
541
Driving your vehicle
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 ( ) illuminates.
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 pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system 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 dif-
ferent friction forces.WARNING
The Vehicle Stability
Management system is not a
substitute for safe driving
practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the
responsibility of the driver to
always check the speed and
the distance to the vehicle
ahead. Always hold the steer-
ing wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the dri-
ver’s intention, even with
installed VSM. Always follow
all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the
conditions – including driving
inclement weather and on a
slippery road.
Driving with varying tire or wheel sizes may cause the
VSM system to malfunction.
When replacing tires, make
sure they are the same size as
your original tires.

543
Driving your vehicle
✽
✽NOTICE
• The DBC does not turn ON in the
P (Park) position.
• The DBC may not activate if the ESC (or BAS) is activated.
• Noise or vibration may occur from the brakes when the DBC is acti-
vated.
• The rear stop light comes on when the DBC is activated.
• In a very steep hill even though the brake pedal or accelerator pedal is
depressed the DBC may not deac-
tivate.
• Always turn OFF the DBC on nor- mal roads. The DBC might acti-
vate from the standby mode when
abrupt corning or driving through
speed bumps.
• DBC may activate and cause the engine to stop in vehicles with
manual transaxle if you drive in
3rd gear (or above) with DBC on.
Do not turn on DBC when driving
in 3rd gear (or above).
Standby
Press the DBC button when the vehicle speed is under
40 km/h (25 mph). The DBC system will turn ON and
enter the standby mode.
The system does not turn ON if the vehicle speed is
over 40 km/h (25 mph).
In the standby mode, if the vehicle speed is under 35
km/h (22 mph) while driving down a steep hill, the DBC
will activate automatically.
In the activated mode, the DBC will temporarily deacti-
vate under the following conditions:
If the above conditions are gone, the DBC will automat-
ically activate again.
The DBC will turn OFF under the following conditions:
Activated
Temporarily deactivated
OFF
Mode Indicator light Description
blinks
illuminated
not
illuminated
illuminated
WARNING
If the DBC red indicator light illuminates, the system has overheated
or something is wrong. The DBC will not activate. If the DBC red indi-
cator light illuminates even though the DBC system has been cooled
enough have the system checked by an authorized Kia dealer.

545
Driving your vehicle
If your vehicle is equipped with anautomatic transaxle, don't let your
vehicle creep forward. To avoid
creeping forward, keep your foot
firmly on the brake pedal when the
vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (auto-
matic transaxle) or in first or
reverse gear (manual transaxle). 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 park-
ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly 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 (automatic
transaxle) or in first or reverse gear
(manual transaxle) 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 transaxle
to overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.

Driving your vehicle
46
5
1.Cruise indicator
2.Cruise set indicator
E090000AAM-EU
The cruise control system allows you
to program the vehicle to maintain a
constant speed without pressing the
accelerator pedal.
This system is designed to function
above approximately 40 km/h (25
mph).
CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM
WARNING
If the cruise control is left on
(CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster illuminat-
ed), the cruise control can be
switched on accidentally.
Keep the cruise control sys-
tem off (CRUISE indicator
light OFF) when the cruise
control is not in use, to avoid
inadvertently setting a speed.
Use the cruise control system only when traveling on open
highways in good weather.
Do not use the cruise control when it may not be safe to
keep the vehicle at a constant
speed, for instance, driving in
heavy or varying traffic, or on
slippery (rainy, icy or snow-
covered) or winding roads or
over 6% up-hill or down-hill
roads.
Pay particular attention to the driving conditions whenever
using the cruise control sys-
tem.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Be careful when drivingdownhill using the cruise con-
trol system, which may
increase the vehicle speed.
CAUTION
During cruise-speed driving of amanual transaxle vehicle, do notshift into neutral withoutdepressing the clutch pedal,since the engine will be over-revved. If this happens, depressthe clutch pedal or release thecruise control ON-OFF switch.
OSL010002N/Q
CRUISE SET

Driving your vehicle
50
5
E090700AUN-KM
To turn cruise control off, do
one of the following:
Push the cruise ON-OFF button
(the CRUISE indicator light in the
instrument cluster will go off).
Turn the ignition off.
Both of these actions will cancel the cruise control operation. If you wantto resume the cruise control opera-tion, repeat the steps provided in “Toset cruise control speed” on the pre-vious page.
Active ECO operation
Active ECO helps improve fuel effi-
ciency by controlling certain engine
and transaxle system operating
parameters. Fuel efficiency depends
on the driver's driving habit and road
condition.
When the Active ECO button is pressed the ECO indicator (green)
will illuminate to show that the
Active ECO is operating. When the Active ECO is activated,
it will remain on until the Active
ECO button is pressed again.
Active ECO does not turn off when
the engine is restarted. To turn off
Active ECO, press the Active ECO
button again.
If Active ECO is turned off, the sys- tem will return to normal mode.
When Active ECO is activated:
The acceleration may slightly bereduced eventhough you depress
the accelerator fully.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transaxle may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when the active eco sys-
tem is activated to improve fuel effi-
ciency.
ACTIVE ECO SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OSL050030LOSL050017

551
Driving your vehicle
Limitation of Active ECO oper-
ation:
If the following conditions occur while
Active ECO is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in the ECO indi-
cator.
When the coolant temperature islow: The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain power when
driving uphill because the engine
torque is restricted.
When using sports mode: The sys- tem will be limited according to the
shift location.
When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few sec-
onds: The system will be limited,
judging that the driver wants to
speed up.
E100000AHM-EU
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many kilometers (miles) you can get
from a liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at amoderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your
vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle
52
5
Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
section 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see sec-
tion 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi- mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces- sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go. Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give
your engine a slightly longer warm-
up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine. Lugging is driving too slowly in a
very high gear resulting in engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit.
This can be avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed.
Use your air conditioning sparingly. The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy is reduced when you
use it.
Open windows at high speeds can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions. Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off
during
motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function properly without
the engine running. Instead,
keep the engine on and down-
shift to an appropriate gear for
engine braking effect. In addi-
tion, turning off the ignition
while driving could engage the
steering wheel lock resulting in
loss of vehicle steering which
could cause serious injury or
death.

553
Driving your vehicle
E110100AHM
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extradistance 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 is stopped. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use second gear. Accelerate slow-
ly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
E170800AHM
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics 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 vehicles,
any more than low-slung sports vehi-
cles 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.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING - ABS
Do not pump the brake pedal on
a vehicle equipped with ABS.
WARNING -
Downshifting
Downshifting with an automatic
transaxle, while driving on slip-
pery surfaces can cause an
accident. The sudden change in
tire speed could cause the tires
to skid. Be careful when down-
shifting on slippery surfaces.