KIA NIRO 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
48 5
The Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe driv-
ing practices. Factors including speed,
road conditions and driver steering
input can all affect whether ESC will be
effective in preventing a loss of control.
It is still your responsibility to drive and
corner at reasonable speeds and to
leave a sufficient margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the wheels,
you may hear a “tik-tik’’ sound from the
brakes, or feel a corresponding sensa-
tion in the brake pedal. This is normal
and it means your ESC is active.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
A click sound may be heard in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that the Electronic
Stability Control System is function-
ing properly.
ESC operation
ESC ON condition
When the ignition switch or
the ENGINE START/STOP
button is turned ON, ESC
and ESC OFF indicator
lights illuminate for approxi-
mately 3 seconds, then
ESC is turned on.

ton for at least half a sec-
ond after turning the igni-
tion switch or the ENGINE
START/STOP button ON
to turn ESC off. (ESC OFF
indicator will illuminate). To
turn the ESC on, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC
OFF indicator light will go
off).

you may hear a slight tick-
ing sound. This is the ESC
performing an automatic
system self-check and does
not indicate a problem.When operating
When the ESC is in opera-
tion, the ESC indicator light
blinks.

Stability Control is operat-
ing properly, you can feel a
slight pulsation in the vehi-
cle. This is only the effect
of brake control and indi-
cates nothing unusual.

mud or driving on a slip-
pery road, pressing the
accelerator pedal may not
cause the engine rpm
(revolutions per minute) to
increase.
-

549
Driving your vehicle
ESC operation off
ESC OFF state
This car has 2 kinds of ESC
off states.
If the engine stops when
ESC is off, ESC remains off.
Upon restarting the engine,
the ESC will automatically
turn on again.“Traction Control disabled”
ESC off state 1
To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF ) for
less than 3 seconds and the ESC
OFF indicator light (ESC OFF ) will
illuminate. At this state, the engine
control function does not operate. It
means the traction control function
does not operate. Only the brake con-
trol function will operate.
“Traction & Stability Control disabled”

To cancel ESC operation, press the
ESC OFF button (ESC OFF ) for
more than 3 seconds. ESC OFF indi-
cator light (ESC OFF ) will illumi-
nate and ESC OFF warning chime
will sound. At this state, the engine
control function and brake control
function do not operate. It means the
car stability control function will not
operate any more.
Indicator light
When ignition switch or the ENGINE
START/STOP button is turned to ON,
the indicator light illuminates, then
goes off if the ESC system is operat-
ing normally.
The ESC indicator light blinks when-
ever ESC is operating or illuminates
when ESC fails to operate.
The ESC OFF indicator light comes
on when the ESC is turned off with
the button.
■ESC indicator light
■ ESC OFF indicator light

Driving your vehicle
50 5
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for daily
driving whenever possible.
To turn ESC off while driving, press
the ESC OFF button while driving
on a flat road surface.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• When operating the vehicle on a
dynamometer, ensure that the
ESC is turned off (ESC OFF light
illuminated). If the ESC is left on,
it may prevent the vehicle speed
from increasing, and result in false
diagnosis.
• Turning the ESC off does not
affect ABS or brake system opera-
tion.WARNING- Electronic sta-
bility control
Drive carefully even though your
vehicle has Electronic Stability
Control. It can only assist you in
maintaining control under cer-
tain circumstances.
WARNING- Operating
ESC
Never press the ESC OFF but-
ton while ESC is operating (ESC
indicator light blinks).
If ESC is turned off while ESC is
operating, the vehicle may slip
out of control.

551
Driving your vehicle
Vehicle Stability Management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS- Electronic Power Steering).
This is only the effect of brake and
EPS control and indicates nothing
unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
Driving on a sloping road such as a
gradient or incline
Driving in reverse
ESC OFF indicator light ( )
remains on the instrument cluster
EPS indicator light remains on the
instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you press the ESC OFF button to
turn off the ESC, the VSM will also
cancel and the ESC OFF indicator
light ( ) illuminates.
To turn on the VSM, press the button
again. The ESC OFF indicator light
goes out.
WARNING- Tire/
Wheel size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying
tire or wheel sizes may diminish
any supplemental safety benefits
of the VSM system.
WARNING
- Vehicle stability manage-
ment
Drive carefully even though your
vehicle has vehicle stability
management. It can only assist
you in maintaining control of the
vehicle under certain circum-
stances.

Driving your vehicle
52
5
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by pressing the ESC OFF button. It
indicates that a malfunction has
been detected somewhere in the
Electric Power Steering system or
VSM system. If the ESC indicator
light ( ) or EPS warning light
remains on, take your vehicle to an
authorized Kia dealer and have the
system checked. The Vehicle Stability Management
system is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the responsi-
bility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions – including driving in inclement
weather and on a slippery road.
Hill-start Assist Control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
WARNING
For maximum protection,
always wear your seat belt. No
system, no matter how
advanced, can compensate for
all driver error and/or driving
conditions. Always drive
responsibly.
WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped on
an incline. While stopped, make
sure you maintain brake pres-
sure sufficient to prevent your
vehicle from rolling backward
and causing an accident. Don’t
release the brake pedal until you
are ready to accelerate forward.

553
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Check to be sure the parking brake
is not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
Driving through water may get the
brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at all
times. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it
is safe to do so and call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
Don't coast down hills with the
vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed. Don't "ride" the brake pedal.
Resting your foot on the brake
pedal while driving can be danger-
ous because the brakes might
overheat and lose their effective-
ness. It also increases the wear of
the brake components.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe place.
If your vehicle is equipped with a
dual clutch transmission, don't let
your vehicle creep forward. To
avoid creeping forward, keep your
foot firmly on the brake pedal when
the vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill.
Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P (Dual
clutch transmission). If your vehicle
is facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling.If your vehicle is facing uphill, turn
the front wheels away from the
curb to help keep the vehicle from
rolling. If there is no curb or if it is
required by other conditions to
keep the vehicle from rolling, block
the wheels.
Under some conditions your park-
ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice
around or near the rear brakes or if
the brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (Dual clutch
transmission) and block the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on an
incline with the accelerator pedal.
This can cause the transaxle to
overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake.

Driving your vehicle
54 5
FCA is designed to detect the vehicle
ahead or pedestrian ahead in the
roadway through front view camera
recognition to warn the driver that a
collision is imminent, and if neces-
sary, apply emergency braking.
❈FCA stands for Forward Collision-
Avoidance AssistFunction setting and activa-
tion
Forward safety
The driver can activate FCA by plac-
ing the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button to the ON posi-
tion and by selecting:
“User Settings Driver Assistance
Forward Safety”
- If you select “Active Assist”, FCA
activates. FCA produces warning
messages and warning alarms in
accordance with the collision risk
levels. Also, it controls the brakes
in accordance with the collision
risk levels.
- If you select “Warning Only”, FCA
activates and produces only warn-
ing alarms in accordance with the
collision risk levels. You should
control the brake directly because
FCA do not control the brake.
- If you select “Off ”, FCA deacti-
vates,
FORWARD COLLISION-AVOIDANCE ASSIST (FCA) (FRONT VIEW CAMERA ONLY)
(IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
Take the following precautions
when using Forward Collision-
Avoidance Assist :
This function is only a supple-
mental function and it is not
intended to, nor does it replace
the need for extreme care and
attention of the driver. The
sensing range and objects
detectable by the sensors are
limited. Pay attention to the
road conditions at all times.
NEVER drive too fast in accor-
dance with the road condi-
tions or while cornering.
Always drive cautiously to
prevent unexpected and sud-
den situations from occur-
ring. FCA does not stop the
vehicle completely and is only
intended to help mitigate an
imminent collision.

555
Driving your vehicle
The warning light illumi-
nates on the LCD display,
when you cancel FCA.
The driver can monitor FCA ON/OFF
status on the LCD display. Also, the
warning light illuminates when the
ESC (Electronic Stability Control) is
turned off. When the warning light
remains ON with FCA activated, have
your vehicle inspected by an author-
ized Kia dealer.Warning Timing
The driver can select the initial warn-
ing activation time on the LCD dis-
play.
Go to the “User Settings Driver
Assistance Warning Timing 
Normal/Later”The options for the initial Forward
Collision Warning includes the fol-
lowing:
- Normal:
When this condition is selected, the
initial Forward Collision Warning is
activated normally. This setting
allows for a nominal amount of dis-
tance between the vehicle ahead
before the initial warning occurs.
- Later:
When this condition is selected, the
initial Forward Collision Warning is
activated later than normal. This set-
ting reduces the amount of distance
between the vehicle or pedestrian
before the initial warning occurs.
Select 'Later' when traffic is light and
when driving speed is slow.
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Driving your vehicle
56 5
✽
✽
NOTICE
If you change the warning timing,
the warning timing of other systems
may change. Always be aware of
warning timing before changing the
warning timing.
Prerequisite for activation
FCA gets ready to be activated,
when the “Active Assist”, or “Warning
Only”, under the Forward Safety is
selected on the LCD display, and
when the following prerequisites are
satisfied.
- The ESC is activated.
- The driving speed is over 5 mph (8
km/h). (However, FCA is activated
within certain driving speed.)
- The function detects a vehicle or a
pedestrian in front, which may col-
lide with your vehicle. (FCA may
not be activated or may sound a
warning alarm in accordance with
the driving situation or vehicle con-
dition.)
❈FCA may not operate properly
according to the frontal situation,
the direction and speed of pedes-
trian.WARNING
Completely stop the vehicle
on a safe location before oper-
ating the switch on the steer-
ing wheel to activate/deacti-
vate FCA.
FCA automatically activates
upon placing the ignition
switch to the ON position. The
driver can deactivate FCA by
canceling the function setting
on the LCD display or
Infotainment System screen.
FCA automatically deacti-
vates upon canceling the
ESC. When the ESC is can-
celed, FCA cannot be activat-
ed on the LCD display or
Infotainment System screen.
FCA warning light will illumi-
nate, which is normal.

557
Driving your vehicle
FCA warning message and
function control
FCA produces warning messages
and warning alarms in accordance
with the collision risk levels, such as
abrupt stopping of the vehicle in
front, insufficient braking distance,
pedestrian detection. Also, it controls
the brakes in accordance with the
collision risk levels.
The driver can select the initial warn-
ing activation time in the ‘Settings’ on
the LCD display or Infotainment
System screen. The options for the
initial Forward Collision Warning
include Normal or Late initial warning
time.
Collision Warning (1st warning)
The warning message appears on
the LCD display with the warning
alarms.
The Vehicle may slow down slightly
- It will operate if the vehicle speed
is greater than 5 mph (8 km/h)
and less than or equal to 40 mph
(60 km/h) on a forward vehicle.
(Depending on the condition of
the vehicle ahead and the envi-
ronment surrounding it, the possi-
ble maximum operating speed
may be reduced.)- For pedestrian, the vehicle speed
is greater than or equal to 5 mph
(8 km/h) and less than 40 mph (60
km/h). (Depending on the condi-
tion of pedestrian and the sur-
rounding environment the possi-
ble maximum operating speed
may be reduced.)
FCA controls the brakes within cer-
tain limit to release shock from the
collision.
- If you select “Warning Only”, FCA
activates and produces only
warning alarms in accordance
with the collision risk levels. You
should control the brake directly
because FCA do not control the
brake.
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