
519
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transaxle 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
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transaxle will auto-
matically downshift to the next lower
gear.Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
CAUTION- Shifting
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rockingthe vehicle” explained in thissection.
OPS053009
Sports mode 
+
+
+
+
 
 
 
 
(
(
(
(
U
U
U
U
P
P
P
P
)
)
)
)
-
-
-
-
 
 
 
 
(
(
(
(
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
W
W
W
W
N
N
N
N
)
)
)
) 

Driving your vehicle
22
5
Ignition key interlock system 
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Even if the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position, the
key also cannot be removed.
If your vehicle is equipped with
ENGINE START/STOP button, the
button will not change to the OFF
position unless the shift lever is in the
P (Park) position.
Good driving practices
 Never move the gear shift lever
from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
 Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
 Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.
 Always use the parking brake. Do not depend on placing the
transaxle in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
 Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards. 

Driving your vehicle
24
5
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 dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes. You
may hear this sound come and go or
it may occur whenever you depress
the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
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 vehi-
cle, use great caution in apply-
ing the brake.
WARNING- Brake wear
Avoid applying the parking
brake to stop the vehicle while it
is moving except in an emer-
gency situation. If you ignore
this audible warning, you will
eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident. 

Driving your vehicle
48
5
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  miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) 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 a
moderate 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 or clutch
pedal. This can increase fuel con-
sumption and also increase wear
on these components. 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 consequences.
 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.  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.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION 

557
Driving your vehicle
Use high quality ethylene gly-
col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high qual-
ity ethylene glycol coolant in the cool-
ing system. It is the only type of coolant
that should be used because it helps
prevent corrosion in the cooling sys-
tem, lubricates the water pump and
prevents freezing. Be sure to replace
or replenish your coolant in accor-
dance with the maintenance schedule
in section 7. Before winter, have your
coolant tested to assure that its freez-
ing point is sufficient for the tempera-
tures anticipated during the winter.
Check battery and cables
Winter puts additional burdens on
the battery system. Visually inspect
the battery and cables as described
in section 7. The level of charge in
your battery can be checked by an
authorized Kia dealer or a service
station.
Change to "winter weight" oil
if necessary
In some climates it is recommended
that a lower viscosity "winter weight"
oil be used during cold weather. See
section 8 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, consult an authorized
Kia dealer.
Check spark plugs and igni-
tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in section 7 and replace
them if necessary. Also check all
ignition wiring and components to be
sure they are not cracked, worn or
damaged in any way.
To keep locks from freezing
To keep the locks from freezing,
squirt an approved de-icer fluid or
glycerine into the key opening. If a
lock is covered with ice, squirt it with
an approved de-icing fluid to remove
the ice. If the lock is frozen internally,
you may be able to thaw it out by
using a heated key. Handle the heat-
ed key with care to avoid injury.
Use approved window washer
anti-freeze in system
To keep the water in the window
washer system from freezing, add an
approved window washer anti-freeze
solution in accordance with instruc-
tions on the container. Window wash-
er anti-freeze is available from an
authorized Kia dealer and most auto
parts outlets. Do not use engine
coolant or other types of anti-freeze
as these may damage the paint finish.
CAUTION- Snow chains
 Chains that are the wrong sizeor improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
 Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle. 

What to do in an emergency
10
6
✽
✽
NOTICE
If the TPMS, Low Tire Pressure
indicator do not illuminate for 3 sec-
onds when the ignition switch is
turned to the ON position or engine
is running, or if they remain illumi-
nated after coming on for approxi-
mately 3 seconds, take your vehicle
to your nearest authorized Kia deal-
er and have the system checked.
Low tire pressure tell-
tale
When the tire pressure monitoring
system warning indicators are illumi-
nated, one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated.
If the telltale illuminates, immediately
reduce your speed, avoid hard cor-
nering and anticipate increased stop-
ping distances. You should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible.
Inflate the tires to the proper pres-
sure as indicated on the vehicle’s
placard or tire inflation pressure label
located on the driver’s side center pil-
lar outer panel. If you cannot reach a
service station or if the tire cannot
hold the newly added air, replace the
low pressure tire with the spare tire. Then the Low Tire Pressure telltale
may flash for approximately one
minute and then remain continuously
illuminated after restarting and about
20 minutes of continuous driving at
speed above 15.5 mph (25 km/h)
before you have the low pressure tire
repaired and replaced on the vehicle.
In winter or cold weather, the low tire
pressure telltale may be illuminated if
the tire pressure was adjusted to the
recommended tire inflation pressure
in warm weather. It does not mean
your TPMS is malfunctioning
because the decreased temperature
leads to a proportional lowering of
tire pressure.
When you drive your vehicle from a
warm area to a cold area or from a
cold area to a warm area, or the out-
side temperature is greatly higher or
lower, you should check the tire infla-
tion pressure and adjust the tires to
the recommended tire inflation pres-
sure. 

What to do in an emergency
12
6
Changing a tire with TPMS
If you have a flat tire, the Low Tire
Pressure telltale will come on. Have
the flat tire repaired by an authorized
Kia dealer as soon as possible or
replace the flat tire with the spare
tire.
Each wheel is equipped with a tire
pressure sensor mounted inside the
tire behind the valve stem. You must
use TPMS specific wheels. It is rec-
ommended that you always have
your tires serviced by an authorized
Kia dealer. Even if you replace the low pressure
tire with the spare tire, the Low Tire
Pressure telltale will remain on until
the low pressure tire is repaired and
placed on the vehicle.
After you replace the low pressure
tire with the spare tire, the TPMS
malfunction indicator may illuminate
after a few minutes because the
TPMS sensor mounted on the spare
wheel is not initiated.
Once the low pressure tire is reinflat-
ed to the recommended pressure
and installed on the vehicle or the
TPMS sensor mounted on the
replaced spare wheel is initiated by
an authorized Kia dealer, the TPMS
malfunction indicator and the low tire
pressure telltale will extinguish within
a few minutes of driving.
If the indicator is not extinguished
after a few minutes of driving, please
visit an authorized Kia dealer.
If an original mounted tire is replaced
with the spare tire, the TPMS sensor
on the replaced spare wheel should
be initiated and the TPMS sensor on
the original mounted wheel should
be deactivated. If the TPMS sensor
on the original mounted wheel locat-
ed in the spare tire carrier still acti-
vates, the tire pressure monitoring
system may not operate properly.
Have the tire with TPMS serviced or
replaced by an authorized Kia deal-
er.
CAUTION- Repair agents
NEVER use a puncture-repair-
ing agent to repair and/or inflatea low pressure tire. The tiresealant can damage the tirepressure sensor. If used, youwill have to replace the tire pres-sure sensor. 

What to do in an emergency
14
6
IF YOU HAVE A FLAT TIRE
Jack and tools (if equipped)
The jack, jack handle, wheel lug nut
wrench are stored in the luggage
compartment.
Pull up the luggage box cover to
reach this equipment.
(1) Jack handle
(2) Jack
(3) Wheel lug nut wrench
Jacking instructions 
The jack is provided for emergency
tire changing only.
To prevent the jack from “rattling”
while the vehicle is in motion, store it
properly.
Follow jacking instructions to reduce
the possibility of personal injury.  Always move the vehicle complete-
ly off the road and onto the shoulder
before trying to change a tire. The
jack should be used on a firm level
ground. If you cannot find a firm,
level place off the road, call a towing
service company for assistance.
 Be sure to use the correct front and rear jacking positions on the vehi-
cle; never use the bumpers or any
other part of the vehicle for jack
support.
 Do not allow anyone to remain in the vehicle while it is on the jack.
 Make sure any children present are in a secure place away from the
road and from the vehicle to be
raised with the jack.
OPS063003
WARNING- Changing
tires
Never attempt vehicle repairs in
the traffic lanes of a public road
or highway.
WARNING- Tire  Jack
Do not place any portion of your
body under a vehicle that is
only supported by a jack since
the vehicle can easily roll off the
jack. Use vehicle support
stands.