engine KIA NIRO PHEV 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
128 5
Each time the button is pressed, the
vehicle distance changes as follows:
For example, if you drive at 56 mph
(90 km/h), the distance maintain as
follows;
Distance 4 - approximately 172 feet
(52.5 m)
Distance 3 - approximately 130 feet
(40 m)
Distance 2 - approximately 106 feet
(32.5 m)
Distance 1 - approximately 82 feet
(25 m) ✽ ✽
NOTICE
The distance is set to the last set dis-
tance when the function is used for
the first time after starting the
engine.
When the lane ahead is clear :
The vehicle speed will maintain the
set speed.
Distance 4 Distance 3 Distance 2
Distance 1
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5133
Driving your vehicle
Warning message
When the sensor lens cover is
blocked with dirt, snow, or debris,
Smart Cruise Control operation may
stop temporarily. If this occurs, a
warning message will appear on the
LCD display. Remove any dirt, snow,
or debris and clean the radar sensor
lens cover before operating Smart
Cruise Control. Smart Cruise Control
may not properly activate, if the radar
is totally contaminated, or if any sub-
stance is detected after turning ON
the engine (e.g. in an open terrain).
Smart Cruise Control malfunction
message
The message will appear when the
vehicle distance control function is
not functioning normally.
Take your vehicle to an authorized
Kia dealer and have the system
checked.
OJF058404L
OJF058406L
CAUTION
Do not install accessories
around the sensor and do not
replace the bumper by your-
self. It may interfere with the
sensor performance.
Always keep the sensor and
bumper clean.
Use only a soft cloth to wash
the vehicle. Do not spray pres-
surized water directly on the
sensor or sensor cover.
Be careful not to apply unnec-
essary force on the radar sen-
sor or sensor cover. If the sen-
sor is forcibly moved out of
proper alignment, Smart
Cruise Control may not oper-
ate correctly. In this case, a
warning message may not be
displayed.
Have the system checked by
an authorized Kia dealer.
(Continued)

5135
Driving your vehicle
1. Turn Smart Cruise Control on (the
cruise indicator light will be on but
the function will not be activated).
2. Push the distance to distance
switch for more than 2 seconds.
3. Choose between "Smart Cruise
Control" and "Cruise Control".
When the function is canceled using
the Driving Assist button or the
Driving Assist button is used after the
engine is turned on, Smart Cruise
Control mode will turn on.Limitations of the function
Smart Cruise Control may have lim-
its to its ability to detect distance to
the vehicle ahead due to road and
traffic conditions.
On curves
On curves, Smart Cruise Control
may not detect a moving vehicle in
your lane, and then your vehicle
could accelerate to the set speed.
Also, the vehicle speed will rapidly
down when the vehicle ahead is
recognized suddenly.
Select the appropriate set speed
on curves and adjust your vehicle
speed by depressing the accelera-
tor or brake pedal according to the
road condition ahead and driving
condition.WARNING
When using the cruise control
mode, you must manually
adjust the distance to other
vehicles as the function will not
automatically brake to slow
down for other vehicles.
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Driving your vehicle
142 5
Highway Auto Curve
Slowdown
If vehicle speed is high, Highway
Auto Curve Slowdown function will
temporarily decelerate your vehicle
to help you drive safely on a curve,
based on the curve information from
the navigation.
Function settings
Settings
Highway Auto Curve Slowdown
With the ENGINE START/STOP
button in the ON position, select
“Driver Assist Driving Assist 
Highway Auto Curve Slowdown”
from the “User Settings (LCD dis-
play)” to turn on Navigation-based
Smart Cruise Control and deselect
to turn off the function.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When there is a problem with
Navigation-based Smart Cruise
Control, the function cannot be set
from the “User Settings” in the LCD
display.
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Driving your vehicle
150 5
LFA operation
To use Lane Following Assist two
steps are necessary:
(1) LFA has to be enabled, and
(2) SCC has to be activated
With the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button in the [ON],
select or release the setting from
“User setting Driver Assistance 
Driving Assist Lane Following
Assist”.
Select LFA in the user setting of the
instrument panel.
LFA status is remembered by the
function and therefore does not need
to be enabled again for each new
journey.
(Continued)
- Depending on your surround-
ings and road conditions, LFA
could fail to recognize the
lane and stop working. In turn,
extra caution is required
while driving with LFA on.
- Be sure to check the non-
operating conditions and cau-
tions for the driver before
using LFA.
- Do not place reflective materi-
als such as white paper or
mirror on the crash pad.
Sunlight reflections can cause
a malfunction in LFA.
- Too big sound from the sound
function can interrupt the
alarming sound from LFA.
(Continued)(Continued)
- Keeping your hands off the
wheel while driving will trigger
the hands-off warning and
deactivate the steering-assist
function. Put your hands back
on the wheel, then the steer-
ing-assist system will be re-
activated.
- When driving at a high speed,
the steering assist force can
become weak and the vehicle
can drive out of its lane. Extra
caution is required, and com-
ply with the speed limit.
- Attaching an object to the
steering wheel could deter
steering assistance.
- Attaching an object to the
steering wheel could deter the
hands-off alarming system.

5157
Driving your vehicle
Setting and activating HDA
With the ignition switch or ENGINE
START/STOP button in the [ON],
select or release the setting from
“User Setting Driver Assistance
Driving Assist Highway Driving
Assist”.
Select HDA in the User setting of the
instrument panel. and the function
will operate if the following conditions
are met :
If the engine is turned off then on
again, the function maintains the last
setting.
Operating conditions
If you activate HDA in the User set-
ting of the instrument panel. and the
following conditions are met, HDA
will be ready to operate, and the indi-
cator light ( ) will come on
green in the cluster.
When driving on the highway main
line.
When Smart Cruise Control is in
operation (Vehicle deceleration
and acceleration control)
- Refer to “Smart Cruise Control
(SCC)” in this chapter.
- If SCC is in standby mode (SCC
is on but speed is not set), HDA
will be in the same mode. The
white indicator ( ) light will
be turned on.
When the vehicle speed is below
95 mph (153 km/h)
HDA operation
The speed is automatically set in
accordance with the steering control
and the highway speed limit when all
the operating conditions are met.

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

5183
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
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.

Driving your vehicle
188 5
Driving in flooded areas
Avoid driving through flooded areas
unless you are sure the water is no
higher than the bottom of the wheel
hub. Drive through any water slowly.
Allow adequate stopping distance
because brake performance may be
affected.
After driving through water, dry the
brakes by gently applying them sev-
eral times while the vehicle is moving
slowly.
Driving off-road
Drive carefully off-road because your
vehicle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. Become familiar with
the off-road conditions where you
are going to drive before you begin
driving.
Highway driving
Tires
Adjust the tire inflation pressures to
specification. Low tire inflation pres-
sures will result in overheating and
possible failure of the tires.
Avoid using worn or damaged tires
which may result in reduced traction
or tire failure.
Never exceed the maximum tire
inflation pressure shown on the tires.
Fuel, engine coolant and engine oil
High speed travel consumes more
fuel than urban motoring. Do not for-
get to check both the engine coolant
and engine oil.
Drive belt
A loose or damaged drive belt may
result in overheating of the engine.
WARNING- Under/over
inflated tires
Always check the tires for proper
inflation before driving.
Underinflated or overinflated
tires can cause poor handling,
loss of vehicle control, and sud-
den tire failure leading to acci-
dents, injuries, and even death.
For proper tire pressures, refer to
“Tires and wheels” in chapter 9.
WARNING- Tire tread
Always check the tire tread
before driving your vehicle.
Worn-out tires can result in loss
of vehicle control. Worn-out tires
should be replaced as soon as
possible. For further information
and tread limits, refer to "Tires
and wheels" in chapter 8.