
513
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through an 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 downshift 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.
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 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.
OYG059013
CAUTION- Starter
If the engine stalls while the
vehicle is in motion, do not
attempt to move the shift lever
to the P (Park) position. If the
traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever
in the N (Neutral) position while
the vehicle is still moving and
press the ENGINE START/STOP
button in an attempt to restart
the engine.

539
Driving your vehicle
DRIVE mode
The drive mode may be selected
according to the driver’s preference
or road condition.
The mode changes whenever the
DRIVE MODE button is pressed.
❈When COMFORT mode is select-
ed, it is not displayed on the clus-
ter. SMART mode : SMART mode
automatically adjusts the driving
mode (ECO " COMFORT "
SPORT) in accordance with the
driver's driving habits.
COMFORT mode : COMFORT
mode provides soft driving and
comfortable riding.
SPORT mode : SPORT mode pro-
vides sporty but firm riding.
ECO mode : ECO mode improves
fuel efficiency for eco-friendly driv-
ing.
If it is in ECO mode, ECO mode will
be set when the engine is restarted.
(However, if it is in SMART/COM-
FORT/SPORT mode, the driving
mode will be set to COMFORT mode
when the engine is restarted.)
SMART mode
DRIVE MODE INTEGRATED CONTROL SYSTEM
ECO
SMART COMFORT
SPORT
OYG059302
OJF058431L
OJF058430L
OJF058432L

Driving your vehicle
40 5
SMART mode selects the
proper driving mode
among ECO, COMFORT
and SPORT by judging
the driver's driving habits
(i.e. mild or dynamic) from
the brake pedal depres-
sion or the steering wheel
operation.
Press the DRIVE MODE button to
activate SMART mode. When
SMART mode is activated, the
indicator illuminates on the instru-
ment cluster.
The indicator illuminates in blue,
when the driver's driving is catego-
rized to be mild. It illuminates in
white, when the driver's driving is
categorized to be comfort. It illumi-
nates in red, when the driver's driv-
ing is categorized to be dynamic
during abrupt braking or sharp
curving. The vehicle starts in COMFORT
mode, when the engine was turned
OFF in SMART mode.
SMART mode automatically con-
trols the vehicle driving, such as
gear shifting patterns, engine
torque, riding quality (if equipped
with the electronic suspension sys-
tem), and power distribution (if
equipped with the All-Wheel Drive
(AWD) system), in accordance with
the driver's driving habits.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• When you mildly drive the vehicle
in SMART mode, the driving
mode changes to ECO mode to
improve fuel efficiency. However,
the actual fuel efficiency may dif-
fer in accordance with your driv-
ing situations (i.e. upward/down-
ward slope, vehicle
deceleration/acceleration).
• When you dynamically drive the
vehicle in SMART mode by
abruptly decelerating or sharply
curving, the driving mode changes
to SPORT mode. However, it may
adversely affect fuel economy.SMART

Driving your vehicle
42 5
SPORT mode
SPORT mode focuses on
dynamic driving by auto-
matically controlling the
steering wheel, engine
and transmission system.
button is pressed and
the SPORT mode is
selected, the SPORT
indicator (yellow) will illu-
minate.
is activated, and the
ENGINE START/STOP
button is turned off and
on it will change to
COMFORT mode. To
turn on the SPORT
mode press DRIVE
MODE button again.
- After speeding, it main-
tains the gear and
RPM for some time
even though the accel-
erator pedal is not
depressed.
- Up-shifting is delayed.
suspension may be opti-
mized to sporty handling
and hard ride by ECS.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
In Sport drive mode, the fuel effi-
ciency may decrease.
ECO mode
When the Drive Mode is
set to ECO mode, the
engine and transmission
control logic are changed
to maximize fuel efficiency.
When ECO mode is selected by
pressing the DRIVE MODE button,
the ECO indicator (green color) will
illuminate.
If the vehicle is set to ECO mode,
when the engine is turned OFF
and restarted the Drive Mode set-
ting will remain in ECO mode.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Fuel efficiency depends on the dri-
ver's driving habit and road condi-
tion.
ECOSPORT

543
Driving your vehicle
When ECO mode is activated:
The acceleration response may be
slightly reduced if the accelerator
pedal is depressed moderately.
The air conditioner performance
may be limited.
The shift pattern of the automatic
transmission may change.
The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are comfort
conditions when ECO mode is acti-
vated to improve fuel efficiency.Limitation of ECO mode operation:
If the following conditions occur while
ECO mode is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in the ECO indi-
cator.
When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes
comfort.
When driving up a hill:
The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
engine torque is restricted.
When driving the vehicle with the
automatic transmission gear shift
lever in manual mode.
The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.

5149
Driving your vehicle
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can avoid unnecessary braking.
This also reduces brake wear.
Drive at a moderate speed. The
faster you drive, the more fuel your
vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate
speed, especially on the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
chapter 7. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 7 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi-
mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces-
sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer
than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

Driving your vehicle
150 5
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give
your engine a slightly longer warm-
up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in a
very high gear resulting in engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit.
This can be avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy is reduced when you
use it.
Open windows at high speeds can
reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function properly without the
engine running. In addition, turn-
ing off the ignition while driving
could lead to out of working
power driven steering wheel and
hard to control steering wheel.
Keep the engine on and down-
shift to an appropriate gear for
an engine braking effect.

Driving your vehicle
154 5
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
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.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING- Under/over
inflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
For proper tire pressures, refer to
“Tires and wheels” in chapter 8.
WARNING- Tire tread
Always check the tire tread
before driving your vehicle.
Worn-out tires can result in loss
of vehicle control. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible. For further information
and tread limits, refer to "Tires
and wheels" in chapter 7.