KIA NIRO 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
178 5
The radio frequency compo-
nents (Rear Corner Radar)
complies:
For United States and United
States territories For Canada For Taiwan
OYB060040L
ODEP050362N
ODEP050363N
ODEP050364N
ODEP050365N

5179
Driving your vehicle
For Malaysia
For MongoliaFor Philippines
For SingaporeFor Vietnam
For Brazil
ODEP050366N
ODEP050367N
ODEP050368N
ODEP050369N
ODEP050370N
ODEP050371N

Driving your vehicle
180 5
For Mexico
For ParaguayFor Ukraine For Moldova
For Algeria
For Oman
ODEP050372N
ODEP050373N
ODL3059228L
ODEP050374N
ODEP050375N
ODEP050376N
ODEP050377N

5181
Driving your vehicle
For United Arab Emirates
For Indonesia
For MozambiqueFor Zambia
For Argentina
For JamaicaFor Europe and countries subject
to CE certification
ODEP050378N
ODEP050379N
ODEP050380N
ODEP050381N
ODEP050382N
ODEP050383N
ODEP050384N

Driving your vehicle
182 5
Your vehicle's fuel economy depends
mainly on your style of driving, where
you drive and when you drive.
Each of these factors affects how
many miles (kilometers) you can get
from a gallon (liter) of fuel. To operate
your vehicle as economically as pos-
sible, use the following driving sug-
gestions to help save money in both
fuel and repairs:
Drive smoothly. Accelerate at a
moderate rate. Don't make "jack-
rabbit" starts or full-throttle shifts
and maintain a steady cruising
speed. Don't race between stop-
lights. Try to adjust your speed to
the traffic so you don't have to
change speeds unnecessarily.
Avoid heavy traffic whenever pos-
sible. Always maintain a safe dis-
tance from other vehicles so you
can 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 the highway,
is one of the most effective ways to
reduce fuel consumption. Don't "ride" the brake pedal. This
can increase fuel consumption and
also increase wear on these com-
ponents. In addition, driving with
your foot resting on the brake pedal
may cause the brakes to overheat,
which reduces their effectiveness
and may lead to more serious con-
sequences.
Take care of your tires. Keep them
inflated to the recommended pres-
sure. Incorrect inflation, either too
much or too little, results in unnec-
essary tire wear. Check the tire
pressures at least once a month.
Be sure that the wheels are
aligned correctly. Improper align-
ment can result from hitting curbs
or driving too fast over irregular
surfaces. Poor alignment causes
faster tire wear and may also result
in other problems as well as
greater fuel consumption. Keep your vehicle in good condi-
tion. For better fuel economy and
reduced maintenance costs, main-
tain your vehicle in accordance
with the maintenance schedule in
chapter 8. If you drive your vehicle
in severe conditions, more frequent
maintenance is required (see
chapter 8 for details).
Keep your vehicle clean. For maxi-
mum service, your vehicle should
be kept clean and free of corrosive
materials. It is especially important
that mud, dirt, ice, etc. not be
allowed to accumulate on the
underside of the vehicle. This extra
weight can result in increased fuel
consumption and also contribute to
corrosion.
Travel lightly. Don't carry unneces-
sary weight in your vehicle. Weight
reduces fuel economy.
Don't let the engine idle longer
than necessary. If you are waiting
(and not in traffic), turn off your
engine and restart only when
you're ready to go.
ECONOMICAL OPERATION

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Driving your vehicle
Remember, your vehicle does not
require extended warm-up. After
the engine has started, allow the
engine to run for 10 to 20 seconds
prior to placing the vehicle in gear.
In very cold weather, however, give
your engine a slightly longer warm-
up period.
Don't "lug" or "over-rev" the engine.
Lugging is driving too slowly in a
very high gear resulting in engine
bucking. If this happens, shift to a
lower gear. Over-revving is racing
the engine beyond its safe limit.
This can be avoided by shifting at
the recommended speed. Use your air conditioning sparingly.
The air conditioning system is
operated by engine power so your
fuel economy is reduced when you
use it.
Opening windows at high speeds
can reduce fuel economy.
Fuel economy is less in crosswinds
and headwinds. To help offset
some of this loss, slow down when
driving in these conditions.
Keeping a vehicle in good operating
condition is important both for econ-
omy and safety. Therefore, have an
authorized Kia dealer perform
scheduled inspections and mainte-
nance.
WARNING - Engine off
during motion
Never turn the engine off to
coast down hills or anytime the
vehicle is in motion. The power
steering and power brakes will
not function properly without
the engine running.
In addition, turning off the
engine start/stop button while
driving could engage the steer-
ing wheel lock, resulting in loss
of vehicle steering. Keep the
engine on and downshift to an
appropriate gear for an engine
braking effect.

Driving your vehicle
184 5
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extra
distance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS
brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use the second gear. Accelerate
slowly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non-
slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles. SUV's have
higher ground clearance and a nar-
rower track to make them capable of
performing in a wide variety of off-
road applications. Specific design
characteristics give them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary vehi-
cles. An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of
the road, which allows you to antici-
pate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
vehicles, any more than low-slung
sports vehicles are designed to per-
form satisfactorily in off-road condi-
tions. Due to this risk, driver and pas-
sengers are strongly recommended
to buckle their seat belts. In a rollover
crash, an unbelted person is signifi-
cantly more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt. There are
steps that a driver can make to
reduce the risk of a rollover.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with a dual
clutch transmission while driv-
ing on slippery surfaces. The
sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid
and result in an accident.

5185
Driving your vehicle
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your
roof rack with heavy cargo, and
never modify your vehicle in any way.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide safe
ride and handling capability. Do
not use a size and type of tire
and wheel that is different from
the one that is originally
installed on your vehicle. It can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which
could lead to steering failure or
rollover and serious injury.
When replacing the tires, be
sure to equip all four tires with
the tire and wheel of the same
size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any tire/wheel
combination not recommended
by Kia for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
WARNING - Rollover
As with other Sports Utility
Vehicles (SUV), failure to oper-
ate this vehicle correctly may
result in loss of control, an acci-
dent or vehicle rollover.
Utility vehicles have a signifi-
cantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles.
Specific design characteris-
tics (higher ground clearance,
narrower track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles.
A SUV is not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as
conventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt
maneuvers.
(Continued)
(Continued)
In a rollover crash, an unbelt-
ed person is significantly
more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt. Make
sure everyone in the vehicle is
properly buckled up.

Driving your vehicle
186 5
Rocking the vehicle
If it is necessary to rock the vehicle
to free it from snow, sand, or mud,
first turn the steering wheel right and
left to clear the area around your
front wheels. Then, shift back and
forth between R (Reverse) and any
forward gear in vehicles equipped
with a dual clutch transmission. Do
not race the engine, and spin the
wheels as little as possible. If you are
still stuck after a few tries, have the
vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to
avoid engine overheating and possi-
ble damage to the transaxle.
The ESC system should be turned
OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.
Smooth cornering
Avoid braking or gear changing in
corners, especially when roads are
wet. Ideally, corners should always
be taken under gentle acceleration. If
you follow these suggestions, tire
wear will be held to a minimum.CAUTION- Vehicle rocking
Prolonged rocking may cause
engine overheating, transaxle
damage or failure, and tire dam-
age.
CAUTION- Spinning tires
Do not spin the wheels, espe-
cially at speeds more than 35
mph (56 km/h). Spinning the
wheels at high speeds when the
vehicle is stationary could
cause a tire to overheat which
could result in tire damage that
may injure bystanders.
WARNING- Sudden
Vehicle Movement
Do not attempt to rock the vehi-
cle if people or objects are near-
by. The vehicle may suddenly
move forward or backwards as it
becomes unstuck.

5187
Driving your vehicle
Driving at night
Because night driving presents more
hazards than driving in the daylight,
here are some important tips to
remember:
Slow down and keep more dis-
tance between you and other vehi-
cles, as it may be more difficult to
see at night, especially in areas
where there may not be any street
lights.
Adjust your mirrors to reduce the
glare from other driver's head-
lights.
Keep your headlights clean and
properly aimed. (On vehicles not
equipped with the automatic head-
light aiming feature.) Dirty or
improperly aimed headlights will
make it much more difficult to see
at night.
Avoid staring directly at the head-
lights of oncoming vehicles. You
could be temporarily blinded, and it
will take several seconds for your
eyes to readjust to the darkness.
Driving in the rain
Rain and wet roads can make driving
dangerous, especially if you’re not
prepared for the slick pavement.
Here are a few things to consider
when driving in the rain: A heavy rainfall will make it harder
to see and will increase the dis-
tance needed to stop your vehicle,
so slow down.
Keep your windshield wiping
equipment in good shape. Replace
your windshield wiper blades when
they show signs of streaking or
missing areas on the windshield.
If your tires are not in good condi-
tion, making a quick stop on wet
pavement can cause a skid and
possibly lead to an accident. Be
sure your tires are in good shape.
Turn on your headlights to make it
easier for others to see you.
Driving too fast through large pud-
dles can affect your brakes. If you
must go through puddles, try to
drive through them slowly.
If you believe you may have gotten
your brakes wet, apply them lightly
while driving until normal braking
operation returns.