
Introduction
61
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As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correct-
ly may result in loss of control, an
accident or vehicle rollover.
Specific design characteristics (high-
er ground clearance, track, etc.) give
this vehicle a higher center of gravity
than other types of vehicles. In other
words they are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as con-
ventional 2-wheel drive vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers. Again, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.Be sure to read the
“Reducing the risk of a rollover”
driving guidelines, in section 5 of
this manual.
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No special break-in period is need-
ed. By following a few simple precau-
tions for the first 1,000 km (600
miles) you may add to the perform-
ance, economy and life of your vehi-
cle.
Do not race the engine.
While driving, keep your engine speed (rpm, or revolutions per
minute) between 2,000 rpm and
4,000 rpm.
Do not maintain a single speed for long periods of time, either fast or
slow. Varying engine speed is
needed to properly break-in the
engine.
Avoid hard stops, except in emer- gencies, to allow the brakes to seat
properly.
Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) of opera-
tion.
VEHICLE BREAK-IN
PROCESS
VEHICLE HANDLING
INSTRUCTIONS

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Safety features of your vehicle
1.Insert the rear seat belt buckle inthe pocket (if equipped) between
the rear seatback and cushion, and
insert the rear seat belt webbing
into the guide to prevent the seat
belt from being damaged.
2.Set the front seatback to the upright position and if necessary,
slide the front seat forward.
3.Lower the rear headrests to the lowest position.
4.Pull on the seatback folding lever,then fold the seat toward the front
of the vehicle. 5.When you return the seatback to
its upright position, always be sure
it has locked into position by push-
ing on the top of the seatback.
6.Return the rear seat belt to the proper position.
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At the front
At the rear (if equipped)

331
Safety features of your vehicle
3.Insert the tongue plate into thehole on the belt assembly cover.C020105AAM❈ The actual feature may differ from the
illustration.
Stowing the rear seat belt
The rear seat belt buckles can be
stowed in the pocket between the
rear seatback and cushion when not
in use. Routing the seat belt webbing
through the rear seat belt guides will
help keep the belts from being
trapped behind or under the seats.
After inserting the seat belt, tighten
the belt webbing by pulling it up.
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CAUTION
Remove the seat belt from the
guides before using. If you pullon the seat belt when it is storedin the guides, it may damage theguides and/or belt webbing.

Safety features of your vehicle
44
3
When the seat belt is allowed to
retract to its fully stowed position,
the retractor will automatically
switch from the “Auto Lock” mode
to the emergency lock mode for
normal adult usage.
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Securing a child restraint seat
with tether anchor system
Child restraint hook holders are
located on the back of the rear seat-
backs. 1.Route the child restraint seat strap
over the seatback.
For vehicles with adjustable head-
rests, route the tether strap under
the headrest and between the
headrest posts, otherwise route
the tether strap over the top of the
seatback.
2.Connect the tether strap hook to the appropriate child restraint hook
holder and tighten to secure the
child restraint seat.
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WARNING- Auto lockmode
The lap/shoulder belt automati-
cally returns to the “emergency
lock mode” whenever the belt is
allowed to retract fully.
Therefore, the preceding seven
steps must be followed each
time a child restraint is
installed.
If the retractor is not in the
Automatic Locking mode, the
child restraint can move when
your vehicle turns or stops sud-
denly. A child can be seriously
injured or killed if the child
restraint is not properly
anchored to the car, including
setting the retractor to the
Automatic Locking mode.

Safety features of your vehicle
56
3
Main components of the occu-
pant detection 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 deactivated.
A indicator light located on the instrument panel which illuminates
the words PASSENGER AIR BAG
“OFF” indicating the front passen-
ger air bag system is deactivated.
The instrument panel air bag warn- ing light is interconnected with the
occupant detection system. If the front passenger seat is occu-
pied 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 vehi-
cle 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 comfortably
extended, feet on the floor, and wear-
ing 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 passenger takes actions
which can defeat the detection sys-
tem. These include:
(1) Failing to sit in an upright posi- tion.
(2) Leaning against the door or cen- ter console.
(3) Sitting towards the sides or the front of the seat.
(4) Putting legs on the dashboard or resting them on other locations
which reduce the passenger
weight on the front seat.
(5) Improperly wearing the safety belt.
(6) Reclining the seat back.
WARNING
Do not put anything in front of
the passenger air bag indi-
cator.

Safety features of your vehicle
58
3
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- Never sit with hips shifted
towards the front of the seat.
- Never lean on the door or cen-ter console.
- Never sit on one side of the front passenger seat.
- Never place feet on the dash-
board.
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- Never put a heavy load or anactive electronic device on
the front passenger seat or
seatback pocket.
- Never excessively recline thefront passenger seatback.
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- Never place feet on the frontpassenger seatback.
(Continued)

Safety features of your vehicle
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3
* The actual air bags in the vehicle may
differ from the illustration.
Side impact and/or curtain air bags
Side impact and/or curtain air bags
are designed to inflate when an
impact is detected by side collision
sensors depending on the strength,
speed or angles of impact resulting
from a side impact collision. Also, the side impact and curtain air
bags are designed to inflate when a
rollover is detected by a rollover sen-
sor.
Although the front air bags (driver’s
and front passenger’s air bags) are
designed to inflate only in frontal col-
lisions, they also may inflate in other
types of collisions if the front impact
sensors detect a sufficient impact.
Side impact and curtain air bags are
designed to inflate only in side
impact collisions or rollovers. But
they may inflate in other type of colli-
sions or similar rollover situations,
including when the vehicle is tilted
such as being towed if the side
impact sensors or rollover sensor
detect a sufficient impact or rollover.
If the vehicle chassis is impacted by
bumps or objects on unimproved
roads, the air bags may deploy. Drive
carefully on unimproved roads or on
surfaces not designed for vehicle
traffic to prevent unintended air bag
deployment.
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Air bag non-inflation conditions
In certain low-speed collisions the
air bags may not deploy. The air
bags are designed not to deploy in
such cases because they may not
provide benefits beyond the pro-
tection of the seat belts in such col-
lisions.
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375
Safety features of your vehicle
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SRS Care
The SRS is virtually maintenance-
free and so there are no parts you
can safely service by yourself. If the
SRS air bag warning light does not
illuminate, when you turn the ignition
on, or continuously remains on, or
continuously blinks. have your vehi-
cle immediately inspected by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Any work on the SRS system, such
as removing, installing, repairing, or
any work on the steering wheel, the
front passenger’s panel, front seats
and roof rails must be performed by
an authorized Kia dealer. Improper
handling of the SRS system may
result in serious personal injury.
WARNING
Modification to SRS compo-nents or wiring, including the
addition of any kind of badges
to the pad covers or modifica-
tions to the body structure,
can adversely affect SRS per-
formance and lead to possible
injury.
For cleaning the air bag pad covers, use only a soft, dry
cloth or one which has been
moistened with plain water.
Solvents or cleaners could
adversely affect the air bag
covers and proper deploy-
ment of the system.
No objects should be placed over or near the air bag mod-
ules on the steering wheel,
instrument panel, and the
front passenger's panel above
the glove box, because any
such object could cause harm
if the vehicle is in a crash
severe enough to cause the
air bags to inflate.
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(Continued)
If the air bags inflate, theymust be replaced by an
authorized Kia dealer.
Do not tamper with or discon- nect SRS wiring, or other
components of the SRS sys-
tem. Doing so could result in
injury, due to accidental infla-
tion of the air bags or by ren-
dering the SRS inoperative.
If components of the air bag system must be discarded, or
if the vehicle must be
scrapped, certain safety pre-
cautions must be observed.
An authorized Kia dealer
knows these precautions and
can give you the necessary
information. Failure to follow
these precautions and proce-
dures could increase the risk
of personal injury.
If your car was flooded and has soaked carpeting or water
on flooring, you shouldn't try
to start the engine; have the
car towed to an authorized Kia
dealer.