Page 87 of 189

86CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENTConvenience systemWhen the car is locked, the roof can be
closed as follows:
Turn key into lock position (driver or pas-
senger door) and hold until the roof is
closed. The closing operation is immedi-
ately interrupted if the key is released.
Warning
Close the sliding/tilting roof with
care! Closing the roof inattentively
can result in injuries.
Do not leave the ignition key in the
ignition lock when getting out of the
car.
The rollback protection is not active
if the convenience system is used.
Refer to p. 16 for more detailed in-
formation.
Emergency operationIf the system is faulty, the sliding/tilting roof
can be closed manually:
Use a screwdriver to carefully remove
the plastic cover.
Take crank handle out of its fixture, in-
sert fully into the opening and close or open
sliding/tilting roof.
Insert crank handle into its fixture again
and fit on the plastic cover.
Sun visorsThe large sun visors can be taken out of
the side fixtures and swivelled toward the
doors. The small sun visor above the inte-
rior rear-view mirror* can only be folded
down.Sun visors with vanity lighting*The lighting of the vanity mirror comes on
automatically when the sun visor is folded
down.
Page 88 of 189

87
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
Storage compartment on the
front passenger sideTo open the lid, raise handle and pull lid
open.
An additional key is provided with the car
for a lockable stowage compartment*.Warning
For safety reasons, the lid of the sto-
wage compartment should always
remain closed when driving.
Interior lightsInterior light (A)Door contact switching mechanism (on
the front and rear door*)
Press the switch A to the right into posi-
tion
.
On the version without reading lights press
the switch A into the middle position
.
Switching the interior light on
Press the switch A to the left into posi-
tion
.
Switching the interior light on
Press the switch A into the middle posi-
tion O.
On the version without reading lights
press the switch A to the right, the symbol
O appears.
Beverage holder*The beverage holder moves out and opens
after it is pressed in the direction of the ar-
row.
It is intended for holding beverage cans or
cups with a capacity of 0.33 ltr or 0.5 ltr.
Page 89 of 189

88CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENTNoteInterior lights with off time delay* remain on
for a few seconds after the doors are closed.On models fitted with central locking, the
interior light remains on for about 20 sec-
onds when the car is unlocked, a door is
opened or the ignition key is removed pro-
vided the switch is in the door contact po-
sition.
On an open door, the interior light is
switched off after 60 minutes, in order to
avoid discharging the battery.Reading light (B)*Press the switch B, in order to switch the
reading light on or off - see illustration on
page 87.
Interior light (rear)*The interior light is switched on and off by
pressing on the recess in the lens.
Front door warning light*The light always comes on when the front
door is opened.
Note
If the door is left open for a lengthy time,
this can cause the battery to discharge.
On certain models, a reflector is fitted in
place of the door light.On an open door, the interior light is switched
off after 60 minutes, in order to avoid dis-
charging the battery
Page 90 of 189

89
CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
Cigarette lighter, socketThe cigarette lighter is switched on by
pushing in the insert. Once the heating coil
is glowing, the lighter insert jumps forward.
Remove lighter immediately and use.
Warning
Caution when using cigarette lighter.
Careless or uncontrolled use of the
cigarette lighter can cause burns.
The 12-volt socket or the socket of the
cigarette lighter can also be used for other
electrical accessories with a power con-
sumption of up to 180 watts. If the engine
is not running, however, the battery is dis-
charged.
Luggage compartment socket
(Estate)The socket is located in the left of the lug-
gage compartment.
It complies with the DIN-ISO Standard 4165
and must only be used for connecting ap-
proved electrical accessories with a power
consumption up to 240 watts. If the engine
is switched off when the socket is used, the
battery will be drained.
For further information, see chapter enti-
tled „Accessories“ on page 159.
Luggage compartment light*The light is located in the upper left of the
luggage compartment (right - Estate)
The light comes on automatically when
opening the tailgate of the luggage com-
partment. If the tailgate of the luggage com-
partment remains open for longer than 30
minutes, the luggage compartment light will
automatically switch off.
Page 91 of 189
90CONTROLS AND EQUIPMENT
AshtraysFront ashtray*The ashtray is located below the fold-open
lid. It is opened by pressing on the bottom
part of the lid.
Removing
Pull out ashtray in direction of arrow A.
Inserting
Insert ashtray straight into the guide and
press lightly in direction of arrow B.
The lid is closed by pressing lightly on the
bottom edge.
Rear ashtray*Removing
Open lid to the rear and pull out ashtray in
direction of arrow.
Inserting
Insert ashtray vertically and press it down
until it locks in place. Close lid.
A cup holder is provided on the inside of
the lid of the ashtray.
Warning
Never place flammable objects in the
ashtray - risk of fire!
Page 96 of 189

95
SAFETY
Adjust the backrest so that you are able
to reach the highest point of the steering
wheel with your arms at a slight angle.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top
edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head - see
illustration.
Fasten the seat belt correctly - see page
100.
Driver seat adjustment - see page 19. Warning
The front seats and the head re-
straints must always be adjusted to
match the body size of the seat oc-
cupant. The seat belts must always
be correctly fastened in order to pro-
vide an optimal protection for you
and your occupants.
The driver must maintain a distance
of at least 25 cm to the steering wheel -
see illustration on page 94.
If you do not maintain this minimum
distance, the airbag system will not
be able to protect you - hazard!
When driving, hold the steering
wheel with both hands firmly on the
outer edge in the 9 o’clock and 3
o’clock position.
Never hold the steering wheel firmly
in the 12 o’clock position or in an-
other way (e.g. in the middle of the
steering wheel or at the inner steer-
ing wheel edge).
When driving, the backrests must
not be angled too far back, otherwise
this will affect proper operation of the
seat belts and of the airbag system -
risk of injury!
Correct seated position for the
front passengerThe front passenger must maintain a
distance of at least 25 cm from the dash
panel so that the airbag offers the great-
est possible safety when an airbag is
deployed.
For the safety of the front passenger and
to reduce the risk of injury in the event of
an accident, we recommend the following
setting:
Adjust the front passenger seat as far
as possible to the rear.
Adjust the head restraint so that the top
edge of the head restraint is at the same
level as the upper part of your head - see
illustration on page 95.
Fasten the seat belt correctly - see page
100.
In exceptional cases the front passenger
airbag can be deactivated - see page 107.
Front passenger seat adjustment - see
page 19.
Page 104 of 189

103
SAFETY
Warning
Any work on the belt tightener sys-
tem or within the immediate area, in-
cluding removal and installation of
system components because of other
repair work, must only be carried out
by a Škoda dealer.
The protection provided by the
system is adequate only for one ac-
cident. If the belt tensioners have
been activated, the entire system has
to be replaced.
If the car is sold, the buyer should
be provided with the complete vehi-
cle wallet.
Notes
Smoke is released when the belt tensio-
ners are activated. This smoke does not
indicate a fire in the car.
If the car or individual components of the
system are scrapped, it is essential to pay
attention to the relevant safety regulations.
Škoda Dealers are acquainted with these
regulations and can provide you with more
detailed information in this connection.
Airbag system*Front airbagThe front airbag system is only operational
after switching on the ignition.
Models with airbag system for driver and
passenger are recognizable from the
„AIRBAG“ inscriptions on the padded boss
of the steering wheel and on the passen-
ger side of the instrument panel.
In addition to the three-point seat belts
with belt tensioners, the Airbag System
offers further protection for the driver’s and
passenger’s head and chest in a serious
frontal collision.
Apart from its normal protective function,
the seat belt also has the task of keeping
the driver or passenger in such a position
so that the airbag can offer maximum pro-
tection in the case of a frontal collision.
For this reason, the seat belts should al-
ways be used not only because this is re-
quired by law, but also for safety reasons!
The Airbag System is not activated in the
event of:
side collisions
rear collisions
rolling-over
minor frontal collisions. The system essentially consists of:
the electronic control and monitoring unit
(control unit),
one or two airbags (airbag with gas gen-
erator) for the:
- driver (in steering wheel),
- front passenger (in instrument panel)
a warning lamp in the instrument panel -
see page 56.
a warning light in the interior lighting of
the car (front)* - see page 108.
Switch for front passenger airbags* - see
page 107.
The operational readiness of the airbag
system is monitored electronically.
The airbag warning lamp comes on for a
few seconds (self-diagnosis) each time the
ignition is switched on.
Note
The airbag system does not require any
maintenance over its entire operating pe-
riod.
Page 105 of 189

104SAFETYA fault exists in the system if
the warning lamp does not come when
the ignition is switched on,
the warning lamp does not go out a few
seconds after switching on the ignition,
the warning lamp goes out and comes
on again after switching on the ignition,
the warning lamp comes on or flickers
during the journey.
Warning
A grey white, non-harmful gas, which
is released when the airbag is in-
flated. This is perfectly normal and
is not an indication of a fire in the
vehicle.
In the event of an accident in which
the airbags are deployed:
The interior lighting comes on (if
the switch for the interior light is in
the door contact position).
The hazard warning light is
switched on.
All the doors are unlocked. Function of front airbag
The airbag system is so designed that it will
be deployed during a serious frontal collision.The effective area of the system is shown
in the illustration.
If the system is deployed, the airbags fill
with propellant gas and inflate in front of
the driver and front passenger.
The airbag is inflated in a split second and
at a high speed in order to offer the addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
The forward movement of the front seat
occupants is cushioned as they plunge into
the fully inflated airbag (see right-hand il-
lustration), and the risk of injury to head and
upper body is reduced. Special openings in the airbag allow a con-
trolled exit of gas when subjected to the
pressure of the occupants to cushion the
head and upper body. After an accident, the
airbag rapidly deflates again so that forward
vision is again possible.
If a person is incorrectly seated, the con-
siderable forces active when the airbag is
deployed may result in an increased risk
of injury.