Kia Stinger 2022 Automatic Transmission (Shift-by-Wire)

The 2022 Kia Stinger’s automatic transmission with Shift-by-Wire technology is a huge step forward in car engineering. It combines precision and efficiency to completely change the driving experience. Instead of using traditional mechanical linkages, this new system electronically turns what the driver wants to do into gear shifts, making the process smoother and giving the driver more control. Shift-by-Wire is a big step forward in technology that not only makes the Stinger work better but also shows a forward-thinking attitude. This transmission system combines the best features of traditional automatics with the benefits of electronic accuracy, giving drivers the option of choosing a gear manually through paddle shifters or the gear selector itself. The result is a ride that is both dynamic and smooth. Shift-by-Wire technology in the 2022 Kia Stinger shows how committed the brand is to pushing the limits and giving drivers a better experience in a car that oozes style, power, and new ideas.

Automatic transmission (shift-by-wire)

When you move the shift lever (1), depress the brake pedal while pressing the UNLOCK button (2).
To shift the gear to P (Park), press the [P] button(3).

Automatic transmission operation

The automatic transmission has 8 forward speeds and one reverse speed.
The individual speeds are selected automatically in the D (Drive) position.

WARNING
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 shift lever 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.
• Do not use engine braking (rapidly shifting from a high gear to lower gear) on slippery roads. The vehicle may slip causing an accident.

Transmission ranges
The indicator in the instrument cluster displays the shift lever position when the ENGINE START/STOP button is in the ON position.
However, if the gear is in N (Neutral) or P (Park), the position is displayed on the instrument cluster when the ENGINE START/STOP button is in the OFF or ACC position.

CAUTION
Transmission
To avoid damage to your transmission, do not accelerate the engine in R (Reverse) or any forward gear position with the brakes on. The transmission may be damaged if you shift into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion.

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop before shifting into P (Park).
To shift the gear from R (Reverse), N (Neutral), D (Drive) or Manual mode to P (Park), press the [P] button.
If you turn off the engine in D
(Drive) or R (Reverse), the shifting automatically changes to P (Park).
When you park the vehicle, press the [P] button while depressing the brake pedal and then apply the parking brake.
To reduce rollaway risk, do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.

WARNING

•  Shifting into P (Park) while the vehicle is in motion may cause you to lose control of the vehicle.
• Do not use the P (Park) position in place of the parking brake.

R (Reverse)
D (Drive) → R (Reverse)

P (Park), N (Neutral) → R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle backwards.
To move the shift lever to R
(Reverse), press the [UNLOCK] button while depressing the brake pedal and then move the shift lever forward.

N (Neutral)

R (Reverse), D (Drive) → N (Neutral)

The wheels and transmission are not engaged.
Use N (Neutral) if you need to restart a stalled engine, or if it is necessary to stop with the engine ON. Shift into P (Park) if you need to leave your vehicle for any reason.
Always depress the brake pedal when you are shifting from N (Neutral) to another gear.
To turn off the engine, re-press the ENGINE START/STOP button to the ON position, press the [P] button, and press the ENGINE START/STOP button to the OFF position.
When either the driver’s door or the front passenger’s door is opened with the ENGINE START/STOP button in the ACC position and the shift lever in N (Neutral) position, the engine is automatically turned OFF and the transmission automatically changes to the P (Park) position.

WARNING

• To avoid inadvertent vehicle movement, do not shift into gear unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
• movement, do not shift into gear unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal. in the N (Neutral) position for an extended period of time as this will preclude the wheels and the transmission from engaging. While parking the vehicle with the engine running, depress the brake pedal, shift the vehicle to the P (Park) position and apply the parking brake.
• Do not drive with the shift lever in N (Neutral). The engine brake will not work and may lead to an accident.

D (Drive)

P (Park), N (Neutral) → D (Drive)

This is the normal driving position. The transmission will automatically shift through a 8-gear sequence, providing the best fuel economy and power.
For extra power when passing another vehicle or driving uphill, depress the accelerator pedal further until you feel the transmission downshift to a lower gear.
To shift into D (Drive), depress the brake pedal and press the [UNLOCK] button on the shift lever. Move the shift lever backward.
To shift into D (Drive) from N (Neutral), you must depress the brake pedal.

NOTICE
Always come to complete stop before shifting into D (Drive).

NOTICE
When moving the shift lever to N (Neutral) position, a normal mechanical sound will occur.

CAUTION
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, the [AUTO HOLD] function should be turned off before the ENGINE START/STOP button is turned off.

WARNING

• With the exception of parking in neutral gear, always park the vehicle in [P] (Park) for safety and apply the parking brake.
•  Before parking in [N] (Neutral) gear, first make sure the parking ground is level and flat. Do not park in [N] gear on any slopes or gradients. If parked and left in [N], the vehicle may move and cause serious damage or injury.

NOTICE
After the ENGINE START/STOP button has been turned off, the electronic parking brake cannot be disengaged.

Paddle shifter (Manual mode)

The paddle shifter is available when the shift lever is in the D (Drive) position.
Pull the [+] or [-] paddle shifter once to shift up or down one gear and the system changes from automatic mode to manual mode.
The system changes from manual mode to automatic mode in one of the following situations.

1. The [+] paddle has been pulled and held for more than 1 second.
2. The accelerator pedal has been depressed gently for more than 6 seconds.
3.  The vehicle speed is lower than 4 mph (7 km/h).
4. The shift lever has been pulled Driving your vehicle

Manual mode is not changed to automatic mode in (2) when SPORT mode or SPORT of powertrain in CUSTOM mode is selected in the drive mode integrated control system.

NOTICE
If the [+] and [-] paddle shifters are pulled at the same time, gear shift may not occur.

Shift-lock system
For your safety, the automatic transmission has a shift-lock system which prevents shifting the transmission from P (Park) into R (Reverse) or D (Drive) unless the [UNLOCK] button is pressed while depressing the brake pedal.
To shift the transmission from P (Park) into R (Reverse) or D (Drive):

1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.
2. Start the engine or place the ENGINE START/STOP button in the ON position.
3. Move the shift lever to R (Reverse) or D (Drive) while pressing the [UNLOCK] button.

When the battery is discharged:

You can move the shift lever, when the battery is discharged. However, it will not change the gear from P (Parking) to N (Neutral) or others.
In emergencies, do the following to move the shift lever to N (Neutral) on level ground.

1.  Connect the cables between the jump-starting terminals inside the engine compartment and the battery terminals of another vehicle/supplementary battery. 
2. Release the parking brake with the ENGINE START/STOP button in the ON position.
3. Press the ENGINE START/STOP button to the OFF position.
4. Remove the cap-cover (1) and insert a tool (e.g. flathead screw-driver) into the access hole and press down on the tool while depressing the brake pedal. Then, the gear will change to the N
   (Neutral) position. It should be pressed within 3 minutes after turning OFF the engine.

NOTICE
In situations where the gear needs to be changed from P (Park) to N (Neutral) when the ENGINE START/STOP button is in the OFF position, refer to step 4.
The actuators work to shift the gear into the N (Neutral) or P (Parking) and make a normal mechanical sound.

Parking

Always come to a complete stop and continue to depress the brake pedal. Move the shift lever into the P (Park) position, apply the parking brake, and place the ENGINE START/STOP button in the OFF position. Take the key with you when exiting the vehicle.

WARNING

• Do not depress the accelerator pedal while sitting in the vehicle with the engine running. Depressing the accelerator pedal for a long period of time may cause the engine or exhaust system to overheat and start a fire. The exhaust gas and the exhaust system are very hot. Keep away from the exhaust system components. Do not stop or park over flammable materials, such as dry grass, paper or leaves. They may ignite and cause a fire.

LCD display messages

Shifter system malfunction 

The warning message appears on the LCD display when the transmission or the shift lever does not properly operate in the P (Park) position. In this case, have the vehi-cle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately.

Check shift lever

The warning message appears on the LCD display, when there is a malfunction with one of the key transmission components.
In this case, have the vehicle inspected by an authorized Kia dealer immediately.

Shifting conditions not met

The warning message appears on the LCD display, when the engine RPM is too high, or when the driving speed is too fast to shift the gear.

We recommend you decrease your RPM level or slow down before shifting the gear.

Press brake pedal to change gear

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.

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.

Vehicle Power is limited due to high transmission temperature 

This message is displayed when the transmission oil temperature is high. Drive at a steady speed or stop the vehicle at a safe place with the engine on. When the oil temperature returns to normal, the message will disappear.

PARK engaged

The message appears on the LCD display when the P (Park) position is engaged.

NEUTRAL engaged
The message appears on the LCD display when the N (Neutral) position 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 deceleration. 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 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 may cause loss of vehicle control resulting in an accident.
•  Optimum vehicle performance and economy is obtained by smoothly depressing and releasing the accelerator.

WARNING
To reduce the risk of SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH:

• 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 wear your seatbelt. 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 rollover is greatly increased if you lose control of your vehicle at highway speeds.
•  Loss of 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.
• Do not attempt sudden or abrupt driving manoeuvres on slippery surfaces. Attempting such manoeuvres can result in loss of vehicle control and accidents.

NOTICE
Kia recommends you follow all posted speed limits.

NOTICE

Kickdown Mechanism
Use the kickdown mechanism for maximum acceleration. Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point. The automatic transmission 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 recommended 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.  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.

Launch Control Ready (1)

•  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)

Launch Control Active (2) 

• If both the brakes and acceleration pedals were applied and the driver removes his foot only from the accelerator pedal, Launch Control will be automatically deactivated. Or, if the vehicle does not start after 4 seconds with a drivers 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) 

• A 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 automatically deactivated.
• To address the issue as above, a driver should cool down the transmission fluid temperature by driving the vehicle. (Driving at a constant 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.)

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.

NOTICE
Launch performance can vary depending on fuel, environment, tire, and loading conditions.

CAUTION
Constant use of Launch Control can put enormous stress on the transmission, engine, and drive shafts and can result in vehicle damage. It is highly recommended that Launch Control is used after completion of the vehicle brake-in process.

FAQ