Kia Sportage: How to use this manual

We want to help you get the greatest possible driving pleasure from your vehicle. Your Owner’s Manual can assist you in many ways.We strongly recommend that you read the entire manual. At the very least, you must read the WARNING and CAUTION sections spread throughout the manual, which are easily recognized by their special markings. These sections have precautions that must be followed to prevent personal injury or death. Illustrations complement the words in this manual to best explain how to enjoy your vehicle. By reading your manual, you learn about features, important safety information, and driving tips under various road conditions. The general layout of the manual is provided in the Table of Contents. A good place to start is the index; it has an alphabetical listing of all information in your manual. Sections: This manual has eight sections plus an index. Each section begins with a brief list of contents so you can tell at a glance if that section has the information you want. You’ll find various WARNING’s, CAUTION’s, and NOTICE’s in this manual. These WARNING’s, CAUTION’s and NOTICE’s were prepared to enhance your personal safety and continued satisfaction with Kia vehicle.You should carefully read and follow ALL procedures and recommendations provided in these WARNING’s, CAUTION’s and NOTICE’s.

WARNING A WARNING indicates a situation in which serious bodily injury or death could result if the warning is ignored.

CAUTION A CAUTION indicates a situation in which personal injury, perhaps severe, could result if the caution is ignored.

NOTICE A NOTICE indicates a situation in which damage to your vehicle could result if the notice is ignored.

Vehicle handling instructions

As with other vehicles of this type, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control, an accident or vehicle rollover. Specific design characteristics (higher 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 cornering at the same speeds as conventional 2-wheel drive vehicles. Avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers. Again, failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control, an accident or vehicle rollover. Be sure to read the “onpavement” and “off-road” driving guidelines, in section 5 of this manual.

Vehicle break-in process

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, economy and life of your vehicle. • Do not race the engine. • 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 emergencies, to allow the brakes to seat properly. • Avoid full-throttle starts.

Department Of Transportation Uniform Tire Quality Grades

Interior overview