2021 KIA STINGER Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
28 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
In situations where the gear needs to
be changed from P (Park) to N
(Neutral) when the engine start/stop
button is in the OFF position, refer
to step 4.
The actuators work to shift the gear
into the N (Neutral) or P (Parking)
and make a normal mechanical
sound.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, apply the parking brake,
and place the engine start/stop but-
ton in the OFF position. Take the Key
with you when exiting the vehicle.
LCD display messages
Shifter Malfunction
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the transmis-
sion or the shift lever does not prop-
erly operate in the P (Park) position.
In this case, have the vehicle
inspected by an authorized Kia deal-
er immediately.
WARNING
Do not depress the accelera-
tor pedal while sitting in the
vehicle with the engine run-
ning. Depressing the acceler-
ator pedal for a long period of
time may cause the engine or
exhaust system to overheat
and start a fire.
The exhaust gas and the
exhaust system are very hot .
Keep away from the exhaust
system components. Do not
stop or park over flammable
materials, such as dry grass,
paper or leaves. They may
ignite and cause a fire.
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Driving your vehicle
Check shift lever
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when there is a mal-
function with one of the key trans-
mission components.
In this case, have the vehicle inspect-
ed by an authorized Kia dealer imme-
diately.
Shifting conditions not met
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when engine RPM
is too high, or when driving speed is
too fast to shift the gear.
We recommend you decrease your
RPM level or slow down before shift-
ing the gear.
Press brake pedal to change gear
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the brake
pedal is not depressed while shifting
the gear.
We recommend you depress the
brake pedal and then shift the gear.
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Driving your vehicle
30 5
Shift to P after stopping
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the brake
pedal is not depressed while shifting
the gear.
We recommend you depress the
brake pedal and then shift the gear.
Press UNLOCK to change gear
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the
[UNLOCK] button is not pressed
while shifting the gear.
We recommend you press the
[UNLOCK] button and then shift the
gear.
PARK engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the P (Park) position is
engaged.
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Driving your vehicle
NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) posi-
tion is engaged.
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 vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Do not move the shift lever to N
(Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission could be damaged.
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. Depressing both accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time can
trigger logic for engine power
reduction to assure vehicle decel-
eration. Vehicle acceleration will
resume after the brake pedal is
released.
When driving in Sports Mode, slow
down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
Always apply the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
from moving.

Driving your vehicle
32
5
• 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.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Kia recommends you follow all post-
ed speed limits.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
• When driving uphill or down-
hill, always shift to D (Drive)
for driving forward or shift to
R (Reverse) for driving back-
wards, and check the gear
position indicated on the clus-
ter before driving.
(Continued)
(Continued)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.
ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-
ed occupant.
Avoid high speeds when cor- nering 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.
(Continued)(Continued)
Loss of control often occurs iftwo 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.
Do not attempt sudden or abrupt driving maneuvers on
slippery surfaces. Attempting
such maneuvers can result in
loss of vehicle control and
accidents.

533
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
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.
Launch Control
Launch Control Operation
When using Launch Control, a
driver should always make sure
that the engine’s cooling water is
warmed up and reaches a recom-
mended temperature.
To operate ESC Off state 2, Press
and hold ESC button for more than
3 seconds in Sports mode. (Status
Display on Cluster Screen)
For launching, stop the vehicle and
keep the steering wheel straight.
Footbrakes, EPB and Auto Hold
must be released for smooth
launching. Press the brake firmly with your left
foot in transmission D mode, while
pressing the accelerator pedal
down fully with your right foot.
Then, the Launch Control Ready
(1) will be in place.
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Driving your vehicle
34 5
To start a vehicle, with your right
foot pressing the accelerator pedal
down fully, remove your left foot
from the brake. (within 4 seconds)
(Launch Control Active (2) Status
Display on Cluster Screen)
If both the brakes and accelerater
pedals were applied and the driver
removes his foot only from the
accelerater pedal, Launch Control
will be automatically deactivated. Or,
if the vehicle does not start after 4
seconds with a driver’s feet on both
brake and accelerate pedals,
Launch Control will automatically
deactivated as well. Do not operate both brake and
accelerate pedals simultaneously
for longer than 4 seconds.
When re-using Launch Control, a
driver should have the vehicle cool
down sufficiently by driving.
Limited use of Launch Control (3)
An warning message will pop up
on the screen if the transmission
fluid temperature is above a certain
level while using Launch Control.
Also, Launch Control will be auto-
matically deactivated.
To address the issue as above, a
driver should cool down the trans-
mission fluid temperature by driv-
ing the vehicle. (Driving at a con-
stant speed over 37 mph (60 km/h)
is highly recommended, but this
should only be done if traffic and
road conditions permit the driver to
do so safely.)
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Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Launch performance can vary
depending on fuel, environment,
tire, and loading conditions.
CAUTION
Constant use of Launch Control
can put enormous stress on
transmission, engine, and drive
shafts and can result in vehicle
damage. It is highly recom-
mended that Launch Control is
used after completion of the
vehicle brake-in process.
WARNING
It is the responsibility of the
driver to make sure it is safe
before using Launch Control.
Do not use Launch Control on
public roads or when pedestrian
congestion is present. Doing so
could result in an accident that
causes serious injuries.