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Automatic Transmission Operation

The automatic transmission has eight forward speeds and one reverse speed.

The individual speeds are selected automatically in the D (Drive) position.

The automatic transmission shift button or interior parts might get hot when a vehicle is parked out-side during hot weather. Always be careful when the vehicle is hot.

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 vehicle is shifted to the P (Park) position, then apply the parking brake, then place the ignition switch or press the Engine Start/Stop button to the LOCK/OFF position. Unexpected and sudden vehicle movement can occur if these precautions are not followed.

  • When using the paddle shifter (manual shift mode), do not use engine braking (shifting from a high gear to lower gear) rapidly on slippery roads. The vehicle may slip causing an accident.

Transmission ranges

P (Park)

Always come to a complete stop before shifting into P (Park).

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To shift the gear to P (Park), press the P button while depressing the brake pedal.

If you turn the engine off in R (Reverse), N (Neutral) or D (Drive), the gear will automatically shift to P (Park).

  • 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 vehicle is in P (Park), apply the parking brake, and turn the engine off.

  • When parking on an incline, shift the gear to P (Park) and apply the parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling downhill.

Automatic gear shift to P (Park)

The gear is shifted to P (Park) automatically for safety reasons under the following conditions:

  • When the engine is turned off with the gear in R (Reverse), D (Drive) or N (Neutral).

  • When the driver’s door is open with the engine running, the gear in R (Reverse), D (Drive) or N (Neutral), the seat belt unfastened and the vehicle at a standstill.

  • When the driver’s or front passenger’s door is open with the gear in N (Neutral) and the vehicle is off.

In situations the gear must be in P (Park), always check if the gear is shifted to P (Park) by checking the cluster.

R (Reverse)

Use this position to drive the vehicle rearward.

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To shift the gear R (Reverse), press the R button while depressing the brake pedal.

When the vehicle is stopped in the R (Reverse) position, if you open the driver's door with the seat belt unfastened, the gear will automatically shift to P (Park).

However, if the vehicle is in motion, the gear may not automatically shift to P (Park) to prevent automatic transmission damage.

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.

N (Neutral)

The wheels and transmission are not engaged.

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To shift the gear to N (Neutral), press the N button from R (Reverse) or D (Drive) while depressing the brake pedal.

Always depress the brake pedal when you are shifting from N (Neutral) to another gear.

If you turn the engine off in N (Neutral), the gear will automatically shift to P (Park).

However, if you need to stay in N (Neutral) with the engine off, refer to “#id25a17eba3d0/id231FL0O0U9N”.

The engine can be started with the gear in N (Neutral), but for you safety, be sure to start the engine with the gear in P (Park).

To stay in N (Neutral) when vehicle is OFF

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If you want to stay in N (Neutral) after the engine is OFF (in the ACC state), do the following.

  1. Turn off Auto Hold and release Electronic Parking Brake when the engine is running.

  2. Press the shift button to N (neutral) while depressing the brake pedal.

  3. When you take your foot off the brake pedal, the message ‘Press and hold the OK button on the steering wheel to stay in Neutral’ will appear on the cluster LCD display.

  4. Press and hold the OK button (A) on the steering wheel for more than 1 second.

  5. When the message ‘Vehicle will stay in (N). Change gear to cancel’ appears on the cluster LCD display, press the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop button while depressing the brake pedal.

    If you wish to cancel, change gear to P (Park), D (Drive) or R (Reverse), or N (Neutral) will stay engaged when the vehicle is Off.

    Also, if you open the driver's door, the gear will automatically shift to P (Park) and the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop button will change to the LOCK/OFF position.

With the gear in N (Neutral) the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop button will be in the ACC position. In the ACC position, the doors cannot be locked. The battery may discharge if left in the ACC position for a long time.

D (Drive)

This is the normal driving position.

The transmission will automatically shift through an 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.

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To shift the gear D (Drive), press the D button while depressing the brake pedal.

When the vehicle is stopped in the D (Drive) position, if you open the driver's door with the seat belt unfastened, the gear will automatically shift to P (Park).

However, if the vehicle is in motion, the gear may not automatically shift to P (Park) to prevent automatic transmission damage.

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

When you start after stopping on a steep incline, even if the gear is in D (Drive), if you do not depress the accelerator or brake pedal, the vehicle may roll backwards, which can cause an accident.

When the battery is discharged

You cannot shift gears, when the battery is discharged.

In emergencies, do the following to shift the gear to N (Neutral) on a level ground.

  1. Connect the battery cables from another vehicle or from a another battery to the jump-starting terminals inside the engine compartment.

    For more details, refer to “Jump Starting” section in chapter 8.

  2. Release the Electronic Parking Brake with the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop button in the ON position.

  3. Shift the gear to the N (Neutral) position. Refer to the “#id25a17eba3d0/id231FL0O0U9N” in this chapter.

In situations when the gear needs to be shifted from P (Park) to N (Neutral) when the ignition switch or Engine Start/Stop button is in the OFF position, refer to the “#id25a17eba3d0/id231FL0O0U9N” in this chapter.

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 brake pedal is depressed.

To shift from P (Park) or N (Neutral) into R (Reverse) or D (Drive):

  1. Depress and hold the brake pedal.

  2. Start the engine.

  3. Shift gear while depressing the brake pedal.

Ignition key interlock system

The ignition key cannot be removed unless the shift button is in the P (Park) position.

Parking

Always come to a complete stop and continue to depress the brake pedal.

Shift the gear to P (Park), apply the parking brake, and place the ignition switch or press the Engine Start/Stop button to the OFF position.

Take the Key with you when leaving the vehicle.

  • When you stay in the vehicle with the engine running, be careful not to depress the accelerator pedal for a long period of time. The engine or exhaust system may 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.