Driving your vehicle
42
6
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 whilst 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
forward of backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby peo-ple or objects.
(Continued)
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.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 occu-pant.
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 highwayspeeds.
Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
oversteers to reenter the road-
way.
(Continued)
Driving your vehicle
90
6
ECONOMICAL OPERATION
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 litre (gallon) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in bothfuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate rate. Do not make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Do not race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you do not 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 toreduce fuel consumption. Do not "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 tyres. Keep them inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tyre wear. Check the tyrepressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting kerbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tyre 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. If
you drive your vehicle in severe
conditions, more frequent mainte-nance is required.
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 tocorrosion.
Travel lightly. Do not carry unnec- essary weight in your vehicle.
Weight reduces fuel economy.
Do not 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.
Driving your vehicle
98
6
Use high quality ethylene gly- col coolant
Your vehicle is delivered with high
quality ethylene glycol coolant in the
cooling system. It is the only type ofcoolant that should be used because
it helps prevent corrosion in the cool-
ing system, lubricates the water
pump and prevents freezing. Be sure
to replace or replenish your coolantin accordance with the maintenance
schedule. Before winter, have yourcoolant tested to assure that its
freezing point is sufficient for the
temperatures 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 chapter 8. Have the level of charge
in your battery checked by a profes-
sional workshop. Kia recommends to
visit an authorised Kia dealer/service
partner. 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
chapter 9 for recommendations. If
you aren't sure what weight oil you
should use, Kia recommends to con-
sult an authorised Kia dealer/service
partner.
Check spark plugs and igni- tion system
Inspect your spark plugs as
described in chapter 8 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.
CAUTION
Chains that are the wrong size
or improperly installed candamage your vehicle's brakelines, suspension, body andwheels.
Stop driving and retighten the chains any time you hear themhitting the vehicle.
WARNING - Tyre chains
The use of chains may adversely affect vehicle han- dling.
Do not exceed 30 km/h (20 mph) or the chain manufactur-
er’s recommended speed
limit, whichever is lower.
Drive carefully and avoid bumps, holes, sharp turns,
and other road hazards, which
may cause the vehicle to
bounce.
Avoid sharp turns or locked- wheel braking.
Driving your vehicle
100
6
If you are considering towing with
your vehicle, you should first check
with your country's Department of
Motor Vehicles to determine their
legal requirements.
Since laws vary the requirements for
towing trailers, cars, or other types of
vehicles or apparatus may differ. Kia
recommends to ask an authorised
Kia dealer/service partner.✽✽
NOTICE - For Europe
The technically permissible maxi- mum load on the rear axle(s) may
be exceeded by not more than 15
% and the technically permissible
maximum laden mass of the vehi-
cle may be exceeded by not more
than 10 % or 100 kg (220.4 lbs),
whichever value is lower. In this
case, do not exceed 100 km/h (62.1
mph) for vehicle of category M1 or
80 km/h (49.7 mph) for vehicle of
category N1.
When towing a trailer, the addi- tional load imposed at the trailer
coupling device may cause the
rear tyre maximum load ratings to
be exceeded, but not by more than
15%. In such a case, do not exceed
100km/h, and the rear tyre pres-
sure should be at least 20 kPa(0.2
bar) above the tyre pressure(s) as
recommended for normal use (i.e.
without a trailer attached).
TRAILER TOWING
WARNING - Towing a
trailer
If you don't use the correct
equipment and/or drive improp-
erly, you can lose control when
you pull a trailer. For example, if
the trailer is too heavy, the
brakes may not work well - or
even at all. You and your pas-
sengers could be seriously or
fatally injured. Pull a trailer only
if you have followed all thesteps in this section.
WARNING - Weight
limits
Before towing, make sure the
total trailer weight, GCW (gross
combination weight), GVW
(gross vehicle weight), GAW
(gross axle weight ) and trailertongue load are all within thelimits.
WARNING
When you tow the trailer, make
sure that you turn off the ISGfunction.
6101
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle can tow a trailer. To
identify what the vehicle trailering
capacity is for your vehicle, you
should read the information in
“Weight of the trailer” that appearslater in this section.
Remember that trailering is different
than just driving your vehicle by itself.
Trailering means changes in han-
dling, durability, and fuel economy.
Successful, safe trailering requirescorrect equipment, and it has to be
used properly.This section contains many time-test-
ed, important trailering tips and safe-
ty rules. Many of these are important
for your safety and that of your pas-
sengers. Please read this section
carefully before you pull a trailer. Load-pulling components such as
the engine, transaxle, wheel assem-
blies, and tyres are forced to workharder against the load of the added
weight. The engine is required to
operate at relatively higher speeds
and under greater loads. This addi-
tional burden generates extra heat.
The trailer also considerably adds
wind resistance, increasing the
pulling requirements.
✽✽
NOTICE - Location of trailer
mounting
The mounting hole for hitches are located on both sides of the under-
body behind the rear tyres.
Remove the under cover on the rear bumper before installing a
trailer hitch.
CAUTION
Pulling a trailer improperly can
damage your vehicle and resultin costly repairs not covered by your warranty. To pull a trailercorrectly, follow the advice inthis section.
ORP052051
ORP052058
Driving your vehicle
102
6
Hitches
It's important to have the correct hitch
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks
going by, and rough roads are a few
reasons why you’ll need the right
hitch. Here are some rules to follow:
Do you have to make any holes in
the body of your vehicle when you
install a trailer hitch? If you do, thenbe sure to seal the holes later
when you remove the hitch.
The bumpers on your vehicle are not intended for hitches. Do notattach rental hitches or other
bumper-type hitches to them. Use
only a frame-mounted hitch that
does not attach to the bumper.
Kia trailer hitch accessary is avail- able at an authorised Kia
dealer/service partner. Safety chains
You should always attach chains
between your vehicle and your trail-
er. Cross the safety chains under the
tongue of the trailer so that thetongue will not drop to the road if it
becomes separated from the hitch.
Instructions about safety chains may
be provided by the hitch manufactur-
er or by the trailer manufacturer.
Follow the manufacturer’s recom-
mendation for attaching safety
chains. Always leave just enough
slack so you can turn with your trail-
er. And, never allow safety chains to
drag on the ground.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak-
ing system, make sure it conforms to
your country’s regulations and that it
is properly installed and operating
correctly.
If your trailer weight exceeds the
maximum allowed weight without
trailer brakes, then the trailer will also
require its own brakes as well. Be
sure to read and follow the instruc-
tions for the trailer brakes so you’ll be
able to install, adjust and maintain
them properly.
Do not tap into or modify your vehi-
cle's brake system.
WARNING - Trailer brakes
Do not use a trailer with its own
brakes unless you are absolute-
ly certain that you have proper-
ly set up the brake system. This
is not a task for amateurs. Use
an experienced, competent
trailer shop for this work.
6103
Driving your vehicle
Loading the trailer
The weight distribution between the
car and trailer should be balanced.
Make sure that the load in the trailer
is equally distributed and it is not
front-heavy or tail-heavy.
The heavy load in the trailer should
be placed above the axle or as close
as possible to the axle. And, secure
loads properly on the trailer.
Tyre pressure
Follow the trailer manufacturer’s tyre
pressure recommendations for the
trailer tyres.
When towing, inflate tyres in vehicle
to the maximum permissible pres-
sure referring to the tyre pressurelabel.Driving with a trailer
Towing a trailer requires a certain
amount of experience. Before setting
out for the open road, you must get to
know your trailer. Acquaint yourself
with the feel of handling and braking
with the added weight of the trailer.
And always keep in mind that the
vehicle you are driving is now a good
deal longer and not nearly so respon-
sive as your vehicle is by itself.
Before you start, check the trailer
hitch and platform, safety chains,
electrical connector(s), lights, tyres
and mirror adjustment. If the trailer
has electric brakes, start your vehicle
and trailer moving and then apply the
trailer brake controller by hand to be
sure the brakes are working. This lets
you check your electrical connection
at the same time.
During your trip, check occasionally
to be sure that the load is secure,
and that the lights and any trailer
brakes are still working.Following distance
Stay at least twice as far behind the
vehicle ahead as you would when
driving your vehicle without a trailer.
This can help you avoid situations
that require heavy braking and sud-
den turns.
Passing
You’ll need more passing distance
up ahead when you’re towing a trail-
er. And, because of the increased
vehicle length, you’ll need to go
much farther beyond the passed
vehicle before you can return to your
lane.
6105
Driving your vehicle
Driving on grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower
gear before you start down a long or
steep downgrade. If you don’t shift
down, you might have to use your
brakes so much that they would get
hot and no longer operate efficiently.
On a long uphill grade, shift down
and reduce your speed to around 70km/h (45 mph) to reduce the possi-
bility of engine and transaxle over-heating.
If your trailer weighs more than the
maximum trailer weight without trail-
er brakes and you have an automat-
ic transaxle / dual clutch transmis-
sion, you should drive in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer.
Operating your vehicle in D (Drive)
when towing a trailer will minimise
heat build up and extend the life of
your transaxle.CAUTION
When towing a trailer on steepgrades (in excess of 6%) payclose attention to the enginecoolant temperature gauge toensure the engine does not overheat.
If the needle of the coolanttemperature gauge movesacross the dial towards “130/H(HOT)”, pull over and stop as soon as it is safe to do so, andallow the engine to idle until itcools down. You may proceedonce the engine has cooled sufficiently.
You must decide driving speed depending on trailerweight and uphill grade toreduce the possibility of engine and transaxle over-heating.
CAUTION - Dual Clutch
Transmission
When towing a trailer on steepgrades, the clutch in the trans-mission could overheat.
When the clutch is overheated,the safe protection mode engages. If the safe protectionmode engages, the gear posi-tion indicator on the cluster blinks with a chime sound.
At this time, a warning messagewill appear on the LCD displayand driving may not be smooth.
If you ignore this warning, thedriving condition may become worse.
To return the normal drivingcondition, stop the vehicle onflat road and apply the footbrake for a few minutes before driving off.