engine KIA NIRO PHEV 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
14 5
1. Always carry the smart key with
you.
2. Make sure the parking brake is
applied.
3. Make sure the shift lever is in P
(Park).
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Press the Engine Start/Stop but-
ton. If the hybrid system starts, the
“ ” indicator will come on.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Do not wait for the engine to warm
up while the vehicle remains sta-
tionary.
Start driving at moderate engine
speeds. (Steep accelerating and
decelerating should be avoided.)
• Always start the vehicle with your
foot on the brake pedal. Do not
depress the accelerator while
starting the vehicle. Do not race
the engine while warming it up.
• If ambient temperature is low, the
“ ” indicator may remain illu-
minated longer than the normal
amount of time.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
To prevent damage to the vehicle:
• If the “ ” indicator turns off
while you are in motion, do not
attempt to move the shift lever to
the P (Park) position.
If traffic and road conditions per-
mit, you may put the shift lever in
the N (Neutral) position while the
vehicle is still moving and press
the Engine Start/Stop button in an
attempt to restart the hybrid sys-
tem.
• Do not push or tow your vehicle to
start the hybrid system.

515
Driving your vehicle
If the battery is weak or the smart
key does not work correctly, you
can start the engine by pressing
the engine start/stop button with
the smart key.
The side with the lock button
should contact the engine
start/stop button directly.
When you press the engine
start/stop button directly with the
smart key, the smart key should
contact the button at a right angle. When the stop lamp fuse is blown,
you can't start the engine normally.
Replace the fuse with a new one. If
it is not possible, you can start the
engine by pressing the ENGINE
START/STOP button for 10 sec-
onds while it is in the ACC posi-
tion. The engine can start without
depressing the brake pedal. But for
your safety always depress the
brake pedal before starting the
engine.
Do not press the ENGINE START/
STOP button for more than 10 sec-
onds except when the stop lamp fuse
is blown.
WARNING - Unintended
vehicle movement
Never leave the smart key in the
vehicle with children or vehicle
occupants who are unfamiliar
with the vehicle operation.
Pushing the ENGINE
START/STOP button while the
smart key is in the vehicle may
result in unintended engine
activation and/or unintended
vehicle movement.
ODEP050008N

517
Driving your vehicle
The dual Clutch Transmission
gives the driving feel of a manual
transmission, yet provides the
ease of a fully automatic transmis-
sion. Unlike a traditional automatic
transmission, the gear shifting can
be felt (and heard) on the dual
clutch transmission
- Think of it as an automatically
shifting manual transmission.
- Shift into Drive range and get fully
automatic shifting, similar to a con-
ventional automatic transmission.
Dual clutch transmission adopts
dry-type dual clutch, which is dif-
ferent from torque converter of
automatic transmission, and
shows better acceleration perform-
ance during driving. But, initial
launch might be little bit slower
than Automatic Transmission.
The dry-type clutch transfers torque
and provides a direct driving feeling
which may feel different from a con-
ventional automatic transmission
with a torque converter. This may be
more noticeable when starting from
a stop or low vehicle speed. When rapidly accelerating at low
vehicle speed, engine could rev at
high rpm depending on vehicle
drive condition.
For smooth launch uphill, press
down the accelerator pedal
smoothly depending on the current
conditions.
If you release your foot from the
accelerator pedal at low vehicle
speed, you may feel strong engine
brake, which is similar to manual
transmission.
When driving downhill, you may
use Sports Mode to downshift to a
lower gear in order to control your
speed without using the brake
pedal excessively.
When you turn the engine on and
off, you may hear clicking sounds
as the system goes through a self
test. This is a normal sound for the
dual Clutch Transmission.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of serious
injury or death:
ALWAYS check the surround-
ing areas near your vehicle for
people, especially children,
before shifting a vehicle 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, and place the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/
STOP button in the OFF posi-
tion. Unexpected and sudden
vehicle movement can occur
if these precautions are not
followed.
Do not use engine braking
(shifting from a high gear to
lower gear) rapidly on slip-
pery roads. The vehicle may
slip, causing an accident.

519
Driving your vehicle
Transmission high temperature
Under certain conditions, such as
repeated stop-and-go launches on
steep grades, sudden take off or
acceleration, or other harsh driving
conditions, the transmission clutch
temperatures will increase exces-
sively.
When the clutch is overheated, the
safe protection mode engages and
the gear position indicator on the
cluster blinks with a chime. In this
situation, “Transmission temp. is
high! Stop safely” warning mes-
sage will appear on the LCD dis-
play, and driving may not be
smooth. If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes,
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and
allow the transmission to cool.
If you ignore this warning, the driv-
ing condition may become worse.
You may experience abrupt shifts,
frequent shifts, or jerkiness. To
return to the normal driving condi-
tion, stop the vehicle and apply the
foot brake or shift into P (Park).
Then allow the transmission to cool
for a few minutes with the engine
on before driving off.
When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
Transmission overheated
OBDM059152L
OBDM059154L OBDM059148L
OBDM059156L

Driving your vehicle
20 5
If the vehicle continues to be driv-
en and the clutch temperatures
reach the maximum temperature
limit, the " Transmission Hot! Park
with engine on" warning will be dis-
played. When this occurs, the
clutch is disabled until the clutch
cools to normal temperatures.
The warning will display a time to
wait for the transmission to cool.
If this occurs, pull over to a safe
location, stop the vehicle with the
engine running, apply the brakes,
shift the vehicle to P (Park), and
allow the transmission to cool.
When the message "Trans cooled.
Resume driving.“ appears, you can
continue to drive your vehicle.
When possible, drive the vehicle
smoothly.
If any of the warning messages in
the LCD display continue to blink, for
your safety, we recommend having
the system checked by an authorized
Kia dealer.Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button is in the ON
position.P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park).
To shift from P (Park), you must
depress firmly on the brake pedal
and make sure your foot is off the
accelerator pedal.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
before turning the engine off.
WARNING
Shifting into P (Park) while the
vehicle is in motion may
cause you to lose control of
the vehicle.
After the vehicle has stopped,
always make sure the shift
lever is in P (Park), apply the
parking brake, and turn the
engine off.
Do not use the P (Park) position
in place of the parking brake.

521
Driving your vehicle
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged.- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps 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 switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button in
[ON] or while the engine is running.
2.If the parking brake is applied
unlock the parking brake.
- For EPB (Electronic Parking
Brake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/STOP
button in [ON] or while the engine
is running to disengage the park-
ing brake. If [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion is used while driving (If
[AUTO HOLD] indicator is on in
the cluster), press [AUTO HOLD]
switch and [AUTO HOLD] func-
tion should be turn off.
CAUTION
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into or out of R
(Reverse); you may damage the
transmission if you shift into R
(Reverse) while the vehicle is in
motion.
WARNING
Do not shift into gear unless
your foot is firmly on the brake
pedal. Shifting into gear when
the engine is running at high
speed can cause the vehicle to
move very rapidly. You could
lose control of the vehicle and
hit people or objects.
WARNING
Do not drive with the shift lever
in N (Neutral).
The engine brake may not work
and lead to an accident.

Driving your vehicle
22 5
3.While pressing the brake pedal,
turn the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,
the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button 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,
pressing down 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.
WARNING - Parking In
Neutral
With the exception of parking
in neutral gear, always park the
vehicle in [P] (Park) for safety
and apply the parking brake.
Before parking in [N] (Neutral)
gear, make sure the parking
ground is level and flat. Do not
park in [N] gear on any slopes
or gradients. If parked and left
in [N], the vehicle may move
and cause serious damage or
injury.
After the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button
has been turned off, the
Electronic Parking Brake can-
not be disengaged.
(Continued)(Continued)
For EPB (Electronic Parking
Brake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] function used
while driving, if the ignition
switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button has been
turned [OFF], the Electronic
Parking Brake will be engaged
automatically. Therefore,
[AUTO HOLD] function should
be turned off before the igni-
tion button is turned off.

523
Driving your vehicle
D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
The transmission will automatically
shift through a six-gear sequence,
providing the best fuel economy and
power.
For extra power when passing anoth-
er vehicle or driving uphill depress
the accelerator pedal further until
you feel the transmission downshift
to a lower gear.
To stop the vehicle during driving,
please press brake pedal fully to pre-
vent unintended movement.Manual mode
Whether the vehicle is stationary or
in motion, manual mode is selected
by pushing the shift lever from the D
(Drive) position into the manual gate.
To return to D (Drive) range opera-
tion, push the shift lever back into the
main gate.
In manual mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you
to select the desired range of gears for
the current driving conditions.
+ (Up) : Push the lever forward once
to shift up one gear.
- (Down) :Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Only the six 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.
• Downshifts are made automatical-
ly when the vehicle slows down.
When the vehicle stops, 1st gear is
automatically selected.
• When the engine rpm approaches
the red zone the transmission will
upshift automatically.
• If the driver presses the lever to +
(Up) or - (Down) position, the trans-
mission may not make the request-
ed gear change if the next gear is
outside of the allowable rpm range.
ODEP059012

525
Driving your vehicle
Shift lock system
For your safety, the dual clutch trans-
mission has a shift lock system which
prevents shifting the transaxle from P
(Park) into R (Reverse) unless the
brake pedal is depressed.
To shift the transaxle from P (Park)
into R (Reverse):
1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or turn the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/STOP
button 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 & vibration 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:
1. Place the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button in
the LOCK/OFF position.
2. Apply the parking brake.
3. Carefully remove the cap (1) cov-
ering 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.WARNING - Shifting from
park
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.
ODEP059013L

Driving your vehicle
26 5
5. Move the shift lever.
6. Remove the tool from the shiftlock
override access hole then install
the cap.
7. We recommend that the system
be inspected by an authorized Kia
dealer.Ignition key interlock system
(if equipped)
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
ENGINE START/STOP button inter-
lock system (if equipped)
The ENGINE START/STOP button
will not change to the OFF position
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 car is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into R (Reverse) or D (Drive).
Never take the car out of gear and
coast down a hill. This may be
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the car 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 the car.
Slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.