2023 HYUNDAI KONA All wheel drive

Driving your vehicle6-24
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the engine is turned off and then
on again, ESC oper
ation is enabled,
and it is activated in the ESC operating
mode (not in ESC Sport mode or ESC
OFF mode) regardless of the ESC mode
before turning off the engine.
You may select between the following
state of ESC:

[ ESC NORMAL activated (ESC ON)

[ ESC SPORT activated (ESC SPORT
indicator illuminates)

[ ESC deactivated (ESC OFF indicator
illuminates)
When operating
When ESC is in operation, the
ESC indicator light blinks:

[ When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear sounds from the brakes,
or feel a corresponding sensation in
the brake pedal. This is normal and it
means your ESC is active.

[ When ESC activates, the engine may
not respond to the accelerator as it
does under routine conditions.

[ If Cruise Control was in use when ESC
activates, Cruise Control automatically
disengages. Cruise Control can be
reengaged when the road conditions
allow. See “Cruise Control (CC)” later
in this chapter.

[ When moving out of the mud or
driving on a slippery road, the engine
rpm (revolutions per minute) may
not increase even if you press the
accelerator pedal deeply. This is to
maintain the stability and traction of
the vehicle and does not indicate a
problem.
Indicator lights

v
ESC indicator light (blinks)

v ESC OFF indicator light (comes on)
When the Engine Start/Stop button is
in the ON position, the ESC indicator
light illuminates, then goes off if the ESC
system is operating normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks whenever
ESC is operating.
If the ESC indicator light stays on, your
vehicle may have a malfunction with
the ESC system. When this warning light
illuminates have the vehicle be checked
by an authorized HYUNDAI dealer as
soon as possible.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes on
when ESC is turned off.
WARNING
When ESC is blinking, this indicates ESC
is active:
Drive slowly and NEVER attempt to
accelerate. NEVER turn ESC off while
the ESC indicator light is blinking or you
may lose control of the vehicle resulting
in an accident.

06
6-25
Deactivating / Activating ESC
OOSN061005L
You may select between the following
state of ESC:

[ESC NORMAL activated

[ ESC SPORT activated (ESC SPORT
indicator illuminates)

[ ESC deactivated (ESC OFF indicator
illuminates)
WARNING

[If you deactivate ESC, ESC no longer
stabilizes the vehicle. There is an
increased risk of skidding and an
accident.

[ When ESC SPORT mode is activated,
the stability support from ESC will
be less than in "ESC ON mode", there
is a greater risk of skidding and an
accident.
Only deactivate ESC or activate ESC
SPORT in the situations described in the
following. In the following situations, it may
be better to activate ESC SPORT or
deactivate ESC (ESC OFF):

[
When using snow chains

[ Driving in deep snow

[ Driving in sand or gravel

[ Driving on specially designed roads
where oversteering and understeering
characteristics are desired
We recommend only qualified and
experienced drivers to drive the vehicle
with the ESC deactivated or ESC SPORT
activated.
CAUTION
After the above situations are over,
activate ESC immediately. If not, the
vehicle can be unstable due to vehicle
slip or wheel spin.

Driving your vehicle6-26
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ESC SPORT
To activate ESC SPORT mode

[ Pr

ess the ESC OFF button briefly. The
ESC SPORT indicator light illuminates
on the cluster LCD display. In this
state, ESC only stabilizes the vehicle
to a limited degree.
When ESC SPORT mode is activated:

[ ESC only improves driving stability to
a limited degree.

[ Traction control is still activated, but
with less wheel control (more slip).

[ Engine torque can partially be limited
for the vehicle's stability and the
driving wheel spin may be restricted
for better traction.
To deactivate ESC SPORT mode

[ Press the ESC OFF button briefly. The
ESC SPORT indicator light will go off
on the cluster LCD display.
To deactivate ESC (ESC OFF)
Press and hold the ESC OFF
button continuously for more
than 3 seconds. The ESC OFF
indicator light and message
"Traction & Stability Control
disabled" illuminates and a
warning chime sounds. In
this state, both the traction
control function of ESC (engine
management) and the brake
control function of ESC (braking
management) are disabled. To
activate the ESC again, briefly
press the ESC OFF button. The
ESC OFF indicator light will go
off.
NOTICE
Driving with wheels and tires with
different sizes may cause the ESC
system to malfunction. Before replacing
tires, make sure all four tires and wheels
are the same size. Never drive the
vehicle with different sized wheels and
tires installed.
WARNING
Don't use ESC SPORT mode or ESC OFF
while using a mini spare tire or a tire
repair kit is in use!

06
6-27
ESC OFF usage
When Driving
The ESC OFF mode should only be used
brie
fly to help free the vehicle if stuck in
snow or mud, by temporarily stopping
operation of ESC, to maintain wheel
torque.
To turn ESC off while driving, press the
ESC OFF button while driving on a flat
road surface.
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the transmission:

[ Do not allow wheel(s) of one axle to
spin excessively while the ESC, ABS,
and Parking Brake warning lights
are displayed. The repairs would not
be covered by the vehicle warranty.
Reduce engine power and do not
spin the wheel(s) excessively while
these lights are displayed.

[ When operating the vehicle
on a dynamometer, make sure
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated).
Information
Turning ESC off does not affect ABS or
standard brake system operation.
Drive mode selection
When the ESC is on, the characteristic
of ESC varies according to which drive
mode is selected by pressing the DRIVE
MODE or N1 or N2 button on the steering
wheel.
Mode
button Selected
mode Characteristic
of ESC
DRIVE
MODE
butt

on ECO mode NORMAL
NORMAL mode NORMAL
SPORT mode NORMAL
N button N mode SPORT
N CUSTOM mode NORMAL/
SPORT/OFF
For more details, refer to "Drive Mode
Integrated Control System" in this
chapter.

06
6-29
VSM operation
When operating
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which ma
y activate ESC, you
may hear sounds from the brakes, or feel
a corresponding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means your
VSM is active.
Information
VSM does not operate when:

[ Driving through banked corners might
result in a ESC system shut down,
due to system self-diagnostics and an
assumption of a sensor failure. In the
next ignition cycle, the ESC system is
available again.

[ Driving in reverse.

[ The ESC OFF indicator light is on.

[ The EPS (Electric power steering)
warning light (
) is on or blinks.
VSM OFF condition
To cancel VSM operation, press the ESC
OFF butt

on. ESC OFF () indicator light
will illuminate.
To turn on VSM, press the ESC OFF
button again. The ESC OFF indicator light
will go out.
WARNING
If the ESC () indicator light or EPS
() warning light stays illuminated
or blinks, your vehicle may have a
malfunction with the VSM system.
When the warning light illuminates
have the vehicle be checked by an
authorized HYUNDAI dealer as soon as
possible.
NOTICE
Driving with wheels and tires with
different sizes may cause the VSM
system to malfunction. Before replacing
tires, make sure all four tires and wheels
are the same size. Never drive the
vehicle with different sized tires and
wheels installed.

Driving your vehicle6-40
SPORT mode
SPORT mode manages
the driving dynamics by
automatically adjusting the
steering effort, the engine and
transmission control logic for
enhanced driving performance.

[ When SPORT mode is selected by
pressing the DRIVE MODE knob, the
SPORT indicator will illuminate.

[ Whenever the engine is restarted,
the Drive Mode will revert back to
NORMAL mode. If SPORT mode is
desired, re-select SPORT mode from
the DRIVE MODE Knob.

[ When SPORT mode is activated:
- The engine RPM will tend to remain raised over a certain length of time
even after releasing the accelerator
- Upshifts are delayed when accelerating
Information
In SPORT mode, the fuel efficiency may
decrease.
SNOW mode
SNOW mode offers special
traction tuning for snow
optimizing available traction in
adverse conditions. Snow mode
adjusts left and right wheel slip
control, engine torque and shift
patterns according to available
traction levels.
N mode
„N1 button
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„N2 button
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N mode may be selected by pressing the
N1 or N2 button.
The system resets to be in the NORMAL
mode, when the engine is restarted.
Information
The driver can set the N1 or N2 button to
N mode on the infotainment system screen.
For more details on N1 or N2 button
setup, refer to “N button” in this chapter.

Driving your vehicle6-42
NGS (N Grin Shift)
Controls engine / transmission to
maximum performance when pressing
NGS button on the steering wheel
remote control in situations where rapid
acceleration is required.
Functional description and
operating conditions
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When NGS button is pressed:

[ Automatically shifts to the lowest
allowable gear (Automatic shifting is
not performed in manual shift mode)

[ Turbo is in overboost mode (For
added power and torque)

[ N Grin Shift is available for 20 Seconds

[ N Grin Shift can be reused 40 seconds
later after using the function for 20
seconds
N Grin Shift will turn off during operation
or will not operate when:

[ Changing Drive-mode during N Grin
Shift operation

[ Engine check light is on

[ Transmission high temperature
(overheating) lights on

[ Transmission malfunction

[ Shift lever is in P/ R/ N

[ Using N Grin Shift within 40 seconds
after using the function for 20
seconds
„Activated „Non-operating
OJSN040333OOSN061052N
CAUTION

[The driver should hold the
responsibility to safely drive and
control the vehicle when using N
Grin Shift.

[ Do not attempt dangerous driving
while using N Grin Shift.

[ It is recommended to use after
vehicle break-in and continuous
use of N Grin Shift can overload
the vehicle components such as
transmission, engine and drive shaft.

Driving your vehicle6-52
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.