KIA RIO 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
24
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).
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 operation, push the
shift lever back into the main gate.
Manual Mode manages the driving
dynamics by automatically adjusting the
steering effort and the engine and trans-
mission control logic for enhanced driv-
er performance. In Manual Mode, mo
ving the shift
lever backwards or forwards will
allow you to make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transmission,
the Man ual Mode allows gearshifts
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Up (+) : Push the lever forward once to shift up one gear.
Down (-) : Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.
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Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽NOTICE
• In Manual Mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, being care-
ful to keep the engine speed below
the red zone.
• In Manual Mode, only the 8 for- ward 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 Manual Mode, downshifts are made automatically when the
vehicle slows down. When the
vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
• In Manual 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 Manual 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 Manual Mode, the fuel efficien- cy may decrease.
Shift lock system
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 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 near the shift lever may
be heard. This is a normal condition.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
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 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 an authorized Kia dealer.
Ignition key interlock system
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.
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Driving your vehicle
Always use the parking brake. Donot 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.(Continued)
The risk of a rollover is greatlyincreased 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
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.
WARNING
When driving uphill or down-hill, always shift to D (Drive)
for driving forward or shift to R
(Reverse) for driving back-
wards, and check the gear
position indicated on the clus-
ter before driving.
Driving in the opposite direc-
tion of the selected gear can
lead to a dangerous situation
by shutting off the engine and
affecting the braking perform-
ance.
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.
(Continued)
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Driving your vehicle
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5
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.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, release the parking brake,
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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 performance.
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.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
In the event of brake failure
If service brakes fail to operate while
the vehicle is in motion, you can
make an emergency stop with the
parking brake. The stopping dis-
tance, however, will be much greater
than normal.
Disc brakes wear indicator
When your brake pads are worn and
new pads are required, you will hear
a high-pitched warning sound from
your front brakes or rear brakes (if
equipped). You may hear this sound
come and go or it may occur when-
ever you depress the brake pedal.
Please remember that some driving
conditions or climates may cause a
brake squeal when you first apply (or
lightly apply) the brakes. This is nor-
mal and does not indicate a problem
with your brakes.
Always replace the front or rear
brake pads as pairs.
CAUTION- Replace brake
pads
Do not continue to drive withworn brake pads. Continuing todrive with worn brake pads candamage the braking system andresult in costly brake repairs.
WARNING- Brake wear
Do not ignore high pitched wear
sounds from your brakes. If you
ignore this audible warning, you
will eventually lose braking per-
formance, which could lead to a
serious accident.
WARNING- Parking brake
Avoid applying the parking
brake to stop the vehicle while it
is moving, except in an emer-
gency situation. Applying the
parking brake while the vehicle
is moving at normal speeds can
cause a sudden loss of control
of the vehicle. If you must use
the parking brake to stop the
vehicle, use great caution in
applying the brake.
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Driving your vehicle
Rear drum brakes (if equipped)
Your rear drum brakes do not have
wear indicators. Therefore, have the
rear brake linings inspected if you
hear a rear brake rubbing noise. Also
have your rear brakes inspected
each time you change or rotate your
tires and when you have the front
brakes replaced.
Parking brake
Applying the parking brake
To engage the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and then without
pressing the release button in, pull
the parking brake lever up as far as
possible. In addition it is recommend-
ed that when parking the vehicle on
a gradient, the shift lever should be
positioned in the appropriate low
gear for Manual Transmission vehi-
cles or in the P (Park) position for
Intelligent Variable Transmission
vehicles.
CAUTION- Parking brake
Driving with the parking brakeapplied will cause excessivebrake pad (or lining) and brakerotor wear.
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Driving your vehicle
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5
Releasing the parking brake
To release the parking brake, first
apply the foot brake and pull up the
parking brake lever slightly.
Secondly, press the release button
(1) and lower the parking brake lever
(2) while holding the button. If your vehicle is equipped with an
intelligent variable transmission,
don't let your vehicle creep for-
ward. To avoid cleeping forward,
keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped.
Be cautious when parking on a hill. Firmly engage the parking brake
and place the shift lever in P
(Intelligent Variable Transmission)
or in first or revers gear (Manual
Transmission). If your vehicle is
facing downhill, turn the front
wheels into the curb to help keep
the vehicle from rolling. If your vehi-
cle is facing uphill, turn the front
wheels away from the curb to help
keep the vehicle from rolling. If
there is no curb or if it is required
by other conditions to keep the
vehicle from rolling, chock the
wheels.
WARNING- Parking brake
use
Never allow a passenger to touch the parking brake. If the
parking brake is released
unintentionally, serious injury
may occur.
All vehicles should always have the parking brake fully
engaged when parking to
avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle which can injure
occupants or pedestrians.
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Driving your vehicle
Under some conditions, your park-ing brake can freeze in the
engaged position. This is most like-
ly to happen when there is an
accumulation of snow or ice aroud
or near the rear brakes or if the
brakes are wet. If there is a risk
that the parking brake may freeze,
apply it only temporarily while you
put the shift lever in P (Intelligent
Variable Transmission) or in first or
reverse gear (Manual
Transmission) and chock the rear
wheels so the vehicle cannot roll.
Then release the parking brake.
Do not hold the vehicle on an incline with the accelerator pedal.
This can cause the transmission to
overheat. Always use the brake
pedal or parking brake. Check the brake warning light by
turning the ignition switch or
ENGINE START/STOP button ON
(do not start the engine). This light
will illuminate when the parking
brake is applied with the ignition
switch or ENGINE START/STOP but-
ton in the START or ON position.
Before driving, be sure the parking
brake is fully released and the brake
warning light is off.
If the brake warning light remains on
after the parking brake is released
while the engine is running, there
may be a malfunction in the brake
system. Immediate attention is nec-
essary. If at all possible, stop driving the
vehicle immediately. If that is not pos-
sible, use extreme caution while
operating the vehicle and only con-
tinue to drive the vehicle until you
can reach a safe location or repair
shop.
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