The dual clutch transmission has 8 forward speeds and one reverse speed.

The individual speeds are selected automatically in the D (Drive) 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 Manual Shift Mode, use caution when shifting from a higher gear to a lower gear on slippery roads. This could cause the tyres to slip and may result in an accident.

• To avoid damage to your transmission, do not try to accelerate with the shift lever in R (Reverse) or any forward gear position with the brake engaged.

• When stopped on a slope, do not hold the vehicle with accelerator pedal. Engage the service brake or the parking brake.

• The Dual Clutch Transmission gives the driving feel of a manual transmission, yet provides the ease of a fully automatic transmission. Unlike a traditional automatic transmission, the gear shifting can be felt (and heard) on the dual clutch transmission

  • Think of it as an automatically shifting manual transmission.

  • Shift into Drive range and get fully automatic shifting, similar to a conventional automatic transmission.

• Dual clutch transmission adopts wet-type dual clutch, which is different from torque converter of automatic transmission, and shows better acceleration performance during driving. But, initial launch might be little bit slower than Automatic Transmission.

• When rapidly accelerating at low vehicle speed, engine could rev at high rpm depending on vehicle drive condition.

• For smooth launch uphill, depress the accelerator pedal smoothly depending on the current conditions.

• If you release the accelerator pedal at low vehicle speed, you may feel strong engine brake, which is similar to manual transmission.

• When driving downhill, you may use manual mode to downshift to a lower gear in order to control your speed without using the brake pedal excessively.

• When you turn the engine on and off, you may hear clicking sounds as the system goes through a self test. This is a normal sound for the Dual Clutch Transmission.

• Always come to a complete stop before shifting into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).

• Do not put the shift lever in N (Neutral) whilst driving.

WARNING

Due to transmission failure, the vehicle may not move and the position indicator (D, R) will blink on the cluster. In this case, have the system checked by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorised Kia dealer/service partner.

The indicator in the instrument cluster displays the shift lever position when the ignition switch 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) whilst 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.

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle backward.

CAUTION

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) whilst the vehicle is in motion.

N (Neutral)

The wheels and transmission are not engaged.

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.

WARNING

Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral).

The engine brake will not work and lead to an accident.

Manual mode

Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion, manual 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.

Manual mode manages the driving dynamics by automatically adjusting the steering effort, and the engine and transmission control logic for enhanced driver performance.

In manual mode, moving the shift lever backwards and forwards will allow you to make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a manual transmission, the manual mode allows gearshifts with the accelerator pedal depressed.

• Up (+): Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.

• Down (-): Pull the lever backwards once to shift down one gear.

NOTICE

• If the driver presses the lever to + (Up) or - (Down) position, the transmission may not make the requested gear change if the next gear is outside of the allowable engine rpm range.

• The driver must execute upshifts in accordance with road conditions, taking care to keep the engine speed below the red zone.

• Only the 8 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 and only when the vehicle is stopped and not moving.

• Downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is automatically selected.

• When the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift points are varied to upshift automatically.

• To maintain the required levels of vehicle performance and safety, the system may not execute certain 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.

• When manual 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.

• In manual mode, the fuel efficiency may decrease.