2018 KIA SOUL sport mode

Features of your vehicle
42
4
FLEX STEER (if equipped)
The FLEX STEER controls steering
effort based upon as driver's prefer-
ence or road condition.
You can select the desired steering
mode by pressing the FLEX STEER
button.
When the steering mode button is
pressed, the selected steering mode
will appear on the instrument cluster. If the steering mode button is
pressed within 4 seconds, the steer-
ing mode will change as shown
above.
If the steering wheel mode button is
not pressed for about 4 seconds, the
LCD display will change to the previ-
ous screen (for Type B cluster).
Normal mode
The normal mode offers medium
steering effort.
Sport mode
The steering wheel becomes heav-
ier. The sport mode is usually used
when driving on the highway.
OPS046036L
CAUTION
For your safety, if you press
the steering mode buttonwhile operating the steeringwheel, but the steering effortwill not change immediately.After operating the steeringwheel, the steering effort willchange automatically to theselected mode.
Use caution when changing the steering mode while driv-ing.
When the electronic power steering is not operating prop-erly, the flex steering wheelwill not work.

Features of your vehicle
54
4
Transaxle Shift Indicator
Automatic Transaxle Shift Indicator
This indicator displays which auto-
matic transaxle shift lever is selected.
Reverse : R
Neutral : N

Sports Mode : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Manual Transaxle Shift Indicator
(if equipped)
This indicator informs which gear is
desired while driving to save fuel.
Shifting up : ▲
2, ▲
3, ▲
4, ▲
5, ▲
6
Shifting down : ▼1,
▼2,
▼3,
▼4,
▼5
OPS043115
OPS046433L
■Type A
■ Type B
OPS046116L
OPS046434L
■Type A
■ Type B

621
Driving your vehicle
- 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 onthe 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. D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transaxle will automati-
cally shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades, depress
the accelerator fully, at which time the
transaxle will automatically downshift
to the next lower gear. 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.CAUTION
With the exception of parking
in neutral gear, always parkthe vehicle in [P] (Park) forsafety and engage the parkingbrake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, first make sure the park-ing ground is level and flat. Donot park in [N] gear on anyslopes or gradients.
If parked and left in [N], thevehicle may move and causeserious damage and injury.
OPS053009
Sports mode
+
+
+
+




(
(
(
(
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
22
6
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transaxle, the
sports mode allows gearshifts with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one
gear. In sports mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
In sports mode, only the 6 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.
In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.
In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically. To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transaxle to shift into the 2nd gear
which is better for smooth driving
on a slippery road. Push the shift
lever to the -(down) side to shift
back to the 1st gear.

627
Driving your vehicle
When rapidly accelerating at lowvehicle 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 and press the
paddle shifters 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.✽ ✽ NOTICE
If your transmission should fail,
your gear shift lever may not move
from and position indicator (D,R,N,
etc.) will blink on the cluster. If this
occurs, have the system checked by
an authorized Kia dealership.
To hold the vehicle on a hill use the
foot brake or the parking brake. If
the vehicle is held by applying the
accelerator pedal on a hill the
clutch and transmission will be
overheated resulting in damage.
At this time, a warning message
(“Steep grade! Press brake pedal”)
will appear on the LCD display and
you may feel a vibration.
OJF055111L

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
84
6
The drive mode may be selected
according to the driver’s preference
or road condition.
The system resets to be in the ECO
mode, when the hybrid system is
restarted.
If there is a problem with the instru-
ment cluster, the drive mode will be
in ECO mode and may not change to
NORMAL mode or SPORT mode. The mode changes whenever the
DRIVE MODE button is pressed.
■
Except DCT
■ For DCT
❈ When normal mode is selected, it
is not displayed on the cluster.
ECO mode (Active ECO)
Active ECO helps improve
fuel efficiency by control-
ling certain engine and
transaxle system operat-
ing parameters. Fuel effi-
ciency depends on the
driver's driving habit and
road condition.

button is pressed and
the ECO mode is select-
ed, the ECO indicator
(green) will illuminate to
show that the Active
ECO is operating.
activated, it does not turn
off even though the
engine is restarted again.
To turn off the system,
press the DRIVE MODE
button again.
DRIVE MODE INTEGRATED CONTROL SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
OPS056118
ECO
NORMAL
SPORT ECO
NORMAL SPORT