
627
Driving your vehicle
 The dual clutch transmission canbe thought of as an automatically
shifting manual transaxle. It gives
the driving feel of a manual
transaxle, yet provides the ease of
a fully automatic transaxle.
 When D (Drive) is selected, the transmission will automatically shift
through the gears similar to a con-
ventional automatic transaxle.
Unlike a traditional automatic
transaxle, the gear shifting can
sometimes be felt and heard as the
actuators engage the clutches and
the gears are selected.
 The dual clutch transmission adopts a dry-type dual clutch,
which is different from the torque
converter of the automatic
transaxle. It shows better accelera-
tion performance and increased
fuel efficiency while driving but ini-
tial launch might be little bit slower
than the automatic transaxle.
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 this procedure is not fol-
lowed.
 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.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to yourtransaxle, do not try to acceler-ate in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. 

635
Driving your 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
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.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
system 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. 

641
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 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 to allow
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. 

643
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 fol-
low all the normal precautions for driv-
ing - including driving at safe speeds
for the conditions.
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. 
✽ ✽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.
OPS053013L 

647
Driving your vehicle
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.
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). This is only the effect of brake
and EPS control and indicates noth-
ing unusual.The VSM does not operate when: 
 Driving on bank road such as gra-
dient 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 road. The split-mu road
is made of surfaces which have dif-
ferent friction forces. 

Driving your vehicle
48
6
 The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the respon-
sibility 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
follow all the normal precautions
for driving at safe speeds for the
conditions – including driving in
clement weather and on a slippery
road.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 brakeis 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
authorized Kia dealer for assis-
tance.
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
50
6
The AEB system is designed to
potentially reduce accident risk. It
recognizes the distance from the
vehicle ahead or a pedestrian
through the sensors (i.e. radar and
camera), and, if necessary, warns
the driver of a collision risk with ta
warning message or warning alarms.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.
AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING (AEB) (IF EQUIPPED)
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 still the responsibility
of the driver to ensure it is safe
to use the AEB based on the
speed of traffic and the distance
to the nearest vehicle ahead of
the driver.
WARNING
Take the following precautions
when using the Autonomous
Emergency Braking (AEB):
 This system is only a supple- mental system and it is not
intended to, nor does it
replace the need for extreme
care and attention of the driv-
er. The sensing range and
objects detectable by the sen-
sors are limited. Pay attention
to the road conditions at all
times.
 NEVER drive too fast in accor- dance with the road condi-
tions or while cornering.
 Always drive cautiously to prevent unexpected and sud-
den situations from occur-
ring. AEB does not stop the
vehicle completely and does
not avoid collisions. 

Driving your vehicle
54
6
Brake operation
 In an urgent situation, the braking
system 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 accelerator
pedal, or when the driver abruptly
operates 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. 
✽ ✽NOTICE
The AEB system logic operates with-
in certain parameters, such as the
distance from the vehicle or pedes-
trian ahead, the speed of the vehicle
ahead, and the driver's vehicle
speed. Certain conditions such as
inclement weather and road condi-
tions may affect the operation of the
AEB system.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.
WARNING  
The AEB braking control is a
supplemental system and can-
not completely stop the vehicle
nor avoid all collisions. It is the
responsibility of the driver to
safely drive and control the
vehicle.
WARNING  
Never deliberately drive danger-
ously to activate the system as
such conduct increases the risk
of an accident.