Kia Stonic 2019, Owner'S Manual, Page: 281 / 611

Driving your vehicle
26 6
Using the clutch
The clutch should be pressed all the
way to the floor before shifting, then
released slowly. The clutch pedal
should always be fully released whilst
driving. Do not rest your foot on the
clutch pedal whilst driving. This can
cause unnecessary wear. Do not par-
tially engage the clutch to hold the
vehicle on an incline. This causes
unnecessary wear. Use the foot brake
or parking brake to hold the vehicle on
an incline. Do not operate the clutch
pedal rapidly and repeatedly.
Downshifting
When you must slow down in heavy
traffic or whilst driving up steep hills,
downshift before the engine starts to
labour. Downshifting reduces the
chance of stalling and gives better
acceleration when you again need to
increase your speed. When the vehi-
cle is travelling down steep hills,
downshifting helps maintain safe
speed and prolongs brake life.
Good driving practices
• Never take the vehicle out of gear
and coast down a hill. This is
extremely hazardous. Always leave
the vehicle in gear.
• Don't "ride" the brakes. This can
cause them to overheat and mal-
function. Instead, when you are driv-
ing down a long hill, shift to a lower
gear. When you do this, engine brak-
ing will help slow down the vehicle.
• Slow down before shifting to a
lower gear. This will help avoid
over-revving the engine, which can
cause damage.
• Slow down when you encounter
cross winds. This gives you much
better control of your vehicle.
• Be sure the vehicle is completely
stopped before you attempt to shift
into reverse. The transaxle can be
damaged if you do not.
CAUTION
When operating the clutch
pedal, press the clutch pedal
down fully. If you don’t press the
clutch pedal fully, the clutch
may be damaged or noise may
occur.