Kia Sportage 2023 Owner's Manual page 244

Driving your vehicle
AWD transfer mode selection
Transfer
mode
DRIVE
MODE
SNOW
ONQ5041423N
AWD
LOCK
ONQ5041424N
CAUTION
Normal road conditions
僅 Maintain DRIVE mode when driving on roads in normal conditions.
僅 Driving in AWD Lock mode on normal roads may damage the AWD system and
cause mechanical vibration or noise.
僅 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.
僅 When you turn off AWD Lock mode, it can lead to little shocks but this is a normal
phenomenon that lasts until the traction forces on the front and rear wheels of the
vehicle are released.
5 20
Selection mode
-
SNOW
(Indicator lightis illu-
minated)
All Wheel Drive (AWD) system
Description
僅 DRIVE MODE is used when driving on roads
in normal conditions, roads in urban areas,
and on highways.
僅 All wheels are in operation when a vehicle
travels at a constant speed. Required trac-
tions applying on front and rear wheels vary
depending on road driving conditions and
driving conditions, which will be automatically
controlled by the computing system.
僅 When the cluster's DRIVE MODE display
mode is selected, the cluster displays the sta-
tus of how four wheels' traction forces are
distributed.
SNOW mode is used to appropriately distribute
the vehicle's traction forces and prevent wheel
slippage when driving on snowy or slippery
road.
The main goal of AWD Lock mode is to allow a
driver to maximize the vehicle's traction under
extreme driving conditions such as unpaved off-
road, sandy roads, and muddy roads.