2018 Hyundai Sonata Transmission

5-23
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a seven-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill depress
the accelerator pedal further until
you feel the transmission downshift
to a lower gear.
The DRIVE MODE switch, located
on the shift lever console, allows the
driver to switch from NORMAL mode
to SPORT or ECO mode.
For more information, refer to
"Drive Mode Integrated Control
System" later in this chapter.
Always ensure vehicle is station-
ary, at a complete stop, before
selecting D (Drive).
Manual shift mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, Manual shift mode is
selected by pushing the shift lever
from the D (Drive) position into the
manual gate. To return to D (Drive)
range operation, push the shift lever
back into the main gate.In Manual shift mode, moving the
shift lever backwards and forwards
will allow you to select the desired
range of gears for the current driving
conditions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
Information
• Only the seven forward gears can beselected. To reverse or park the
vehicle, move the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) or P (Park) position as
required.
• Downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows down. When
the vehicle stops, 1st gear is auto-
matically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches the red zone the transmission will
upshift automatically.
(Continued)
i
NOTICE
5
OLF057013N
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)

5-24
Driving your vehicle
(Continued)
• If the driver presses the lever to + (Up) or - (Down) position, the
transmission may not make the
requested gear change if the next
gear is outside of the allowable
engine rpm range. The driver must
execute upshifts in accordance with
road conditions, taking care to keep
the engine rpms below the red zone.
Paddle Shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever is in the D (Drive) posi-
tion or Manual shift mode.
With the shift lever in the D posi-
tion
The paddle shifter will operate when
the vehicle speed is more than
6 mph (10 km/h).
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
The system changes from manual
mode to automatic mode:
When the vehicle speed is lowerthan 6 mph (10 km/h)
If you depress the accelerator pedal for more than 5 seconds
If you move the shift lever from Manual shift mode to D (Drive)
With the shift lever in the manual
shift mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are
pulled at the same time, gear change
may not occur.
i
OLF057014

5-25
Driving your vehicle
5
Shift-Lock System
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the igni-tion switch in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever.
Shift-Lock Release
If the shift lever cannot be moved from
the P (Park) position into R (Reverse)
position with the brake pedal
depressed, continue depressing the
brake, and then do the following:
1. Place the ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov- ering the shift-lock release access
hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw- driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool. 5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shift-
lock override access hole then
install the cap.
If you need to use the shift-lock
release, have your vehicle inspected
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer
immediately.
OLF057015N

5-26
Driving your vehicle
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake,
and place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
Good Driving Practices
Never move the shift lever from P(Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
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).
Do not move the shift lever to N (Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission could be damaged.
Do not drive with your foot resting on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure.
Depressing both accelerator and brake pedals at the same time can
trigger logic for engine power
reduction to assure vehicle decel-
eration. Vehicle acceleration will
resume after the brake pedal is
released. When driving in Manual shift mode,
slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged if the
engine rpms are outside of the
allowable range.
Always apply the parking brake when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion 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
may cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator.
When you stay in the vehicle
with the engine running, be
careful not to depress the accel-
erator pedal for a long period of
time. The engine or exhaust
system may overheat and start
a fire.
The exhaust gas and the
exhaust system are very hot.
Keep away from the exhaust
system components.
Do not stop or park over flam-
mable materials, such as dry
grass, paper or leaves. They
may ignite and cause a fire.
WARNING

5-27
Driving your vehicle
5
Information - Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point. The automatic transmission will
shift to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed.
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). Depress the accelerator
gradually while releasing the service
brakes.
i
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
ALWAYS wear your seatbelt.
In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-
ed 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)
In the event your vehicle
leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
HYUNDAI recommends you
follow all posted speed limits.
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
forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby peo-
ple or objects.
WARNING

5-49
Driving your vehicle
5
ECO mode
When the Drive Mode isset to ECO mode, the
engine and transmission
control logic are changed
to maximize fuel efficiency.
When the ECO mode is selected by pressing the DRIVE MODE but-
ton, the ECO indicator will illumi-
nate.
If the vehicle is set to ECO mode, when the engine is turned OFF
and restarted the Drive Mode set-
ting will remain in ECO mode.
Information
Fuel efficiency depends on the driver's
driving habit and road condition. When ECO mode is activated:
The acceleration response may be
slightly reduced as the accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
The air conditioner performance may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic transmission may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when ECO mode is acti-
vated to improve fuel efficiency. Limitation of ECO mode opera-
tion:
If the following conditions occur while
ECO mode is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in ECO indicator.
When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
engine torque is restricted.
When driving the vehicle with the automatic transmission gear shift
lever in manual shift mode:
The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.
When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few seconds:
The system will be limited, judging
that the driver wants to speed up.
i

5-50
SPORT mode
SPORT mode managesthe driving dynamics by
automatically adjusting the
steering effort, the engine
and transmission control
logic for enhanced driver
performance.
When SPORT mode is selected by pressing the DRIVE MODE button,
the SPORT indicator will illuminate.
Whenever the engine is restarted, the Drive Mode will revert back to
COMFORT mode. If SPORT mode
is desired, re-select SPORT mode
from the DRIVE MODE button.
When SPORT mode is activated: - The engine rpm will tend to remainraised over a certain length of time
even after releasing the accelerator
- Upshifts are delayed when accel- erating
Information
In SPORT mode, the fuel efficiency
may decrease.
SMART mode
SMART mode selects the
proper driving mode
among ECO, NORMAL,
and SPORT by judging the
driver's driving habits (i.e. mild or
dynamic) from the brake pedal
depression or the steering wheel
operation.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to activate SMART mode. When
SMART mode is activated, the
indicator illuminates on the instru-
ment cluster.
The indicator illuminates in green, when the driver's driving is catego-
rized to be mild. It illuminates in
white, when the driver's driving is
categorized to be normal. It illumi-
nates in yellow, when the driver's
driving is categorized to be dynam-
ic during abrupt braking or sharp
curving.
The vehicle starts in SMART mode again, when the engine was turned
OFF in SMART mode. SMART mode automatically con-
trols the vehicle driving, such as
gear shifting patterns, engine
torque, and riding quality in accor-
dance with the driver's driving
habits.
Information
• When you mildly drive the vehiclein SMART mode, the driving mode
changes to ECO mode to improve
fuel efficiency. However, the actual
fuel efficiency may differ in accor-
dance with your driving situations
(i.e. upward/downward slope, vehi-
cle deceleration/acceleration).
• When you dynamically drive the vehicle in SMART mode by abrupt-
ly decelerating or sharply turning
the driving mode changes to SPORT
mode. However, it may adversely
affect fuel economy.
i
i
Driving your vehicle

5-51
Driving your vehicle
Drive mode indicator screen
The drive mode indicator screen can
be displayed by using the trip com-
puter button on the steering wheel.
drive mode indicator screen displays
the status of current drive mode.
DRIVE MODE button is located onthe lower part of the transmission
lever for selecting drive mode. If
drive mode is selected manually by
the user, the drive mode indicator
screen will show user-selected
drive mode. (COMFORT, ECO, or
SPORT)
If SMART mode is selected by
DRIVE MODE button, the drive
mode indicator screen will show
current drive mode automatically
selected by SMART mode system.
(SMART COMFORT, SMART
ECO, or SMART SPORT)
When the trip computer mode is selected to show drive mode and
the SMART mode is in operation,
an automatically selected driving
mode SMART ECO, SMART
COMFORT, or SMART SPORT will
be selected on the LCD display. And right below is the horizontal
driving style gauge which reflects
the driving style in real time.
If you drive carefully and slowly in SMART mode, the left side of the
driving style gauge will illuminate,
and automatically shift to the
SMART ECO mode.
When the driver accelerates more
frequently, the right side of the driv-
ing style gauge will fill up, and shift
to SMART COMFORT mode.
In addition, if the rate of accelera-
tion and speed is high, drive mode
will change to SMART SPORT
mode.
If the auto cruise control function is operated or the transmission is
shifted to manual shift mode while
SMART mode is on, the SMART
mode will stop temporarily, and the
drive mode will be displayed as
OFF. The driving style gauge light
will be turned off accordingly. If the trip computer is not set to
show drive mode indicator screen,
and you want to know the on/off
status of the SMART mode, simply
check whether the letters 'SMART'
is lighten up on the screen or not
(green - ECO MODE, white -
COMFORT MODE, red - SPORT
MODE).
5