2018 KIA NIRO PLUG-IN HYBRID ESP

629
Driving your vehicle
Electronic stability control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine manage-
ment system to stabilize the vehicle.Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers
and hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious accidents.
Only a safe and attentive driver can
prevent accidents by avoiding
maneuvers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the normal
precautions for driving - including
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe driv-
ing practices. Factors including speed,
road conditions and driver steering
input can all affect whether ESC will be
effective in preventing a loss of control.
It is still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensa-
tion in the brake pedal. This is normal
and it means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.
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Driving your vehicle
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6
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily
driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.
Vehicle stability management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
WARNING- Operating
ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
out of control.
WARNING- Tire/ Wheel size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying
tire or wheel sizes may diminish
any supplemental safety benefits
of the VSM system.

633
Driving your vehicle
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS- Electronic Power Steering).
This is only the effect of brake and
EPS control and indicates nothing
unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on a sloping road such as agradient or incline
Driving in reverse
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function
above approximately 13 mph (22
km/h) on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu surface. A split-mu sur-
face is made of two surfaces which
have different friction forces.

Driving your vehicle
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6
The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the responsi-
bility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions – including driving in clement
weather and on a slippery road.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
For maximum protection, always
wear your seat belt. No system, no
matter how advanced, can compen-
sate for all driver error and/or driv-
ing conditions. Always drive respon-
sibly.
Hill-start assist control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake
is not engaged and 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 vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle 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 vehicle 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 call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle 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.
WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped on
an incline. While stopped, make
sure you maintain brake pres-
sure sufficient to prevent your
vehicle from rolling backward
and causing an accident. Don’t
release the brake pedal until you
are ready to accelerate forward.

Driving your vehicle
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6
AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) (IF EQUIPPED)
The AEB system is to reduce or to
avoid accident risk. It recognizes the
distance from the vehicle ahead or
the pedestrian through the sensors
(i.e. radar and camera), and, if nec-
essary, warns the driver of accident
risk with the warning message or the
warning alarms.✽ ✽
NOTICE
Take the following precautions when
using the Autonomous Emergency
Braking (AEB):
• This system is only a supplemental
system and it is not intended to,
nor does it replace the need for
extreme care and attention of the
driver. The sensing range and
objects detectable by the sensors
are limited. Pay attention to the
road conditions at all times.
• NEVER drive too fast in accor- dance with the road conditions or
while cornering.
• Always drive cautiously to prevent unexpected and sudden situations
from occurring. AEB does not stop
the vehicle completely and does
not avoid collisions.
System setting and activation
System setting
The driver can activate the AEB by
placing the engine start/stop button
to the ON position and by selecting
'User Settings', 'Driving Assist', and
'Autonomous Emergency Braking
System'. The AEB deactivates, when
the driver cancels the system setting.
WARNING
-
Autonomous Emergency
Braking (AEB) Limitations
The AEB system is a supple-
mental system and is not a sub-
stitute for safe driving prac-
tices. It is the responsibility of
the driver to always check the
speed and distance to the vehi-
cle ahead to ensure it is safety
to use the AEB system.

Driving your vehicle
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6
Emergency braking (3rdwarning)
The warning message appears on
the LCD display with the warning
alarms.
The AEB controls the brakes with- in certain limit to release shock
from the collision.
The AEB controls the maximum
brakes just before the collision.
Brake operation
In an urgent situation, the brakingsystem enters into the ready status
for prompt reaction against the dri-
ver’s depressing the brake pedal.
The AEB provides additional brak- ing power for optimum braking per-
formance, when the driver
depresses the brake pedal.
The braking control is automatical- ly deactivated, when the driver
sharply depresses the brake pedal,
or when the driver abruptly turns
the steering wheel.
The braking control is automatical- ly canceled, when risk factors dis-
appear.
The driver should always exercise
caution when operating the vehicle,
even though there is no warning
message or warning alarm.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
The AEB operates in accordance
with the risk levels, such as the dis-
tance from the vehicle/passer-by in
front, the speed of the vehicle/pass-
er-by in front, and the driver's vehi-
cle operation. ODE056077L
WARNING
The AEB cannot avoid all colli-
sions. The AEB might not com-
pletely stop the vehicle before
collision, due to ambient weath-
er and road conditions. The
driver has the responsibility to
drive safely and control the
vehicle.

Driving your vehicle
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6
System malfunction
When the AEB is not working prop-
erly, the AEB warning light ( ) will
illuminate and the warning mes-
sage will appear for a few seconds.
After the message disappears, the
master warning light ( ) will illu-
minate. In this case, have your vehi-
cle inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer. The AEB warning message may
appear along with the illumination
of the ESC warning light.
The AEB may unnecessarily pro- duce warning messages and warn-
ing alarms. Due to the sensing lim-
itation, the AEB may not produce
warning messages or warning
alarm at all.
When there is a malfunction with the AEB, the braking control does
not operate upon detecting a colli-
sion risk even with other braking
systems normally operating. The AEB operates only for the
vehicle / pedestrian in front, while
driving forward. It does not operate
for any animals or vehicles in the
opposite direction.
The AEB can not recognize cross- traffic or parked vehicles present-
ing a side-profile.
If the vehicle ahead makes a sud- den stop, the braking system will
not be activated sufficiently, which
could lead to a collision. Always be
aware of dangerous situations
when driving.
Sudden braking of the vehicle while the system is ON might
cause the passenger or materials
inside to move and lead to injuries.
If the brake is depressed when a collision is about to occur, the sys-
tem may not be activated.
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WARNING
The AEB is only a supplemental
system for the driver’s conven-
ience.
The driver still maintains
responsibility to control the
vehicle. Do not solely depend
on the AEB system. Rather,
maintain a safe braking dis-
tance, and, if necessary,
depress the brake pedal to
lower the driving speed.

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Driving your vehicle
Limitation of the system
The AEB is an assistant system for a
driver in a certain risky driving condi-
tion and it does not take every
responsibility for all risks from driving
condition.
The AEB monitors the driving situa-
tions through the radar and the cam-
era sensor. For any vehicle activity
occurring outside the sensor range,
the AEB may not function. The driver
should exercise caution in the follow-
ing situations, as the AEB operation
may be limited:
Recognizing vehicles
- The radar or the camera is contam-inated with foreign substances.
- It heavily rains or snows.
- There is electromagnetic interfer- ence.
- Something in the path of travel deflects the radar waves.
- The vehicle in front has a narrow body. (i.e. motorcycles and bicycles)
- The driver’s view is degraded by driving towards sunlight, reflected
light, or darkness.
- The camera cannot see the full profile of the vehicle in front.
- The vehicle in front is a special vehicle, such as a heavily-loaded
truck or a trailer.
The vehicle in front does not turn
ON the rear lights, does not have
rear lights, has asymmetric rear
lights, or has rear lights out of angle. - The outside brightness is greatly
changed, such as entering/exiting
the tunnel.
- The vehicle driving is unstable.
- The radar/camera sensor recogni- tion is limited.
- When driving on uneven surfaces or roads with sudden gradient
changes
- The vehicle driving indoors or in an underground parking lot.