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Home > Features of your vehicle > Keys > Smart key

Smart key

With a smart key, you can lock or unlock a door and even start the vehicle without inserting the key.

  1. Door lock

  2. Door unlock

  3. Liftgate unlock/open

  4. Panic alarm

  5. Remote start

  6. Remote Start Parking Assist (Forward)

  7. Remote Start Parking Assist (Backward)

Locking (1)

Manual type

To lock your vehicle using the door handle touch sensor or the smart key:

  1. Make sure all doors, the hood and the liftgate are closed.

  2. Press the door lock button (1) on the smart key. The hazard warning lights will blink with an alarm, and the doors will be locked.

  3. In addition, pushing the button on the door handle (the engraved part) while keeping the smart key will lock all doors.

Electric type (if equipped)

To lock your vehicle using the door handle touch sensor or the smart key:

  1. Make sure all doors, the hood and the liftgate are closed.

  2. Press the door lock button (1) on the smart key. The hazard warning lights will blink with an alarm, and the handles will retract back.

  3. In addition, touching the touch sensor on the door handle (the engraved part) while keeping the smart key will lock all doors and let the door handle to retract back.

WARNING

Do not leave the smart key in your vehicle with unsupervised children. Unattended children could press the EV button and may operate power windows or other controls, or even make the vehicle move, which could result in serious injury or death.

NOTICE
  • The outside rearview mirrors will fold if Enable on Door Unlock is selected from the Settings menu in the infotainment system screen.

    Select SetupVehicleConvenienceWelcome MirrorEnable on Door Unlock

  • The door handle touch sensor will only operate when the smart key is within 28~40 inches (0.7~1 m) from the outside door handle.

  • Touching the door handle touch sensor does not unlock the doors. To unlock the doors, refer to the following page.

  • Note that you cannot lock your vehicle using the door handle touch sensor if any of the following occur:

    • The smart key is in the vehicle.

    • The EV button is in ACC or ON position.

    • Any of the doors are open except for the liftgate.

NOTICE
  • To fold/unfold the outside rearview mirrors simultaneously when the door is locked/unlocked, select SetupVehicleConvenienceWelcome MirrorEnable on Door Unlock in the infotainment system screen.

  • The door handle button will only operate when the smart key is within 28~40 inches (0.7~1 m) from the outside door handle. Other people can also open the doors without the smart key in possession.

  • After unlocking the doors, the doors will lock automatically after 30 seconds unless a door is opened.

    For detailed information, refer to the separately supplied infotainment system manual.

  • If the smart key is not moved for some time, the detection function for smart key operation will pause. Lift the smart key to activate the detection again.

Unlocking (2)

Manual type

To unlock your vehicle using the door handle button or the smart key:

  1. Make sure you have the smart key in your possession.

  2. Pushing the button on the door handle (engraved part) or press the door unlock button (2) on the smart key. All doors handles will be unlocked and the hazard warning lights will blink twice.

  3. After unlocking the doors, the doors will automatically re-lock after 30 seconds unless a door is opened.

Electric type (if equipped)

When you release the Two Press Unlock function

To unlock your vehicle using the door handle touch sensor or the smart key:

  1. Make sure you have the smart key in your possession.

  2. Touch the touch sensor on the door handle (engraved part) or press the door unlock button (2) on the smart key. All door handles will pop out and the doors will be unlocked and the hazard warning lights will blink and the chime will sound.

  3. After unlocking the doors, the doors will automatically re-lock after 30 seconds unless a door is opened.

When you set the Two Press Unlock function
  1. Make sure you have the smart key in your possession.

  2. Touch the touch sensor on the door handle (engraved part) or press the door unlock button (2) on the smart key. The driver's door handle will pop out and the driver's door will be unlocked.

  3. Touch the touch sensor on the door handle (engraved part) or press the door unlock button (2) on the smart key within 4 seconds again. All door handles will pop out and the doors will be unlocked and the hazard warning lights will blink twice and the chime will sound.

  4. After unlocking the doors, the doors will automatically relock after 30 seconds unless a door is opened.

Two Press Unlock Feature

The priority for unlocking the driver door only, or unlocking all the doors with one press may be adjusted in the infotainment system screen.

The Two Press Unlock feature, when enabled, will require the user to press the door unlock button once for driver door only and twice for unlocking all the doors.

Select or deselect the Two Press Unlock Feature in the infotainment system. The option can be found under the following menu:

SetupVehicleDoorTwo Press Unlock

The Two Press Unlock Feature can also be enabled or disabled by pressing the door lock and unlock buttons simultaneously on the key fob:

  • Press and hold both the door lock button (1) and the door unlock button (2) simultaneously until the hazard warning lights blink.

  • This will enable or disable the Two Press Unlock feature. Repeat this procedure to enable/disable the mode again.

NOTICE
  • The outside rearview mirrors will unfold if Enable on Door Unlock is selected from the Settings menu in the infotainment system screen.

    Select SetupVehicleConvenienceWelcome MirrorEnable on Door Unlock

  • The door handle touch sensor will only operate when the smart key is within 28~40 inches (0.7~1 m) from the outside door handle.

  • The doors may lock or unlock if the touch sensor of the outer door handle is recognized while washing your car or due to heavy rain.

  • To prevent unintentional door lock or unlock:

    • Press the lock button on the smart key and immediately press the unlock button along with the lock button for more than 4 seconds. The hazard warning lights will blink four times. At this time, the doors will not lock or unlock even though the touch sensor is touched on the outside door handle. To deactivate the function, press the door lock or unlock button on the smart key.

  • The doors may not lock or unlock in the following situations.

    • If the touch sensor is touched with gloves on

    • If the door is suddenly approached

Liftgate open (3)

To open:

  1. Make sure you have the smart key in your possession.

  2. Pressing the button (3) on the smart key will only unlock the liftgate.

  3. Once the liftgate is opened and then closed, the liftgate will lock automatically.

NOTICE

The liftgate unlock will only operate when the smart key is within 28~40 inches (0.7~1 m) from the liftgate.

Panic alarm (4)

  1. Press the panic button (4) for more than 1 second.

  2. The horn sounds and hazard warning light flash for about 27 seconds.

To stop the horn and lights, press any button on the smart key.

Remote start (5)

You can start the vehicle using the remote start button (5) of the smart key.

To start the vehicle remotely:

  • Lock the doors by pressing the door lock button (1) within 32 feet (10 m) distance from the vehicle.

  • Press the remote start button (5) for over 2 seconds within 4 seconds after locking the doors.

Press the remote start button (5) once to turn off the vehicle. Air conditioner/heater system maintains the status before turning off the vehicle. If no further action for operating/driving the vehicle is taken, the vehicle will be turned off 10 minutes after starting the vehicle remotely.

CAUTION
  • Laws in your country may restrict the use of remote start. You should check country regulations before using this remote starting system.

  • It is only possible to start the vehicle remotely when shifted to P (Park).

  • If the hood or the liftgate is opened, you cannot start the vehicle remotely.

Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) (6, 7) (if equipped)

The Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) helps the drivers park their vehicle by using sensors to measure parking spaces and control the steering wheel, gear shift and vehicle speed to semiau omatically park the vehicle.

With the smart key, the driver can move the vehicle forward or backward using the forward/backward buttons (6, 7) on the smart key.

For more information, refer to More Details.

Mechanical key

If the smart key does not operate normally, you can lock or unlock the driver's door by using the mechanical key.

To remove the mechanical key, press and hold the release button (1) and remove the mechanical key (2).

To reinstall the mechanical key, put the key into the hole and push it until a click sound is heard.

With a smart key, you can lock or unlock a door (and liftgate) and start the vehicle.

Loss of the smart key

A maximum of 2 smart keys can be registered to a single vehicle.

If you happen to lose your smart key, you will not be able to start the vehicle. You should immediately take the vehicle and remaining key to your authorized Kia dealer (tow the vehicle, if necessary) to protect it from potential theft.

Smart key precautions

The smart key will not work if any of the following occur:

  • The smart key is close to a radio transmitter such as a radio station or an airport which can interfere with normal operation of the smart key.

  • The smart key is near a mobile two way radio system or a cellular phone.

  • Another vehicle's smart key is being operated close to your vehicle.

When the smart key does not work correctly, open and close the door with the mechanical key and contact an authorized Kia dealer.

If the smart key is in close proximity to your cell phone or smart phone, the signal from the smart key could be blocked by normal operation of your cell phone or smart phone. This is especially important when the phone is active such as making calls, receiving calls, text messaging, and/or sending/receiving emails. Avoid placing the smart key and your cell phone or smart phone in the same pants or jacket pocket and maintain adequate distance between the two devices.

CAUTION

Smart Key

Keep the smart key away from water or any liquid, as it can become damaged and not function properly if wet.

NOTICE

If the smart key is inoperative due to exposure to water or liquids, it will not be covered by your manufacturer's vehicle warranty.

NOTICE

If the smart key is not moved for some time, the detection function for smart key operation will pause. Lift the smart key to activate the detection again.