Hidden Backup Camera features on the reversing camera display
The next 2 hidden features are when the reversing display is active, and it shows you the view behind the car - with the yellow and red box lines in the centre of the display. If you now touch the screen, a gear icon at the top right will show.
Please tap this to view the next few options.
When this page loads, it lets you adjust lots of settings of the reversing camera, such as:
Brightness
This section makes the reversing camera lighter or darker depending on how far up the scale you go. It is on a Scale of -4 - +4, with the factory preset being at 0. Moving up the scale makes it brighter, and the reverse moving down the scale - more darker.
Contrast
This section makes the reversing camera more, or less, sharper depending on how far up the scale you go. It is, again, on a Scale of -4 - +4, with the factory preset being at 0. Moving up the scale makes it sharper, and again, the reverse moves down the scale, creating a less sharp picture.
There is also a centre button, which will return both scales back to the default factory settings, which is 0 (in the centre of the scales) if you want to reset both scales with ease.
If you now go back to the reversing camera, we get to our last hidden feature with the KIA Back Up Camera system.
When you touch the screen, further to the gear icon in the top right, there is also a second icon that shows a car icon with a grey box to the left and a white box to the rear in the top right of the camera view.
If you click this icon, it will change the reversing camera to be directly behind the car. There is also a yellow line in the centre of the screen now. This yellow line helps to guide you when you are hitching up a caravan, trailer, horse box or other object that you are trying to attach to the tow bar of your KIA car.
That's it when it comes to the hidden features of the KIA Backup camera.
How to use Kia Reversing Camera
To use the Kia Reversing Camera feature, simply shift the transmission lever to the R position and ensure that your vehicle's ignition is turned on. Once the lever is in the R position, the rear camera will now operate and appear on your infotainment system. If you change the shift lever location from R to another position other than P, the rear camera will stay turned on. The rear screen will, however, remain until you enter the heard key or drive at a speed of 6 MPH or more (only if the option to keep the rear camera view is supported).
KIA's Secret Hidden Mirror Function
This hidden feature allows the KIA's wing mirrors to tilt down to the road when you put the car into reverse.
This is exceptionally handy if you want to make sure you are close; however, not too close to the curb where you will damage your alloy wheels when parking - or if there are any hidden obstacles near the car at ground level that you may not visually be able to see. For instance, such as an old concrete fence post that has not been fully taken out, an old tree trunk, or child's toys that aren't obvious from your current driving position. If there are, you may want to be careful when reversing into the space to avoid causing damage to the car.
Not all KIAs have this setting, but let's dive deep into your controls to see if it's a setting that your KIA car comes with - and we'll walk you through how to enable it if it does.
On your door controls, you should see a L & R with a switch that is normally in the centre. This is normally at the top of the door controls. These are your mirror controls, and moving the switch to the L - will then allow you to manually adjust the left mirror using the D-pad control below it. To manually adjust the Right mirror, simply move the switch to the R. Then, when you use the D-Pad underneath this section, this will manually adjust the right-hand mirror.
These mirror controls normally allow you to adjust your mirrors manually; however, if your car has the automatic mirror tilt functionality but the switch is in between the 2, the mirrors won't automatically tilt downwards when you reverse. To enable this, simply move the switch to either side. If your car then has this ability, the mirrors will automatically tilt for you when you reverse.
How to locate the physical key and the keyhole on your Kia?
Firstly, we know what you are thinking: why would I when I have a smart key with door touch locking and unlocking, controls on the handle, or a button on the fob to automatically unlock and lock the doors?
Well, this is more suited for those times when the car battery has gone flat, not allowing the central locking system to unlock via the fob. Or alternatively, your key fob battery has gone flat, and you need to gain access to your car with a flat fob battery.
So, if you are in these situations, you may have noticed that new KIA models no longer have a keyhole on the door handle - or a physical key on the fob. So, how do you gain entry to your car without smashing a window?
Well, your key will still come with a mechanical key, just hidden inside the fob itself. In this section, we'll answer how to get access to the physical key and, more importantly, where this physical key goes to give you access to your KIA once you have it.
How to Remove the Mechanical Key Fob
So, if you are looking at your key, you first need to understand how to remove the physical key from the fob. To do this, on the back of your key fob on its side or look for a small button that can sometimes be near the main buttons or on the back of the fob in the upper left corner. You will now see a little button near the keyring end of the fob if it is on the side. If it is not on the side of the fob, this button is normally located toward the key fob's end, which has the keyring on it.
Once located, you will need to press this in and pull the top of the key fob away from the fob itself. A physical key will now appear - or detach - from inside the fob, with the top of the fob normally attached to it.
Where to Place the Mechanical Key
Fantastic, I have the physical key, but where does it go, as the KIA doesn’t have a visual entry spot to put it in?
So the next thing you want to do is look underneath your KIA's door handle. On the fixed handle section of the car, you will see a hidden black port. You want to insert the key into this. Next, you need to pull the door handle towards you. Now, for the final step, you want to press the key a bit further into the slot you have it inserted into.
What should now happen is the cover to the fixed section of the door handle should pop right off. This will then give you access to the physical key port. If you take the key out of the black port, you can then insert it into the physical key lock on the door handle that is now visible and gain access to your KIA Car.
To clip the door handle cap back on, make sure you lift the door handle up first. As the lip of the cap that comes off sits behind the handle to secure it in place. Once done, then just press it back into position, and you should hear a click when it attaches the cover back over the physical key port.
The last thing to now do is to put the physical key back in the fob so you don’t lose either end. To do this, just reinsert the physical key back into the top of the fob and press down. You will then hear a click that indicates the physical key is securely back inside the fob and ready for next time.
Key Fob Replacement
If you need a Kia key fob battery replacement, or your Kia key needs to have its fob programming redone, visit one of our dealerships today, and our team will be able to help you.
Kia Key Fob Tricks - What can the KIA Smart key do?
The KIA Smart fob has a lot of key fob features such as a few visual buttons that enable you to do a lot of such as:
Hands-Free Lock button
This lock button will automatically lock all your windows and doors.
Unlock button
This unlock button will do the reverse and unlock your doors, allowing you to get in.
Boot hold button
The boot hold button, if pressed down, will unlock just the boot. Allowing you to put your shopping - or other items away - without needing to unlock the car fully.
Key Fob Panic Alarm
Ever been in a situation where you needed to quickly draw attention or just feel a bit more secure? Kia's key fob has a brilliant little hidden feature called the panic alarm. It's super handy, especially if you ever feel unsafe in a car park or just need to find your car in a crowded area.
To activate the panic alarm, all you need to do is press and hold the panic button on your key fob. It’s usually marked with a small icon of a horn or siren. Hold it down for a few seconds, and your Kia’s alarm will start blaring and the lights will flash — perfect for alerting those around you or scaring off potential trouble.
If you accidentally trigger it (we’ve all been there!), no worries. You can stop the vehicle's alarm system just by pressing the panic button again.
Consequently, it is one of those simple but effective features that’s great to have, even if you don’t use it often. Knowing it's there gives you a little extra peace of mind.
Little grey physical key unlock button
This button allows you to get access to a physical key hidden inside the smart key fob. Please see the section above if you need to get access to this to unlock the car manually.
More advanced features
Okay, now most of those come as standard and are also not that smart, we know, so let's dive deep into the other hidden features of the trusty KIA key fobs you may not know about.
Start and Go functionality
If you are in a situation where your key fob has died, you may be thinking, how do I start my car?
This is because Start and Go technology needs the key fob to be present in the car to be able to start the engine. If your fob’s battery has died, the car simply can not detect that the key fob is present and, consequently, won't start when pressed.
However, do not worry; there is an even simpler solution. Try pressing the key fob (you may need to rotate the section a few times to find the right spot) against the start and stop buttons. This will then allow you to start the engine without it needing a working battery inside; however, you should get your key fob battery replaced ASAP in this situation.
Welcome lighting and mirrors
As you approach the car with the KIA smart key in your pocket, you will notice that the door mirrors extend outwards, and if the door mirrors and door handles have a light, this will turn on.
This is really useful at night to give you clear light of what is around the base of your car to allow you to get into your KIA without needing to stand in muddy puddles or fall over an unforeseen trip hazard that wasn’t easy to see in the dark.
Unlock the driver's door and all the passenger doors
So with the smart key in hand, or just on your person, if you press the lined area on the door handle, the driver's door then unlocks. However, if you double-tap this lined area, then all the doors, including the passenger doors, will also unlock - all without needing to touch the key at all. This is extra handy to allow your passengers to get in without waiting for you to get the key fob out to press the button to unlock all doors or the unlock button inside the car’s cabin.
The same can then be done to lock the car when you are getting out.
Without needing to touch your key, you just press the lined area on the door handle once, and all the doors will automatically lock themselves - again without needing to touch the key itself.
Smart boot unlocking ability
This ability only works with the KIA car models that have the power-assisted tailgate feature installed.
If you have the automatic tailgate / power trunk feature and walk up in close proximity to the rear of the car with the smart key fob on your person, the boot can automatically open itself with no need for you to press a button on the fob itself.
For Kia cars equipped with a power trunk or liftgate, such as many models on the Kia xCeed, the Kia Seltos, or Kia Stonic for instance, on your key fob you can also simply press and hold the boot button and the boot tailgate will then automatically open as well - giving you quick and easy access to the cargo space.
It can do this if you then stand close to the boot for a few seconds; the car's indicator lights will start blinking, and the car will give you a beeping sound. After 5 seconds, the tailgate will automatically open, giving you access to the boot.
For Kia models with a manual trunk or liftgate, you can also press and hold the trunk button for more than one second. This unlocks the trunk, making it easy for you to then manually open it as well.
This is especially useful if you are laden up with shopping, a child, or a pet in your arms, and you don't want to put everything down as you dig around looking for your key fob to unlock and open the boot.
This feature can also be turned off as well if you don't require it.
Discover the Secret Touch Pad Beneath the Touchscreen
Did you know Kia has tucked a little surprise just beneath the main touchscreen as well?
It's a small touchpad that’s easy to miss but super handy once you find and know about it!
This touchpad, for instance, typically shows controls for the air conditioning system, giving you quick access to adjust the temperature, fan speed, and more without needing to fiddle with the main display and taking your eyes off the road to find them in the main infotainment system.
The best part? It keeps things simple and clean, so you can manage your comfort settings without the distraction of cluttered screens as well.
It’s one of those thoughtful design touches that make driving a Kia feel just a bit smarter but still keep your temperature buttons in an easy-to-find place - once you know about it.
However, by pressing a small arrow icon, you can change the controls on this panel, allowing you to easily adjust the radio or sat nav settings if you prefer, as well.
Furthermore, you can also even customise the control panel to automatically return to a specific menu after a few seconds of inactivity by simply holding down the same toggle button.
Kia Eco-Driving Coach - How to Reduce Your Fuel Consumption
Did you know your Kia even comes with its very own eco-friendly driving coach? Yep, the Kia Eco-Driving Coach is like having a passenger who’s always looking out for both your wallet and the environment.
This clever little feature is designed to help you drive more efficiently, improving your fuel economy and making your journeys a bit more eco-friendly as a result.
It does this by giving you real-time feedback on how you are driving and gently guiding you toward greener driving habits as well.
For example, it will suggest when to ease off the accelerator or when you are coasting, helping you maintain smoother, more fuel-efficient driving, to name a couple.
How to Activate it?
Activating the Kia Eco-Driving Coach is super simple as well. For instance, here's how you do it:
- Start your Kia, be it the Kia Forte or the Kia Sportage and get your dashboard ready.
- Find the Eco-Driving Mode on your car’s settings menu. Depending on your model and if this is equipped, this could be under "Driving Mode" or "Fuel Economy" settings.
- Select Eco Mode – this then activates all the eco-friendly features of your Kia, including the Eco-Driving Coach, which tends to be off by default.
- Once Eco Mode is active, the coach will automatically start giving you real-time feedback as you drive, so you don’t need to do anything else!
It’s an easy way to make your drives more efficient, and once it's on, the coach takes care of the rest.
Why not give it a go and see how much smoother your drives can be, you can always turn it off again later on if need be.
Kia Steering Wheel Tips & Tricks
Did you know that your Kia steering wheel, be it the ones that comes with the Kia EV's or the Kia Soul, is packed with features that make driving easier and a lot more fun, such as:
Activate Cruise Control
In addition to music controls and safety alerts, your Kia steering wheel offers you even more features to make your driving experience smooth and enjoyable.
For starters, there are the Cruise Control buttons, which make long journeys that much more comfortable.
Here, with a simple tap, you can set your speed, adjust it, or cancel it whenever needed, making this feature perfect for motorway driving as it gives your foot a rest while the car keeps you cruising at a steady pace.
How to Activate Voice Command
Another nifty feature is Voice Command. For instance, with just a press of the speaking head button on the steering wheel, you can activate voice control and make phone calls, set your sat nav destinations, or even change the music using your voice — all without needing to lift a finger. It’s super convenient, especially when you need to stay focused on the road.
Activate the Heated Steering Wheel
Lastly, many Kia models also include Heated Steering Wheels, which are an absolute treat during those chilly winter mornings. No more cold hands gripping the wheel, just warm comfort with the press of a button that is normally located at the bottom of the steering wheel itself.
As you can see there is more packed into this steering wheel than you’d think. As it is all designed to help you stay focused and in control while still enjoying your drive to the fullest at the end of the day.
How to Clean Your Cup Holders
Have you ever had that moment when you spill a bit of coffee or drop some crumbs, and they find their way into your cup holders?
Followed by you wondering how on earth you are going to clean them properly.
Well, here's a little gem for you that will make your life so much easier.
Did you know, for instance, that the rubber mats inside the cup holders are actually removable? Yes, you heard that right. No more awkwardly trying to reach in with a damp cloth and hoping for the best.
All you need to do is carefully grab the sides of the raised "bridge" bit between the two cup holders, give it a little pull upwards, and out it comes.
Once you've got it out, you can easily give it a good clean, let it dry, and pop it right back in. This also applies to the front cubby – just pull the mat out, clean, and you're good to go. Honestly, it’s one of those simple but genius features that make a world of difference, especially if you like keeping your car tidy. So next time there's a spill, you'll know exactly what to do.
Discover the Kia Electric Charging Station Finder
One of the coolest hidden features for Kia electric car owners, such as the Kia EV3 or Kia EV9, is the Kia Electric Charging Finder.
This handy tool makes life so much easier when you are out and about and need to find a charging station near you very quickly. We’ve all been there – that slight panic when your battery is running low, and you are not sure where the nearest charger is. Well, with this feature, you can say goodbye to that stress as Kia has made it really simple to stay charged, removing the range anxiety entirely.
For instance, it is built right into the car’s system, meaning you don’t need to fiddle around with third-party apps. All you have to do is hop into your navigation, and the Charging Finder will show you a list of available charging points near your current location.
It even gives you details like how many charging ports are free and whether they’re fast chargers so you can choose the best one for your needs. You then just need to tap the station, and the car will take you right to it as well.
Plus, it updates in real-time, so you can trust that the information is accurate. So, whether you are on a road trip or just running errands around time, this feature helps you feel confident that you will always have enough juice to get where you’re going.
Kia Pre Departure – Get Your Car Preconditioned For When You Get Inside It
One of the clever little features in newer Kia trim levels is the pre-departure setting. Think of this as your very own personal assistant, getting your car all prepped before you even step inside.
For instance, imagine it’s a chilly morning, and the last thing you want is to sit in a freezing car waiting for it to warm up. With Pre Departure, your Kia can take care of that for you and get the car just right by setting your climate system to the right settings before you even step inside.
To activate this, you open the Kia app and activate it from within there. You can also set a time for when you plan to leave, and the car will make sure the temperature is just right by the time you’re ready to go. It’s not just about heating, either — if it’s a hot day, it can cool the cabin, too, so you are stepping into a comfortable car no matter the weather.
It’s like having your own chauffeur, but without the hat and gloves, for instance. So whether you are rushing to work or heading out on a road trip, Kia Pre Departure will help make sure your journey starts on the right foot. Plus, it’s a hidden gem that many Kia owners do not even know about – but once you start using it, you won’t want to go back into our view.
Kia’s Semi-Autonomous Driving Features How to Activate
One of the coolest things about modern Kia cars is how they’re stepping into the world of semi-autonomous driving. These clever features are like having a helpful co-pilot on board, making long drives or busy traffic a lot less stressful.
Take the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), for example. It’s brilliant for motorway journeys as it helps keep your car in the centre of the lane, adjusts your speed based on the flow of traffic, and even reads road signs to make sure you’re sticking to the speed limit. It’s not fully self-driving, but it’s a great way to take the edge off those long stints behind the wheel.
Then there’s Lane Following Assist (LFA), which is super handy in stop-and-go traffic, as It keeps an eye on the road markings and subtly steers to keep you in your lane, all while maintaining a safe distance from the car in front. It's like having an extra set of hands, keeping things smooth while you focus on the road ahead.
How to Enable Kia’s Semi-Autonomous Driving Features
But, did you know that these new features aren't always turned on by default, you need to activate them.
But do not worry, as activating Kia’s semi-autonomous driving features is super easy, and you will see the benefits straight away.
Here's how to get them working: