KIA STINGER 2021 Owners Manual

Driving your vehicle
30 5
Shift to P after stopping
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the brake
pedal is not depressed while shifting
the gear.
We recommend you depress the
brake pedal and then shift the gear.
Press UNLOCK to change gear
The warning message appears on
the LCD display, when the
[UNLOCK] button is not pressed
while shifting the gear.
We recommend you press the
[UNLOCK] button and then shift the
gear.
PARK engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the P (Park) position is
engaged.
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531
Driving your vehicle
NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD
display, when the N (Neutral) posi-
tion is engaged.
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).
Do not move the shift lever to N
(Neutral) when driving. Doing so
may result in an accident because
of a loss of engine braking and the
transmission could be damaged.
Do not drive with your foot resting
on the brake pedal. Even light, but
consistent pedal pressure can
result in the brakes overheating,
brake wear and possibly even
brake failure. Depressing both accelerator and
brake pedals at the same time can
trigger logic for engine power
reduction to assure vehicle decel-
eration. Vehicle acceleration will
resume after the brake pedal is
released.
When driving in Sports Mode, slow
down before shifting to a lower
gear. Otherwise, the lower gear
may not be engaged if the engine
rpms are outside of the allowable
range.
Always apply the parking brake
when leaving the vehicle. Do not
depend on placing the transmis-
sion in P (Park) to keep the vehicle
from moving.

Driving your vehicle
32
5
• 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
may cause loss of vehicle control
resulting in an accident.
Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly
depressing and releasing the
accelerator.
✽ ✽ NOTICE
Kia recommends you follow all post-
ed speed limits.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
• 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.
(Continued)
(Continued)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 wear your seatbelt. In a collision, an unbelted
occupant is significantly more
likely to be seriously injured
or killed than a properly belt-
ed 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.
The risk of rollover is greatly increased if you lose control
of your vehicle at highway
speeds.
(Continued)(Continued)
Loss of control often occurs iftwo 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.
Do not attempt sudden or abrupt driving maneuvers on
slippery surfaces. Attempting
such maneuvers can result in
loss of vehicle control and
accidents.

533
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
- Kickdown Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for
maximum acceleration. Depress the
accelerator pedal beyond the pres-
sure point. The automatic transmis-
sion will shift to a lower gear
depending on the engine speed.
Launch Control
Launch Control Operation
When using Launch Control, a
driver should always make sure
that the engine’s cooling water is
warmed up and reaches a recom-
mended temperature.
To operate ESC Off state 2, Press
and hold ESC button for more than
3 seconds in Sports mode. (Status
Display on Cluster Screen)
For launching, stop the vehicle and
keep the steering wheel straight.
Footbrakes, EPB and Auto Hold
must be released for smooth
launching. Press the brake firmly with your left
foot in transmission D mode, while
pressing the accelerator pedal
down fully with your right foot.
Then, the Launch Control Ready
(1) will be in place.
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Driving your vehicle
34 5
To start a vehicle, with your right
foot pressing the accelerator pedal
down fully, remove your left foot
from the brake. (within 4 seconds)
(Launch Control Active (2) Status
Display on Cluster Screen)
If both the brakes and accelerater
pedals were applied and the driver
removes his foot only from the
accelerater pedal, Launch Control
will be automatically deactivated. Or,
if the vehicle does not start after 4
seconds with a driver’s feet on both
brake and accelerate pedals,
Launch Control will automatically
deactivated as well. Do not operate both brake and
accelerate pedals simultaneously
for longer than 4 seconds.
When re-using Launch Control, a
driver should have the vehicle cool
down sufficiently by driving.
Limited use of Launch Control (3)
An warning message will pop up
on the screen if the transmission
fluid temperature is above a certain
level while using Launch Control.
Also, Launch Control will be auto-
matically deactivated.
To address the issue as above, a
driver should cool down the trans-
mission fluid temperature by driv-
ing the vehicle. (Driving at a con-
stant speed over 37 mph (60 km/h)
is highly recommended, but this
should only be done if traffic and
road conditions permit the driver to
do so safely.)
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535
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
Launch performance can vary
depending on fuel, environment,
tire, and loading conditions.
CAUTION
Constant use of Launch Control
can put enormous stress on
transmission, engine, and drive
shafts and can result in vehicle
damage. It is highly recom-
mended that Launch Control is
used after completion of the
vehicle brake-in process.
WARNING
It is the responsibility of the
driver to make sure it is safe
before using Launch Control.
Do not use Launch Control on
public roads or when pedestrian
congestion is present. Doing so
could result in an accident that
causes serious injuries.

Driving your vehicle
36 5
When certain conditions are met, the
engine is automatically decoupled
from the transmission while the shift
lever is remained in D (Drive). In this
ECO Coasting mode, the engine
stays at idling speed to reduce fuel
consumption and increase coasting
distance. The engine is automatically
coupled back again when ECO
Coasting deactivation conditions are
met. Please refer to ECO Coasting
activation and deactivation condi-
tions.
The Eco-Coasting system set-
ting
The Eco-Coasting system activates
if select the Eco-Coasting system
from AVN : "Setting Vehicle 
Coasting" (Please refer to AVN man-
ual for more details.)
When the Eco-Coasting system is
activated, the message "Coasting"
appears at the top center of the clus-
ter.
Eco-Coasting operation condi-
tions
The Eco-Coasting system is activat-
ed when the accelerator pedal is
depressed and released under the
following conditions.
When the driving mode is ECO
mode.
When driver acceleration is
SMART ECO in SMART mode.
When the shift lever is in the D
(Drive) position.
When Cruise Control/Smart Cruise
Control button is OFF.
The accelerator or brake pedal is
not depressed.
When the vehicle speed is within
the range of 35 mph (55 km/h) to
100 mph (160 km/h).
If the road gradient is within the
range of -5% to +5%.
In SMART mode, if the distance
between the vehicle ahead and the
relative speed is within a certain
range (if Smart Cruise Control
system is equipped)
THE ECO-COASTING SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED)
CAUTION
If the accelerator pedal is
pressed quickly for accelerat-
ing with the Eco-Coasting sys-
tem in operation, acceleration
may occur after the engage-
ment of the clutch inside the
transmission. In turn, the driv-
er may continue to feel accel-
eration even after the system
is turned off.
Driving with the Eco-Coasting
system off may be required in
some cases since the engine
brake is not applied while the
Eco-Coasting system is in
operation.
Operation the AVN screen to
activate or deactivate Eco-
Coasting system while driving
may be dangerous as the dri-
ver's attention is dispersed.

537
Driving your vehicle
❈If the front radar for Smart Cruise
Control system cannot operate
normally, the inter-vehicle dis-
tance and relative speed condition
are automatically ignored.
❈ The Eco-Coasting system works
after the engine is turned on, the
transmission is warmed up, and
the engine sensor selfdiagnosis is
completed after starting.
❈ Depending on the driving situa-
tion, Eco-Coasting operation may
be temporarily delayed even if the
above conditions are met.The Eco-Coasting system
release conditions
The Eco-Coasting system will be
automatically released when the fol-
lowing conditions are met.
When the drive mode is COM-
FORT or SPORT mode.
In SMART mode, when driver
acceleration is SMART COMFORT
or SMART SPORT.
When using the paddle shift of the
steering wheel.
When the Cruise Control/Smart
Cruise Control button is on (The
/
CRUISE indicator is on.).
When pressing the accelerator
pedal or brake pedal.
When the vehicle speed is outside
the range of 35 mph (55 km/h) to
100 mph (160 km/h).
Road inclination is less than -5% or
exceeds +5%.
In SMART mode, if the headway
distance to the vehicle ahead is too
close of the relative speed
changes momentarily (if Smart
Cruise Control system is
equipped) If lane change is predicated in
SMART mode (LKA warning by
turn signal lamp operation or steer-
ing wheel).
❈It is recommended to turn off the
Eco-Coasting system in the driv-
ing condition where frequent
acceleration or deceleration is
repeated.
Change the drive mode to COM-
FORT or SPORT mode, or disable
Eco-Coasting mode on the AVN
screen.

Driving your vehicle
38 5
Using All Wheel Drive (AWD)
The All Wheel Drive (AWD) System
delivers engine power to front and
rear wheels for maximum traction.
AWD is useful when extra traction is
required, such as when driving slip-
pery, muddy, wet, or snow-covered
roads.
If the system determines there is a
need for four wheel drive, the
engine's driving power is distributed
to all four wheels automatically.
ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (IF EQUIPPED)
WARNING
If the AWD warning light ( )
stays on the instrument cluster,
your vehicle may have a mal-
function with the AWD system.
When the AWD warning light
( ) illuminates, we recom-
mend that the vehicle be
checked by an authorized Kia
dealer as soon as possible.
WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS
INJURY or DEATH:
Do not drive in conditions that
exceed the vehicle's intended
design such as challenging
off-road conditions.
(Continued)
(Continued)
Avoid high speeds when cor-
nering or turning.
Do not make quick steering
wheel movements, such as
sharp lane changes or fast,
sharp turns.
The risk of a rollover is great-
ly increased if you lose con-
trol of your vehicle at highway
speeds.
Loss of 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.

539
Driving your vehicle
✽ ✽
NOTICE
• Do not drive in water if the level is
higher than the bottom of the vehi-
cle.
• Check your brake condition once
you are out of mud or water.
Depress the brake pedal several
times as you move slowly until you
feel normal braking 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 chap-
ter 7).
• Make sure that AWD vehicle is
towed by a flatbed tow truck.
For safe AWD operation
Before driving
Make sure all passengers are
wearing seat belts.
Sit upright and closer to the steer-
ing wheel than usual. Adjust the
steering wheel to a position com-
fortable for you to drive.
Driving on snow-covered or icy roads
Start off slowly by applying the
accelerator pedal gently.
Use snow tires or tire chains.
Keep sufficient distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Use engine braking during deceler-
ation.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent skids.Driving in sand or mud
Maintain slow and constant speed.
Use tire chains driving in mud if
necessary.
Keep sufficient distance between
your vehicle and the vehicle in front
of you.
Reduce vehicle speed and always
check the road condition.
Avoid speeding, rapid acceleration,
sudden brake applications, and
sharp turns to prevent getting
stuck.
✽ ✽
NOTICE
When the vehicle is stuck in snow,
sand or mud, place a non-slip mate-
rial under the drive wheels to pro-
vide traction OR slowly spin the
wheels in forward and reverse direc-
tions which causes a rocking motion
that may free the vehicle. See the
Section "Rocking the Vehicle" for
more details. However, avoid run-
ning the engine continuously at high
rpm, which could damage the AWD
system.