
535
Driving your vehicle
Indicator light
When ignition switch is turned to ON, the
indicator light illuminates, then goes off if
the ESC system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating or illuminates when
ESC fails to operate. ESC OFF indicator light comes on when
the ESC is turned off with the button.
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily driv-ing whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
Never press the ESC OFF button while
ESC is operating (ESC indicator light
blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is operat-
ing, the vehicle may slip out of control.
✽✽ NOTICE
When operating the vehicle on a dynamometer, ensure that the ESC is
turned off (ESC OFF light illuminated).
Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system operation.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light CAUTION
Driving with varying tire or wheel
sizes may cause the ESC system to
malfunction. When replacing tires,make sure they are the same size asyour original tires.
WARNING
The Electronic Stability Control sys-
tem is only a driving aid; use pre-
cautions for safe driving by slowing
down on curved, snowy, or icy
roads. Drive slowly and don’t
attempt to accelerate whenever the
ESC indicator light is blinking, or
when the road surface is slippery.
WARNING
Never press the ESC OFF button while ESC is operating. If the ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may go out of
control.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.

Driving your vehicle
36
5
Hill-start assist control (HAC) (if equipped)
Hill start Assist Control is a comfort func-
tion. The main intend is to prevent the
vehicle from rolling backwards while driv-
ing off uphill on an inclined surface. HAC
holds the braking pressure builtup by
driver during stopping procedure for 2
seconds after releasing brake pedal.
During the pressure-hold period, the
driver has enough time to press the
accelerator pedal to drive off.
The braking pressure is reduced as soon
as the system detects the driver’s inten-
tion to drive off.✽✽
NOTICE
The HAC does not operate when the transaxle shift lever is in the P (Park)
or N (Neutral) position.
The HAC activates even though the
ESC is off but it does not activate
when the ESC has malfunctioned. 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. This is only the
effect of brake control and indicates noth-
ing unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on bank road such as gradientor incline
Driving rearward
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
WARNING
The HAC is usually activated only
for 2 seconds. The driver should be
careful from the rolling backwardcausing the accident with behind
objects or human, when the driver
may feel the unintended rolling
backward while driving off on hilldue to insufficient brake hold pres-
sure built-up by driver during stop-
ping procedure.

Driving your vehicle
38
5
Good braking practices
After parking the vehicle, check to be
sure the parking brake is not engaged
and that the parking brake indicator
light is out before driving away.
Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet when
the car is washed. Wet brakes can be
dangerous! Your car will not stop as
quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet brakes
may cause the car to pull to one side. To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns to
normal, taking care to keep the car
under control at all times. If the braking
action does not return to normal, stop
as soon as it is safe to do so and we
recommend that you call an authorized
Kia dealer.
Don't coast down hills with the car out of gear. This is extremely hazardous.
Keep the car 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 it can
result in the brakes overheating and los-
ing 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
car pointed straight ahead while you
slow down. When you are moving slow-
ly enough for it to be safe to do so, pull
off the road and stop in a safe place.
If your car is equipped with an auto- matic transaxle, don't let your car
creep forward. To avoid creeping for-
ward, keep your foot firmly on the
brake pedal when the car is stopped. Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake and
place the shift lever in P (Park). If your
car is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep the
car from rolling. If your car is facing
uphill, turn the front wheels away from
the curb to help keep the car from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to keep
the car 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 y ou put the shift lever
in P (Park) and block the rear wheels so
the car 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.
WARNING
Whenever leaving vehicle or parking, always set the parking
brake as far as possible and fully
engage the vehicle's transaxle
into the park position. Vehicles
not fully engaged in park with the
parking brake set are at risk for
moving inadvertently and injur-
ing yourself or others.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully engaged
when parking to avoid inadvertent
movement of the car which caninjure occupants or pedestrians.

539
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle may be equipped with the ISG system, which reduces fuel con-
sumption by automatically shutting down
the engine, when the vehicle is at a
standstill. (For example : red light, stop
sign and traffic jam)
The engine starts automatically as soon
as the starting conditions are met.
The ISG system is ON whenever the
engine is running.
✽✽NOTICE
When the engine automatically starts by
the ISG system, some warning lights
(ABS, ESC, ESC OFF, EPS or Parking
brake warning light) may turn on for a
few seconds.
This happens because of low battery
voltage. It does not mean the system has
malfunctioned.
Auto stop
To stop the engine in idle stop mode
1. Decrease the vehicle speed to less than 5 km/h (3 mph).
2. Shift into N (Neutral) position.
3. Release the clutch pedal.
The engine will stop and the green AUTO
STOP( ) indicator on the instrument
cluster will illuminate. Also, a message "Auto Stop" will appear
on the LCD display.✽✽
NOTICE
You must reach a speed of at least 10
km/h (6 mph) since last idle stop.
ISG (IDLE STOP AND GO) SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OTA055100KOTA045473L

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Driving your vehicle
The engine will also restart automati-cally without the driver’s any actionsif the following occurs:
- The fan speed of manual climate con- trol system is set above the 3rd posi- tion when the air conditioning is on.
- The fan speed of automatic climate control system is set above the 6thposition when the air conditioning ison.
- When a certain amount of time has passed with the climate control systemon.
- When the defroster is on.
- The brake vaccum pressure is low.
- The battery charging status is low.
- The vehicle speed exceeds 5 km/h (3 mph). The green AUTO STOP ( ) indicator
on the instrument cluster will blink for 5
seconds and a message “Auto Start” will
appear on the LCD display. (if equipped) Condition of ISG system opera- tionThe ISG system will operate under
the following condition:
- The driver’s seat belt is fastened.
- The driver’s door and engine hood are closed.
- The brake vaccum pressure is ade- quate.
- The battery is sufficiently charged.
- The outside temperature is between -2°C to 35°C (28.4°F to 95°F).
- The engine coolant temperature is not too low.
OTA045532L

545
Driving your vehicle
✽✽NOTICE
During normal cruise control opera- tion, when the SET switch is activated
or reactivated after applying the
brakes, the cruise control will ener-
gize after approximately 3 seconds.
This delay is normal.
To activate cruise control, depress the
brake pedal at least once after turning
the ignition switch to the ON position
or starting the engine. This is to check
if the brake switch which is important
part to cancel cruise control is in nor-
mal condition.
Cruise control switch
: Turns cruise control system on oroff. (ON CANCEL OFF)
: Changes mode between cruise con- trol system and speed limit control system.
RES+: Resumes or increases cruisecontrol speed.
SET-: Sets or decreases cruise control speed. To set cruise control speed:
1. Press the button on the steering
wheel, to turn the system on. The indicator light will illuminate
2. Accelerate to the desired speed, which must be more than approximately 30km/h (20 mph).
✽✽ NOTICE - Manual transaxle
For manual transaxle vehicles, you
should depress the brake pedal at least
once to set the cruise control after start-
ing the engine.
OTA055102OTA055039L

547
Driving your vehicle
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 pedal.To cancel cruise control, do one of the
following:
Depress the brake pedal.
Depress the clutch pedal if equippedwith a manual transaxle.
Shift into N (Neutral) if equipped with an automatic transaxle.
Press the button located on the steering wheel.
Pressing the button. Both the indicator and the SET indicator will turn
OFF.
Decrease the vehicle speed lower than the memory speed by approximately20 km/h (12 mph).
Decrease the vehicle speed to less than approximately 25 km/h (15 mph).Each of the above actions will cancel
Cruise Control operation (the SET indi- cator light in the instrument cluster will gooff), but only pressing the button will
turn the system off. If you wish to resumeCruise Control operation, push the leverup (RES+) located on your steering
wheel. You will return to your previously preset speed, unless the system wasturned off using the button.
OTA055039L

Driving your vehicle
52
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
kilometers (miles) you can get from a
liter (gallon) of fuel. To operate your vehi-
cle as economically as possible, use the
following driving suggestions to help
save money in both fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moder-
ate rate. Don't make "jack-rabbit" startsor full-throttle shifts and maintain a
steady cruising speed. Don't race
between stoplights. Try to adjust your
speed to the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily. Avoid
heavy traffic whenever possible.
Always maintain a safe distance from
other vehicles so you can avoid unnec-
essary 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 con-sumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This can
increase fuel consumption and also
increase wear on these components.
In addition, driving with your foot rest-
ing 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 pressure.
Incorrect inflation, either too much or
too little, results in unnecessary tire
wear. Check the tire pressures at leastonce a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper alignment can
result from hitting curbs or driving too
fast over irregular surfaces. Poor align-
ment causes faster tire wear and may
also result in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your car in good condition. For
better fuel economy and reduced
maintenance costs, maintain your carin accordance with the maintenance
schedule in section 7. If you drive your
car in severe conditions, more frequentmaintenance is required (see section 7
for details).
Keep your car clean. For maximum serv- ice, 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 car. This extra weightcan result in increased fuel consumption
and also contribute to corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unnecessary weight in your car. 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