Economical Driving

Your vehicle's fuel economy depends mainly on your driving habits, including how you drive and when you drive.

Each of these factors affects how many kilometers (miles) you can drive on one liter (gallon) of fuel. For the most economical operation of your vehicle, follow these driving recommendations, which will help you save money on both fuel and repairs:

• Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a moderate rate. Do not make quick starts or full-throttle shifts, and do not maintain a constant cruising speed. Do not race between traffic lights. Try to match your speed to traffic flow so that you do not need to change speed unnecessarily. Avoid heavy traffic whenever possible. Always maintain a safe distance from other vehicles to avoid unnecessary braking. This also reduces brake wear.
• Drive at a moderate speed. The faster you drive, the more fuel your vehicle uses. Driving at a moderate speed, especially on highways, is one of the most effective ways to reduce fuel consumption.
• Do not ride the brake pedal. This can increase fuel consumption and increase wear on these components. In addition, resting your foot on the brake pedal while driving can cause the brakes to overheat, reducing their effectiveness and possibly leading to more serious consequences.
• Take care of your tires. Keep them inflated to the recommended pressure. Incorrect inflation, either too high or too low, causes unnecessary tire wear. Check tire pressure at least once a month.
• Make sure the wheels are properly aligned. Incorrect alignment may result from hitting a curb or driving too fast over rough surfaces. Poor wheel alignment causes faster tire wear and may lead to other problems, such as increased fuel consumption.
• Keep your vehicle in good condition. To improve fuel economy and reduce maintenance costs, maintain your vehicle according to the maintenance schedule in Chapter 8, Maintenance. If you drive your vehicle under severe conditions, more frequent maintenance is required (see Chapter 8, Maintenance, for details).
• Keep your vehicle clean. To maintain your vehicle at its best, keep it clean and free of corrosive materials. It is especially important that dirt, mud, ice, etc. do not accumulate on the underbody of the vehicle. This extra weight may increase fuel consumption and also promote corrosion.
• Travel light. Do not carry unnecessary cargo in the vehicle. Reducing weight improves fuel economy.
• Do not let the engine idle longer than necessary. If you are waiting (and not in a traffic jam), turn off the engine and restart it only when you are ready to go.
• Note that your vehicle does not require a long warm-up. After the engine starts, let it run for 10–20 seconds before putting the vehicle in gear. In very cold weather, allow the engine a somewhat longer warm-up period.
• Do not "lug" the engine or "overrev" it. Driving too slowly in too high a gear causes the engine to labor and vibrate. If this happens, shift to a lower gear. Over-revving forces the engine beyond its safe limit. Avoid this by shifting at the recommended speeds.
• Use the air conditioner sparingly. The air conditioning system runs on engine power, so using it reduces fuel economy.
• Open windows at high speed can reduce fuel economy.
• Fuel economy is reduced when driving into crosswinds or headwinds. To compensate for some of this loss, reduce speed when driving in these conditions.

Keeping the vehicle in good operating condition is important for both economy and safety. Therefore, have the system serviced by a professional workshop.

Kia recommends visiting an authorized Kia dealer/service partner.

WARNING

Engine Off While Driving

Never turn off the engine when going down a hill or at any time when the vehicle is moving. The power steering and brakes will not work properly without the engine running. Instead, leave the engine running and shift into an appropriate gear to use engine braking. In addition, turning the ignition off while driving may engage the steering wheel lock, resulting in loss of vehicle control, which may cause serious injury or death.