
06
6-73
NOTICE
If you are still stuck after rocking the 
vehicle a few times, have the vehicle 
pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid 
engine overheating, possible damage to 
the transmission, and tire damage. See 
“Towing” section in chapter 8.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in 
corners, especially when roads are wet. 
Ideally, corners should always be taken 
under gentle acceleration.
Driving at night
Night driving presents more hazards than 
driving in the daylight. Here are some 
important tips to remember:
•	Slow down and keep more distance 
between you and other vehicles, as it 
may be more difficult to see at night, 
especially in areas where there may 
not be any street lights.
•	 Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare 
from other drivers’ headlamps.
•	 Keep your headlamps clean and 
properly aimed. Dirty or improperly 
aimed headlamps will make it much 
more difficult to see at night.
•	 Avoid staring directly at the 
headlamps of oncoming vehicles. You 
could be temporarily blinded, and it 
will take several seconds for your eyes 
to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving 
dangerous. Here are a few things to 
consider when driving in the rain or on 
slick pavement:
•	Slow down and allow extra following 
distance. A heavy rainfall makes 
it harder to see and increases the 
distance needed to stop your vehicle.
•	 Turn OFF your Cruise Control. (if 
equipped)
•	 Replace your windshield wiper blades 
when they show signs of streaking or 
missing areas on the windshield.
•	 Be sure your tires have enough tread. 
If your tires do not have enough tread, 
making a quick stop on wet pavement 
can cause a skid and possibly lead to 
an accident. See “Tire Tread” section 
in chapter 9.
•	 Turn on your headlamps to make it 
easier for others to see you.
•	 Driving too fast through large puddles 
can affect your brakes. If you must go 
through puddles, try to drive through 
them slowly.
•	 If you believe your brakes may be wet, 
apply them lightly while driving until 
normal braking operation returns.
Hydroplaning
If the road is wet enough and you are 
going fast enough, your vehicle may 
have little or no contact with the road 
surface and actually ride on the water. 
The best advice is SLOW DOWN when 
the road is wet.
The risk of hydroplaning increases as 
the depth of tire tread decreases, refer 
to “Tire Tread” section in chapter 9.   

06
6-75
The severe weather conditions of winter quickly wear out tires and cause other 
problems. To minimize winter driving problems, you should take the following 
suggestions:
Snow or icy conditions
You need to keep sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of 
you.
Apply the brakes gently. Speeding, rapid acceleration, sudden brake applications, and 
sharp turns are potentially very hazardous practices. During deceleration, use engine 
braking to the fullest extent. Sudden brake applications on snowy or icy roads may 
cause the vehicle to skid.
To drive your vehicle in deep snow, it may be necessary to use snow tires or to install 
tire chains on your tires.
Always carry emergency equipment. Some of the items you may want to carry include 
tire chains, tow straps or chains, a flashlight, emergency flares, sand, a shovel, jumper 
cables, a window scraper, gloves, ground cloth, coveralls, a blanket, etc.
Snow tires
 WARNING
Snow tires should be equivalent in size and type to the vehicle’s standard tires. 
Otherwise, the safety and handling of your vehicle may be adversely affected.
We recommend that you use snow tires when road temperature is below 45°F (7°C). 
Refer to the below chart, and mount the recommended snow tire for your vehicle.
If you mount snow tires on your vehicle, make sure to use the same Inflation pressure 
as the original tires. Mount snow tires on all four wheels to balance your vehicle’s 
handling in all weather conditions. The traction provided by snow tires on dry roads 
may not be as high as your vehicle’s original equipment tires. Check with the tire dealer 
for maximum speed recommendations.
WINTER DRIVING   

Driving your vehicle
6-78
Check spark plugs and ignition system
Inspect the spark plugs, as specified in 
chapter 8. If necessary, replace them. 
Also check all ignition wirings and 
components for any cracks, wear-out, 
and damage.
To prevent locks from freezing
To prevent the locks from being frozen, 
spray approved de-icing fluid or glycerin 
into key holes. When a lock opening is 
already covered with ice, spray approved 
de-icing fluid over the ice to remove it. 
When an internal part of a lock freezes, 
try to thaw it with a heated key. Carefully 
use the heated key to avoid an injury.
Use approved window washer anti-
freeze solution in system
To prevent the window washer from 
being frozen, add authorized window 
washer anti-freeze solution, as specified 
on the window washer container. 
Window washer anti-freeze solution is 
available from an authorized HYUNDAI 
dealer, and most vehicle accessory 
outlets. Do not use engine coolant or 
other types of anti-freeze solution, to 
prevent any damage to the vehicle paint.Do not let your parking brake freeze
Under some conditions your parking 
brake can freeze in the engaged position. 
This is most likely to happen when there 
is an accumulation of snow or ice around 
or near the rear brakes or if the brakes 
are wet. When there is the risk that your 
parking brake may freeze, temporarily 
apply it with the gear in P (Park). Also, 
block the rear wheels in advance, so the 
vehicle may not roll. Then, release the 
parking brake.
Do not let ice and snow accumulate 
underneath
Under some conditions, snow and ice 
can build up under the fenders and 
interfere with the steering. When driving 
in such conditions during the severe 
winter, you should check underneath 
the vehicle on a regular basis, to ensure 
that the front wheels and the steering 
components is unblocked.
Carry emergency equipment
In accordance with weather conditions, 
you should carry appropriate emergency 
equipment, while driving. Some of the 
items you may want to carry include tire 
chains, tow straps or chains, flashlight, 
emergency flares, sand, shovel, jumper 
cables, window scraper, gloves, ground 
cloth, coveralls, blanket, etc.
Do not place objects or materials in the 
engine compartment
Putting objects or materials in the engine 
compartment may cause an engine 
failure or combustion, because they may 
block the engine cooling. Such damage 
will not be covered by the manufacturer’s 
warranty.    

06
6-79
If you are considering to tow with 
your vehicle, you should first know 
your country’s legal requirements. As 
laws vary the requirements for towing 
trailers, cars, or other types of vehicles 
or apparatus may differ. When you are 
not sure about a type of winter weight 
oil, we recommend that you consult an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer.
Remember that trailering is different 
than just driving your vehicle by 
itself. Trailering means changes in 
handling, durability, and fuel economy. 
Successful, safe trailering requires 
correct equipment, and it has to be used 
properly. Damage to your vehicle caused 
by improper trailer towing is not covered 
by your vehicle manufacturer’s warranty.
This section contains time-tested, 
important trailering tips and safety 
rules. Many of these are important for 
your safety and that of your passengers. 
Please read this section carefully before 
you pull a trailer. WARNING
Take the following precautions:
•	If you don’t use the correct 
equipment and/or drive improperly, 
you can lose control of the vehicle 
when you are pulling a trailer. For 
example, if the trailer is too heavy, 
the braking performance may be 
reduced. You and your passengers 
could be seriously or fatally injured. 
Pull a trailer only if you have followed 
all the steps in this section.
•	 Before towing, make sure the 
total trailer weight, GCW (Gross 
Combination Weight), GVW (Gross 
Vehicle Weight), GAW (Gross Axle 
Weight) and trailer tongue load are 
all within the limits.
•	 When you tow a trailer, make sure to 
turn off the Idle Stop and Go system.
TRAILER TOWING   

Driving your vehicle
6-80
If you decide to pull a trailer?
Here are some important points if you 
decide to pull a trailer:
•	Consider using a sway control. You 
can ask a trailer hitch dealer about 
sway control.
•	 Do not do any towing with your 
vehicle during its first 1,200 miles 
(2,000 km) in order to allow the 
engine to properly break in. Failure to 
heed this caution may result in serious 
engine or transmission damage.
•	 When towing a trailer, we 
recommend that you consult an 
authorized HYUNDAI dealer for 
further information on additional 
requirements such as a towing kit, etc. 
•	 Always drive your vehicle at a 
moderate speed (less than 60 mph 
(100 km/h)) or posted towing speed 
limit.
•	 On a long uphill grade, do not exceed 
45 mph (70 km/h) or the posted 
towing speed limit, whichever is 
lower.
•	 Carefully observe the weight and load 
limits provided in the following pages.
Trailer weight
Tongue Load Total Trailer Weight
OOSH069129L
What is the maximum safe weight of a 
trailer? It should never weigh more than 
the maximum trailer weight with trailer 
brakes. But even that can be too heavy. 
It depends on how you plan to use your 
trailer. For example, speed, altitude, 
road grades, outside temperature and 
how often your vehicle is used to pull a 
trailer are all important. The ideal trailer 
weight can also depend on any special 
equipment that you have on your vehicle.    

06
6-81
Tongue load
Gross Axle Weight Gross Vehicle Weight
OOSH069130L
The tongue load is an important weight 
to measure because it affects the 
total Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of 
your vehicle. The trailer tongue should 
weigh a maximum of 10% of the total 
loaded trailer weight, within the limits 
of the maximum trailer tongue load 
permissible.
After you’ve loaded your trailer, 
weigh the trailer and then the tongue, 
separately, to see if the weights are 
proper. If they aren’t, you may be able 
to correct them simply by moving some 
items around in the trailer.
 WARNING
Take the following precautions:
•	Never load a trailer with more weight 
in the rear than in the front. The front 
should be loaded with approximately 
60% of the total trailer load; the rear 
should be loaded with approximately 
40% of the total trailer load.
•	 Never exceed the maximum weight 
limits of the trailer or trailer towing 
equipment. Improper loading can 
result in damage to your vehicle and/
or personal injury. Check weights 
and loading at a commercial scale or 
highway patrol office equipped with 
scales.
 Information
With increasing altitude the engine 
performance decreases. From 1,000 m 
above sea level and for every 1,000 m 
thereafter 10% of vehicle/trailer weight 
(trailer weighter + gross vehicle weight) 
must be deducted.   

Driving your vehicle
6-82
Reference weight and distance when towing a trailer 
ItemSmartstream  
G2.5 GDI Smartstream  
G2.5 TGDI
A/T DCT
Maximum trailer 
weight
lbs. (kg)Without brake system
1,653 (750) 1,653 (750)
With brake system (PKG OPT) 2,000 (907) 2,000 (907)
With brake system (STD) 2,800 (1,270) 3,500 (1,588)
Maximum permissible static vertical load on the 
coupling device lbs. (kg)280 (127)
350 (159)
Recommended distance from rear wheel center 
to coupling point inch (mm)49.1 (1,248)    

06
6-83
Trailer towing equipment
Hitches
OTM060050L
 Information
The mounting hole for hitches are located 
on both sides of the underbody behind the 
rear tires.
It’s important to have the correct hitch 
equipment. Crosswinds, large trucks 
going by, and rough roads are a few 
reasons why you’ll need the right hitch. 
Here are some rules to follow:
•	Do you have to make any holes in 
the body of your vehicle when you 
install a trailer hitch? If you do, then 
be sure to seal the holes later when 
you remove the hitch. If you don’t seal 
them, carbon monoxide (CO) from 
your exhaust can get into your vehicle, 
as well as dirt and water.
•	 The bumpers on your vehicle are not 
intended for hitches. Do not attach 
rental hitches or other bumper-type 
hitches to them. Use only a frame-
mounted hitch that does not attach to 
the bumper. •	
Any part of the rear number plate or 
lighting devices of the vehicle must 
not be obscured by the mechanical 
coupling device. 
If the rear number plate and/or 
lighting devices can be obscured 
partially by any part of the mechanical 
coupling device, mechanical coupling 
devices that can not be easily 
removed or repositioned without use 
of any tools, except an easily operated 
(i.e. an effort not exceeding 20Nm) 
release key which is supplied by the 
manufacturer of the coupling device, 
are not permitted for use. 
Please note that the mechanical 
coupling device that is fitted and 
not in use must always be removed 
or repositioned if the rear number 
plate and/or rear lighting devices 
are obscured by any part of the 
mechanical coupling device.
•	 A HYUNDAI trailer hitch accessory is 
available at an authorized HYUNDAI 
dealer.