
53
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outsidemirror(s), and outside lights are clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles behind you if you intend to back up. Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, with the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in section 7,“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Adjust the inside and outside rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning lights when the Engine Start/Stop
button is in the ON position.
Release the parking brake and make sure the brake warning lightgoes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and itsequipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING
Driving while distracted can
result in a loss of vehicle control,
that may lead to an accident,
severe personal injury, and
death. The driver’s primary
responsibility is in the safe and
legal operation of a vehicle, and
use of any handheld devices,
other equipment, or vehicle sys-
tems which take the driver’s
eyes, attention and focus away
from the safe operation of a vehi-
cle or which are not permissible
by law should never be used dur-
ing operation of the vehicle.

57
Driving your vehicle
START/RUN
To start the engine, depress the brake
pedal and press the Engine Start/Stop
button with the shift lever in the P
(Park) or the N (Neutral) position. For
your safety, start the engine with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position.
✽✽
NOTICE
If you press the engine start/stop
button without depressing the brake
pedal for automatic transaxle vehi-
cles, the engine will not start and the
Engine Start/Stop button changes as
follow:
OFF ➔
➔
ACC ➔➔
ON ➔➔
OFF or ACC
✽
✽
NOTICE
If you leave the Engine Start/Stop
button in the ACC or ON position
for a long time, the battery will dis-
charge.
Not illuminated
WARNING
Never press the engine start/stop button while the
vehicle is in motion. This wouldresult in loss of directional
control and braking function,
which could cause an accident.
The anti-theft steering column lock is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving
the driver's seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged
in P (Park), set the parking
brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement
may occur if these precau-tions are not taken.
(Continued)(Continued)
Never reach for the enginestart/ stop button or any other
controls through the steering
wheel while the vehicle is in
motion. The presence of yourhand or arm in the area could
cause loss of vehicle control,an accident and serious bodi-
ly injury or death.
Do not place any movable objects around the driver's
seat as they may move while
driving, interfere with the driv-er and lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
8
5
Starting the engine 1.Carry the smart key or leave it
inside the vehicle.
2.Make sure the parking brake is firmly applied.
3.Place the transaxle shift lever in P (Park). Depress the brake pedal fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral) position.
4.Press the engine start/stop button.
It should be started without depress-
ing the accelerator.
5.Do not wait for the engine to warm up whilst the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.) Even if the smart key is in the vehi-
cle, if it is far away from you, the
engine may not start.
When the engine start/stop button is in the ACC position or above, if
any door is opened, the system
checks for the smart key. If the
smart key is not in the vehicle, the
“ ” indicator and a message
“Key not in the vehicle” will appear
on the instrument cluster and LCD
display. And if all doors are closed,
the chime will sound for 5 seconds.
The indicator or warning will turn off
while the vehicle is moving. Always
have the smart key with you.
WARNING
Always wear appropriate shoes when operating your
vehicle. Unsuitable shoes (high
heels, ski boots,etc.) may inter-
fere with your ability to use the
brake, accelerator pedal.
Do not start the vehicle with the accelerator pedal
depressed. The vehicle can
move and lead to an accident.
Wait until the engine rpm is nor- mal. The vehicle may suddenly
move if the brake padel isreleased when the rpm is high.
WARNING
The engine will start, only when
the smart key is in the vehicle.
Never allow children or any per- son who is unfamiliar with the
vehicle touch the engine
start/stop button or related parts.

511
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear.Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the Engine Start/Stop button isin the ON position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This posi-
tion locks the transmission and pre-
vents the drive wheels from rotating.
WARNING - Automatic
transmission
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a car 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 movement can occur if
these precautions are not fol-
lowed in the order identified.
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
transmission, do not acceler-ate the engine in R (Reverse) or any forward gear positionwith the brakes on.
When stopped on an incline, 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 is above 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.

Driving your vehicle
12
5
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward. N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission 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, depress
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.
- For EPB (Electronic ParkingBrake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
button in [ON] or while the engine
is running to disengage the park-
ing brake. If [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion is used while driving (If
[AUTO HOLD] indicator is on in
the cluster), press [AUTO HOLD]
switch and [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion should be turn off.
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) whilepressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFT LOCKRELEASE] access hole at the same
time. Then, the vehicle will move
when external force is applied.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage the transmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except as explained in “Rocking the vehicle” in thissection.
CAUTION
The transmission may be dam-aged if you shift into P (Park)while the vehicle is in motion.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work and lead to an accident.

513
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-matically shift through a 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 lower gear.
✽✽NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
Manual 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.
In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.
OKH052008
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
Sports mode
CAUTION
With the exception of parking
in neutral gear, always park thevehicle in [P] (Park) for safetyand engage the parking brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, first make sure the park-ing ground is level and flat. Do not park in [N] gear on anyslopes or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], thevehicle may move and causeserious damage and injury.
After the ignition switch has been turned off, the electronicparking brake cannot be dis-engaged.
For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with[AUTO HOLD] function used while driving, if the ignition but-ton has been turned [OFF], theelectronic parking brake will be engaged automatically.Therefore, [AUTO HOLD] func-tion should be turned off before the ignition button is turned off.

515
Driving your vehicle
Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Press the shift-lock release button.(If the cover is equipped with your
vehicle, remove the cap covering
the shift-lock access hole. And
insert a key into the access hole
and press down on the key.)
2. Move the shift lever.
3. We recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer. 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 car is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the car 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 the car.
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 trans-
mission in P (Park) to keep the car
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.
OKH052009

Driving your vehicle
16
5
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.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and
backward. Do not attempt this
procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation the
vehicle may suddenly move for-
ward or backward as it becomes
unstuck, causing injury or dam-
age to nearby people or objects.WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a colli- sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when cor- nering or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,sharp turns.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed limits.