Kia Sportage (2020 year). Owner's manual — part 19

Driving your vehicle

8

5

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

- 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

- 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.

WARNING

The anti-theft steering column
lock (if equipped) is not a sub-
stitute for the parking brake.
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is engaged in P (Park) for auto-
matic transmission, set the
parking brake fully and shut the
engine off. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement may
occur if these precautions are
not taken.

5 9

Driving your vehicle

Starting the engine

1.Make sure the parking brake is

applied.

2.Place the transmission shift lever in

P (Park). Depress the brake pedal
fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
position.

3.Turn the ignition switch to START

and hold it there until the engine
starts (a maximum of 10 seconds),
then release the key.
It should be started without
depressing the accelerator.

4.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.)

If the engine stalls while you are in
motion, do not attempt to move the
shift lever to the P (Park) position. If
traffic and road conditions permit,
you may put the shift lever in the N
(Neutral) position while the vehicle is
still moving and turn the ignition
switch to the START position in an
attempt to restart the engine.

CAUTION

- Starter

Do not engage the starter for
more than 10 seconds. If the
engine stalls or fails to start,
wait 5 to 10 seconds before re-
engaging the starter. Improper
use of the starter may damage
it.

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

10

5

Starting and stopping the engine for
turbocharger intercooler

1. Do not race or accelerate the

engine immediately after starting.
If the engine is cold, idle for sever-
al seconds before sufficient lubri-
cation is ensured in the tur-
bocharger unit.

2. After high speed or extended driv-

ing, requiring a heavy engine load,
run the engine on idle condition
about 1 minute before turning it off.

This idle time will allow the tur-

bocharger to cool prior to shutting
the engine off.

CAUTION

Do not turn off the engine imme-
diately after it has been subject-
ed to a heavy load. Doing so
may cause severe damage to
the engine or turbo charger unit.

5 11

Driving your vehicle

Illuminated ENGINE
START/STOP button

Whenever the front door is opened,
the ENGINE START/STOP button
will illuminate for your convenience.
The light will go off after about 30
seconds when the door is closed.
When all entrances are closed, if you
lock the vehicle by using the trans-
mitter or the smart key, the light will
go off immediately.

ENGINE START/STOP button
position

OFF

To turn off the engine (START/RUN
position) or vehicle power (ON posi-
tion), press the ENGINE
START/STOP button with the shift
lever in the P (Park) position. When
you press the ENGINE
START/STOP button without the shift
lever in the P (Park) position, the
ENGINE START/STOP button will
not change to the OFF position but to
the ACC position.

In an emergency situation while the
vehicle is in motion, you are able to
turn the engine off and to the ACC
position by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button for more than 2
seconds or 3 times successively
within 3 seconds. If the vehicle is still
moving, you can restart the engine
without depressing the brake pedal
by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button with the shift
lever in the N (Neutral) position.

ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON (IF EQUIPPED)

OQL055003

Not illuminated

Driving your vehicle

12

5

ACC (Accessory)

Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the OFF position
without depressing the brake pedal.
If the ENGINE START/STOP button
is in the ACC position for more than
1 hour, the button is turned off auto-
matically to prevent battery dis-
charge.

ON

Press the ENGINE START/STOP
button while it is in the ACC position
without depressing the brake pedal.
The warning lights can be checked
before the engine is started. Do not
leave the ENGINE START/STOP
button in the ON position for a long
time. The battery may discharge,
because the engine is not running.

START/RUN

To start the engine, depress the
brake pedal and press the ENGINE
START/ STOP button with the shift
lever in the P (Park) or the N
(Neutral) position. For your safety,
start the engine with the shift lever in
the P (Park) position.
If you press the ENGINE
START/STOP button without depress-
ing the brake pedal for automatic
transmission vehicles, the engine will
not start and the ENGINE
START/STOP button changes as fol-
low:
OFF

➔

ACC

➔

ON

➔

OFF or ACC

Amber

Super red

Not illuminated

5 13

Driving your vehicle

✽

✽

NOTICE

If you leave the ENGINE START/
STOP button in the ACC or ON
position for a long time, the battery
will discharge.

Starting the engine with a
smart key

1.Carry the smart key or place it

inside the vehicle.

2.Make sure the parking brake is

firmly applied

3.Place the transmission shift lever in

P (Park). Depress the brake pedal
fully.
You can also start the engine when
the shift lever is in the N (Neutral)
position.

4.Press the ENGINE START/STOP

button while depressing the brake
pedal.
It should be started without
depressing the accelerator.

5.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.)

Starting and stopping the engine for
turbocharger intercooler

1. Do not race or accelerate the

engine immediately after starting.
If the engine is cold, idle for sever-
al seconds before sufficient lubri-
cation is ensured in the tur-
bocharger unit.

2. After high speed or extended driv-

ing, requiring a heavy engine load,
idle the engine about 1 minute
before turning it off.

This idle time will allow the tur-

bocharger to cool prior to shutting
the engine off.

WARNING

- Starting

vehicle

Never press the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
vehicle is in motion except in an
emergency. This would result in
loss of directional control and
braking function, which could
cause an accident.

CAUTION

Do not turn the engine off imme-
diately after it has been subject-
ed to a heavy load. Doing so
may cause severe damage to
the engine or turbocharger unit.

Driving your vehicle

14

5

• Even if the smart key is in the vehi-

cle, if it is far away from you, the
engine may not start.

• When the ENGINE START/STOP

button is in the ACC position or
above, if any door is opened, the
system checks for the smart key. If
the smart key is not in the vehicle,
a message "key is not in the vehi-
cle" will appear on the LCD display.
And if all doors are closed, the
chime will sound for 5 seconds. The
indicator or warning will turn off
while the vehicle is moving. Always
have the smart key with you.

• If the battery is weak or the smart

key does not work correctly, you
can start the engine by pressing
the engine start/stop button with
the smart key.
The side with the lock button
should contact the engine
start/stop button directly.
When you press the engine
start/stop button directly with the
smart key, the smart key should
contact the button at a right angle.

• When the stop lamp fuse is blown,

you can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If
it is not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button for 10 sec-
onds while it is in the ACC posi-
tion. The engine can start without
depressing the brake pedal. But for
your safety always depress the
brake pedal before starting the
engine.

Do not press the ENGINE START/
STOP button for more than 10 sec-
onds except when the stop lamp fuse
is blown.

WARNING

- Unintended

vehicle movement

Never leave the smart key in the
vehicle with children or vehicle
occupants who are unfamiliar
with the vehicle operation.
Pushing the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
smart key is in the vehicle may
result in unintended engine
activation and/or unintended
vehicle movement.

OQL055004

5 15

Driving your vehicle

Automatic transmission opera-
tion

The automatic transmission has 6
forward speeds and one reverse
speed. The individual speeds are
selected automatically, depending on
the position of the shift lever.

✽

✽

NOTICE

The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transmission Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

OQL055007

+

+

+

+

((

((

U

U

U

U

P

P

P

P

))

))

--

--

((

((

D

D

D

D

O

O

O

O

W

W

W

W

N

N

N

N

))

))

The shift lever can be shifted freely.

Press the lock release button when shifting.

Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.

Driving your vehicle

16

5

For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal and the lock release but-
ton when shifting from N (Neutral) to
a forward or reverse gear.

When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with the engine
power. Use the service brake or the
parking brake.

Transmission ranges

The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter 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). This
position locks the transmission and
prevents the drive wheels from rotat-
ing.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.

WARNING

- Leaving

Vehicle

Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is locked in
the P position and set the park-
ing brake fully. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed.

CAUTION

- Transmission

To avoid damage to your trans-
mission, do not accelerate the
engine in R (Reverse) or any for-
ward gear position with the
brakes on. The transmission may
be damaged if you shift into P
(Park) while the vehicle is in
motion.

5 17

Driving your vehicle

N (Neutral)

The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.

- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1. After parking your vehicle,

depress the brake pedal and move
the shift lever to [P] with the igni-
tion button in [ON] or while the
engine is running.

2. If the parking brake is applied

unlock the parking brake.
-

For EPB (Electronic Parking
Brake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
button in [ON] or while the engine
is running to disengage the park-
ing brake. If [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion is used while driving (If
[AUTO HOLD] indicator is on in
the cluster), press [AUTO HOLD]
switch and [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion should be turn off.

3. While pressing the brake pedal,

turn the ignition button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,

the ignition switch can be moved
to [OFF] only when the shift lever
is in [P].

CAUTION

- Shifting

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, except when “Rocking
the vehicle” explained in this
chapter.

WARNING

ALWAYS check the surrounding
areas near your vehicle for peo-
ple, especially children, before
shifting a vehicle into D (Drive)
or R (Reverse).

Driving your vehicle

18

5

4. Change the gear shift lever to [N]

(Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing [SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE] button or inserting,
pressing down a tool (e.g. flathead
screw-driver) into the [SHIFT
LOCK RELEASE] access hole at
the same time. Then, the vehicle
will move when external force is
applied.

D (Drive)

This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through a 6-gear
sequence, providing the best fuel
economy and power.

For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or climbing grades,
depress the accelerator fully, at
which time the transmission will
automatically downshift to the next
lower gear.

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 opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.

WARNING

- Parking In

Neutral

• With the exception of parking

in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in [P] (Park) for
safety and apply the parking
brake.

• Before parking in [N] (Neutral)

gear, 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 or
injury.

OQL055009

Manual

mode

+

+

+

+

((

((

U

U

U

U

P

P

P

P

))

))

--

--

((

((

D

D

D

D

O

O

O

O

W

W

W

W

N

N

N

N

))

))

5 19

Driving your vehicle

In manual mode, moving the shift
lever backwards and forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once

to shift up one gear.

Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards

once to shift down one
gear.

• In manual mode, the driver must

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

• In manual mode, only the 6 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 manual mode, downshifts are

made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
selected.

• In manual mode, when the engine

rpm approaches the red zone shift
points are varied to upshift auto-
matically.

• To maintain the required levels of

vehicle performance and safety,
the system may not execute cer-
tain 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.

Paddle shifter (if equipped)

The paddle shifter is available when
the shift lever is in the D position or
the manual mode.

OQL058010

Driving your vehicle

20

5

With the shift lever in the D position

The paddle shifter will operate when
the vehicle speed is more than
6.2mph(10km/h).
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear and the
system changes from automatic
mode to manual mode.
When the vehicle speed is lower than
6.2mph(10km/h), if you depress the
accelerator pedal for more than 5
seconds or if you shift the shift lever
from D (Drive) to manual mode and
shift it from manual mode to D (Drive)
again, the system changes from
manual mode to automatic mode.

With the shift lever in the manual mode

Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once
to shift up or down one gear.

✽

✽

NOTICE

If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle
shifters at the same time, you cannot
shift the gear.

Shift lock system

For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion from P (Park) into R (Reverse)
unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transmission from P
(Park) into R (Reverse):
1.Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.Start the engine or turn the ignition

switch to the ON position.

3.Move the shift lever.
If the brake pedal is repeatedly
depressed and released with the
shift lever in the P (Park) position, a
chattering noise & vibration near the
shift lever may be heard. It is a nor-
mal condition.

WARNING

- Shifting from

park

Always fully depress the brake
pedal before and while shifting
out of the P (Park) position into
another position to avoid inad-
vertent motion of the vehicle
which could injure persons in
or around the vehicle.

5 21

Driving your vehicle

Shift-lock override

If the shift lever cannot be moved
from the P (Park) position into R
(Reverse) position with the brake
pedal depressed, continue depress-
ing the brake, then do the following:
1. Place the ignition switch in the

LOCK/OFF position.

2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov-

ering the shift-lock release access
hole.

4. Insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw-

driver) into the access hole and
press down on the tool.

5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock

override access hole then install
the cap.

7. We recommend that the system be

inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.

Ignition key interlock system

The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Even if the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position, the
key cannot be removed.
If your vehicle is equipped with
ENGINE START/STOP button, the
button will not change to the OFF
position unless the shift lever is in the
P (Park) position.

OQLE055008

Driving your vehicle

22

5

Good driving practices

• Never move the gear shift lever

from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.

• Never move the gear shift lever into

P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.

• Slow down before shifting to a

lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.

• Always use the parking brake. Do

not depend on placing the trans-
mission in P (Park) to keep the
vehicle from moving.

• Optimum vehicle performance and

economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator pedal.

✽

✽

NOTICE

- Kickdown

Mechanism

Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The automatic transmis-
sion will shift to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.

Driving up a steep grade from a
standing start

To drive up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually while releasing the
service brakes.
When accelerating from a stop on
a steep hill, the vehicle may have a
tendency to roll backwards.
Shifting the shift lever into 2
(Second Gear) will help prevent
the vehicle from rolling back-
wards.

5 23

Driving your vehicle

The All Wheel Drive (AWD) system
delivers engine power to the front
and rear wheels for maximum trac-
tion. AWD is useful when extra trac-
tion is required on road, such as,
when driving on slippery, muddy
such as wet, or snow-covered roads.

These vehicles are not designed for
challenging off-road use.
It is always important when traveling
on unpaved roads that the driver
carefully reduces the speed to a level
that does not exceed the safe oper-
ating speed for those conditions. In
general, unpaved roads provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.

* AWD : All Wheel Drive

FWD : Front Wheel Drive

The driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.

✽

✽

NOTICE

If the AWD system warning light
(

) illuminates, this indicates that

there is a malfunction in the AWD
system.
If this occurs, we recommend that
the system be checked by an author-
ized Kia dealer.

ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)

WARNING

- Off road

driving

Do not attempt to operate your
vehicle under extreme or chal-
lenging off road driving condi-
tions. This vehicle was not
designed to be driven off road.

OQL055060L

OQL055060

■

Type A

■

Type B