2009 Seat Ibiza ST weight

Safe driving15
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Technical Data
WARNING
•If the pedals are obstructed, an accident may occur. Risk of serious inju-
ries.•Ensure that the floor mats are always securely attached.•Never lay or fit floor mats or other floor coverings over the original floor
mats. This would reduce the pedal area and could obstruct the pedals. Risk
of accident.
Stowing luggageLoading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other loose objects must be safely secured in
the luggage compartment.Unsecured objects which shift back and forth could affect safety or
driving characteristics of the vehicle by shifting the centre of gravity.
– Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
– Lay and stow heavy luggage as far forward as possible in the luggage compartment.
– Stow heavy luggage as low as possible in the luggage compart- ment.
WARNING
•Loose luggage and other objects in the luggage compartment could
cause serious injuries.
•Always put objects in the luggage compartment.•During sudden manoeuvres or accidents, loose objects can be thrown
forward, injuring vehicle occupants or even third parties. This increased
risk of injury will be further increased if a loose object is struck by an
inflating airbag. If this happens, objects can be transformed into
“missiles”. Risk of fatal injury.•Please note that the centre of gravity may shift when transporting
heavy objects; this may affect the vehicle's handling and lead to an acci-
dent. Therefore, it is essential to adjust your speed and driving style
accordingly, to avoid accidents.•Never exceed the allowed axle loads or allowed maximum weight. If the
allowed axle load or the allowed total weight is exceeded, the driving char-
acteristics of the vehicle may change, leading to accidents, injuries and
damage to the vehicle.•Never leave your vehicle unattended, especially when the rear lid is
open. Children could climb into the luggage compartment closing the door
behind them; they will remain trapped without help and there is a mortal
risk.•Never allow children to play in or around the vehicle. Close and lock
both the rear lid and all the doors when you leave the vehicle. Before you
lock the vehicle, make sure that ther e are no adults or children in the
vehicle.•Never transport passengers in the luggage compartment. Every
passenger must be properly belted in ⇒ page 17.Note
•Air circulation in the vehicle helps reduce fogging of the windows. Used
air escapes through ventilation slits in the side trim of the luggage compart-
ment. Ensure that the ventilation slits are never covered.WARNING (continued)
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Safe driving
16Fastening rings
There can be four fastening rings in the luggage compart-
ment for fastening luggage and other objects.– Always use suitable and undamaged straps to secure luggage
and other objects to the fastening rings ⇒ in “Loading the
luggage compartment” on page 15.
– Pull up the fastening rings to attach the straps.During a collision or an accident, even small and light objects can build up so
much energy that they can cause very severe injuries. The amount of “kinetic
energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the weight of the object.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle.
Example: An object weighing 4.5 kg is lying unsecured in the vehicle. During
a frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, this object generates a force corre-
sponding to 20 times its weight. That means that the effective weight of the
object increases to about 90 kg. You can imagine the severity of the injuries
which might be sustained if this “projectile” strikes an occupant as it flies
through the passenger compartment. This increased risk of injury will be
further increased if a loose object is struck by an inflating airbag.
WARNING
•If pieces of baggage or other objects are secured to the fastening rings
with inappropriate or damaged retaining cords, injuries could result in the
event of braking manoeuvres or accidents.•To prevent pieces of luggage or other objects from flying forward,
always use appropriate retaining cords which are secured to the fastening
rings.•Never secure a child seat on the fastening rings.
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Seat belts17
Safety First
Operating instructions
Practical tips
Technical Data
Seat beltsBrief introductionBefore driving: remember your seat belt!
Wearing a seat belt proper ly can save your life!In this chapter you will learn the importance of wearing seat belts,
how they work and how to properly fasten, adjust and wear them.
– Read and consider all the information as well as the warnings in
this chapter.
WARNING
•Before inserting the central rear seat belt into its catch, make sure that
the backrest is properly engaged in position by pulling on the belt.•If seat belts are worn incorrectly or no t at all, the risk of severe injuries
increases.•Properly worn seat belts can reduce severe injuries in case of sudden
braking manoeuvres or accidents. For safety reasons, you and your passen-
gers must always wear the seat belts properly while the vehicle is moving.•P r e g n a n t w o m e n o r p e o p l e w i t h p h y s i c al d i s a b i l i t i e s m u s t a l s o u s e s e a t
belts. Like all other passengers, these people can also sustain severe inju-
ries if they are not wearing their seat belts properly.
Number of seatsYour vehicle has five seats, two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat is
equipped with a three-point seat belt.
WARNING
•More people than available seats must never be transported in your
vehicle.•Every passenger in the vehicle must properly fasten and wear the seat
belt belonging to his or her seat. Children must be protected with an appro-
priate child restraint system.
Seat belt warning lamp*

The warning lamp acts as a reminder to the driver to fasten
the seat belt.Before starting the vehicle:
– Fasten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat according to the child's height and weight.
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Seat belts
18The warning lamp  in the instrument panel lights up
1) if the driver or
passenger seat belt is not fastened
1) when the ignition is switched on. More-
over, an warning buzzer
1) is heard on exceeding 25 km/h. This signal will
stop after 90 seconds or when the seat belt is fastened.
The warning lamp*
 is switched off if the driver seat belt is fastened while
the ignition is switched on.
Why wear seat belts?Physical principles of frontal collisions
In the event of a frontal collision, a large amount of kinetic
energy must be absorbed.
It is easy to explain how the laws of physics work in the case of a head-on
collision: When a vehicle starts moving ⇒fig. 6, a certain amount of energy
known as “kinetic energy” is produced in the vehicle and its occupants.
The amount of “kinetic energy” depends on the speed of the vehicle and the
weight of the vehicle and its passengers. The higher the speed and the
greater the weight, the more energy there is to be “released” in an accident.
The most significant factor, however, is the speed of the vehicle. If the speed
doubles from 25 km/h to 50 km/h, for example, the kinetic energy is multi-
plied by four.
Because the passengers in our example are not restrained by seat belts, all
of the passengers' kinetic energy has to be absorbed at the point of impact
⇒ fig. 7.
Even at speeds of 30 km/h to 50 km/h, the forces acting on bodies in a colli-
sion can easily exceed one tonne (1000 kg). At greater speed these forces are
even higher.
Passengers not wearing seat belts are not “attached” to the vehicle. In a
frontal collision, they will move forward at the same speed their vehicle was
1)Depending on the model version
Fig. 6 Vehicle about to hit
a wall: the occupants are
not wearing seat belts
Fig. 7 The vehicle hits
the wall: the occupants
are not wearing seat belts
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Airbag system
26Airbag systemBrief introductionWhy wear a seat belt and assume the correct sitting position?
For the inflating airbags to achieve the best protection, the
seat belt must always be worn properly and the correct sitting
position must be assumed.For your own safety and the safety of the passengers, please ensure
the following before driving:
– Always wear the seat belt properly
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly ⇒page 12.
– Use an appropiate child restraint system to protect children in your vehicle.The airbag is deployed at high speed in fractions of a second. If you have an
incorrect seating position at the time the airbag is deployed, it could cause
you critical injuries. Therefore, it is essential that all passengers in the vehicle
assume a correct sitting position while travelling.
A sharp braking before an accident may cause a passenger not wearing a seat
belt to be thrown forward into the area of the deploying airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may inflict critical or fatal injuries on the occupant. This
also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible distance between yourself and the
front airbag. This way, the front airbags can completely deploy when trig-
gered, providing their maximum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger an airbag are: the type of acci-
dent, the angle of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether the airbags are triggered depends primarily on the vehicle deceler-
ation rate resulting from the collision and detected by the control unit. If the
vehicle deceleration occurring during the collision and measured by the
control unit remains below the specified reference values, the front, side
and/or curtain airbag will not be triggered. Take into account that the visible
damage in a vehicle involved in an accident, for whatever reason, is not an
indication as to why the airbags had been triggered.
WARNING
•Wearing the seat belt incorrectly or assuming an incorrect sitting posi-
tion can lead to critical or fatal injuries.•All occupants, including children, who are not properly belted can
sustain cr it ical or fatal inju ries if t he airbag is triggered. You s hould al ways
transport all children up to 12 years of age on the rear seat. Never transport
children in the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is
not appropriate for their age, size or weight.•I f yo u are n o t w ea r i ng a s ea t b e l t , i f yo u l e an fo r w a rd o r t o t h e s id e w h il e
travelling or assume an incorrect sitting position, there is a substantially
increased risk of injury. This increased risk of injury will be further
increased if you are struck by an inflating airbag.•To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating airbag, always wear the
seat belt properly.
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Airbag system
34Function of side airbags
Inflated airbags can reduce the risk of head or chest injury in
many side impact collisions.In some side collisions , the side airbag is triggered on the impact side of the
vehicle ⇒fig. 20 .
In certain types of accident the front, curtain and side airbags may be trig-
gered together.
When the system is triggered, the airbag is filled with propellant gas.
In order to provide the desired extra protection in an accident, the airbags
have to deploy extremely rapidly (within thousandth of a second). A fine dust
may develop when the airbag deploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The fully deployed airbags cushion the movement of the occupants of the
front seats and help to reduce the risk of injury to the upper body. The special design of the airbag allows the controlled escape of the propel-
lant gas when an occupant puts pressure on the bag. Thus, the head and
chest are surrounded and protected by the airbag.
Safety notes on the operation of the side airbag system
If airbags are used correctly, they can considerably reduce the
risk of injury in side impact collisions.
WARNING
•If you do not wear a seat belt, if you lean forward, or are not seated
correctly while the vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk of injury if
the side airbag system is triggered in an accident.•In order for the side airbags to provide their maximum protection, the
prescribed sitting position must always be maintained with seat belts
fastened while travelling.•Occupants of the outer seats must never carry any objects or pets in the
deployment space between them and the airbags, or allow children or
other passengers to travel in this position. It is also important not to attach
any accessories (such as cup holders) to the doors. This would impair the
protection offered by the side airbags.•The built-in coat hooks should be us ed only for lightweight clothing. Do
not leave any heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets.•Great forces, such as hard blows or kicks, must not be exerted upon the
backrest bolster because the system may be damaged. In this case, the
side airbags would not be triggered.•Under no circumstances should protective covers be fitted over seats
with side airbags unless the covers have been expressly approved for use
in your vehicle. Because the airbag deploys from the side of the backrest,
the use of conventional seat covers would obstruct the side airbag, seri-
ously reducing the airbag's effectiveness.
Fig. 20 Inflated side
airbag on left side of
vehicle
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Child safety
38Child safetyBrief introductionIntroduction
Statistics show that children are generally safer on the rear
seat than on the front passenger seat.For safety reasons we recommend that children under 12 years of age are
transported on the rear seats. Children travelling on the rear seat must use a
child restraint system or the seat belts provided, depending on their age,
height and weight. For safety reasons, the child seat should be installed in
the centre of the rear seat or behind the front passenger seat.
The physical laws involved and the forces acting in a collision apply also to
children ⇒page 18, “Why wear seat belts?”. But unlike adults, children do
not have muscle and bone structures fully developed. This means that chil-
dren are subject to a greater risk of injury.
To reduce this risk, children must always use special child restraint systems
when travelling in the vehicle.
We recommend the use of child safety products from the SEAT Genuine Acces-
sories Programme, which includes systems for all ages made by “Peke”
2).
These systems have been especially designed and approved, complying with
the ECE-R44. regulation.
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats. Always read and note
⇒ page 38, “Safety notes on using child seats”. We recommend you to include together with the on-board documentation,
the manufacturer's Child Seat instruction manual.
Safety notes on using child seats
Proper use of child seats substantially reduces the risk of
injury in an accident!As the driver, you are responsible for any children you transport in
your vehicle.
– Protect your children by properly using appropriate child seats
⇒page 40.
– Always ensure that the seat belt is properly positioned according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the child
seat.
– When travelling, do not allow children to distract you from traffic.
– Take breaks regularly during long trips. Take a break at least
every two hours.
WARNING
•Never install a child seat facing backwards (or rear-facing) on the front
passenger seat unless the front passenger airbag has been disabled. This
could lead to a risk of potentially fatal injuries to the child! However, if it is
necessary, in exceptional cases, to transport a child in the front passenger
seat, the front passenger airbag must always be disabled ⇒page 36,
2)Not for all countries
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Child safety
40Child seatsCategorisation of child seats into groups
Use only child seats that are officially approved and suitable
for the child.Child seats are subject to the regulation ECE-R 44. ECE-R. It means that:
Economic Commission for Europe Regulation
The child seats are grouped into 5 categories:
Group 0 : children up to 10 kg
Group 0+ : children up to 13 kg
Group 1 : from 9 to 18 kg
Group 2 : from 15 to 25 kg
Group 3 : from 22 to 36 kg
Child seats that have been tested and approved under the ECE R 44 standard
bear the test mark on the seat (the letter E in a circle with the test number
below it).
Group 0 and 0+ child seats
A suitable child seat and a correctly adjusted seat belt can
help you to protect your child.Group 0: For babies from about 9 months old and 10 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration ⇒ fig. 23.
Group 0+: For babies from about 18 months old and 13 kg in weight the most
suitable seats are those appearing in the illustration ⇒fig. 23 .
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and observe any statutory require-
ments when installing and using child seats.
We recommend you to include together with the on-board documentation,
the manufacturer's Child Seat instruction manual.
WARNING
Read and always observe information and warnings concerning the use of
child seats ⇒ in “Safety notes on using child seats” on page 38.
Fig. 23 A group 0 rear-
facing child seat fitted on
the rear seat.
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