Page 294 of 573
![KIA SORENTO 2019 Owners Manual 517
Driving your vehicle
After the ignition switch has beenturned off, the electronic parking
brake cannot be disengaged.
For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] functi KIA SORENTO 2019 Owners Manual 517
Driving your vehicle
After the ignition switch has beenturned off, the electronic parking
brake cannot be disengaged.
For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] functi](/manual-img/2/40476/w960_40476-293.png)
517
Driving your vehicle
After the ignition switch has beenturned off, the electronic parking
brake cannot be disengaged.
For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] function used while
driving, if the ignition button has
been turned [OFF], the electronic
parking brake will be engaged
automatically. Therefore, [AUTO
HOLD] function should be turned
off before the ignition button is
turned off.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through a 6 or 8-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
transmission will automatically down-
shift to the next lower gear. Manual mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual 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 manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transmission,
the manual 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.
OUMA058009
Manual
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
) )
) )
Page 295 of 573

Driving your vehicle
18
5
In manual mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
In manual mode, only the 6 or 8 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 manual mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.
In manual 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
transmission 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.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignitionswitch 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
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. It is a normal condi-
tion.
Page 297 of 573

Driving your vehicle
20
5
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever
from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
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
vehicle from moving.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
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 while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.
Page 298 of 573

521
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. AWD is useful when extra
traction is required, such as, when
driving on slippery, muddy, wet, or
snow-covered roads.These vehicles are not designed for
challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-
highway that the driver carefully
reduces the speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.
The driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.
These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.
* AWD : All Wheel Drive
FWD : Front Wheel Drive If the AWD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the AWD
system.
If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
OUMA054049
OUMA054010
■Type A
■Type B
WARNING- Off road
driving
Do not attempt to operate your
vehicle under extreme or chal-
lenging off road driving condi-
tions. Although this vehicle has
off-road capabilities, it was not
designed to be driven off road.
Page 299 of 573

Driving your vehicle
22
5
All Wheel Drive (AWD) transfer mode selection
When the AWD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the front
wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
Transfer modeSelection buttonIndicator lightDescription
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated) AWD Auto is used when driving on roads in normal conditions, roads in
urban areas, and on highways.
All wheels are in operation when a vehicle travels at a constant speed. Required tractions applying on front and rear wheels vary depending on
road driving conditions and driving conditions, which will be automatically
controlled by the computing system.
When the cluster's AWD Auto display mode is selected, the cluster displays the status of how four wheels’ traction forces are distributed.
AWD LOCK
The main goal of AWD Lock mode is to allow a driver to maximize the vehi- cle’s traction under extreme driving conditions such as unpaved off-road,
sandy roads, and muddy roads.
AWD Lock mode is in operation only when a vehicle travels at 40km/h or less. When travelling at 40km/h or faster, the mode will switch to AWD Auto.
When travelling at 30 km/h or less, the mode will switch back to AWD Lock.
When AWD Lock mode illuminates, the cluster does not display the front/rear wheel traction force distribution status.
Press the AWD Lock mode switch again to switch back to AWD Auto.
(Indicator light is not illuminated)
(Indicator light is illuminated)
✽ ✽NOTICE - Normal road conditions
• Maintain AWD Auto mode when driving on roads in normal conditions.
• When driving under normal road conditions (especially when cornering) in AWD Lock mode, a driver may find
minor mechanical vibration or noise, which is extremely normal phenomenon, not a malfunction. When AWD
Lock mode is released, such noise or vibration will be immediately gone.
Page 300 of 573
523
Driving your vehicle
For safe all wheel drive opera-
tion
Do not try to drive in deep standingwater or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehi-
cle.
When you are driving up or downhills; drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution going up or
down steep hills, the grade, terrain
and water/mud conditions may
cause the vehicle to flip.
HILL1HILL2
WARNING- Hills
Proceed with extreme caution
when driving down steep hills.
A slight change in the wheel
angle can destabilize the vehi-
cle. This can cause your vehicle
to suddenly roll without warn-
ing and without time for you to
regain control of your vehicle.
Page 301 of 573

Driving your vehicle
24
5
You must consciously take the
effort to learn how to corner in a
AWD vehicle. Do not rely on your
experience in conventional FWD
vehicles in choosing a safe corner-
ing speed in AWD mode. For
starters, you must drive more slow-
ly in AWD.
Drive carefully off-road because your vehicle may be damaged by
rocks or roots of trees. Become
familiar with the off-road conditions
where you are going to drive
before you begin driving. Always hold the steering wheel
firmly when you are driving off-
road.
Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
If you need to drive in the water, stop your vehicle, set your transfer
to the AWD LOCK mode and drive
at less than 5 mph (8 km/h).
WARNING- Steering
wheel
Do not grab the inside of the
steering wheel when you are
driving off-road. You may hurt
your arm by a sudden steering
maneuver or from steering
wheel rebound due to impact
with objects on the ground.
WARNING- Wind danger
Drive slowly in heavy winds.
The vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity.
OUM058053L
WARNING- AWD
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
AWD vehicles is higher than
that of conventional FWD vehi-
cles, making them more likely to
roll over when you turn corners
too fast.
Page 302 of 573

525
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
• Shorten your scheduled mainte-
nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in section
7). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off-road use, especial-
ly cleaning the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• A full time all wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary
tow truck. Make sure that the
vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
Do not use a tire and wheel package
with a different size and type from
the one originally installed on your
vehicle. It can affect the safety and
performance of your vehicle, which
could lead to steering failure or
rollover causing serious injury.
When replacing the tires, be sure to
equip all four tires with the tire and
wheel of the same size, type, tread,
brand and load-carrying capacity. If
you equip your vehicle with any
tire/wheel combination not recom-
mended by Kia for off-road driving,
ou should not use thesetires for high
way driving.
CAUTION- Mud or snow
Do not run the engine continu-
ously at high RPMs to free thevehicle from snow or mud. Doingso could damage the AWD sys-tem in your vehicle.
WARNING- AWD driving
Do not attempt quick steering
maneuvers or sharp turns in
AWD mode. Such maneuvers
increase the risk of rollover
accidents. Rollover accidents
are extremely violent and
unpredictable.WARNING- Driving through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water can
get into the engine compartment
and wet the ignition system,
causing your vehicle to sudden-
ly stop. If this happens and your
vehicle is in a tilted position,
your vehicle may roll over.