KIA FORTE 2020 Owners Manual

535
Driving your vehicle
INTELLIGENT VARIABLE TRANSMISSION (IVT) (IF EQUIPPED)
Intelligent Variable Transmission
(IVT) operation
The Intelligent Variable Transmission
(IVT) automatically shifts depending
on speed and accelerator pedal posi-
tion. The individual speeds are
selected automatically, depending on
the position of the shift lever.
OBD058005
+ (UP)
- (DOWN)
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
36
5
For smooth operation, depress the
brake pedal when shifting from N(Neutral) to a forward or reverse gear. 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 front wheels from rotat-
ing.
WARNING
- Intelligent Variable
Transmission (IVT)
Always check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a car into D
(Drive) or R (Reverse).
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. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur if
these precautions are not fol-
lowed in the order identified.
Do not use the engine brake (shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads.
The vehicle may slip, causing
an accident.
CAUTION
To avoid damage to your transmission, do not acceler-ate the engine in R (Reverse)or any forward gear positionwith the brakes on.
When stopped on an incline, do not hold the vehicle sta-tionary with engine power.Use the service brake or theparking brake.
Do not shift from N (Neutral) or P (Park) into D (Drive), or R(Reverse) when the engine isabove idle speed.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion will cause
the drive wheels to lock which
may cause you to lose control
of the vehicle.
Do not use the P (Park) posi- tion in place of the parking
brake. Always make sure the
shift lever is latched in the P
(Park) position and set the
parking brake fully.
Never leave a child unattend- ed in a vehicle.

537
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.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 the steps below when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1.After parking your vehicle, step on
the brake pedal and move the shift
lever to "P" with the ignition button in
"ON" or while the engine is running.
2.If the parking brake is applied, unlock the parking brake.
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".
4.Change the gear shift lever to "N" (Neutral) while pressing the brake
pedal and pushing "SHIFT LOCK
RELEASE" button or inserting, 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.
CAUTION
The transmission may be dam-aged if you shift into P (Park)while the vehicle is in motion.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransmission if you shift into Rwhile the vehicle is in motion,except as explained in “Rockingthe vehicle” in this section.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake may not work,
which may lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
38
5
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift, 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 automati-
cally downshift to the next lower gear.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into D (Drive).
Sports mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or in
motion, sports mode is selected by
pushing the shift lever from the D (Drive)
position into the manual gate. To return
to D (Drive) range operation, push the
shift lever back into the main gate.
SPORT mode manages the driving
dynamics by automatically adjusting the
steering effort and the engine and trans-
mission control logic for enhanced driv-
er performance.
OBD058007
S S
S S
p p
p p
o o
o o
r r
r r
t t
t t
s s
s s
m m
m m
o o
o o
d d
d d
e e
e e
WARNING
With the exception of parking
in neutral gear, always park
the vehicle in “P” (Park) for
safety and engage the parking
brake.
Before parking in “N” (Neutral) gear, first make sure the park-
ing ground is level and flat. Do
not park in “N” gear on any
slopes or gradients.
If parked and left in “N” on a
slope or gradient, the vehicle
may move and cause serious
damage and injury.

539
Driving your vehicle
In sports mode, moving the shift
lever backwards or forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transmission,
the sports mode allows gearshifts
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forwardonce to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• In sports mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, being care-
ful to keep the engine speed below
the red zone.
• In sports mode, only the 8 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 sports mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In sports 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. (Continued)(Continued)
• 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.
• When SPORT mode is activated: - The engine rpm will tend toremain raised over a certain
length of time even after releas-
ing the accelerator
- Upshifts are delayed when accel- erating
• In SPORT mode, the fuel efficien- cy may decrease.

Driving your vehicle
40
5
Shift lock system (if equipped)
For your safety, the Intelligent
Variable Transmission (IVT) has a
shift lock system which prevents
shifting the transmission 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 chat-
tering noise near the shift lever may
be heard. This is a normal condition.
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:
WARNING
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.
OBDM059157

541
Driving your vehicle
1. Place the ignition switch in theLOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap covering 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. Have the system inspected by a professional workshop. Kia recom-
mends to visit an authorized Kia
dealer/service partner.Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
Good driving practices
Never move the shift lever from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other
position with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Be sure the vehicle is completely stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear when moving.
Do not "ride" the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are
driving down a long hill, slow down
and shift to a lower gear. When you
do this, engine braking will help
slow down the vehicle.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.
WARNING
Exercise extreme caution when
driving on a slippery surface.
Be especially careful when
braking, accelerating or shifting
gears. On a slippery surface, an
abrupt change in vehicle speed
can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to
lose control.

Driving your vehicle
42
5
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.
WARNING
Always buckle-up! In a colli-sion, an unbelted occupant is
significantly more likely to be
seriously injured or killed than
a properly belted occupant.
Avoid high speeds when cor- nering or turning.
Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
The risk of a rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of
your vehicle at highway speeds.
Losing control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the
roadway and the driver over-
steers to reenter the roadway.
In the event your vehicle leaves the roadway, do not
steer sharply. Instead, slow
down before pulling back into
the travel lanes.
Never exceed posted speed limits.
WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in
snow, mud, sand, etc., then you
may attempt to rock the vehicle
free by moving it forward and
backward. Do not attempt this
procedure if people or objects
are anywhere near the vehicle.
During the rocking operation,
the vehicle may suddenly move
forward or backward as it
becomes unstuck, causing
injury or damage to nearby peo-
ple or objects.
WARNING
Exercise extreme caution when
driving on a slippery surface.
Be especially careful when
braking, accelerating or shifting
gears. On a slippery surface, an
abrupt change in vehicle speed
can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle to
go out of control.

543
Driving your vehicle
Moving up a steep grade from astanding start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, release the parking break,
and shift the shift lever to D (Drive).
Select the appropriate gear depend-
ing on load weight and steepness of
the grade, and release the parking
brake. Depress the accelerator grad-
ually 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 backwards.

Driving your vehicle
44
5
Power brakes
Your vehicle has power-assisted
brakes that adjust automatically
through normal usage.
In the event that the power-assisted
brakes lose power because of a
stalled engine or some other reason,
you can still stop your vehicle by
applying greater force to the brake
pedal than you normally would. The
stopping distance, however, will be
longer.
When the engine is not running, the
reserve brake power is partially
depleted each time the brake pedal
is applied. Do not pump the brake
pedal when the power assist has
been interrupted.
Pump the brake pedal only when
necessary to maintain steering con-
trol on slippery surfaces. Wet brakes may impair the vehicle’s
ability to safely slow down; the vehi-
cle may also pull to one side when
the brakes are applied. Applying the
brakes lightly will indicate whether
they have been affected in this way.
Always test your brakes in this fash-
ion after driving through deep water.
To dry the brakes, apply them lightly
while maintaining a safe forward
speed until brake performance
returns to normal.
BRAKE SYSTEM
WARNING- Steep hill
braking
Avoid continuous application of
the brakes when descending a
long or steep hill by shifting to a
lower gear. Continuous brake
application will cause the brakes
to overheat and could result in a
temporary loss of braking per-
formance.
CAUTION- Brake Pedal
Do not drive with your foot rest- ing on the brake pedal. This willcreate abnormally high braketemperatures which can causeexcessive brake lining and padwear.