
06
6-15
The indicator in the instrument cluster
displays the shift lever/button position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious injury or
death:
• ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for people,
especially children, before shifting a
vehicle into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position, then set
the parking brake, and place the
ignition switch in the LOCK/OFF
position. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if these
precautions are not followed.
• When using the paddle shifter
(manual shift mode), do not use
engine braking (shifting from a
high gear to lower gear) rapidly on
slippery roads. The vehicle may slip
causing an accident.
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.
If you have done all of the above and
still cannot shift the lever out of P
(Park), see "Shift-Lock Release" in this
chapter. (shift lever type)
The shift lever/button must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
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.
• When parking on an incline, shift
the gear to P (Park) and apply the
parking brake to prevent the vehicle
from rolling downhill.
• Do not use the P (Park) position in
place of the parking brake.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you
may damage the transmission if you
shift into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is
in motion.
When the vehicle is stopped in R
(Reverse) or D (Drive) position, if you
open the driver’s door with the seat
belt unfastened, the gear is shifted to P
(Park) position automatically.
However when the vehicle moves in R
(Reverse) or D (Drive) position, if you
open the driver’s door with the seat belt
unfastened, the gear may be not shifted
to P (Park) position automatically for
protecting the automatic transmission.

Driving your vehicle
6-16
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a
stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop
with the engine ON. Shift into P (Park)
if you need to leave your vehicle for any
reason.
Always depress the brake pedal when
you are shifting from N (Neutral) to
another gear.
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.To stay in N (Neutral) when vehicle is
OFF (button type)
ONX4060004
ONX4E060021
If you want to stay in N (Neutral) after the
engine is OFF (in the ACC state), do the
following.
1. Release the parking brake when the
engine is running or the Engine Start/
Stop button is ON position. If Auto
Hold is activated, please turn off Auto
Hold.
2. Push the N (neutral) button 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’ (or 'Hold OK button to
stay in neutral gear position when
vehicle is Off') will appear on the
cluster LCD display.

Driving your vehicle
6-18
OCN7060007
DS mode (Drive Sporty)
To shift into Ds mode, move the shift
lever from D (Drive) to the left, without
upshifting to the (+) or downshifting
to the (-). The engine and transmission
control logic is automatically optimized
for sporty driving.
In Ds mode, if you move the shift lever
to + (up) or (down), the gear will change
to manual shift mode. If the shift lever is
moved back into D (Drive), it will change
to D (Drive). The vehicle will perform
according to the mode selected from
drive mode (NORMAL, SPORT).
Manual shift mode (lever type)
ONX4E060040
[A] : + (Up), [B] : - (Down)
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, manual shift mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D (Drive)
position into the manual gate. To return
to D (Drive) range operation, push the
shift lever back into the main gate.
In manual shift 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.

Driving your vehicle
6-20
Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic
transmission has a shift-lock system
which prevents shifting the transmission
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 place the ignition
switch in the ON position.
3. Depress the brake pedal and push the
R (Reverse) button. (button type)
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P (Park)
position.
When the battery is discharged
(button type) :
You cannot shift gears, when the battery
is discharged.
In emergencies, do the following to shift
the gear to N (Neutral) on a level ground.
1. Connect the battery cables from
another vehicle or from a another battery
to the jump-starting terminals inside the
engine compartment. For more details,
refer to “Jump Starting” in chapter 8.
2. Release the parking brake with the
ignition switch in the ON position.
3. Shift the gear to the N(Neutral)
position refer to the “To stay in N
(Neutral) when the engine is OFF (button
type)” in this chapter.
Parking
Always come to a complete stop and
continue to depress the brake pedal.
Move the shift lever/button into the P
(Park) position, apply the parking brake,
and place the ignition switch in the
LOCK/OFF position. Take the Key with
you when exiting the vehicle.
WARNING
When you stay in the vehicle with
the engine running, be careful not to
depress the accelerator pedal for a long
period of time. The engine or exhaust
system may 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.

06
6-23
The manual shift mode also changes
back to automatic shift mode in one of
following situations
-When the accelerator pedal is gently
depressed for more than 6 seconds
while driving
-When the vehicle stops
Information
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled
at the same time, gear shift may not occur.
Good driving practices
• Never move the shift button from
P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
• Never move the shift lever/button 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 button 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.
• Driving uphill or downhill, shift to D
(Drive) to drive forward or R (Reverse)
to drive backwards, and check
the gear position indicated on the
cluster before driving. If the vehicle
is moving in the opposite direction
of the selected gear, the engine may
stop and a serious accident may
occur. Never attempt to select a gear
that is opposite to the direction of
the vehicle motion. Stop the vehicle
before changing to the desired gear.
• 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.
• When driving with shifter paddles,
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 transmission in P (Park) to
keep the vehicle from moving.

Driving your vehicle
6-58
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving elements
are encountered such as water, snow,
ice, mud and sand, take the following
precautions:
• Drive cautiously and maintain a longer
braking distance.
• Avoid abrupt braking or steering.
• When your vehicle is stuck in
snow, mud, or sand, use second
gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid
unnecessary wheel spin.
• Put sand, rock salt, tire chains or other
non-slip materials under the wheels to
provide additional traction while the
vehicle becomes stuck in ice, snow,
or mud.
WARNING
Downshifting with an automatic
transmission while driving on slippery
surfaces can cause an accident. The
sudden change in tire speed could
cause the tires to skid. Be careful when
downshifting on slippery surfaces.
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to
free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn
the steering wheel right and left to clear
the area around your front wheels. Then,
shift back and forth between R (Reverse)
and a forward gear.
Try to avoid spinning the wheels, and do
not race the engine.
To prevent transmission wear, wait until
the wheels stop spinning before shifting
gears. Release the accelerator pedal
while shifting, and press lightly on the
accelerator pedal while the transmission
is in gear. Slowly spinning the wheels in
forward and reverse directions causes a
rocking motion that may free the vehicle.
WARNING
If the vehicle is stuck and excessive
wheel spin occurs, the temperature
in the tires can increase very quickly.
If the tires become damaged, a tire
blow out or tire explosion can occur.
This condition is dangerous - you and
others may be injured. Do not attempt
this procedure if people or objects are
anywhere near the vehicle.
If you attempt to free the vehicle, the
vehicle can overheat quickly, possibly
causing an engine compartment fire
or other damage. Try to avoid spinning
the wheels as much as possible to
prevent overheating of either the tires
or the engine. DO NOT allow the vehicle
to spin the wheels above 35 mph (56
km/h).
Information
The ESC system must be turned OFF
before rocking the vehicle.