2022 KIA NIRO HYBRID EV parking brake

55
Driving your vehicle
Before entering vehicle
• Be sure that all windows, outside
mirror(s), and outside lights are
clean.
Check the condition of the tires.
Check under the vehicle for any
sign of leaks.
Be sure there are no obstacles
behind you if you intend to back up.
Necessary inspections
Fluid levels, such as engine oil,
engine coolant, brake fluid, and
washer fluid should be checked on a
regular basis, at the exact interval
depending on the fluid. Further
details are provided in chapter 7,
“Maintenance”.
Before starting
Close and lock all doors.
Position the seat so that all con-
trols are easily reached.
Buckle your seat belt.
Adjust the inside and outside
rearview mirrors.
Be sure that all lights work.
Check all gauges.
Check the operation of warning
lights when the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button is in
the ON position.
Release the parking brake and
make sure the brake warning light
goes out.
For safe operation, be sure you are
familiar with your vehicle and its
equipment.
BEFORE DRIVING
WARNING - Distracted
driving
Focus on the road while driving.
The driver's primary responsi-
bility is in the safe and legal
operation of the vehicle. Any
handled devices, other equip-
ment or vehicle systems that
distract the driver should not be
used during vehicle operation.

Driving your vehicle
8 5
ON
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. This is
the normal running position after the
engine is started.
Do not leave the ignition switch ON if
the engine is not running to prevent
battery discharge.START
Turn the ignition switch to the START
position to start the engine. The
engine will crank until you release
the key; then it returns to the ON
position. The brake warning light can
be checked in this position.
The anti-theft steering column lock (if
equipped) is not a substitute for the
parking brake. Before leaving the dri-
ver’s seat, always make sure the shift
lever is engaged in P (Park) for dual
clutch transmission, set the parking
brake fully and shut the engine off.
Unexpected and sudden vehicle
movement may occur if these pre-
cautions are not taken.
WARNING- Key holder
Do not place small purses, mul-
tiple keys, or other heavy acces-
sories on your vehicle key ring.
The driver can accidently push
these objects causing the ACC
position to change while in
motion and disrupt the proper
operation of some of the vehi-
cle's safety features.
WARNING- Ignition switch
Never turn the ignition switch to
LOCK or ACC while the vehicle
is moving. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.

59
Driving your vehicle
Starting the hybrid system
1.Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
2.Place the transaxle shift lever in P
(Park). Depress the brake pedal
fully.3. Turn the ignition switch to START.
If the hybrid system starts, the
“ ” indicator will come on.
WARNING- Leaving the
Vehicle
To avoid unexpected or sudden
vehicle movement, never leave
your vehicle if the transmission
is not locked in the P (Park)
position and the parking brake
is fully engaged. Before leaving
the driver's seat, always make
sure the shift lever is engaged in
P (Park), set the parking brake
fully and shut the engine off.
WARNING- Proper
footwear
Always wear appropriate shoes
when operating your vehicle.
Unsuitable shoes (high heels,
ski boots, sandals, etc.) may
interfere with your ability to use
the brake and accelerator pedal.
WARNING- Steering
wheel
Never reach for any controls
through the steering wheel
while the vehicle is in motion.
The presence of your hand or
arm in this area could cause a
loss of vehicle control.

Driving your vehicle
14 5
1. Always carry the smart key with
you.
2. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in P
(Park).
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Press the Engine Start/Stop but-
ton. If the hybrid system starts, the
“ ” indicator will come on.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Do not wait for the engine to warm
up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)
• Always start the vehicle with your
foot on the brake pedal. Do not
depress the accelerator while
starting the vehicle. Do not race
the engine while warming it up.
• If ambient temperature is low, the
“ ” indicator may remain illu-
minated longer than the normal
amount of time.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the vehicle:
• If the “ ” indicator turns off
while you are in motion, do not
attempt to move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
If traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever in
the N (Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and press
the Engine Start/Stop button in an
attempt to restart the hybrid sys-
tem.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the hybrid system.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
Dual clutch transmission oper-
ation
The dual clutch transmission has six
forward speeds and one reverse
speed.
The individual speeds are selected
automatically in the D (Drive) posi-
tion.
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT)
ODEP051425
The shift lever can freely operate. Press the shift button while moving the shift lever. Depress the brake pedal and press the shift button while moving the shift lever.
❈ To move the shift lever from/to P (Parking) or between R (Reverse) and D (Drive), you
must depress the brake pedal for the vehicle to stand still.

517
Driving your vehicle
The dual clutch transmission can
be thought of as an automatically
shifting manual transmission. It
gives the driving feel of a manual
transmission, yet provides the
ease of a fully automatic transmis-
sion.
When D (Drive) is selected, the
transmission will automatically shift
through the gears similar to a con-
ventional automatic transmission.
Unlike a traditional automatic
transmission, the gear shifting can
sometimes be felt and heard as the
actuators engage the clutches and
the gears are selected.
The dual clutch transmission
adopts a dry-type dual clutch,
which is different from the torque
converter of the automatic trans-
mission. It shows better accelera-
tion performance and increased
fuel efficiency while driving but ini-
tial launch might be little bit slower
than the automatic transmission.As a result, gear shifts are some-
times more noticeable than a con-
ventional automatic transmission
and a light vibration during launch-
ing can be felt as the transmission
speed. This is a normal condition of
the dual clutch transmission.
The dry-type clutch transfers
torque more directly and provides
a direct drive feeling which may
feel different from a conventional
automatic transmission. This may
be more noticeable when launch-
ing the vehicle from a stop or when
traveling at low, stop-and-go vehi-
cle speeds.
When rapidly accelerating at a low
vehicle speed, the engine rpm may
increase highly depending on the
vehicle's driving condition.
For smooth launch uphill, press
down the accelerator pedal
smoothly depending on the current
conditions.
If you release your foot from the
accelerator pedal at low vehicle
speed, you may feel strong engine
braking, which is similar to manual
transmission.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
ALWAYS check the surround-
ing 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 or ENGINE START/
STOP button in the OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
Do not use engine braking
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip, causing an accident.

Driving your vehicle
18 5
When driving downhill, you may
use Sports Mode or press the pad-
dle shifters (if equipped) to down-
shift to a lower gear in order to con-
trol your speed without using the
brake pedal excessively.
When you turn the engine on and
off, you may hear clicking sounds
as the system foes through a self-
test. This is a normal sound for the
dual clutch transmission.
During the first 1,000 miles (1,500
km), you may feel that the vehicle
may not be smooth when acceler-
ating at low speed. During this
break-in period, the shift quality
and performance of your new vehi-
cle is continuously optimized.DCT warning messages
This warning message is displayed
when the vehicle is driven slowly on
a grade and the vehicle detects that
the brake pedal is not applied.Steep grade
Driving up hills or on steep grades:
To hold the vehicle on an incline,
use the foot brake or the parking
brake.
When in stop-and-go traffic on an
incline, keep some distance ahead
before moving the vehicle forward.
Then hold the vehicle on the incline
with the foot brake.
If the vehicle is held on a hill by
applying the accelerator pedal or
by creeping with the brake pedal
dis-engaged, the clutch and trans-
mission may overheat which can
result in damage. In this situation, a
warning message will appear on
the LCD display.
If the LCD warning is active, the
foot brake must be applied.
Ignoring the warnings can lead to
damage to the transmission.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your
transaxle, do not try to accel-
erate in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on.
When stopped on slope, do
not hold the vehicle with accel-
erator pedal. Use the service
brake or the parking brake.
OBDM059150L

Driving your vehicle
20 5
If the vehicle continues to be driv-
en and the clutch temperatures
reach the maximum temperature
limit, the " Transmission Hot! Park
with engine on" warning will be dis-
played. When this occurs, the
clutch is disabled until the clutch
cools to normal temperatures.
The warning will display a time to
wait for the transmission to cool.
If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes,
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and
allow the transmission to cool.
When the message "Trans cooled.
Resume driving.“ appears, you can
continue to drive your vehicle.
When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
If any of the warning messages in
the LCD display continue to blink, for
your safety, we recommend having
the system checked by an authorized
Kia dealer.Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button is in the ON
position.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.
The shift lever 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.
Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.