transmission gears

When the ignition key is in the ON position, check the shift lever position indicator in the instrument cluster.

P (Park)

Always wait until the vehicle comes to a complete stop before shifting into Park (P).

Firmly depress the brake pedal and make sure your foot does not move. See the accelerator pedal information before shifting into Park (P). The shift lever must be in the Park position. (P) is located before turning the engine off.

WARNING

• If the shift lever is moved to Park (P) while driving, it may under certain circumstances cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
• After the vehicle has come to a complete stop, make sure the shift lever is in the Park (P) position. Depress the brake pedal and turn the engine off.
• Do not use Park (P) instead of the parking brake.

R (Reverse)

Select this position to drive in reverse.

DANGER

Only shift into Reverse (R) after the vehicle has come to a complete stop. If Reverse (R) is engaged while the vehicle is moving, the transmission may be damaged.

N (Neutral position)

The connection between the wheels and the transmission is disengaged.

WARNING

Only shift into another gear after firmly depressing the brake pedal. If the engine speed is high when shifting, the vehicle may suddenly move forward very quickly. You may lose control of the vehicle and collide with people or objects.

WARNING

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

Parking with the shift lever in the N (Neutral) position

Follow the steps below if you need to park the vehicle and push it.

1. After parking the vehicle, depress the brake pedal and move the shift lever to the [P] (Park) position while the ignition key is in the [ON] position or the engine is running.

2. Release the parking brake if it is applied.

3. Depress the brake pedal and turn the ignition key to the [OFF] position.
- For vehicles with a Smart Key, the ignition switch can only be turned to the [OFF] position when the shift lever is in the [P] (Park) position.

4. Move the shift lever to the [N] (Neutral) position. While depressing the brake pedal, press the [SHIFT LOCK RELEASE] button or insert a tool (such as a flat-blade screwdriver) into the [SHIFT LOCK RELEASE] access hole and press down. The vehicle can then be pushed.

DANGER

• For safety, always park the vehicle with the shift lever in the [P] (Park) position and apply the parking brake.
• Make sure the parking area is level and flat in front of your vehicle before parking with the shift lever in the [N] (Neutral) position. Never park with the shift lever in the [N] (Neutral) position on slopes or inclined roads. If the vehicle is parked with the shift lever in the [N] (Neutral) position, it may move and cause damage and injury.

D (Drive)

This is the normal driving position. The transmission shifts automatically through a 7-speed sequence to achieve the best fuel economy and driving performance.

When passing other vehicles or driving uphill, to accelerate further, keep pressing the accelerator pedal until you feel the transmission downshift.

When driving, to stop, depress the brake pedal fully to prevent unintended movement.

Sport mode (if equipped)

You can use Sport Mode both while stopped and while driving. To do so, move the selector lever from the Drive (D) range into the manual shift gate. To return to Drive (D), move the selector lever back into the automatic shift gate.

In Sport mode, you can quickly upshift or downshift by pushing the shift lever forward or pulling it back.

Unlike a manual transmission, shifting in Sport mode is also possible by pressing the accelerator pedal.

Using the Shift Switch

Up (+):

Push the selector lever forward once to shift to the next higher gear.

Down (-):

Pull the selector lever back once to shift to the next lower gear.

NOTICE

• In Sport Mode, the driver must shift manually according to driving conditions and watch the engine speed so it stays below the red zone.
• In Sport mode, only the 7th forward gear is selected. To shift into Reverse (R) or Park (P), press the shift lever in the R or D shift position.
• In Sport Mode, the transmission downshifts automatically when vehicle speed decreases. If the vehicle stops, the transmission automatically shifts to 1st gear.
• In Sport Mode, if the engine speed approaches the red zone, the transmission will automatically shift to the next higher gear.
• If the driver moves the shift lever to + (up) or - (down), the gears only shift to the desired gear if it is within the permissible speed range. The driver should shift up taking driving conditions into account and make sure the engine speed stays below the red zone.

Shift Lock (if equipped)

For safety reasons, the automatic transmission is equipped with a shift lock that prevents the selector lever from being moved from the Park (P) position to the Reverse (R) position unless the brake pedal is depressed. To shift from Park (P) to Reverse (R), follow these steps:

1. Press and hold the brake pedal.

2. Now move the shift lever.

If the brake pedal is depressed several times and released while the shift lever is in P (Park), a clicking noise may be heard near the shift lever. This is normal.

WARNING

Always fully depress the brake pedal before and while shifting from P (Park) to another position. Failure to do so may cause unintended vehicle movement, which could injure people in or around the vehicle or cause damage to property.

Shift Lock Override

If the shift lever is not in Park (P) and the brake pedal is depressed, you cannot shift into Reverse (R). To override the shift lock, keep the brake pedal depressed and do the following:

Enter

1. Carefully remove the cap (1) to expose the access hole for the shift lock override.

2. Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down.

3. Now move the shift lever.

4. Have the system inspected by a qualified workshop. Kia recommends visiting a Kia authorized dealer or service partner.

Type B

1. Press the Shift Lock release button.

2. Now move the shift lever.

3. Have the system inspected by a qualified workshop. Kia recommends visiting a Kia authorized dealer or service partner.

Ignition Key Interlock Switch (if equipped)

The ignition key can only be removed when the shift lever is in the P (Park) position.