Driving Your Vehicle
6-4
Before Entering the Vehicle
• Be sure all windows, outside mirror(s),
and outside lights are clean and
unobstructed.
• Remove frost, snow, or ice.
• Visually check the tires for uneven
wear and damage.
• Check under the vehicle for any sign
of leaks.
• Be sure there are no obstacles behind
you if you intend to back up.
Before Starting
• Make sure the hood, the trunk, and
the doors are securely closed and
locked.
• Adjust the position of the seat and
steering wheel.
• Adjust the inside and outside rearview
mirrors.
• Verify all the lights work.
• Fasten your seat belt. Check that all
passengers have fastened their seat
belts.
• Check the gauges and indicators
in the instrument panel and the
messages on the instrument display
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
• Check that any items you are carrying
are stored properly or fastened down
securely.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH, take the following precautions:
• ALWAYS wear your seat belt. All
passengers must be properly belted
whenever the vehicle is moving.
For more information, refer to “Seat
Belts” section in chapter 3.
• Always drive defensively. Assume
other drivers or pedestrians may be
careless and make mistakes.
• Stay focused on the task of driving.
Driver distraction can cause
accidents.
• Leave plenty of space between you
and the vehicle in front of you.
WARNING
NEVER drink or take drugs and drive.
Drinking or taking drugs and driving
is dangerous and may result in an
accident and SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH.
Drunk driving is the number one
contributor to the highway death
toll each year. Even a small amount
of alcohol will affect your reflexes,
perceptions and judgment. Just
one drink can reduce your ability to
respond to changing conditions and
emergencies and your reaction time
gets worse with each additional drink.
Driving while under the influence
of drugs is as dangerous or more
dangerous than driving under the
influence of alcohol.
You are much more likely to have a
serious accident if you drink or take
drugs and drive. If you are drinking or
taking drugs, don’t drive. Do not ride
with a driver who has been drinking
or taking drugs. Choose a designated
driver or call a taxi.
BEFORE DRIVING
06
6-5
ORG3060001
Whenever the front door is opened, the
Engine Start/Stop button will illuminate
and will go off 30 seconds after the door
is closed.
WARNING
To turn the vehicle off in an emergency:
Press and hold the Engine Start/Stop
button for more than two seconds OR
Rapidly press and release the Engine
Start/ Stop button three times (within
three seconds).
If the vehicle is still moving, you can
restart the vehicle without depressing
the brake pedal by pressing the Engine
Start/Stop button with the gear in the N
(Neutral) position.
WARNING
• NEVER press the Engine Start/Stop
button while the vehicle is in motion
except in an emergency. This will
result in the vehicle turning off and
loss of power assist for the steering
and brake systems. This may lead
to loss of directional control and
braking function, which could cause
an accident.
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the gear is in the
P (Park) position, set the parking
brake, press the Engine Start/Stop
button to the OFF position, and take
the Smart Key with you. Unexpected
vehicle movement may occur if these
precautions are not followed.
• NEVER reach through the steering
wheel for the Engine Start/Stop
button or any other control while the
vehicle is in motion. The presence
of your hand or arm in this area
may cause a loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident.
ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON
06
6-13
To stay in N (Neutral) when vehicle is
OFF
OJX1069009L
ORG3060009
If you want to stay in N (Neutral) after the
engine is OFF (in the ACC state), do the
following.
1. Turn off Auto Hold and release
Electronic Parking Brake when the
engine is running.
2. Rotate the shift dial to N (neutral)
while depressing the brake pedal.
3. When you take your foot off the brake
pedal, the message ‘Press and hold
OK button to stay in Neutral when
vehicle is Off’ will appear on the
cluster LCD display.
4. Press and hold the OK button on
the steering wheel for more than 1
second.
5. When the message ‘Vehicle will stay in
(N). Change gear to cancel’ (or ‘N will
stay engaged when the vehicle is Off’)
will appear on the cluster LCD display,
press the Engine Start/Stop button
while depressing the brake pedal.
However, if you open the driver's
door, the gear will automatically
shift to P (Park) and the Engine Start/
Stop button will change to the OFF
position.
NOTICE
With the gear in N (Neutral) the Engine
Start/Stop button will be in the ACC
position. Note that the doors cannot
be locked in the ACC position or the
battery may discharge if left in the ACC
position for a long period.
06
6-19
Paddle Shifter (Manual Shift
Mode)
ORG3060011
The paddle shifter allows the driver to
shift gear without taking one’s hands off
the steering wheel.
The paddle shifter operates as follow.
• Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic shift
mode to manual shift mode.
• To change back to automatic shift
mode from manual shift mode, do one
of the following:
-Pull the [+] paddle shifter for more
than one second.
-Drive the vehicle under 4 mph (7
km/h)
-Gently depress the accelerator
pedal for more than 6 seconds.
-Rotate the shift dial to the D (Drive)
position.
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled
at the same time, gear shift may not occur.
Good Driving Practices
• Never shift the gear from P (Park) or
N (Neutral) to any other position with
the accelerator pedal depressed.
• Never shift the gear into P (Park) when
the vehicle is in motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
• Do not shift the gear to N (Neutral)
when driving. If the gear is shifted to
N (Neutral) while driving, the vehicle
loses the ability to provide engine
braking. Doing so may increase the
risk of an accident.
Also, shift the gear back to D (Drive)
while the vehicle is moving may
severely damage the transmission.
• Driving uphill or downhill, always shift
to D (Drive) when driving forward or to
R (Reverse) when driving backwards,
and check the gear position indicated
on the cluster before driving. If you
drive in the opposite direction of the
selected gear, the engine will turn
off and a serious accident might be
occurred due to the degraded brake
performance.
• Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can result
in the brakes overheating, brake wear
and possibly even brake failure.
Driving Your Vehicle
6-20
• Always apply the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle. Do not depend on
placing the transmission in P (Park) to
keep the vehicle 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 may cause
loss of vehicle control resulting in an
accident
• Optimum vehicle performance and
economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH:
• ALWAYS wear your seat belt. In a
collision, an unbelted occupant
is significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than a
properly belted occupant.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
• Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver over steers to reenter
the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
• Genesis Branded Vehicle
recommends you to follow all posted
speed limits.
NOTICE
Kickdown mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pressure
point. The automatic transmission will
shift to a lower gear depending on the
engine speed.
Driving Your Vehicle
6-30
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
WARNING
Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) or
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system will not prevent accidents
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 of you. Vehicle speeds should
always be reduced during extreme
road conditions. The braking distance
for vehicles equipped with ABS or ESC
may be longer than for those without
these systems in the following road
conditions.
Drive your vehicle at reduced speeds
during the following conditions:
• Rough, gravel or snow-covered
roads.
• On roads where the road surface is
pitted or has different surface height.
• Tire chains are installed on your
vehicle.
The safety features of ABS or ESC
equipped vehicle should not be tested
by high speed driving or cornering. This
could endanger the safety of yourself or
others.
ABS is an electronic braking system that
helps prevent a braking skid. ABS allows
the driver to steer and brake at the same
time.
Using ABS
To obtain the maximum benefit from
your ABS in an emergency situation,
do not attempt to modulate your brake
pressure and do not try to pump your
brakes. Depress your brake pedal as hard
as possible.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear sounds from the brakes,
or feel a corresponding sensation in the
brake pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
ABS does not reduce the time or distance
it takes to stop the vehicle.
Always maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
ABS will not prevent a skid that results
from sudden changes in direction, such
as trying to take a corner too fast or
making a sudden lane change. Always
drive at a safe speed for the road and
weather conditions.
ABS cannot prevent a loss of stability.
Always steer moderately when braking
hard. Severe or sharp steering wheel
movement can still cause your vehicle to
veer into oncoming traffic or off the road.
On loose or uneven road surfaces,
operation of the anti-lock brake system
may result in a longer stopping distance
than for vehicles equipped with a
conventional brake system.
The ABS (
) warning light will stay
on for several seconds after the Engine
Start/Stop button is in the ON position.
06
6-37
All Wheel Drive (AWD) delivers engine
power to front and rear wheels for
maximum traction. AWD is useful when
extra traction is required, such as when
driving on, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY
or DEATH:
• Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicles intended
design such as challenging off-road
conditions.
• Avoid high speeds when cornering or
turning.
• Do not make quick steering wheel
movements, such as sharp lane
changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of a rollover is greatly
increased if you lose control of your
vehicle at highway speeds.
• Loss of control often occurs if two or
more wheels drop off the roadway
and the driver over steers to reenter
the roadway.
• In the event your vehicle leaves
the roadway, do not steer sharply.
Instead, slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.
WARNING
If the AWD () warning light stays on
the instrument cluster, your vehicle
may have a malfunction with the
AWD system. Whenever the AWD
(
) warning light illuminates, have
the vehicle inspected by an authorized
retailer of Genesis Branded products as
soon as possible.
NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level
is higher than the bottom of the
vehicle.
• Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water. Depress
the brake pedal several times as you
move slowly until you feel normal
braking return.
• Shorten your scheduled
maintenance interval if you drive in
off-road conditions such as sand,
mud or water (see "Maintenance
Under Severe Usage Conditions"
section in chapter 9).
• Always wash your vehicle thoroughly
after off road use, especially the
bottom of the vehicle.
• Be sure to equip the vehicle with four
tires of the same size and type.
• Make sure that a full time AWD
vehicle is towed by a flat bed tow
truck.
All Wheel Drive (AWD) Operation
If the AWD system determines there is a
need for four wheel drive, the engine's
driving power is distributed to all four
wheels automatically.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
Driving Your Vehicle
6-38
For safe AWD operation
Before driving
• Make sure all passengers are wearing
seat belts.
• Sit upright and closer to the steering
wheel than usual. Adjust the steering
wheel to a position comfortable for
you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy roads
• Start off slowly by applying the
accelerator pedal gently.
• Use snow tires or tire chains.
• Keep sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
• Apply engine braking during
deceleration by using the paddle
shifter (manual shift mode) and
manually selecting a lower gear.
• Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and sharp
turns to prevent skids.
Driving in sand or mud
• Maintain slow and constant speed.
• Use tire chains driving in mud if
necessary.
• Keep sufficient distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
• Reduce vehicle speed and always
check the road condition.
• Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and sharp
turns to prevent getting stuck.
NOTICE
When the vehicle is stuck in snow, sand
or mud, place a nonslip material under
the drive wheels to provide traction
OR slowly spin the wheels in forward
and reverse directions which causes
a rocking motion that may free the
vehicle.
However, avoid running the engine
continuously at high rpm, doing so may
damage the AWD system.
Information
• When using Snow Tires, mount them
on all four wheels.
• When using Snow Tires, mount them
on all four wheels.
• When using AutoSock® (fabric snow
chain), install them on the rear tires.
For more information on Snow Tires and
Tire Chains, refer to "Winter Driving" in
this chapter.
Driving up or down hills
• Driving uphill
- Before starting off, check if it is
possible to drive uphill.
-Drive as straight as possible.
• Driving downhill
-Do not change gear while driving
downhill. Select gear before driving
downhill.
-Drive slowly using engine braking
while driving downhill.
-Drive straight as possible.
WARNING
Exercise extreme caution driving up or
down steep hills. The vehicle may flip
over depending on the grade, terrain,
water and mud conditions.