Kia Sportage 2023 Owner's Manual page 239

Driving your vehicle
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing grades, depress the
accelerator fully, at which time the trans-
mission will automatically downshift to
the next lower gear.
NOTICE
Always come to a complete stop before
shifting into D (Drive).
Manual mode
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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.
In manual mode, moving the shift lever
backwards and forwards will allow you
to make gearshifts rapidly. In contrast to
a manual transmission, manual mode
allows gearshifts with the accelerator
pedal depressed.
僅 Up (+): Push the lever forward once to
shift up one gear.
僅 Down (-): Pull the lever backwards
once to shift down one gear.
NOTICE
僅 The driver must execute upshifts in
accordance with road conditions, tak-
ing care to keep the engine speed
below the red zone.
Automatic transmission (Shift Lever)
僅 Only the 8 forward gears can be
selected. To reverse or park the vehi-
cle, move the shift lever to the R
(Reverse) or P (Park) position as
required.
僅 Downshifts are made automatically
when the vehicle slows down. When
the vehicle stops, 1st gear is automati-
cally selected.
僅 When the engine rpm approaches the
red zone shift points are varied to
upshift automatically.
僅 To maintain the required levels of
vehicle performance and safety, the
system may not execute certain gear-
shifts when the shift lever is operated.
僅 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 bet-
ter for smooth driving on a slippery
road. Push the shift lever to the -
(down) side to shift back to the 1st
gear.
Paddle shifter (if equipped)
The paddle shift function is available
when the shift lever is in the D (Drive)
position or the manual mode.
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