2021 KIA SPORTAGE Owners Manual

5 19
Driving your vehicle
In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward onceto 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 6 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. • In manual mode, downshifts are
made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.
• In manual mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.
• To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain gearshifts when the shift lever
is operated.
• When driving on a slippery road, push the shift lever forward into the
+(up) position. This causes the
transmission to shift into the 2nd
gear which is better for smooth
driving on a slippery road. Push
the shift lever to the -(down) side to
shift back to the 1st gear.Paddle shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever is in the D position or
the manual mode.
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Driving your vehicle
205
With the shift lever in the D position
The paddle shifter will operate when
the vehicle speed is more than
6.2mph(10km/h).
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
When the vehicle speed is lower than
6.2mph(10km/h), if you depress the
accelerator pedal for more than 5
seconds or if you shift the shift lever
from D (Drive) to manual mode and
shift it from manual mode to D (Drive)
again, the system changes from
manual mode to automatic mode.
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.
Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignitionswitch 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
chattering noise & vibration near the
shift lever may be heard. It is a nor-
mal condition.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.

5 21
Driving your vehicle
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 in theLOCK/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.
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Even if the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position, the
key cannot be removed.
If your vehicle is equipped with
ENGINE START/STOP button, the
button will not change to the OFF
position unless the shift lever is in the
P (Park) position.
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225
Good driving practices
• Never move the gear shift leverfrom P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
• 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 trans-
mission in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.
• Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.
✽NOTICE- Kickdown
Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The automatic transmis-
sion will shift to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Driving up a steep grade from astanding start
To drive up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.
WARNING
When driving uphill or downhill,
always shift to D (Drive) for driv-
ing forward or shift to R
(Reverse) for driving back-
wards, and check the gear posi-
tion indicated on the cluster
before driving.
Driving in the opposite direc-
tion of the selected gear can
lead to a dangerous situation by
shutting off the engine and
affecting the braking perform-
ance.

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Driving your vehicle
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system
delivers engine power to the front
and rear wheels for maximum trac-
tion. AWD is useful when extra trac-
tion is required on road, such as,
when driving on slippery, muddy
such as wet, or snow-covered roads.These vehicles are not designed for
challenging off-road use.
It is always important when traveling
on unpaved roads that the driver
carefully reduces the speed to a level
that does not exceed the safe operat-
ing speed for those conditions. In
general, unpaved roads provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.
* AWD : All Wheel Drive
FWD : Front Wheel Drive The driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.
✽NOTICE
If the AWD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the AWD
system.
If this occurs, we recommend that
the system be checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING - Off road
driving
Do not attempt to operate your
vehicle under extreme or chal-
lenging off road driving condi-
tions. This vehicle was not
designed to be driven off road.
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■ Type A
■Type B

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245
Tight corner brake effect
✽NOTICE- AWD
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in all wheel
drive, steering control will be difficult.
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all wheel drive vehi-
cles caused by the difference in tire
rotation at the four wheels and the
zero-degree alignment of the front
wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.

5 25
Driving your vehicle
• This mode is used for climbing or descending sharp grades,off-road driving, driving on sandy and muddy roads, etc., to
maximize traction.
• This mode automatically begins to deactivate at speeds above 38 mph (60 km/h) and is shifted to AWD AUTO mode
at speed above 38 mph (60 km/h). If the vehicle decelerates
to speeds below 38 mph (60 km/h), however, the transfer
mode is shifted into AWD LOCK mode again.
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated)
(Indicator light isnot illuminated)
✽NOTICE
• When driving on normal roads, deactivate the AWD LOCK mode by pushing the AWD LOCK button (the indi- cator light goes off). Driving on normal roads with AWD LOCK mode(especially, when cornering) may cause
mechanical noise or vibration. The noise and vibration will disappear when the AWD LOCK mode is deactivat-
ed. Some parts of the power train may be damaged by prolonged driving with the noise and vibration.
• When the AWD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the front wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
All Wheel Drive (AWD) transfer mode selection
Transfer mode Selection button Indicator light Description
• When driving in AWD AUTO mode, the vehicle operates sim-
ilar to conventional FWD vehicles under normal operating
conditions. However, if the system determines that there is a
need for the AWD mode, the engine’s driving power is distrib-
uted to all four wheels automatically without driver interven-
tion.
• When driving on normal roads and pavement, the vehicle moves similar to conventional FWD vehicles.
AWD LOCK
(Indicator light is illuminated)

Driving your vehicle
265
For safe all wheel drive opera-
tion
✽NOTICE- All wheel drive
The road conditions that demand all
wheel drive mean all functions of
your vehicle are exposed to extreme
stress than under normal road con-
ditions. Slow down and be ready for
changes in the composition and trac-
tion of the surface under your tires.
If you have any doubt about the
safety of the conditions you are fac-
ing, stop and consider the best way
to proceed. Do not exceed the ability
of yourself or your vehicle to operate
safely.
• Do not try to drive in deep standingwater or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehicle. • When you are driving up or down
hills drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution in going up or
down steep hills, since you may flip
your vehicle over depending on the
grade, terrain and water/mud con-
ditions.
WARNING - Hills
Driving across the contour of
steep hills can be extremely
dangerous. This danger can
come from slight changes in the
wheel angle which can destabi-
lize the vehicle or, even if the
vehicle is maintaining stability
under power, it can lose that
stability if the vehicle stops its
forward motion. Your vehicle
may roll over without warning
and without time for you to cor-
rect a mistake that could cause
serious injury or death.
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