KIA NIRO PHEV 2020 Owners Manual

541
Driving your vehicle
Leaving
If you press the accelerator pedal
with the shift lever in D (Drive) or
manual mode, the Auto Hold will be
released automatically and the vehi-
cle will start to move. The indicator
changes from green to white.Cancel
To cancel the Auto Hold operation,
press the Auto Hold switch. The
AUTO HOLD indicator will go out.
To cancel the Auto Hold operation
when the vehicle is at a standstill,
press the Auto Hold switch while
depressing the brake pedal.
✽ ✽NOTICE
• The Auto Hold does not operate
when:
- The driver's door is opened
- The engine hood is opened
- The shift lever is in P (Park) or R(Reverse)
- The EPB is applied
• For your safety, the Auto Hold automatically switches to EPB in
such cases:
- The driver's door is opened
- The engine hood is opened
- The vehicle is in a standstill formore than 10 minutes
- The vehicle is standing on a steep slope
- The vehicle moved several times (Continued)
ODEP059289
WARNING
When driving off from Auto
Hold by depressing the acceler-
ator pedal, always check the
surrounding area near your
vehicle.
Slowly depress the accelerator
pedal for a smooth launch.

Driving your vehicle
42
5
(Continued)
In these cases, the brake warning
light comes on, the AUTO HOLD
indicator changes from green to
white, and a warning sounds and a
message will appear to inform you
that EPB has been automatically
engaged. Before driving off again,
press foot brake pedal, check the
surrounding area near your vehi-
cle and release parking brake
manually with the EPB switch.
• If the AUTO HOLD indicator lights up yellow, the Auto Hold is
not working properly. Take your
vehicle to an authorized Kia deal-
er and have the system checked.
• While operating Auto Hold, you may hear mechanical noise.
However, it is normal operation
noise.Warning messages
Parking brake automatically
engaged
When the EPB is applied from Auto
Hold, a warning will sound and a
message will appear.
WARNING
Press the accelerator pedal slowly when you start the
vehicle.
For your safety, cancel the Auto Hold when you drive
downhill or back up or park
the vehicle.
CAUTION
If there is a malfunction with thedriver’s door, engine hood opendetection system, the Auto Holdmay not work properly.
Take your vehicle to an author-ized Kia dealer and have the sys-tem checked.
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543
Driving your vehicle
AUTO HOLD turning Off! Press brake pedal
When the conversion from Auto Hold
to EPB is not working properly a
warning will sound and a message
will appear.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
When this message is displayed, the
Auto Hold and EPB may not oper-
ate. For your safety, depress the
brake pedal.
Press brake pedal to deactivate
AUTO HOLD
If you did not apply the brake pedal
when you release the Auto Hold by
pressing the [AUTO HOLD] switch, a
warning will sound and a message
will appear.
OJF058375LOJF058381L

Driving your vehicle
44
5
AUTO HOLD conditions not met.
Close door and hood
When you press the [AUTO HOLD]
switch, if the driver’s door, engine
hood are not closed, a warning will
sound and a message will appear on
the LCD display. At this moment,
press the [AUTO HOLD] button after
closing the driver’s door and hood.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS (or ESC) will not prevent acci-
dents due to improper or dangerous
driving maneuvers. Even though
vehicle control is improved during
emergency braking, always maintain
a safe distance between you and
objects ahead. Vehicle speeds
should always be reduced during
extreme road conditions. The vehicle
should be driven at reduced speeds
in the following circumstances:
When driving on rough, gravel or snow-covered roads
When driving with tire chains installed
When driving on roads where the road surface is pitted or has differ-
ent surface heights.
Driving in these conditions increases
the stopping distance for your vehicle. The ABS continuously senses the
speed of the wheels. If the wheels
are going to lock, the ABS system
repeatedly modulates the hydraulic
brake pressure to the wheels.
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 cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ABS is active.
In order to obtain the maximum benefit
from your ABS in an emergency situa-
tion, do not attempt to modulate your
brake pressure and do not try to pump
your brakes. Press your brake pedal as
hard as possible to allow the ABS to
control the force being delivered to the
brakes.
✽ ✽
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 anti-lock brake
system is functioning properly.
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545
Driving your vehicle
Even with the anti-lock brake sys-tem, your vehicle still requires suf-
ficient stopping distance. Always
maintain a safe distance from the
vehicle in front of you.
Always slow down when cornering. The anti-lock brake system cannot
prevent accidents resulting from
excessive speeds.
On loose or uneven road surfaces, operation of the anti-lock brake
system may result in a longer stop-
ping distance than for vehicles
equipped with a conventional
brake system. The ABS warning light will stay on for
approximately 3 seconds after the
ignition switch or the ENGINE
START/STOP button is ON. During
that time, the ABS will go through
self-diagnosis and the light will go off
if everything is normal. If the light
stays on, you may have a problem
with your ABS. Contact an author-
ized Kia dealer as soon as possible. When you drive on a road having
poor traction, such as an icy road,
and have operated your brakes
continuously, the ABS will be active
continuously and the ABS warning
light may illuminate. Pull your vehi-
cle over to a safe place and stop
the engine.
Restart the engine. If the ABS warning light goes off, then your
ABS system is normal. Otherwise,
you may have a problem with the
ABS. Contact an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
W-78

Driving your vehicle
46
5
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When you jump start your vehicle
because of a drained battery, the
engine may not run as smoothly and
the ABS warning light may turn on at
the same time. This happens because
of low battery voltage. It does not
mean your ABS has malfunctioned.
• Do not pump your brakes!
• Have the battery recharged before
driving the vehicle.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes on individual wheels and
intervenes with the engine manage-
ment system to stabilize the vehicle.
Electronic stability control (ESC) will
not prevent accidents. Excessive
speed in turns, abrupt maneuvers
and hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious accidents. Only a safe and attentive driver can
prevent accidents by avoiding
maneuvers that cause the vehicle to
lose traction. Even with ESC
installed, always follow all the normal
precautions for driving - including
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions.
ODEP059016
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.

547
Driving your vehicle
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 orthe 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.
-

Driving your vehicle
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5
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

549
Driving your vehicle
ESC OFF usage
When driving
ESC should be turned on for dailydriving 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.

Driving your vehicle
50
5
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.