Driving your vehicle
30
6
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart
a stalled engine, or if it is necessary
to stop with the engine ON. Shift into
P (Park) if you need to leave your
vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal
when you are shifting from N
(Neutral) to another gear. D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally 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 further and the
transaxle will automatically downshift
to the next lower gear (or gears, as
appropriate).
The DRIVE MODE switch, located
on the shift lever console, allows the
driver to switch from NORMAL mode
to SPORT or ECO mode. (if
equipped)
For more information, refer to “Drive
Mode Integrated Control System”
later in this chapter.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always ensure vehicle is stationary,
at a complete stop, before selecting
D (Drive).
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.
Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral).
The engine brake will not
work and lead to an accident.
631
Driving your vehicle
Sports 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 Sports Mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to select the desired range
of gears for the current driving condi-
tions.+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear.
✽ ✽NOTICE
In SPORT mode, the fuel efficiency
may decrease.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• Only the seven forward gears can
be selected. To reverse or park the
vehicle, move the shift lever to the
R (Reverse) or P (Park) position as
required.
• Downshifts are made automatical- ly when the vehicle slows down.
When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is
automatically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches the red zone the transmission will
upshift automatically.
• If the driver presses the lever to + (Up) or - (Down) position, the trans-
mission may not make the request-
ed 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.
OPS053009
S
S
S
S
p
p
p
p
o
o
o
o
r
r
r
r
t
t
t
t
s
s
s
s
m
m
m
m
o
o
o
o
d
d
d
d
e
e
e
e +
+
+
+
(
(
(
(
U
U
U
U
P
P
P
P
)
)
)
)
-
-
-
-
(
(
(
(
D
D
D
D
O
O
O
O
W
W
W
W
N
N
N
N
)
)
)
)
Driving your vehicle
32
6
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the Dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into
R (Reverse) unless the brake pedal
is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P (Park)
or N (Neutral) 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 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) or N (Neutral) posi-
tion into R (Reverse) position with
the brake pedal depressed, continue
depressing the brake, then do the fol-
lowing:
1. Carefully remove the cap covering
the shift-lock override access hole.
2. Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.
3. Move the shift lever.
4. Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately. Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
OPS053010
WARNING
Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the car.
633
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 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 smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
WARNING
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 sys-
tem 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.
Driving your vehicle
34
6
Kickdown Mechanism
(if equipped)
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The transmission will shift
to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed.
Moving up a steep grade from astanding 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.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.
(Continued)
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
Kia recommends you follow all posted speed limits.WARNING
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)
635
Driving your vehicle
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces.Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.
Always test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep water.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the
brakes to overheat and could
result in a temporary loss of
braking performance.
CAUTION- Brake Pedal
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This willcreate abnormally high braketemperatures which can causeexcessive brake lining and padwear.
Driving your vehicle
38
6
Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch ON (do not
start the engine). This light will be
illuminated when the parking brake is
applied with the ignition switch in the
START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running, there
may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is nec-
essary. If at all possible, cease driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
W-75
WARNING- Parking
Brake Use
Never allow a passenger to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully
engaged when parked to
avoid inadvertent movement
of the car which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.
639
Driving your vehicle
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or dangerous
driving maneuvers. Even though
vehicle control is improved during
emergency braking, always maintain
a safe distance between you and
objects ahead. Vehicle speeds
should always be reduced during
extreme road conditions. The vehicle
should be driven at reduced speeds
in the following circumstances:
When driving on rough, gravel orsnow-covered roads
When driving with tire chains installed
When driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or has differ-
ent surface heights.
Driving in these conditions increase
the stopping distance for your vehi-
cle. The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
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 cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum ben-
efit from your ABS in an emergency
situation, do not attempt to modulate
your brake pressure and do not try to
pump your brakes. Press your brake
pedal as hard as possible or as hard
as the situation allows the ABS to
control the force being delivered to
the brakes.
✽ ✽
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 anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-
tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system.