617
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.
Transaxle ranges
The indicator lights in the instrument
cluster displays the shift lever posi-
tion when the ignition switch is in theON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transaxle and pre-
vents the front wheels from rotating. R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
WARNING
- Automatic
transaxle
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle into
D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the
shift lever is in the P (Park)
position; then set the parking
brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movementcan occur if these precautions
are not followed in the orderidentified.
Do not use the engine brake (shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads.
The vehicle may slip causing an accident.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not acceleratethe engine in R (Reverse) orany forward gear position withthe brakes on.
When stopped on an upgrade, do not hold the vehicle sta-tionary with engine power.Use the service brake or theparking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
will cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position and set the
parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattend- ed in a vehicle.
CAUTION
The transaxle may be damaged
if you shift into P (Park) whilethe vehicle is in motion.
Driving your vehicle
18
6
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 brakesare applied. - Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to movewhen pushed.
1.After parking your vehicle, step on
the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to [P] with the ignition button
in [ON] or while the engine is run-ning.
2.If the parking brake is applied unlock the parking brake.
3.While pressing the brake pedal, turn the ignition button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,the ignition switch can be moved
to [OFF] only when the shift leveris in [P].
4.Change the gear shift lever to [N] (Neutral) while pressing the brakepedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFTLOCK RELEASE] access hole at
the same time. Then, the vehicle
will move when external force isapplied.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage the transaxle if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except as explained in “Rocking the vehicle”, in thismanual.
CAUTION
With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park thevehicle in [P] (Park) for safety and engage the parking brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, first make sure the park-ing ground is level and flat. Donot park in [N] gear on any slopes or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], thevehicle may move and causeserious damage and injury.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work and lead to an accident.
619
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-cally shift through a 5 (or 8)-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 transmission will automati-
cally downshift to the next lower gear.
✽✽NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
Manual mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual 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.
In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transmission,
the manual mode allows gearshifts
with the accelerator pedal depressed. Up (+) : Push the lever forward
once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
✽✽NOTICE
In manual mode, the driver must execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care
to keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
In manual mode, only the 5 (or 8) forward 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 manual mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
In manual mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically. (Continued)
OHM056005
Driving your vehicle
20
6
(Continued)
To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain 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
transaxle to shift into the 2nd (or
3rd) gear which is better for
smooth driving on a slippery road.
Push the shift lever to the -(down)
side to shift back to the 1st gear.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transaxle has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transaxle
from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R
(Reverse) unless the brake pedal isdepressed.
To shift the transaxle 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 chat-
tering noise near the shift lever may
be heard. This is a normal condition. Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) or N (Neutral) posi-
tion into R (Reverse) position with
the brake pedal depressed, continue
depressing the brake, then do the fol-
lowing:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering
the shift-lock override access hole.
2. Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. We recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.
OHM053006N
621
Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system (if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P
(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedaldepressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you
do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
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.
Exercise extreme caution when driving on a slippery surface. Be
especially careful when braking,
accelerating or shifting gears. On a
slippery surface, an abrupt change
in vehicle speed can cause the
drive wheels to lose traction and
the vehicle to go out of control.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothlydepressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
623
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. 4WD is useful when extra
traction is required on road, such as,
when driving on slippery, muddy,
wet, or snow-covered roads. These
vehicles are not designed for chal-
lenging off-road use. Occasional off-
road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-
highway that the driver carefully
reduces the speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions. The
driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.
These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road. Keeping
the vehicle in contact with the driving
surface and under control in these
conditions is always the driver's
responsibility for the safety of him/her-
self and his or her passengers.FOUR WHEEL DRIVE (4WD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING -
Off road driving
This vehicle is designed prima-
rily for on road use although it
can operate effectively off road.
However, it was not designed to
drive in challenging off-road
conditions. Driving in condi-
tions that exceed the vehicle'sintended design or the driver's
experience level may result in
severe injury or death.CAUTION
Do not select four wheel drive on flat and normal roads.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period causespoor fuel economy and noiseand it also causes tires towear faster.
Four-wheel driving on flat and normal roads can result in asevere binding and chatteringcondition when turning thesteering wheel.
Four-wheel driving on flat roads for a long period canalso cause the differential oiltemperature to increase,resulting in damage to parts in the power train.
Driving your vehicle
26
6
Part-time 4WD knob operation
2H ↔↔
4H
Turn the transfer knob from the 2H mode to 4H mode or 4H mode to 2H
mode at the speed below 80 km/h
(50 mph). It is not necessary to put
the shift lever into the N (Neutral)
position. Perform this operation when
driving straight. There will be a few
seconds of time delay before shifting
into the desired mode.
If the weather is extremely cold (- 15°C /5°F) and the engine is not
heated, transfer from 2H mode to 4H
mode when the vehicle is stopped or
at low speed. 4H
↔
↔
4L
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Put the shift lever into the N (Neutral) position.
3. Turn the transfer knob to the 4H or 4L position.
4. Before shifting to other ranges from the N (Neutral) position, wait
for the corresponding indicator
light to turn on or off in the cluster.
✽✽ NOTICE
If the mode is not shifted like the
previous instructions, it will not
transfer into the selected mode and
the corresponding indicator light
will continuously blink.
OHM058010N
OHM058011
CAUTION
Always check the 4WD shift knob and cluster to see if thesystem has been activated unintentionally.
Do not speed over 80 km/h (50 mph) in the 4H mode and 40km/h (25 mph) in the 4L mode.
627
Driving your vehicle
This mode is used when driving on slippery roads, such as
snowy and rainy roads at normal speed.
Maximum speed: 80 km/h (50 mph)
AUTO
(Automatic
4-wheel drive)
✽✽ NOTICE
4WD transfer has a time delay for a few seconds until the actual shift is made after turning the transfe r shift knob.
When the 4WD transfer mode is shifted, it may cause mechanical noise. It is not a mechanical failur e but a normal
condition.
Full-Time 4WD Operation (if equipped)
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
This mode is used when driving on normal roads and
highway.
The engine power is distributed to all four wheels auto-
matically without the driver's intervention in accordance
with the road conditions and driving conditions.
4H
(High-speed
4-wheel drive)
This mode is used when ncreased traction is required,
such as climbing or descending hills, driving off-roads,
and towing a vehicle.
Maximum speed: 40 km/h (25 mph)
4L
(Low-speed
4-wheel drive)
44 WW DD
H
H II
4WD
HI
4WD
LOW
44 WW DD
L
L OO WW
(not illuminated)
(illuminated)(illuminated)
CAUTION
When you stop the vehicle to transfer the shift knob, wait until the corresponding indicator light turns on or off to depart. If the vehicle moves before the transfer is completed, the vehicle may be damaged.