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 brake pedal disengaged, the clutch and transmission may overheat which can result in damage. At this time, 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.

Transmission high temperature

• Under certain conditions, such as repeated stop-and-go launches on steep grades, sudden take off or acceleration, or other harsh driving conditions, the transmission clutch temperatures will increase excessively. Finally the clutch in transmission could be overheated.

• When the clutch is overheated, the safe protection mode engages and the gear position indicator on the cluster blinks with a chime. At this time, “Transmission temp. is high! Stop safely” warning message will appear on the LCD display and driving may not be smooth.

• If this occurs, pull over to a safe location, stop the vehicle with the engine running, apply the brakes and shift the vehicle to P (Park), and allow the transmission to cool.

• If you ignore this warning, the driving condition may become worse. You may experience abrupt shifts, frequent shifts, or jerkiness. To return to the normal driving condition, stop the vehicle and apply the foot brake or shift into P (Park).

  Then allow the transmission to cool for a few minutes with engine on, before driving off.

• When possible, drive the vehicle smoothly.

Transmission overheated

• If the vehicle continues to be driven and the clutch temperatures reach the maximum temperature limit, the " Transmission Hot! Park with engine on" warning will be displayed. 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 and 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, have the system checked by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

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.

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) while 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.

Parking in N (Neutral) gear

Follow below steps when parking and you want the vehicle to move when pushed.

1. After parking your vehicle, step on the brake pedal and move the shift lever to P with the ignition switch or ENGINE START/STOP button in ON or while the engine is running.

2. If the parking brake is applied unlock the parking brake.

3. While pressing the brake pedal, turn the ignition switch or ENGINE START/STOP button OFF.

   • For smart key equipped vehicles, the ignition switch or ENGINE START/STOP button can be moved to OFF only when the shift lever is in P.

4. Remove the shift lever boots from the console by using a plastic trim tool.

5. After removing the boots, press and hold the button on the left front side with a pointed tool and change it to the N (Neutral) position.

If the shift lever does not move even after performing this procedure, have the system inspected by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

CAUTION

• With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park the vehicle in P (Park) for safety and engage the parking brake.

• Before parking in N (Neutral) gear, first make sure the parking ground is level and flat. Do not park in N gear on any slopes or gradients.

  If parked and left in N, the vehicle may move and cause serious damage and injury.

D (Drive)

This is the normal driving position. The transmission will automatically shift through a 7 gear sequence, providing the best fuel economy and power.

For extra power when passing another vehicle or driving uphill depress the accelerator pedal further until you feel the transmission downshift to a lower gear.

To stop the vehicle during driving, please press brake pedal fully to prevent unintended movement.

Sports mode (if equipped)

Whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion, sports 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 sports mode, moving the shift lever backwards and forwards will allow you to make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to a Manual Transmission, the sports mode allows gearshifts with the accelerator pedal depressed.

Using the shift lever

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

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

NOTICE

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

• In sports mode, only the 7 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.

• In sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehicle slows down. When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is automatically selected.

• In sports mode, when the engine rpm approaches the red zone shift points are varied to upshift automatically.

• 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 rpms below the red zone.

Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved from the P (Park) or N (Neutral) position into R (Reverse) position with the brake pedal depressed, continue depressing the brake, then do the following:

1. Remove the shift lever boots from the console by using a plastic trim tool.

2. After removing the boots, press and hold the button (1) on the left front side with a pointed tool and change it to the N (Neutral) position.

If the shift lever does not move even after performing this procedure, have the system inspected by a professional workshop. Kia recommends to visit an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

CAUTION

• Be careful not to damage the cover when removing the shift lever boots.

• Be sure that the vehicle is in flat level ground when releasing the shift-lock.

Ignition key interlock system (if equipped)

The ignition key cannot be removed unless the shift lever is in the P (Park) position.