Kia Sportage PHEV 2023 Automatic Transmission (Dial SBW)

The 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV is a big step forward in environmentally friendly and sustainable driving. It combines style, speed, and caring for the environment in a way that is both smooth and seamless. This plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is made to be as reliable and flexible as usual, just like Kias, and to also leave less of a carbon footprint. This makes it a good choice for people who care about the environment. The 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV has a unique automatic transmission system and the perfect mix of gasoline and electric power. It offers a thrilling driving experience and the option of all-electric commuting, all in a stylish and comfortable package that stands out in the constantly changing world of cars.

2023 KIA SPORTAGE Specs, Price, Features and Mileage (Brochure)

Automatic transmission (Dial SBW)

The automatic transmission has 6 forward speeds and one reverse speed. The individual speeds are selected automatically, depending on the balance between the fuel economy and the power.

Automatic transmission operation

Select transmission positions by turning the shift dial SBW.

WARNING
Automatic transmission
To reduce the risk of serious injury or death:

•  ALWAYS check the surrounding areas near your vehicle for people, especially children, before shifting a vehicle into D (Drive) or R (Reverse).
• Before leaving the driver’s seat, always make sure the gear is in the P (Park) position, then set the parking brake, and place the ENGINE START/STOP button in the OFF position. Unexpected and sudden vehicle movement can occur if these precautions are not followed.

For your safety, always depress the brake pedal while shifting to another gear.

Transmission position

Type A

Type B

The indicator in the instrument cluster displays the transmission position when the ENGINE START/STOP button is in the ON position.

P (Park)
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into P (Park).
To shift the gear from R (Reverse), N
(Neutral) or D (Drive) to P (Park), press the [P] button.
If you turn off the vehicle in D (Drive), N (Neutral) or R (Reverse), the gear automatically shifts to P (Park).
With the vehicle on, the gear automatically shifts to P (Park) if you open the driver’s door when the gear is in N (Neutral), R (Reverse) or D (Drive) and the following conditions are met:

• The brake/accelerator pedal is not depressed.
•  The seat belt is unfastened.
•  The vehicle speed is below 1 mph (2 km/h). When the vehicle is over a certain speed, the gear does not shift to P (Park) when the P button is pressed.

WARNING

• Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion may cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
•  After the vehicle has stopped, always make sure the gear is in P (Park), apply the parking brake, and turn the vehicle off.
•  Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.

R (Reverse)
Use this position to drive the vehicle backwards.
To shift to R (Reverse), turn the shift dial SBW to the [R] position while depressing the brake pedal.

CAUTION
Shifting
Always come to a complete stop before shifting into or out of R (Reverse); you may damage the transmission if you shift into R (Reverse) while the vehicle is in motion, except on “Rocking the vehicle” 

N (Neutral)
The wheels and gear are not engaged.
To shift to N (Neutral), turn the shift dial SBW to the [N] position while depressing the brake pedal. Always depress the brake pedal when you are shifting from N (Neutral) to another gear. In N (Neutral), if the driver attempts to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle is turned OFF and shifted to the P (Park) position automatically.

Stay in N (Neutral) position when engine is Off
If you want to keep the N (Neutral) position after the engine is OFF, do the following.

1.  Deactivate the AUTO HOLD and release the parking brake when the ENGINE START/STOP button is ON.
2. Turn the shift dial SBW to the N (Neutral) position by depressing the brake pedal. If the message (“Press and hold OK button to stay in Neutral when vehicle is Off”) appears on the cluster LCD display, press and hold the OK button on the steering wheel for more than 1 second. After the message is disappeared, the vehicle will keep the N position when the engine is off.
3. Turn off the engine after the message (“Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel”) appears on the cluster LCD display.

In this situation, if you unfasten the driver’s seat belt and open the driver’s door within 3 minutes, the gear shifts to P (Park) position and the ENGINE START/STOP button is turned off.
When the battery is discharged: You cannot shift the shift dial SBW, when the battery is discharged. In emergencies, do the following to move the shift dial SBW to N (Neutral) on a level ground.

1. Connect the battery cables from another vehicle or from another battery to the jump-starting terminals inside the engine compartment.
2. Release the parking brake with the ENGINE START/STOP button in the ON position.
3. Shift the gear to the N (Neutral) position. If you want to keep the N position after the engine is off, disconnect the battery from the vehicle or refer to “Stay in N (Neutral) position 

CAUTION

•  Always park the vehicle in “P”(Park)  for safety and engage the parking brake. If left in “N”, the vehicle may move and cause serious damage and injury.
•  After the ENGINE START/STOP button has been turned off, the electronic parking brake cannot be disengaged.
• For EPB (Electronic Parking Brake) equipped vehicles with AUTO HOLD function used while driving, if the ENGINE START/STOP button has been turned “OFF”, the electronic parking brake will be engaged automatically. Therefore, AUTO HOLD function should be turned off before the ENGINE START/STOP button is turned off.

D (Drive)
This is the normal driving position.
To shift to D (Drive), move the shift dial SBW to the D (Drive) position while depressing the brake pedal.
In D (Drive), if the driver attempts to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle is turned OFF and shifted to the P (Park) position automatically.

Shift-lock system
For your safety, your vehicle has a shift-lock system which prevents shifting the gear from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R (Reverse) or D (Drive) unless the brake pedal is depressed.
To shift from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R (Reverse) or D (Drive), from R (Reverse) into D (Drive) or from D (Drive) into R (Reverse):

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2.  Start the vehicle or place the ENGINE START/STOP button in the ON position.
3.  Turn the shift dial SBW to the R
   (Reverse) or D (Drive) position.

LCD display messages
If a message appears on the LCD dis-play, refer to the next section for the appropriate steps to take.

Shifting conditions not met. Reduce speed, then shift

A: Shifting conditions not met. Reduce speed, then shift
The message appears on the LCD dis-play in the following conditions:

• When driving speed is too fast to shift the gear. Decrease the vehicle speed or slow down before shifting the gear.

Error. Press the brake and shift to R and then D

A: Error. Press brake and shift to R and then D
The message appears on the LCD display when the brake pedal is not depressed while shifting the gear. Depress the brake pedal and then shift the gear.

PARK engaged

A: PARK engaged
The message appears on the LCD dis-play when the gear is shifted to P (Park) while the vehicle is moving. Stop the vehicle before shifting to P (Park).

Gear already selected

A: Gear already selected
The message appears on the LCD display when the P gear is selected again or the gear is overheated.

PARK malfunction. Engage the parking brake when parking the vehicle

A: PARK malfunction. Engage the parking brake when parking the vehicle
The message is displayed when there is a problem with the function engaging P
(Park) position. Immediately have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.

Check P button

A: Check P button
The message appears on the LCD display when there is a problem with the P button. Immediately have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer.

Check shifter dial

A: Check the shifter dial
The message appears on the LCD display when there is a problem with the shift dial SBW. Immediately have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer

Rotary shifter stuck

A: Rotary shifter stuck
The message appears on the LCD display when the shift dial SBW is continuously stuck or there is a problem with the shift dial SBW.
Make sure that there is no object around the shift dial SBW. If the problem persists, immediately have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer. When the battery (12 V) is discharged You cannot shift the gear when the battery is discharged. or contact an authorized Kia dealer.

2023 KIA SPORTAGE Specs, Price, Features and Mileage (Brochure)

Good driving practices

• Never move the shift dial SBW from P (Park) or N (Neutral) to any other position with the accelerator pedal depressed.
•  Never move the shift dial SBW 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).
•  Never take the vehicle out of gear and coast down a hill. This may be extremely hazardous. Always leave the vehicle in gear when moving.
•  Do not “ride” the brakes. This can cause them to overheat and malfunction. Instead, when you are driving down a long hill, slow down and shift to a lower . When you do this, engine braking will help slow down the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a lower gear. Otherwise, the lower gear may not be engaged.
•  Always use the parking brake. Do not depend on placing the transmission in P (Park) to keep the vehicle from moving.
•  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 the vehicle to go out of control.
•  Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly depressing and releasing the accelerator pedal.

WARNING

• When driving uphill or downhill,  always shift to D (Drive) for driving forward or shift to R (Reverse) for driving backwards, and check the gear position indicated on the cluster before driving. Driving in the opposite direction of the selected gear can lead to a dangerous situation by shutting off the engine and affecting the braking performance.
•  Always buckle-up! In a collision, an unbelted occupant is significantly more likely to be seriously injured or killed than a properly belted occupant.
•  Avoid high speeds when cornering or turning.
•  Do not make quick steering wheel movements, such as sharp lane changes or fast, sharp turns.
• The risk of a rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of your vehicle at highway speeds.
•  Losing control often occurs if two or more wheels drop off the roadway and the driver oversteers 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.
•  Never exceed posted speed limits.

WARNING
If your vehicle becomes stuck in the snow, mud, sand, etc., then you may attempt to rock the vehicle free by moving it forward and backwards. Do not attempt this procedure if people or objects are anywhere near the vehicle. During the rocking operation, the vehicle may suddenly move forward or backwards as it becomes unstuck, causing injury or damage to nearby people or objects.

Moving up a steep grade from a standing start
To move up a steep grade from a standing start:

1. Depress the brake pedal, shift the shift dial SBW to D (Drive).
2. Select the appropriate gear depending on load weight and steepness of the grade, and release the parking brake. Depress the accelerator gradually after releasing the service brakes.

Paddle shifter

The paddle shift function is available when the shift dial SBW is in the D (Drive) position.

With the shift dial SBW in the D position
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once to shift up or down one gear and the system changes from automatic mode to manual mode.
To change back to automatic shift mode from manual shift mode, do one of the following:

• Pull the [+] paddle shifter for more one second. The manual shift mode also changes back to automatic shift mode in one of the following situations:
• When the accelerator pedal is gently depressed for more than approximately 6 seconds while driving
•  When the vehicle speed is lower than 2 mph (3 km/h) (after driving more than 7 mph (10 km/h)

NOTICE
If you pull the [+] and [-] paddle shifters at the same time, you cannot shift the gear.

FAQ