have any breathing difficulty but cannot
get out of the vehicle after the air bag
inflates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or door.GWarning!
To reduce the risk of injury when the front
air bags inflate, it is very important for
the driver and passenger to always be in a
properly seated position and to wear their
respective seat belt.
For maximum protection in the event of a
collision always be in normal seated
position with your back against the
backrest. Fasten your seat belt and ensure
it is properly positioned on your body.
Since the air bag inflates with
considerable speed and force, a proper
seating and hands on steering wheel
position will help to keep you at a safe
distance from the air bag.
Occupants who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the air bag can be seriously
injured or killed by an air bag as it
inflates extremely quickly and with great
force:
R Sit properly belted in a position that is
as upright as possible with your back
against the seat backrest.
R Adjust the driver’s seat as far as possible
rearward, still permitting proper
operation of vehicle controls. The
distance from the center of the driver’s
breastbone to the center of the air bag
cover on the steering wheel must be at
least 10 inches (25 cm) or more. You should
be able to accomplish this by
adjustments to the seat. If you have any
problems, please contact an authorized
smart center.
R Do not lean your head or chest close to the
steering wheel or dashboard.
R Keep hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim. Placing hands and arms inside
the rim can increase the risk and
potential severity of hand/arm injury
when the driver’s front air bag inflates.
R Adjust the passenger seat as far as
possible rearward from the dashboard
when the seat is occupied.
R Occupants, especially children, should
always sit as upright as possible,
properly use the seat belts and use an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of
the child.
Failure to follow these instructions can
result in severe injuries to you or other
occupants.
If you sell your vehicle, it is important that
you make the buyer aware of this safety
information. Be sure to give the buyer this
Operator’s Manual.
i Air bags are designed to deploy only in
certain frontal impacts (front air bags),
and in side impacts (head-thorax air
bags) which exceed preset thresholds.
Only during these events will they
provide their supplemental protection.
The driver and passenger should always
wear their seat belts. Otherwise it is not
possible for air bags to provide their
supplemental protection.
In case of other types of impacts and
impacts below air bag deployment
thresholds, air bags will not deploy. The
driver and passenger will then be
protected to the extent possible by a
properly fastened seat belt. A properly
fastened seat belt is also needed to
provide the best possible protection in
a rollover.
We caution you not to rely on the presence
of the air bags in order to avoid wearing
your seat belt.34Occupant safety>> Safety.
451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 34
005DFor removing key004AIgnition (power supply for all
electrical consumers) and driving
position
All lamps (except low‑beam
headlamp indicator lamp,
high‑beam headlamp indicator
lamp, and turn signal indicator
lamps unless activated) in the
instrument cluster come on. If a
lamp in the instrument cluster fails
to come on when the ignition is
switched on, have it checked and
replaced if necessary. If a lamp in
the instrument cluster remains on
after starting the engine or comes
on while driving, refer to “Warning
and indicator lamps in the
instrument cluster” ( Y page 149).004BStarting ( Y page 75)
i
When you switch on the ignition, the
indicator and warning lamps (except
low‑beam headlamp indicator lamp,
high‑beam headlamp indicator lamp, and
turn signal indicator lamps unless
activated) in the instrument cluster
come on. The indicator and warning
lamps (except low‑beam headlamp
indicator lamp, high‑beam headlamp
indicator lamp, and turn signal
indicator lamps if activated) will go out
when the engine is running. This
indicates that the respective systems
are operational.
Seats
Safety notes
GWarning!
All seat adjustments, as well as fastening
of seat belts, must be done before the
vehicle is operated.
GWarning!
When adjusting the seat, make sure no one
becomes trapped.
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while
driving. Adjusting the seat while driving
could cause the driver to lose control of the
vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined
position as this can be dangerous. You
could slide under the seat belt in a
collision. If you slide under the seat belt,
it could apply force at the abdomen or neck,
potentially causing serious or fatal
injuries. The seat backrest and seat belts
provide the best restraint when the wearer
is in a position that is as upright as
possible and seat belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.
Observe the following points:
R Adjust the seat backrest until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.
R Adjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as
possible with the driver still able to
operate the controls properly.
R Never place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
Observe the notes on the air bag system.
GWarning!
Children 12 years old and under must be
seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint,
toddler restraint, or booster seat
recommended for the size and weight of the
56Seats>> Controls.
451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 56
child. For additional information, see
“Children in the vehicle”.
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries
is significantly increased if the child
restraints are not properly secured in the
vehicle and/or the child is not properly
secured in the child restraint.GWarning!
Contact an authorized smart center if the
seats have become damaged.
The seat is an integral part of the vehicle’s
safety system in the same way as seat belts
and air bags. Damage to the seats may
reduce their ability to protect the
occupants in an accident.
Seat adjustment
0046Seat backrest tilt0047Seat fore and aft adjustment
Seat backrest tilt
XPull adjustment lever 0046 upwards and
adjust the seat backrest until your arms
are slightly angled when holding the
steering wheel.XRelease adjustment lever 0046 when the
desired seat backrest tilt is reached.
When you hear an audible click, the seat
backrest is again fixed into place.XCheck for proper engagement before
driving.Seat fore and aft adjustmentXPull adjustment handle 0047 upwards and
slide the seat to a seating position that
still allows you to reach the accelerator/
brake pedal safely.XRelease adjustment handle 0047 when the
desired seating position is reached.
When you hear an audible click, the seat
is again fixed into place.XCheck for proper engagement before
driving.
Seat height
The seat guide is inclined in the
horizontal plane. Seat fore and aft
adjustment also alters the seat height.
Armrest* on driver’s seat
Folding up and down
XFolding up: Hold front of armrest and fold
it up in direction of arrow 0046.XFolding down: Hold front of armrest and
fold it down in direction of arrow 0047.
Adjusting armrest angle
You can adjust the angle of the armrest when
it is folded down.
XTurn thumb wheel 008A.
R Direction of arrow 0088: down
R Direction of arrow 0086: upSeats57>> Controls.* optional451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 57Z
Passenger seat
You can expand the cargo compartment by
folding down the passenger seat.
Observe the loading instructions
( Y page 100).
Folding downXRemove the seat belt from seat belt
guide 0046.XMove the passenger seat backward as far
as it will go.XHold the backrest with one hand back.XPull adjustment lever 0047 upwards and
unlock the seat backrest.XFold the seat backrest forward.Folding backXPull adjustment lever 0047 upwards and
unlock the seat backrest.XFold the seat backrest backward.
When you hear an audible click, the seat
backrest is again fixed into place.XCheck for proper engagement before
driving.XPlace the seat belt back in seat belt
guide 0046.GWarning!
When folding the passenger seat backrest
back to its upright position, please make
sure
R nobody becomes trapped
R no obstacles are jammed in the lock
R the adjustment lever has audibly locked
into position
A properly engaged passenger seat
backrest will help to prevent stored
objects in the cargo compartment from
being thrown about and injuring vehicle
occupants during
R braking
R vehicle maneuvers
R an accident
Seat heating*
The seat heating allows you to heat the
driver’s and passenger seat electrically.
58Seats>> Controls.* optional451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 58
The seat heating has two levels.
The indicator lamps on seat heating
switch 0046 come on to show which heating
level you have selected.LevelIndicator lamps on the switchoffNo indicator lamp on1One indicator lamp on2Two indicator lamps onXMake sure the key is in starter switch
position 1.XSwitching on: Press seat heating
switch 0046 repeatedly until the desired
seat heating level is reached.XSwitching off: Press seat heating
switch 0046 repeatedly until all indicator
lamps go out.
! If the seat heating is malfunctioning,
the indicator lamp(s) on the switch
come(s) on briefly when you press the
switch and then go(es) out again. Contact
an authorized smart center.
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic
conditions.
Exterior rear view mirrors
GWarning!
Exercise care when using the passenger-
side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror and glance over
your shoulder to determine whether any
vehicles are in the ’blind spot’ of your field
of vision, before changing lanes.
Manually adjustable exterior rear view
mirrorsXAdjusting: Move adjustment lever 0046 up,
down, left, or right to the desired
setting.
Power exterior rear view mirrors
This feature is only available on the model
passion and BRABUS.
The operating control is on the door
control panel.
XMake sure the key is in starter switch
position 1.XSelecting the mirror: Turn knob 0046 to the
left for the driver’s side exterior rear
view mirror or to the right for theMirrors59>> Controls.451_AKB; 3; 22, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-27T09:36:34+02:00 - Seite 59Z