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Driving your vehicle
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button is in the ON
position.P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
After the vehicle has stopped, always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transaxle, do not try to accel-erate in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on.
When stopped on slope, do not hold the vehicle withaccelerator pedal. Use theservice brake or the parkingbrake.
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Driving your vehicle
20
5
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. - 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 on
the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to [P] with the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button in
[ON] or while the engine is running.
2.If the parking brake is applied unlock the parking brake.
- For EPB (Electronic ParkingBrake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/STOP
button in [ON] or while the engine
is running to disengage the park-
ing brake. If [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion is used while driving (If
[AUTO HOLD] indicator is on in
the cluster), press [AUTO HOLD]
switch and [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion should be turn off. 3.While pressing the brake pedal,
turn the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button 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.
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.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake may not work
and lead to an accident.
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Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a six-gear sequence,
providing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill depress
the accelerator pedal further until
you feel the transmission downshift
to a lower gear.
To stop the vehicle during driving,
please press brake pedal fully to pre-
vent unintended movement.
WARNING - Parking In
Neutral
With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park the
vehicle in [P] (Park) for safety
and apply the parking brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, make sure the parking
ground is level and flat. Do not
park in [N] gear on any slopes
or gradients. If parked and left
in [N], the vehicle may move
and cause serious damage or
injury.
After the ignition switch or ENGINE START/STOP button
has been turned off, the
Electronic Parking Brake can-
not be disengaged.
(Continued)(Continued)
For EPB (Electronic ParkingBrake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] function used
while driving, if the ignition
switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button has been
turned [OFF], the Electronic
Parking Brake will be engaged
automatically. Therefore,
[AUTO HOLD] function should
be turned off before the igni-
tion button is turned off.
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Driving your vehicle
22
5
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 select the desired range of gears for
the current driving conditions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Only the six 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 rpm range.
Paddle shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shift function is available
when the shift lever is in the
sport/manual mode.
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![KIA NIRO PHEV 2020 Owners Manual 523
Driving your vehicle
With the shift lever in the manual mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the KIA NIRO PHEV 2020 Owners Manual 523
Driving your vehicle
With the shift lever in the manual mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the](/manual-img/2/55181/w960_55181-332.png)
523
Driving your vehicle
With the shift lever in the manual mode
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.
✽ ✽NOTICE
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the same time, you cannot
shift the gear.
SPORT Mode / ECO Mode
When you drive after changing the
gear shift lever to manual mode, the
vehicle will automatically shift to
SPORT mode. When you drive the
vehicle after putting the gear shift
lever to ‘D’, the vehicle will automati-
cally shift to ECO mode. Each auto-
matic change in shift will be dis-
played on the instrument cluster.
ECO mode
This driving mode increases fuel effi-
ciency. The actual fuel mileage will
depend on your driving habits and
road conditions.
SPORT mode
This driving mode provides sporty
driving experience. Be aware that fuel
efficiency may decrease in this mode.Shift lock system
For your safety, the dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system which
prevents shifting the transaxle from P
(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/STOP
button 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 & vibration near the shift
lever may be heard. This is a normal
condition.
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Driving your vehicle
24
5
Shift-lock override
If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Place the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button in
the LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov- ering the shift-lock release access
hole.
4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw- driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool. 5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock
override access hole then install
the cap.
7. We recommend that the system be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.
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WARNING - Shifting from
park
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 vehicle.
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Driving your vehicle
Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
ENGINE START/STOP button inter-
lock system (if equipped)
The ENGINE START/STOP button
will not change to the OFF position
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.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.
CAUTION
- Holding the Vehicle Using
Accelerator Pedal
Do not attempt to hold yourvehicle on a hill by applying theaccelerator pedal. This cancause your clutch and transmis-sion to be damaged as a resultof overheating.
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![KIA NIRO PHEV 2020 Owners Manual 527
Driving your vehicle
Regenerative Braking
(Paddle Shifter)
The paddle shifter is used to adjust
the regenerative braking level from 0
to 3 during decelerating or braking.
Left side [-] : Increas KIA NIRO PHEV 2020 Owners Manual 527
Driving your vehicle
Regenerative Braking
(Paddle Shifter)
The paddle shifter is used to adjust
the regenerative braking level from 0
to 3 during decelerating or braking.
Left side [-] : Increas](/manual-img/2/55181/w960_55181-336.png)
527
Driving your vehicle
Regenerative Braking
(Paddle Shifter)
The paddle shifter is used to adjust
the regenerative braking level from 0
to 3 during decelerating or braking.
Left side [-] : Increases regenera-tive braking and deceleration.
Right side [+] : Decreases regener- ative braking and deceleration.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• The control level will be started at
0 when the engine start. It will
activate only in D (Drive) range.
• If you operate the shift lever (to P, R, N/Sport), Regen B mode will be
cancelled and if you return to D
(Drive) range, the Regen B mode
will be returned to 0 level.
• Regen B mode will be cancelled when ABS, ESC operate.
• The speed decrement may differ- ent depends on the vehicle speed
even in the same Regen B level.
(The speed decrement in each level
is bigger in the city driving than
that of highway driving.)
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The vehicle does not completely stop
by using paddle shifter lever. When
the Regen B power reduced, the
vehicle slowly moves about 10 km/h.
In order to stop the vehicle, depress
the brake pedal.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The paddle shifter does not operate
when:
• The [-] and [+] paddle shifters are
pulled at the same time.
• The vehicle is decelerating by depressing the brake pedal.
• Cruise Control system or Cruise Control system is activated.
REGENERATIVE BRAKING SYSTEM
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WARNING
Usage of the regenerative brak-
ing function may be limited
according to the battery and
motor’s condition. (over charge,
high and low temperature)
Check traffic and driving condi-
tions. If necessary, control the
vehicle speed by using the
brake pedal.