2018 KIA NIRO PLUG-IN HYBRID ignition

Driving your vehicle
66
Illuminated ignition switch
(if equipped)
Whenever a front door is opened, the
ignition switch will illuminate for your
convenience, provided the ignition
switch is not in the ON position. The
light will go off immediately when the
ignition switch is turned on. It will
also go off after about 30 seconds
when the door is closed.
Ignition switch position
LOCK
From the left dot, dot sequence is
LOCK-ACC-ON-START.
The ignition key can be removed only
in the LOCK position.
ACC (Accessory)
The electrical accessories are opera-
tive. If difficulty is experienced turn-
ing the ignition switch to the ACC
position, turn the key while turning
the steering wheel right and left to
release the tension.
ON
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is
the normal running position after the
engine is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON ifthe engine is not running to preventbattery discharge.
START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning light can
be checked in this position.
The anti-theft steering column lock (if
equipped) is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving the dri-
ver’s seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for dual
clutch transmission, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions are not taken.
KEY POSITIONS (IF EQUIPPED)
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Driving your vehicle
Starting the hybrid system
1.Make sure the parking brake isapplied.
2.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.
WARNING- Key holder
Do not place small purses, mul-
tiple keys, or other heavy acces-
sories on your vehicle key ring.
The driver can accidently push
these objects causing the ACC
position to change while in
motion and disrupt the proper
operation of some of the vehi-
cle's safety features.
WARNING- Leaving the Vehicle
To avoid unexpected or sudden
vehicle movement, never leave
your vehicle if the transmission
is not locked in the P (Park)
position and the parking brake
is fully engaged. 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.WARNING- Ignition switch
Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle
is moving. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.
WARNING- Proper footwear
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots, sandals, etc.) may
interfere with your ability to use
the brake and accelerator pedal.

Driving your vehicle
86
3. Turn the ignition switch to START.If the hybrid system starts, the
“ ” indicator will come on.✽ ✽NOTICE
• Do not wait for the engine to warm
up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)
• Always start the vehicle with your foot on the brake pedal. Do not
depress the accelerator while
starting the vehicle. Do not race
the engine while warming it up.
• If ambient temperature is low, the “ ” indicator may remain illu-
minated longer than the normal
amount of time.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
To prevent damage to the vehicle:
• If the “ ” indicator turns off
while you are in motion, do not
attempt to move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
If traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever in
the N (Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and turn the
ignition switch to START. In an
attempt to restart the hybrid sys-
tem.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to start the hybrid system.
WARNING- Steering
wheel
Never reach for any controls
through the steering wheel
while the vehicle is in motion.
The presence of your hand or
arm in this area could cause a
loss of vehicle control.

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Driving your vehicle
The dual Clutch Transmissiongives the driving feel of a manual
transmission, yet provides the
ease of a fully automatic transmis-
sion. Unlike a traditional automatic
transmission, the gear shifting can
be felt (and heard) on the dual
clutch transmission
- Think of it as an automaticallyshifting manual transmission.
- Shift into Drive range and get fully automatic shifting, similar to a con-
ventional automatic transmission.
Dual clutch transmission adopts dry-type dual clutch, which is dif-
ferent from torque converter of
automatic transmission, and
shows better acceleration perform-
ance during driving. But, initial
launch might be little bit slower
than Automatic Transmission.
The dry-type clutch transfers torque and provides a direct driving feeling
which may feel different from a con-
ventional automatic transmission
with a torque converter. This may be
more noticeable when starting from
a stop or low vehicle speed. When rapidly accelerating at low
vehicle speed, engine could rev at
high rpm depending on vehicle
drive condition.
For smooth launch uphill, press down the accelerator pedal
smoothly depending on the current
conditions.
If you release your foot from the accelerator pedal at low vehicle
speed, you may feel strong engine
brake, which is similar to manual
transmission.
When driving downhill, you may use Sports Mode to downshift to a
lower gear in order to control your
speed without using the brake
pedal excessively.
When you turn the engine on and off, you may hear clicking sounds
as the system goes through a self
test. This is a normal sound for the
dual Clutch Transmission.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
ALWAYS check the surround-ing 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, and place the ignition
switch in the LOCK/OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
Do not use engine braking (shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip causing an accident.

617
Driving your vehicle
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
After the vehicle has stopped, always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion.

Driving your vehicle
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6
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. - Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when 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 running.
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 lever
is in P.
4.Change the gear shift lever to N (Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFT
LOCK RELEASE] access hole at
the same time. Then, the vehicle
will move when external force is
applied.
WARNING
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear when
the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control of the vehicle and
hit people or objects.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not work
and lead to an accident.
WARNING - Parking In
Neutral
With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in [P] (Park) for
safety and apply the parking
brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, make sure the parking
ground is level and flat. Do not
park in [N] gear on any slopes
or gradients. If parked and left
in [N], the vehicle may move
and cause serious damage or
injury.

Driving your vehicle
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6
SPORT Mode / ECO Mode
When you drive after changing the
gear shift lever to manual mode, the
vehicle will automatically shift to
SPORT mode. When you drive the
vehicle after putting the gear shift
lever to ‘D’, the vehicle will automati-
cally shift to ECO mode. Each auto-
matic change in shift will be dis-
played on the instrument cluster.
ECO mode
This driving mode increases fuel effi-
ciency. The actual fuel mileage will
depend on your driving habits and
road conditions.
SPORT mode
This driving mode provides sporty
driving experience. Be aware that fuel
efficiency may decrease in this mode.Shift lock system
For your safety, the dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system which
prevents shifting the transaxle from P
(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
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 & vibration 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) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, 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.
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Driving your vehicle
5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlockoverride access hole then install
the cap.
7. We recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
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 pedal
depressed.
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
transaxle 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 smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
CAUTION
- Holding the Vehicle Using
Accelerator Pedal
Do not attempt to hold yourvehicle on a hill by applying theaccelerator pedal. This cancause your clutch and transmis-sion to be damaged as a resultof overheating.