Page 50 of 248

44 Seats, InteriorSeats, Interior
Picture no: 13977s.tif
Front seats Adjust longitudinal seat position
Pull handle at front of seat, move seat and
then release handle.
Picture no: 13978s.tif
Adjusting the backrests
Take the pressure off the backrest and turn
the hand wheel on the side.
Front seats ........................................... 44
Head restraints .................................... 46
Armrest
3............................................. 48
Travel Assistant 3............................... 48
Rear seats............................................. 51
Flexible Seat System (FlexSpace) ....... 52
Luggage compartment extension ..... 53
Luggage compartment cover 3......... 55
Safety net 3......................................... 56
Lashing eyes ........................................ 57
Bag hangers 3..................................... 57
Notes on loading the vehicle .............. 58
Three-stage safety system.................. 59
Three-point seat be lts ......................... 59
Belt tensioners...................................... 60
Using the belts ..................................... 62
Mounting clips 3 for ISOFIX child
restraint systems ............................... 64
Child restraint system 3...................... 65
Airbag system ...................................... 67
Cigarette lighter 3............................... 78
Accessory sockets 3............................ 78
Ashtrays ............................................... 79
Stowage compartments ...................... 80
Foldaway tables 3.............................. 81
Coin holder 3....................................... 81
Sun visors.............................................. 81
9 Warning
Never adjust seats while driving. They
may make uncontrolled movements.
Page 51 of 248
45
Seats, Interior
Picture no: 13979s.tif
Adjusting the seat height3
Lift front side lever and relieve some weight
from seat to raise it or press down on seat
with body weight to lower it.
Picture no: 16098s.tif
Adjusting the lumbar support 3
Turn side hand wheel on backrest while
relieving the load on the backrest.
Picture no: 18530s.tif
Seat position
z Sit with your buttocks as far back against
the backrest as possible. Adjust the
distance between your feet and the
pedals so that your legs are slightly
angled when pressing the pedals. Slide
the passenger seat as far back as
possible.
9 Warning
Only drive with the seat correctly
adjusted.
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47
Seats, Interior
Picture no: 14102s.tif
Adjusting the rear centre head restraint
Pull head restraint upwards, press springs
and push head restraint down.
To improve visibility push headrest down
as far as possible if middle seat is
unoccupied or to increase the size of the
luggage compartment.
Fold down centre seat 354.
If centre seat is occupied, pull head
restraint upwards.
Picture no: 14101s.tif
Head restraint position
The middle of the head restraint should be
at eye level. If this is not possible for
extremely tall persons, set to highest
position, and set to lowest position for
small persons.
Picture no: 14287j.tif
Active head restraints 3 on front seats
In the event of a rear-end impact, the
active head restraints automatically tilt
slightly forward. The head is more
effectively supported by the head restraint
and the danger of injury in the area of the
cervical vertebra is reduced.
Active head restraints can be recognised
by the word ACTIVE.
9 Warning
Only drive with the head restraint set to
the proper position.
Page 55 of 248
49
Seats, Interior
Picture no: 14310s.tif
Installing The Travel Assistant
Lower centre seat 354.
Insert Travel Assistant in rear recesses on
back of middle seat.
Picture no: 14311s.tif
Fold Travel Assistant down and audibly
engage in front recesses.
Picture no: 14312s.tif
Armrest
The arm rest can be moved and therefore
adapted to the position of the outboard
seats.
9 Warning
If it is not correctly engaged, the Travel
Assistant can be propelled forward with
considerable force if hard braking
occurs, possibly causing injury.
Page 58 of 248

52 Seats, InteriorTo achieve a flat loading surface in the
extended luggage compartment, the
outboard seats can be lowered slightly. We
recommend however only using the seats
as seats in the raised position. Extending
the luggage compartment 353.
Flexible Seat System (FlexSpace)The rear seat row on the Meriva can be
fitted with three seats in Variant 1, or two
seats with maximum seating space in
Variant 2. In Variant 2, the centre seat is
lowered.
The luggage compartment can only be
extended in Variant 1 353.
To extend the luggage compartment, the
outboard seats can be lowered slightly
3 54.
Picture no: 14730s.tif
Variant 1: Three rear seats
Set seat backrest to centre position using
the handle on the outside of the seat 351.
Pull the handle beneath the seat. Slide the
seat all the way forward, then outward
toward the door and then further forward
to the desired position.
Release handle and allow seat to engage
in position.
Raise centre seat 354.
9 Warning
To prevent injuries, always hold back
seat backrest firmly and guide
downward when folding.
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54 Seats, Interior
Picture no: 14182s.tif
Grasp the backrest, pull the handle at the
outboard side of the seat and fold the
backrest onto the seat. Release the handle
and engage the backrest.
To raise, pull the handle on the outboard
side of the seat and raise the backrest.
Release the handle and engage.
Insert the seat belt into the belt guide at
backrest.
Picture no: 14728s.tif
Fold the centre seat forward and lower.
House centre seat belt in the holder in the
ceiling 363.
Insert seat belts into recesses in seat
cushion.
Slide centre seat head rest all the way
down 347.
Pull release handle on the back of the
centre seat backrest, see figure. Fold
backrest forward and engage. The entire
seat is lowered.
Picture no: 14716s.tif
Raise centre seat
Pull release handle on the back of the
backrest, erect the ba ckrest and engage,
the outer seats must be in the outer
position, see Variant 1: Three rear seats
3 52.
Lower outboard seats
Push front seat forward and fully lower or
remove head restraints on the rear
outboard seats 347.
Fold outer rear seat backrests onto seat
bases.
To achieve a level loading surface, pull
release handle on back of backrest and
push seat down until it latches into
position.
9 Warning
To prevent injuries, always hold the seat
backrest firmly and guide downward
when folding.
9 Warning
The load must not hinder the operation
of the hand brake or gear lever 358.
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58 Seats, Interior
Picture no: 14110s.tif
Notes on loading the vehicle zHeavy objects in the luggage
compartment should be placed as far
forward as possible against the properly
engaged rear seat backrests or, if the
rear seat backrests are folded down,
against the front seat backrests. If
objects are to be stacked, the heavier
objects should be placed at the bottom.
z Secure heavy objects with lashing
straps 3 attached to lashing eyes 357.
z When transporting objects with rear seat
backrests tilted forward, fit the safety net
356. z
Close luggage compartment cover 3
3 55.
z If the backrests are not folded down
when transporting objects in the
luggage compartment, they must be
engaged in an upright position 355.
z Do not allow the load to protrude above
the upper edge of the backrests.
z The warning triangle 3 and first-aid kit
(cushion) 3 must always be freely
accessible.
z Do not place any objects on the luggage
compartment cover 3 or the instrument
panel.
z No objects must be placed in the airbag
inflation area, since they could cause
injury when the systems are triggered.
z Items loaded must not prevent operation
of the pedals, hand brake and gears or
obstruct the freedom of movement of
the driver. Do not place loose objects in
the interior.
z Do not drive with luggage compartment
open when transporting bulky objects,
for example, since toxic exhaust fumes
could penetrate the interior.
z The payload is the difference between
the permitted gross vehicle weight (see
identification plate 3218) and the EC
kerb weight. z
To calculate the EC kerb weight, enter
the data for your vehicle on page 3 226.
z The EC kerb weight includes allowances
for the driver (68 kg), luggage (7 kg) and
all fluids (tank 90 % full).
z Optional equipment and accessories
increase the kerb weight.
z Weights and loads 3226.
z Driving with a roof load increases the
sensitivity of the vehicle to cross-winds
and has a detrimental effect on vehicle
handling due to the vehicle’s higher
centre of gravity. Distribute the load
evenly and secure it properly with
retaining straps. Adjust the tyre pressure
to the load conditions. Do not drive
faster than 120 km/h. Check and re-
tighten the straps frequently. Observe
country-specific regulations.
z The permissible roof load is 100 kg. The
roof load consists of the weight of the
roof rack plus the load carried.
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59
Seats, Interior
Three-stage safety system Comprising:
zthree-point seat belts,
z belt tensioners at the front seats,
z airbag systems for the driver and front
passenger seats 3 as well as the
outboard rear seats 3.
The three stages are activated in sequence
depending on the severity of the accident:
z The automatic seat belt locking devices
prevent the belt strap from being pulled
out and thus ensure that the vehicle
occupants are retained in their seats.
z The front seat belts are pulled down at
the belt buckles. This means the belts fit
snugly, the occupants are decelerated
early with the vehicle and the body
loading is reduced.
z The airbag systems are also triggered in
the event of severe accidents and form a
safety cushion for the occupants. Read the instructions supplied with the
child restraint system
Picture no: 18531s.tif
Three-point seat belts The seat belts have an automatic retractor,
so that the belt is spring tensioned and
always lies against the body.
Information on correct seat position
345.
The safety belts lock when the vehicle
accelerates or decelerates rapidly. This
prevents the belt from extending and
keeps the occupant in his or her seat.
9 Warning
The airbag systems serve to supplement
the three-point seat belts and belt
tensioners. The seat belts must therefore
always be worn. Disregard of these
instructions may lead to injuries or
endanger life. Vehicle passengers
should be informed accordingly.