parking on a
hill
Parking your vehicle on a hill with a
trailer attached could cause seri-
ous injury or death, should the trail-
er break loose.
WARNING - Parking brake
It can be dangerous to get out of
your vehicle if the parking brake is
not firmly set.
If you have left the engine running,
the vehicle can move suddenly. You
or others could be seriously or
fatally injured.

563
Driving your vehicle
Maintenance when trailer towing
Your vehicle will need service more often
when you regularly pull a trailer.
Important items to pay particular atten-tion to include engine oil, automatic
transmission fluid, mission lubricant and
cooling system fluid. Brake condition is
another important item to frequently
check. Each item is covered in this man-
ual, and the Index will help you find them
quickly. If you’re trailering, it’s a good idea
to review these sections before you start
your trip.
Don’t forget to also maintain your trailer
and hitch. Follow the maintenance
schedule that accompanied your trailer
and check it periodically. Preferably, con-
duct the check at the start of each day’s
driving. Most importantly, all hitch nutsand bolts should be tight.If you do decide to pull a trailer
Here are some important points if you
decide to pull a trailer:
Consider using a sway control. You can
ask a hitch dealer about sway control.
Do not do any towing with your car dur- ing its first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) in
order to allow the engine to properly
break in. Failure to heed this caution
may result in serious engine or trans-
mission damage.
When towing a trailer, be sure to con- sult an authorized Kia dealer for further
information on additional requirements
such as a towing kit, etc.
Always drive your vehicle at a moder- ate speed (less than 100 km/h / 60mph).
On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 70 km/h (45 mph) or the posted towing
speed limit, whichever is lower.CAUTION
Due to higher load during trailer
usage, overheating might occurin hot days or during uphill driv-ing. If the coolant gauge indicatesover-heating, switch off the A/C
and stop the vehicle in a safe area to cool down the engine.
When towing, check the transmis- sion fluid more frequently.
If your vehicle is not equipped with an air conditioner, youshould install a condenser fan to improve engine performancewhen towing a trailer.