KIA SORENTO 2019 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
14
5
Automatic transmission opera-
tion
The automatic transmission has 6 or
8 forward speeds and one reverse
speed. The individual speeds are
selected automatically, depending on
the position of the shift lever.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
The first few shifts on a new vehicle,
if the battery has been disconnected,
may be somewhat abrupt. This is a
normal condition, and the shifting
sequence will adjust after shifts are
cycled a few times by the TCM
(Transmission Control Module) or
PCM (Powertrain Control Module).
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
OUMA058007
+ +
+ +


( (
( (
U U
U U
P P
P P
) )
) )
- -
- -


( (
( (
D D
D D
O O
O O
W W
W W
N N
N N
) )
) )
The shift lever can be shifted freely. Press the loc
k release button when shifting.
Depress the brake pedal and the lock release button when shifting.
(If the shift lock system is not equipped, it is not necessary to depress the brake pedal.
However, it is recommended to depress the brake pedal to avoid inadvertent movement
of the vehicle.)

515
Driving your vehicle
For smooth operation, depress thebrake pedal and the lock release but-ton when shifting from N (Neutral) toa forward or reverse gear.
When stopped on an incline, do not
hold the vehicle with the engine
power. Use the service brake or the
parking brake.
Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument clus-
ter displays the shift lever position
when the ignition switch is in the ON
position. P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop
before shifting into P (Park). This
position locks the transmission and
prevents the drive wheels from rotat-
ing.
Shifting into P (Park) while the vehi-
cle is in motion will cause the drive
wheels to lock which will cause you
to lose control of the vehicle.
R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle
backward.
WARNING- Leaving
Vehicle
Before leaving the driver’s seat,
always make sure the shift lever
is in the P (Park) position; then
set the parking brake fully and
shut the engine off. Do not use
the P position in place of the
parking brake. Always make
sure the shift lever is latched in
the P position and set the park-
ing brake fully. Unexpected and
sudden vehicle movement can
occur if these precautions are
not followed.
CAUTION- Transmission
To avoid damage to your trans- mission, do not accelerate theengine in R (Reverse) or any for-ward gear position with thebrakes on. The transmissionmay be damaged if you shiftinto P (Park) while the vehicle isin motion.
CAUTION- Shifting
Always come to a complete stopbefore shifting into or out of R(Reverse); you may damage thetransmission if you shift into R(Reverse) while the vehicle is inmotion, except when “Rockingthe vehicle” explained in thissection.

Driving your vehicle
16
5
N (Neutral)
The wheels and transmission are not
engaged. The vehicle will roll freely
even on the slightest incline unless
the parking brake or service brakes
are applied.
- Parking in N (Neutral) gear
Follow below steps when parking
and you want the vehicle to move
when pushed.
1. After parking your vehicle, depress
the brake pedal and move the trans-
mission shift lever to [P] with the
ignition button in [ON] or while the
engine is running.
2. If the parking brake is applied release the parking brake.
- For EPB (Electronic ParkingBrake) equipped vehicles, push
the brake pedal with the ignition
button in [ON] or while the engine
is running to reapply the parking
brake. If [AUTO HOLD] function
is used while driving (If [AUTO
HOLD] indicator is on in the clus-
ter), press [AUTO HOLD] switch
and [AUTO HOLD] function
should be turn off. 3. While pressing the brake pedal,
turn the ignition button [OFF].
- For smart key equipped vehicles,the ignition switch 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 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.

517
Driving your vehicle
After the ignition switch has beenturned off, the electronic parking
brake cannot be disengaged.
For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with
[AUTO HOLD] function used while
driving, if the ignition button has
been turned [OFF], the electronic
parking brake will be engaged
automatically. Therefore, [AUTO
HOLD] function should be turned
off before the ignition button is
turned off.
D (Drive)
This is the normal forward driving
position. The transmission will auto-
matically shift through a 6 or 8-gear
sequence, 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 automatically down-
shift to the next lower gear. 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 make gearshifts rapidly.
In contrast to a manual transmission,
the manual 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.
OUMA058009
Manual
mode
+ +
+ +


( (
( (
U U
U U
P P
P P
) )
) )
- -
- -


( (
( (
D D
D D
O O
O O
W W
W W
N N
N N
) )
) )

Driving your vehicle
18
5
In manual mode, the driver must
execute upshifts in accordance
with road conditions, taking care to
keep the engine speed below the
red zone.
In manual mode, only the 6 or 8 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.
In manual mode, downshifts are made automatically when the vehi-
cle slows down. When the vehicle
stops, 1st gear is automatically
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.
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.Shift lock system
For your safety, the automatic trans-
mission has a shift lock system
which prevents shifting the transmis-
sion 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 ignitionswitch 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
chattering noise near the shift lever
may be heard. It is a normal condi-
tion.

519
Driving your vehicle
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.Carefully remove the cap coveringthe shift-lock access hole (1).
2.Insert a screwdriver into the access hole and press down on
the screwdriver.
3.Move the shift lever.
4.Have your vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately.
Ignition key interlock system
The ignition key cannot be removed
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position. Even if the ignition
switch is in the LOCK position, the
key also cannot be removed.
If your vehicle is equipped with
engine start/stop button, the button
will not change to the OFF position
unless the shift lever is in the P
(Park) position.
OUMA058039
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.

Driving your vehicle
20
5
Good driving practices
Never move the gear shift lever
from P (Park) to any other position
with the accelerator pedal
depressed.
Never move the gear shift lever into P (Park) when the vehicle is in
motion.
Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower
gear may not be engaged.
Always use the parking brake. Do not 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.
Moving up a steep grade from a
standing start
To move up a steep grade from a
standing start, depress the brake
pedal, shift the shift lever to D
(Drive). Select the appropriate gear
depending on load weight and steep-
ness of the grade, and release the
parking brake. Depress the accelera-
tor gradually 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 back-
wards.

521
Driving your vehicle
Engine power can be delivered to all
front and rear wheels for maximum
traction. AWD is useful when extra
traction is required, such as, when
driving on slippery, muddy, wet, or
snow-covered roads.These vehicles are not designed for
challenging off-road use. Occasional
off-road use such as established
unpaved roads and trails are OK. It is
always important when traveling off-
highway that the driver carefully
reduces the speed to a level that
does not exceed the safe operating
speed for those conditions. In gener-
al, off-road conditions provide less
traction and braking effectiveness
than normal road conditions.
The driver must be especially alert to
avoid driving on slopes which tilt the
vehicle to either side.
These factors must be carefully con-
sidered when driving off-road.
Keeping the vehicle in contact with
the driving surface and under control
in these conditions is always the dri-
ver's responsibility for the safety of
him/herself and his or her passen-
gers.
* AWD : All Wheel Drive
FWD : Front Wheel Drive If the AWD system warning light
( ) illuminates, this indicates that
there is a malfunction in the AWD
system.
If this occurs, have your vehicle
checked by an authorized Kia dealer
as soon as possible.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
OUMA054049
OUMA054010
■Type A
■Type B
WARNING- Off road
driving
Do not attempt to operate your
vehicle under extreme or chal-
lenging off road driving condi-
tions. Although this vehicle has
off-road capabilities, it was not
designed to be driven off road.

Driving your vehicle
22
5
All Wheel Drive (AWD) transfer mode selection
When the AWD LOCK mode is deactivated, a shock may be felt as the drive power is delivered entirely to the front
wheels. This shock is not a mechanical failure.
Transfer modeSelection buttonIndicator lightDescription
AWD AUTO
(AWD LOCK is deactivated) AWD Auto is used when driving on roads in normal conditions, roads in
urban areas, and on highways.
All wheels are in operation when a vehicle travels at a constant speed. Required tractions applying on front and rear wheels vary depending on
road driving conditions and driving conditions, which will be automatically
controlled by the computing system.
When the cluster's AWD Auto display mode is selected, the cluster displays the status of how four wheels’ traction forces are distributed.
AWD LOCK
The main goal of AWD Lock mode is to allow a driver to maximize the vehi- cle’s traction under extreme driving conditions such as unpaved off-road,
sandy roads, and muddy roads.
AWD Lock mode is in operation only when a vehicle travels at 40km/h or less. When travelling at 40km/h or faster, the mode will switch to AWD Auto.
When travelling at 30 km/h or less, the mode will switch back to AWD Lock.
When AWD Lock mode illuminates, the cluster does not display the front/rear wheel traction force distribution status.
Press the AWD Lock mode switch again to switch back to AWD Auto.
(Indicator light is not illuminated)
(Indicator light is illuminated)
✽ ✽NOTICE - Normal road conditions
• Maintain AWD Auto mode when driving on roads in normal conditions.
• When driving under normal road conditions (especially when cornering) in AWD Lock mode, a driver may find
minor mechanical vibration or noise, which is extremely normal phenomenon, not a malfunction. When AWD
Lock mode is released, such noise or vibration will be immediately gone.

523
Driving your vehicle
For safe all wheel drive opera-
tion
Do not try to drive in deep standingwater or mud since such conditions
can stall your engine and clog your
exhaust pipes. Do not drive down
steep hills since it requires extreme
skill to maintain control of the vehi-
cle.
When you are driving up or downhills; drive as straight as possible.
Use extreme caution going up or
down steep hills, the grade, terrain
and water/mud conditions may
cause the vehicle to flip.
HILL1HILL2
WARNING- Hills
Proceed with extreme caution
when driving down steep hills.
A slight change in the wheel
angle can destabilize the vehi-
cle. This can cause your vehicle
to suddenly roll without warn-
ing and without time for you to
regain control of your vehicle.