steering KIA SPORTAGE 2021 Owner's Guide

Driving your vehicle
245
Tight corner brake effect
✽NOTICE- AWD
When turning sharply on a paved
road at low speed while in all wheel
drive, steering control will be difficult.
Tight corner brake effect is a unique
characteristic of all wheel drive vehi-
cles caused by the difference in tire
rotation at the four wheels and the
zero-degree alignment of the front
wheels and suspension.
Sharp turns at low speeds should be
carried out with caution.

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Driving your vehicle
• You must consciously take theeffort to learn how to corner in a
AWD vehicle. Do not rely on your
experience in conventional FWD
vehicles in choosing safe cornering
speed in AWD mode. For starters,
you must drive more slowly in
AW D.
• Drive carefully when driving on unpaved roads because your vehi-
cle may be damaged by rocks or
roots of trees. • Always hold the steering wheel firm-
ly when you are driving off-road.
• Make sure all passengers are wearing seat belts.
WARNING - Steering
wheel
Do not grab the inside of the
steering wheel when you are
driving off-road. You may hurt
your arm by a sudden steering
maneuver or from steering
wheel rebound due to impact
with objects on the ground. You
could also lose control of your
steering wheel while driving on
rough terrain.
WARNING - Wind danger
If you are driving in heavy wind,
the vehicle's higher center of
gravity decreases your steering
control capacity and requires
you to drive more slowly.
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WARNING - AWD
Reduce speed when you turn
corners. The center of gravity of
AWD vehicles is higher than
that of conventional FWD vehi-
cles, making them more likely to
roll over when you turn corners
too fast.

Driving your vehicle
285
• If you need to drive in the water,stop your vehicle, set your transfer
to the AWD LOCK mode and drive
at less than 5 mph (8 km/h).✽NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level ishigher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once you are out of mud or water. Press
the brake pedal several times as
you move slowly until you feel nor-
mal braking forces return.
• Shorten your scheduled mainte- nance interval if you drive in off-
road conditions such as sand, mud
or water (see “Maintenance under
severe usage conditions” in section
8). Always wash your vehicle thor-
oughly after off-road use, especially
cleaning the bottom of the vehicle.
• Since the driving torque is always applied to the 4 wheels the per-
formance of the AWD vehicle is
greatly affected by the condition of
the tires. Be sure to equip the vehi-
cle with four tires of the same size
and type.
• A full time all wheel drive vehicle cannot be towed by an ordinary
tow truck. Make sure that the
vehicle is placed on a flat bed
truck for moving.
WARNING - Driving
through water
Drive slowly. If you are driving
too fast in water, the water can
get into the engine compart-
ment and wet the ignition sys-
tem, causing your vehicle to
suddenly stop. If this happens
and your vehicle is in a tilted
position, your vehicle may roll
over.
WARNING - AWD driving
• Avoid high cornering speed.
• Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
• The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at high speed.
• Loss of control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off
the roadway and the driver
over-steers to re-enter the
roadway. In the event your
vehicle leaves the roadway, do
not steer sharply. Instead,
slow down before pulling
back into the travel lanes.

5 31
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 per-
formance.
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.

5 47
Driving your vehicle
Electronic stability control
(ESC)
The Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) system is designed to stabi-
lize the vehicle during cornering
maneuvers. ESC checks where you
are steering and where the vehicle is
actually going. ESC applies the
brakes at individual wheels and inter-
venes with engine management sys-
tem to stabilize the vehicle.The Electronic stability control (ESC)
system is an electronic system
designed to help the driver maintain
vehicle control under adverse condi-
tions. It is not a substitute for safe
driving practices. Factors including
speed, road conditions and driver
steering input can all affect whether
ESC will be effective in preventing a
loss of control. It is still your respon-
sibility to drive and corner at reason-
able speeds and to leave a sufficient
margin of safety.
When you apply your brakes under
conditions which may lock the
wheels, you may hear a “tik-tik’’
sound from the brakes, or feel a cor-
responding sensation in the brake
pedal. This is normal and it means
your ESC is active.
✽NOTICE
A click/clunk type sound may be
heard once per ignition cycle in the
engine compartment when the vehi-
cle begins to move after the engine is
started. These conditions are normal
and indicate that Electronic stabili-
ty control (ESC) System is function-
ing properly.
WARNING
Never drive too fast for the road
conditions or too quickly when
cornering. Electronic stability
control (ESC) will not prevent
accidents. Excessive speed in
turns, abrupt maneuvers and
hydroplaning on wet surfaces
can still result in serious acci-
dents. Only a safe and attentive
driver can prevent accidents by
avoiding maneuvers that cause
the vehicle to lose traction.
Even with ESC installed, always
follow all the normal precautions
for driving - including driving at
safe speeds for the conditions.

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Driving your vehicle
Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
The Downhill Brake Control (DBC)
allows the vehicle to descend from a
steep hill without depressing the
brake pedal. It slows down the vehi-
cle under 5 mph (8 km/h) and allows
the driver concentrate on steering
the vehicle.
✽NOTICE
• The DBC defaults to the OFF posi-tion whenever the ignition switch
is placed in the ON position.
• Noise or vibration may occur from the brakes when the DBC is acti-
vated.
• The rear stop light comes on when DBC is activated.
OQL055117
OQL055116
WARNING
Always turn off the DBC on nor-
mal roads. The DBC might acti-
vate inadvertently from the
standby mode when driving
through speed bumps or mak-
ing sharp curves increasing the
risk of a crash.
WARNING
The DBC is a supplemental sys-
tem only and is not a substitute
for safe driving practices. A
driver should not solely rely on
this system when descending
from a hill and should always be
ready to apply the brakes
depending on road and traffic
conditions.

5 53
Driving your vehicle
Good braking practices
Wet brakes can be dangerous! The
brakes may get wet if the vehicle is
driven through standing water or if it
is washed. Your vehicle will not stop
as quickly if the brakes are wet. Wet
brakes may cause the vehicle to pull
to one side.To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action returns
to normal, taking care to keep the
vehicle under control at all times. If
the braking action does not return to
normal, stop as soon as it is safe to
do so and we recommend that you
call an authorized Kia dealer for
assistance.
DO NOT drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
constant pedal pressure can result in
the brakes overheating, brake wear,
and possibly even brake failure.
If a tire goes flat while you are driv-
ing, apply the brakes gently and
keep the vehicle pointed straight
ahead while you slow down. When
you are moving slowly enough for it
to be safe to do so, pull off the road
and stop in a safe location.
Keep your foot firmly on the brake
pedal when the vehicle is stopped to
prevent the vehicle from rolling for-
ward.
Vehicle stability management
(VSM)
This system provides further
enhancements to vehicle stability
and steering responses when a vehi-
cle is driving on a slippery road or a
vehicle detects changes in coeffi-
cient of friction between right wheels
and left wheels when braking.
WARNING
Whenever leaving the vehicle or
parking, always come to a com-
plete stop and continue to
depress the brake pedal. Move
the shift lever into the P (Park)
position, then apply the parking
brake, and place the Engine
Start/Stop button in the OFF
position.
Vehicles with the parking brake
not fully engaged are at risk for
moving inadvertently and caus-
ing injury to yourself or others.WARNING- Tire/
Wheel size
When replacing tires and wheels,
make sure they are the same size
as the original tires and wheels
installed. Driving with varying
tire or wheel sizes may diminish
any supplemental safety benefits
of the VSM system.

Driving your vehicle
545
VSM operation
When the VSM is in operation, ESC
indicator light ( ) blinks.
When the vehicle stability manage-
ment is operating properly, you can
feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle
and/or abnormal steering responses
(EPS- Electronic Power Steering).
This is only the effect of brake and
EPS control and indicates nothing
unusual.
The VSM does not operate when:
• Driving on a sloping road such as agradient or incline
• Driving in reverse
• ESC OFF indicator light ( ) remains on the instrument cluster
• EPS indicator light remains on the instrument cluster
VSM operation off
If you select the LCD display  ESC
 ESC OFF/ESC OFF (TCS OFF)
the VSM will also cancel and the
ESC OFF indicator light ( ) illumi-
nates.
To turn on the VSM, select the ESC
OFF/ESC OFF (TCS OFF). The ESC
OFF indicator light goes out.
Malfunction indicator
The VSM can be deactivated even if
you don’t cancel the VSM operation
by select the ESC OFF/ESC OFF
(TCS OFF). It indicates that a mal-
function has been detected some-
where in the Electric Power Steering
system or VSM system. If the ESC
indicator light ( ) or EPS warning
light remains on, take your vehicle to
an authorized Kia dealer and have
the system checked.
✽NOTICE
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 13 mph (22
km/h) on curves.
• The VSM is designed to function above approximately 6 mph (10
km/h) when a vehicle is braking on
a split-mu surface. A split-mu sur-
face is made of two surfaces which
have different friction forces.
WARNING
- Vehicle stability manage-
ment
Drive carefully even though your
vehicle has Vehicle stability man-
agement. It can only assist you in
maintaining control under cer-
tain circumstances.

5 55
Driving your vehicle
• The Vehicle Stability Managementsystem is not a substitute for safe
driving practices but a supplemen-
tary function only. It is the responsi-
bility of the driver to always check
the speed and the distance to the
vehicle ahead. Always hold the
steering wheel firmly while driving.
• Your vehicle is designed to activate according to the driver’s intention,
even with installed VSM. Always fol-
low all the normal precautions for
driving at safe speeds for the condi-
tions – including driving in clement
weather and on a slippery road.Hill-start assist control (HAC)
A vehicle has the tendency to roll
back on a steep hill when it starts to
go after stopping. The Hill-start
Assist Control (HAC) prevents the
vehicle from rolling back by applying
the brakes automatically for about 2
seconds. The brakes are released
when the accelerator pedal is
depressed or after about 2 seconds.
The HAC is activated only for about 2
seconds, so when the vehicle is
starting off always depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Good braking practices
• Check to be sure the parking brakeis not engaged and the parking
brake indicator light is out before
driving away.
• Driving through water may get the brakes wet. They can also get wet
when the vehicle is washed. Wet
brakes can be dangerous! Your
vehicle will not stop as quickly if the
brakes are wet. Wet brakes may
cause the vehicle to pull to one side.
To dry the brakes, apply the brakes
lightly until the braking action
returns to normal, taking care to
keep the vehicle under control at all
times. If the braking action does not
return to normal, stop as soon as it
is safe to do so and call an author-
ized Kia dealer for assistance.
• Don't coast down hills with the vehicle out of gear. This is extreme-
ly hazardous. Keep the vehicle in
gear at all times, use the brakes to
slow down, then shift to a lower
gear so that engine braking will
help you maintain a safe speed.
WARNING- Maintaining
Brake Pressure on Incline
HAC does not replace the need
to apply brakes while stopped on
an incline. While stopped, make
sure you maintain brake pres-
sure sufficient to prevent your
vehicle from rolling backward
and causing an accident. Don’t
release the brake pedal until you
are ready to accelerate forward.WARNING
For maximum protection,
always wear your seat belt. No
system, no matter how
advanced, can compensate for
all driver error and/or driving
conditions. Always drive
responsibly.

Driving your vehicle
585
When Active ECO is activated:
• The acceleration may slightly bereduced even though you depress
the accelerator fully.
• The air conditioner performance may be limited
• The shift pattern of the automatic transmission may change.
• The engine noise may get louder.
The above situations are normal
conditions when the Active Eco
System is activated to improve fuel
efficiency. Limitation of Active ECO opera-
tion:
If the following conditions occur while
Active ECO is operating, the system
operation is limited even though
there is no change in the ECO indi-
cator.
• When the coolant temperature is
low:
The system will be limited until
engine performance becomes nor-
mal.
• When driving up a hill: The system will be limited to gain
power when driving uphill because
the engine torque is restricted.
• When using manual mode: The system will be limited accord-
ing to the shift location.
• When the accelerator pedal is deeply depressed for a few sec-
onds:
The system will be limited, judging
that the driver wants to speed up.SPORT mode
SPORT mode focuses on
dynamic driving by auto-
matically adjusting the
steering wheel, engine
and transmission system.
• When the DRIVE MODE button is pressed and the SPORT mode is
selected, the SPORT indicator
(yellow) will illuminate.
• When the SPORT mode is activat- ed, and the engine start/stop but-
ton is turned off and on it will
change to NORMAL mode. To turn
on the SPORT mode press DRIVE
MODE button again.
• If the system is activated:
- It maintains the gear and RPM for some time even though the accel-
erator pedal is not depressed.
- Up-shifting is delayed.
✽ NOTICE
In Sport drive mode, the fuel effi-
ciency may decrease.
SPORT