ground clearance KIA SPORTAGE 2020 Owners Manual

Introduction
61
As with other vehicles of this type,
failure to operate this vehicle correct-
ly may result in loss of control, an
accident or vehicle rollover.
Specific design characteristics (high-
er ground clearance, track, etc.) give
this vehicle a higher center of gravity
than other types of vehicles. In other
words they are not designed for cor-
nering at the same speeds as con-
ventional 2-wheel drive vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneu-
vers. Again, failure to operate this
vehicle correctly may result in loss of
control, an accident or vehicle
rollover.Be sure to read the
“Reducing the risk of a rollover”
driving guidelines, in chapter 6 of
this manual. This vehicle should not be modified.
Modification of your vehicle could
affect its performance, safety or dura-
bility and may even violate govern-
mental safety and emissions regula-
tions.
In addition, damage or performance
problems resulting from any modifi-
cation may not be covered under war-
ranty.
If you use unauthorized electronic
devices, it may cause the vehicle to
operate abnormally, wire damage,
battery discharge and fire. For your
safety, do not use unauthorized
electronic devices. No special break-in period is needed.
By following a few simple precautions
for the first 1,000 km (600 miles) you
may add to the performance, econo-
my and life of your vehicle.
Do not race the engine.
While driving, keep your engine
speed (rpm, or revolutions per
minute) between 2,000 rpm and
4,000 rpm.
Do not maintain a single speed for long periods of time, either fast or
slow. Varying engine speed is
needed to properly break-in the
engine.
Avoid hard stops, except in emer- gencies, to allow the brakes to seat
properly.
Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000 km (1,200 miles) of operation.
VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS
VEHICLE HANDLING
INSTRUCTIONS VEHICLE BREAK-IN
PROCESS

Safety features of your vehicle
70
3
In an angled collision, the force of
impact may direct the occupants in
a direction where the air bags
would not be able to provide any
additional benefit, and thus the
sensors may not deploy any air
bags. Just before impact, drivers often
brake heavily. Such heavy braking
lowers the front portion of the vehi-
cle causing it to “ride” under a vehi-
cle with a higher ground clearance.
Air bags may not inflate in this
"under-ride" situation because
deceleration forces that are detect-
ed by sensors may be significantly
reduced by such “under-ride” colli-
sions. Front air bags may not inflate in all
rollover accidents where the
SRSCM indicates that the front air
bag deployment would not provide
additional occupant protection.
1VQA2089OQL0350551VQA2091

529
Driving your vehicle
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). SUV’s have higher
ground clearance and a narrower
track to make them capable of per-
forming in a wide variety of off-road
applications. Specific design charac-
teristics give them a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles. An
advantage of the higher ground
clearance is a better view of the
road, which allows you to anticipate
problems. They are not designed for
cornering at the same speeds as
conventional passenger vehicles,
any more than low-slung sports vehi-
cles are designed to perform satis-
factorily in off-road conditions. There
are steps that a driver can
make to reduce the risk of a rollover.
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your
roof rack with heavy cargo, and
never modify your vehicle in any way.CAUTION - Mud or snow
If one of the front or rear wheelsbegins to spin in mud, snow,etc. the vehicle can sometimesbe driven out by depressing theaccelerator pedal further; how-ever, do not run the engine con-tinuously at high rpms to freethe vehicle from snow or mudbecause doing so could dam-age the AWD system
WARNING- Replacement
tires
Always use the size and type of
tires recommended in the tire
section of the manual.
Installation of variant tires can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle.

565
Driving your vehicle
When driving in stop-and-go traffic,
and a stopped vehicle in front of you
merges out of the lane, the FCA sys-
tem may not immediately detect the
new vehicle that is now in front of
you. In this case, you must maintain
a safe braking distance, and if nec-
essary, depress the brake pedal to
reduce your driving speed in order to
maintain a safe distance.- Detecting the vehicle in front of you
If the vehicle in front of you has cargo
that extends rearward from the cab,
or when the vehicle in front of you
has higher ground clearance, addi-
tional special attention is required.
The FCA system may not be able to
detect the cargo extending from the
vehicle. In these instances, you must
maintain a safe braking distance
from the rearmost object, and if nec-
essary, depress the brake pedal to
reduce your driving speed in order to
maintain distance.
Detecting pedestrians
The sensor may be limited when:
The pedestrian is not fully detected
by the camera recognition system,
for example, if the pedestrian is
leaning over or is not fully walking
upright
The pedestrian is moving very quickly or appears abruptly in the
camera detection area
The pedestrian is wearing clothing that easily blends into the back-
ground, making it difficult to be
detected by the camera recogni-
tion system
The outside lighting is too bright (e.g. when driving in bright sunlight
or in sun glare) or too dark (e.g.
when driving on a dark rural road
at night)
It is difficult to detect and distin- guish the pedestrian from other
objects in the surroundings, for
example, when there is a group of
pedestrians, or a large crowd.
OQL058204NOUM054046L

Driving your vehicle
66
5
There is an item similar to a per-
son's body structure
The pedestrian is small
The pedestrian has impaired mobility
The sensor recognition is limited
The camera is blocked with a for- eign object or debris
Inclement weather such as heavy rain or snow obscures the field of
view of the radar sensor or camera
When light coming from a street light or an oncoming vehicle is
reflected on a wet road surface
such as a puddle in the road
The field of view in front is obstructed by sun glare
The windshield glass is fogged up.
Adverse road conditions cause excessive vehicle vibrations while
driving
When the pedestrian suddenly appears in front of the vehicle
When there is any other electro- magnetic interference
When a construction area, rail or other metal object is near the
pedestrian.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
In some instances, the FCA system
may be cancelled when subjected to
electromagnetic interference.
WARNING
Do not use the Forward
Collision -Avoidance Assist
(FCA) system when towing a
vehicle. Application of the
FCA system while towing may
adversely affect the safety of
your vehicle or the towing
vehicle.
Use extreme caution when the vehicle in front of you has
cargo that extends rearward
from the cab, or when the
vehicle in front of you has
higher ground clearance.
The FCA system is designed to detect and monitor the
vehicle ahead in the roadway
through camera recognition. It
is not designed to detect bicy-
cles, motorcycles, or smaller
wheeled objects such as lug-
gage bags, shopping carts, or
strollers.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Never try to test the operationof the FCA system. Doing so
may cause severe injury or
death.
When front bumper or wind- shield glass is replaced or
repaired, have the vehicle
inspected by an authorized
Kia dealer.

579
Driving your vehicle
When driving in stop-and-go traffic,
and a stopped vehicle in front of you
merges out of the lane, the FCA sys-
tem may not immediately detect the
new vehicle that is now in front of
you. In this case, you must maintain
a safe braking distance, and if nec-
essary, depress the brake pedal to
reduce your driving speed in order to
maintain a safe distance.- Detecting the vehicle in front of you
If the vehicle in front of you has cargo
that extends rearward from the cab,
or when the vehicle in front of you
has higher ground clearance, addi-
tional special attention is required.
The FCA system may not be able to
detect the cargo extending from the
vehicle. In these instances, you must
maintain a safe braking distance
from the rearmost object, and if nec-
essary, depress the brake pedal to
reduce your driving speed in order to
maintain distance.
Detecting pedestrians
The sensor may be limited when:
The pedestrian is not fully detected
by the camera recognition system,
for example, if the pedestrian is
leaning over or is not fully walking
upright
The pedestrian is moving very quickly or appears abruptly in the
camera detection area
The pedestrian is wearing clothing that easily blends into the back-
ground, making it difficult to be
detected by the camera recogni-
tion system
The outside lighting is too bright (e.g. when driving in bright sunlight
or in sun glare) or too dark (e.g.
when driving on a dark rural road
at night)
It is difficult to detect and distin- guish the pedestrian from other
objects in the surroundings, for
example, when there is a group of
pedestrians, or a large crowd.
OUM054046LOQL058204L

Driving your vehicle
80
5
There is an item similar to a per-
son's body structure
The pedestrian is small
The pedestrian has impaired mobility
The sensor recognition is limited
The radar sensor or camera is cov- ered with a foreign object or debris
Inclement weather such as heavy rain or snow obscures the field of
view of the radar sensor or camera
When light coming from a street light or an oncoming vehicle is
reflected on a wet road surface
such as a puddle in the road
The field of view in front is obstructed by sun glare
The windshield glass is fogged up.
Adverse road conditions cause excessive vehicle vibrations while
driving
When the pedestrian suddenly appears in front of the vehicle
When there is any other electro- magnetic interference When a construction area, rail or
other metal object is near the
pedestrian.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
In some instances, the FCA system
may be cancelled when subjected to
electromagnetic interference.
WARNING
Do not use the Forward
Collision -Avoidance Assist
(FCA) system when towing a
vehicle. Application of the
FCA system while towing may
adversely affect the safety of
your vehicle or the towing
vehicle.
Use extreme caution when the vehicle in front of you has
cargo that extends rearward
from the cab, or when the
vehicle in front of you has
higher ground clearance.
The FCA system is designed to detect and monitor the
vehicle ahead in the roadway
through radar signals and
camera recognition. It is not
designed to detect bicycles,
motorcycles, or smaller
(Continued)
(Continued)wheeled objects such as lug-
gage bags, shopping carts, or
strollers.
Never try to test the operation of the FCA system. Doing so
may cause severe injury or
death.
When front bumper or wind- shield glass is replaced or
repaired, have the vehicle
inspected by an authorized
Kia dealer.

5143
Driving your vehicle
Hazardous driving conditions
When hazardous driving conditions
are encountered such as water,
snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar haz-
ards, follow these suggestions:
Drive cautiously and allow extradistance for braking.
Avoid sudden braking or steering.
When braking with non-ABS brakes pump the brake pedal with
a light up-and-down motion until
the vehicle is stopped.
Do not pump the brake pedal on a
vehicle equipped with ABS. If stalled in snow, mud, or sand,
use the second gear. Accelerate
slowly to avoid spinning the drive
wheels.
Use sand, rock salt, or other non- slip material under the drive
wheels to provide traction when
stalled in ice, snow, or mud.
Reducing the risk of a rollover
This multi-purpose passenger vehi-
cle is defined as a Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a
significantly higher rollover rate than
other types of vehicles. SUV's have
higher ground clearance and a nar-
rower track to make them capable of
performing in a wide variety of off-
road applications. Specific design
characteristics give them a higher
center of gravity than ordinary vehi-
cles. An advantage of the higher
ground clearance is a better view of
the road, which allows you to antici-
pate problems. They are not
designed for cornering at the same
speeds as conventional passenger
vehicles, any more than low-slung
sports vehicles are designed to per-
form satisfactorily in off-road condi-
tions. Due to this risk, driver and pas-
sengers are strongly recommended
to buckle their seat belts. In a rollover
crash, an unbelted person is signifi-
cantly more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt. There are
steps that a driver can make to
reduce the risk of a rollover.
SPECIAL DRIVING CONDITIONS
WARNING- Downshifting
Do not downshift with an auto-
matic transmission while driv-
ing on slippery surfaces. The
sudden change in tire speed
could cause the tires to skid
and result in an accident.

Driving your vehicle
144
5
If at all possible, avoid sharp turns or
abrupt maneuvers, do not load your
roof rack with heavy cargo, and
never modify your vehicle in any way.
WARNING
Your vehicle is equipped with
tires designed to provide safe
ride and handling capability. Do
not use a size and type of tire
and wheel that is different from
the one that is originally
installed on your vehicle. It can
affect the safety and perform-
ance of your vehicle, which
could lead to steering failure or
rollover and serious injury.
When replacing the tires, be
sure to equip all four tires with
the tire and wheel of the same
size, type, tread, brand and
load-carrying capacity. If you
nevertheless decide to equip
your vehicle with any tire/wheel
combination not recommended
by Kia for off road driving, you
should not use these tires for
highway driving.
WARNING- Rollover
As with other Sports Utility
Vehicle (SUV), failure to operate
this vehicle correctly may result
in loss of control, an accident or
vehicle rollover.
Utility vehicles have a signifi- cantly higher rollover rate
than other types of vehicles.
Specific design characteris- tics (higher ground clearance,
narrower track, etc.) give this
vehicle a higher center of
gravity than ordinary vehicles.
A SUV is not designed for cor- nering at the same speeds as
conventional vehicles.
Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
(Continued)
(Continued)
In a rollover crash, an unbelt-ed person is significantly
more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt. Make
sure everyone in the vehicle is
properly buckled up.

What to do in an emergency
22
6
When using a compact spare tire,
observe the following precautions:
Under no circumstances should
you exceed 80 km/h (50 mph); a
higher speed could damage the
tire.
Ensure that you drive slowly enough for the road conditions to
avoid all hazards. Any road hazard,
such as a pothole or debris, could
seriously damage the compact
spare.
Any continuous road use of this tire could result in tire failure, loss of
vehicle control, and possible bodily
injury.
Do not exceed the vehicle’s maxi- mum load rating or the load-carry-
ing capacity shown on the sidewall
of the compact spare tire.
Avoid driving over obstacles. The compact spare tire diameter is
smaller than the diameter of a con-
ventional tire and reduces the
ground clearance approximately
25 mm (1 inch), which could result
in damage to the vehicle. Do not take this vehicle through an
automatic vehicle wash while the
compact spare tire is installed.
Do not use the compact spare tire on any other vehicle because this
tire has been designed especially
for your vehicle.
The compact spare tire’s tread life is shorter than a regular tire.
Inspect your compact spare tire
regularly and replace worn com-
pact spare tires with the same size
and design, mounted on the same
wheel.
The compact spare tire should not be used on any other wheels, nor
should standard tires, snow tires,
wheel covers or trim rings be used
with the compact spare wheel. If
such use is attempted, damage to
these items or other vehicle com-
ponents may occur.
Do not use more than one compact spare tire at a time.
Do not tow a trailer while the com- pact spare tire is installed.