
Starting-off and Driving
128
Steering intervention! Moni
tor area around veh.!
The park assist is active and takes over the steering movements. Observe the surroundings and carefully drive backward
s, at the same time operate the pedal.
Please take over steering! Finish parking manually Take over the steering. End the parking procedure without using the park assist. Speed too high! Please take over steering! The parking procedure was ended while the speed was exceeded. Park Assist: ESP Intervention! Intervention of the ESP system while searching for a suitable parking place. ESP intervention! Please take over steering! Parking procedure is ended through the intervention of the ESP system.Cruise control system (CCS)*IntroductionThe cruise control system (CCS) maintains a constant speed, more than 30 km/h (20 mph), once it has been set, without you
having to depress th
e accelerator pedal.
This is only possible within the range which is permitted by the power output and braking power of the engine. The cruise control system makes it possible - particu- larly on long journeys - for you to rest your “accelerator foot”.
WARNING
•
The cruise control system must not, for safety reasons, be used in dense
traffic or on unfavourable road surfaces
(such as icy roads, slippery roads or
loose chippings) - risk of accident!•
In order to prevent unintentional use
of the cruise control system, always
switch off the system after use.
Note
•
Models fitted with a manual gearbox: Al
ways depress the clutch pedal if you
switch on the cruise control system when
the gearbox is in Neutral. Otherwise the
engine can rev up unintentionally.•
The cruise control system is not able to maintain a constant speed when driving
on steep downhill sections. The weight of the vehicle increases the speed at which it travels. One should shift down in good
time to a lower gear or slow the vehicle
down by applying the foot brake.•
It is not possible on vehicl
es fitted with an automati
c gearbox to switch on the
cruise control system if the selector lever is in the position
P, N or R.
Storing a speedThe cruise control system is operated by means of the switch and rocker button in the left lever of the multi-functional switch. – Press the switch
⇒
fig. 145
into the position
ON
.
– After the desired speed has been reached, press the rocker button
into the
SET
position.
Fig. 145 Operating lever: Rocker button and switch of cruise control system
AA
AB
AA
AB
s2dk.1.book Page 128 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

Seat belts
169
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
The physical principle of a frontal collisionThe physical principle of a frontal a
ccident can be explained quite simply:
Motion energy, so-called kinetic energy, is
produced as soon as the vehicle is
moving, both for the vehicle and its occupants. The magnitude of this kinetic energy depends essentially on the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and on the weight of the vehicle and the occupants. The greater the speed and weight increase,
the greater the amount of energy which has to be absorbed in the event of an acci- dent. The speed of the vehicle is, nevertheless,
the most important factor. Doubling the
speed of the vehicle from 25 km/h up to
50 km/hour increases the kinetic energy
four times. The common opinion that it is possible to
support your body
in a minor accident
with your hands, is incorrect. Even in a
collision at only a low speed, the forces
acting on the body are such that it is
no longer possible to support your body.
Even if you only drive at a speed within the range from 30 km/hour to 50 km/hour, the forces which are produced on your body
in the event of an accident can easily
exceed 10.000 N (Newton). This equals a weight of one tonne (1 000 kg). In the event of a frontal collision, occupants of the car not wearing a seat belt, are thrown forward and strike in an uncontrolled way parts of the interior of the car, such as steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen,
⇒fig. 163
. The occupants of a
vehicle who have not fastened their seat belts may even be thrown out of the vehicle. This can resu
lt in fatal injuries.
It is also important that rear seat occupants fasten their seat belts as they will other- wise be thrown through the vehicle in an
uncontrolled manner in the event of an
accident A rear seat passenger who has not
fastened the seat belt is a danger not
only to himself but also fo
r those seated at the front
⇒fig. 164
.
Important safety information regarding the use of seat beltsThe correct use of the seat belts considerably reduces the risk of injury!
WARNING
•
The belt webbing must not be jammed in-between at any point or
twisted, or chafe ag
ainst any sharp edges.
•
It is important that the belt webbing is properly routed if the seat belts
are to offer their maximum protection
⇒page 170, “How are seat belts
correctly fa
stened?”.
Fig. 163 The driver is thrown forward if not wearing a beltFig. 164 The rear seat occu-pant is thrown forward if not wearing a belt
s2dk.1.book Page 169 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

Transporting children safely
185
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Transporting children safelyWhat you should know about transporting children!An introduction to the subject Accident statistics have revealed that children are generally more safely transported on the rear seat
s than on the fron
t passenger seat.
Children younger than 12 years of age should
normally travel on the rear seat of the
vehicle (take note of any na
tional legal provisions which differ from this). They
should be secured there by means of a child restraint system or by using the existing seat belts depending on their age, body si
ze and weight. The child seat should be
mounted behind the front passen
ger seat for safety reasons.
The physical principle of an accident do
es, of course, also apply to children
⇒ page 169, “The physical principle of a fronta
l collision”. They differ from adults in
that their muscles and bone structure of ch
ildren are not yet fully developed. Thus
children are exposed to increased risk of injury. Children should be transported by using special child safety seats in order to reduce this risk of injury. Use only child safety seats which are offici
ally approved and are suitable for chil-
dren and which comply with the ECE-R 44
standard, which classifies child safety
seats into 5 groups
⇒page 188, “Classification of child seats into groups”. Child
restraint systems which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within
a circle and below this the test number)
attached to the seat. We recommend that you use ch
ild safety seats from the Škoda genuine accessories.
These child seats were developed and also
tested for use in Škoda vehicles. They
fulfil the ECE-R 44 standard.
WARNING
Always comply with legal provisions and instructions from the relevant child safety seat manufacturer when in
stalling and using the child seat
⇒ page 185, “Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats”.
Note
Any varying national legal regulations take priority over the information provided in these instructions for use, or stated in this chapter.Important safety information regarding the use of child safety seats Correct use of child safety seats
considerably reduces the risk of
injury!
WARNING
•
All the occupants of the car - in particular children - must wear a seat belt
when the car is moving.•
Children who are less than 1.50 m in height and who weigh less than 36
kg must not use a normal seat belt without a child restraint system other- wise this may result in injuries to the stomach and neck areas. Comply with the national legal requirements.•
One should never carry children, and also not babies! - on one's lap.
•
You can transport a child safely in
a suitable child safety seat
⇒page 188,
“Child seat”!•
Only one child may be fastened with a seat belt into a child safety seat.
•
Never leave the child sitting unattended in the seat.
•
Certain outside climatic conditions can cause life-threatening tempera-
tures in the vehicle.
WARNING (continued)
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Transporting children safely
188
This applies particularly to children if they are not transported in accordance with legal requirements. The child is protected when seated in a child safety seat matching its age. Adequate room is available between th
e child and the deployment area of the side airbag and
head airbag. The airbag offers optimal protection.
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off
⇒page 182 the front passenger airbag
when attaching a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat where the
child is seated with its back facing in direction of travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel). If this is not done, there is a risk of the child suffering severe
or even fatal injuries if the front
passenger airbag is deploy
ed. In certain countries national legal provisions
also require that the si
de and head airbags be
deactivated. When trans-
porting a child on the front passenger seat, please comply with the appro- priate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
When transporting a child on the fr
ont passenger seat, please comply
with the appropriate national regulations regarding the use of child safety seats.•
Children must never be seated with their head in the deployment area of
the side airbag - risk of injury!•
Do not place any objects within the deployment area of the side airbag -
risk of injury!Child seatClassification of child seats into groups Only child safety seats which have an official approval and are suit- able for the child, may be used.ECE-R 44 standard applies to child safety seats. ECE-R means: Economic Commis- sion of Europe - Regulation.
Child safety seats which have been tested for conformity to ECE-R 44 standard have a non-detachable test seal (a large E within a circle and below this the test number) attached to the seat. Child safety seats are classified in 5 groups: Children of more than 150 cm in height may use the seat belts fitted to the vehicle without a seat bolster.Use of child safety seatsAn overview of the usefulness of child se
ats on each of the seats according to the
ECE-R 44 standard:
Universal category - seat is suitable for all approved types of child safety seats. The seat can be fitted with
fixing eyes for the “
ISOFIX
*”system.
The divided rear seat - seat can be fitt
ed with fixing eyes for the system “
To p
Te t h e r
*” ⇒page 192, “Attaching child seat using the “Top Tether” system”.
Group
Weight
0
0 - 10 kg
⇒page 189
0+
up to 13 kg
⇒page 189
1
9 - 18 kg
⇒page 189
2
15 - 25 kg
⇒page 190
3
22 - 36 kg
⇒page 190
Child seat groups
Front passenger
seat
Rear seat outside
Rear seat middle
0
0+
1
2 and 3
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AUA+
AUA+AT
AU
AU
AU
AU
AUA+AT
s2dk.1.book Page 188 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

Transporting children safely
189
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Child seats of group 0/0+The optimal solution for babies of up to
about 9 months old weighing up to 10 kg
or babies up to about 18 mont
hs old weighing up to 13
kg is a child safety seat
which can be adjusted into the reclining position
⇒fig. 183
.
In view of the fact that such child seats are installed that the child is seated with its back facing the direction of travel, they
must not be used on the front passenger
seat
⇒page 186, “Use of child safety seats on the front passenger seat”.WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch off the front passenger airbag (airbags)
when attaching in exceptional circumstances a child safety seat on the front passenger seat where the child is seated
with its back facing in direction of
travel (in some countries also when the child is facing the direction of travel).
− in a specialist garage − or by using the switch for the front passenger airbag*
⇒page 183,
“Switch for the front passenger airbag*”.
•
In certain countries national legal provisions require that besides the
front airbag also the side or head ai
rbags are deactivated. Please comply
with any differing national legal regula
tions regarding the use of child safety
seats.
•
If this is not done, a child seated on
the front passenger seat may suffer
severe or even fatal injuries if the
front passenger airbag or airbags are
deployed.•
You should have the front passenger ai
rbag (or airbags) reactivated just
as soon as you no longer use a child sa
fety seat on the front passenger seat.
Child safety seats in Group 1Child seats in Group 1 are for babies and sm
all children up to 4 years of age with a
weight of between 9 and 18 kilograms. It is
best for children in the lower range of
this group, to use a child seat which allows
the child to sit with its back to the direc-
tion of travel. It is best for children in the upper range of the Group 0+, to use a child seat which allows the child to sit
⇒fig. 184
in the direction of travel.
Child safety seats in which the child is seat
ed with its back facing the direction of
travel, must not be used on the front passenger seat
⇒page 186, “Use of child
safety seats on the front passenger seat”.
WARNING
•
It is essential to always switch of
f the front passenger airbag (airbags)
when attaching in exceptional circumstances a child safety seat on the front
Fig. 183 Child seats of group 0/0+
WARNING (continued)
Fig. 184 Child seat with padded table in Group 1 installed on rear seat bench facing the direction of travel
s2dk.1.book Page 189 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

Driving and the Environment
205
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
Avoid driving short distances Short distances result in an above-average high fuel consumption.– Avoid driving a distance of no more than 4 km if the engine is cold.The engine and catalytic converter mu
st first have reached their optimal
operating
temperature
in order to effectively reduce fu
el consumption and pollutant emis-
sions. The cold engine vehicle consumes approx. 15 - 20 litres/100 km of fuel immediately after starting. Fuel co
nsumption drops to 10 litres/100 km after just 1 kilometre. The
engine reaches its operating temperat
ure (outside temperature and engine
dependent) only after about
4 to 10
kilometres and the fuel consumption then
stabilizes. You should therefore avoid driving short distances whenever possible. An important factor in this connection is also the
ambient temperature
. The
⇒ fig. 196
shows the different fuel consumptions for the same distance, on the one
hand at +20°C and on the other hand at
-10°C. Your vehicle has a higher fuel
consumption in winter than in summer.Checking tyre inflation pressures Tyres which are correctly inflated save fuel.Always ensure that your tyres are inflated
to the correct pressure at all times. The
rolling resistance will be increased if the tyre filling pressure is too low. This will not
only increase fuel consumption but also
tyre wear and the driving behaviour will
worsen. Always check the inflation pressure of the tyres when
cold
.
Do not drive with
winter tyres
all year round for this costs about 10 % more fuel.
Winter tyres are also louder.No unnecessary ballast Transporting ballast costs fuel.The fact that every kilogram of extra
weight
increases your fuel consumption
means that it is worth taking a look in the luggage compartment to avoid trans- porting any unnecessary ballast. It is particularly in town traffic, when one
is accelerating quite often, that the vehicle
weight will have a significant effect upon
the fuel consumption. A rule of thumb
here is that an increase in weight of 100
kilograms will cause an increase in fuel
consumption of about 1
litre/100 kilometres.
You may frequently also leave a
roof rack fitted
on just out of convenience,
although you no longer need it. The incr
eased aerodynamic drag of your vehicle
causes it to use about 10% more fuel th
an normal at a speed of 100 - 120 km/h,
even when you are not carr
ying a load on the roof.
Saving electricity Generating electricity costs fuel.– Switch off electrical components as
soon as you no longer need them.
When the engine is running, the alternator
generates and supplies
electrical power.
The greater the load on the alternator as a result of having a large number of elec-trical components switched on, the more
fuel will be consumed for operating the
alternator.
Fig. 196 Fuel consumption in litres/100 km at different temperatures
s2dk.1.book Page 205 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM

Towing a trailer
208
Towing a trailerTo w i n g a t r a i l e rTechnical requirements The towing device must satisfy
certain technical requirements.
Your vehicle is designed primarily for tr
ansporting persons and luggage. It can,
however, also be used for towing a traile
r - provided certain te
chnical equipment is
fitted. If your vehicle has already been supplied with a
factory-fitted
towing device then
everything that is necessary
for towing a trailer in technical terms, and in terms of
the law, has already been taken into account. Your vehicle is fitted with a 13-pin po
wer socket for the electrical connection
between the vehicle and trailer. If th
e trailer which you wish to tow has a
7-pin
connector
, you can use a suitable adapter
15) from Škoda original accessories.
This work must be carried out in accordan
ce with the manufacturer's specifications
if a towing device is retrofitted. Authorised Škoda Service Partners are familiar with details relating to retrofitting a towing device and for any necessary
modifications to the cooling system.
WARNING
We recommend that you have the towing device from Škoda original acces- sories installed by an authorised Škoda Service Partner. He is familiar with all the relevant details relating to retrofitting such equipment. There is a risk of an accident if the towing device is not properly fitted!
General Maintenance There are a number of points to
pay attention to when towing a
trailer.Trailer load The permissible trailer load must
on no account be exceeded.
You can negotiate appropriatel
y steeper inclines and desc
ents if you do not make
full use of the perm
issible trailer load.
The trailer loads specified only apply for
altitudes
up to 1 000 metres above mean
sea level. The fact that the engine power ou
tput drops with increasing height due to
a lowering of air pressure and thus the abil
ity to climb, means that the towed weight
must be reduced by 10% for every further increase of 1 000 metres in height above sea level. The towed weight is the weight of the (laden) vehicle and the (laden) trailer together. One should take this into account before driving up to higher alti- tudes. The trailer and drawbar load information on the type plate of the towing device are merely test data for the tow
ing device The data relating to your
vehicle, which is often less than this test data, can be found in your vehicle registration documents. Distribution of the load Distribute the load in the trailer in such a way that any heavy items are located as close as possible to the axle. Secure
the items to prevent them slipping.
Tyre inflation pressure Select the tyre inflation pressure on your vehicle for that of “fully laden”, ⇒ page 235. The inflation pressure of the tyres fitted to the trailer adjust in accord- ance with the manufacturer's recommendation. Exterior mirrors You have to have additional
exterior mirrors fitted if you are not able to see the
traffic behind the trailer with the standard rear-view mirrors. Both exterior mirrors
15)In some countries the adapter is
supplied with the towing device.
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Towing a trailer
209
Using the system
Safety
Driving Tips
General Maintenance
Breakdown assistance
Technical Data
should be attached to folding arms. Adjust
the mirrors so that they provide you with
an adequate field of view to the rear. Headlights Before starting off with a hitched trailer, also check the setting of the headlights. Alter the setting as necessary with th
e aid of the headlight beam adjuster
⇒ page 66, “Headlamp range adjustment*
”.
Detachable ball head The ball rod is detachable on vehicles which feature a factory-fitted towing device. It is stowed together with separate fitting instructions in the spare wheel well in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. Further information on the towing device
⇒page 210.
Note
•
We recommend that you also have yo
ur vehicle inspected between service
intervals if you tow a trailer frequently.•
The handbrake on the towing vehicle
must be put on when coupling and
decoupling the trailer.Driving Tips Particular caution is required when towing a trailer.– Do not, as far as possible, drive
with your vehicle unladen and the
trailer laden.
– Do not make full use of the legal maximum speeds. This applies in
particular to downhill sections.
– Apply the brakes in good time.– Keep a check on the coolant temper
ature gauge if the outside temper-
ature is high.
Distribution of weight The distribution of the weight is very poor
if your vehicle is
unladen and the trailer
is laden. Maintain a particularly low speed if you cannot avoid driving with this combination. Driving speed Do not drive faster than 80 km/hour for safety reasons. This also applies for coun- tries in which higher speeds are allowed. The fact that the driving stability of the vehicle + trailer combination reduces with increasing speed means that the legally allowed speed should not be used when there are unfavourable road, weather or wind
conditions, particul
arly near accident
black spots. You must always reduce your speed immedi
ately as soon as you detect even just
the
slightest swaying
of the trailer. On no account attempt to stop the trailer from
“swaying” by
accelerating.
Apply the brakes in good time! If the trailer is fitted with a
trailer brake
, apply the
brakes gently at first and then brake firmly
. This will avoid brake jolts resulting from
the trailer wheels locking. Shift down gears
in good time before negotiating a down-
hill section to allow the engine to also act as a brake. Engine overheating Please keep a check on the coolant temperature gauge if you have to negotiate a lengthy slope in a low gear at a high engine speed when the outside temperature is very high
⇒page 18, “Coolant temperature gauge”.
If the needle of the coolant temperature gauge moves into the right-hand area or even the red area of the scale, reduce yo
ur speed immediately. Stop and switch off
the engine if the warning light
in the instrument cluste
r begins flashing. Wait a
few minutes and check the level of coolant in the coolant expansion bottle ⇒ page 227, “Inspecting the coolant level”. Please refer to the following guidelines
⇒page 38, “Coolant temperature/ Coolant
quantity
”.
The coolant temperature can be reduced by switching on the heating.Any increase in the cooling effect of the coolant fan through shifting down a gear and increasing the engine speed is not possible since the fan speed is independent
s2dk.1.book Page 209 Wednesday, April 8, 2009 12:23 PM