Seats and storage
General recommendations
Why is your seat adjustment so important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can only provide
maximum protection if the front seats are correctly
adju sted.
Th ere a re various ways of adjusting t he front seats to provide safe and
comfortable support for the driver and the front passenger . Ad just
your seat properly so that :
• you can easily and quickly reach a ll the switc hes and contro ls in the
ins trumen t pa nel
• your body is properly supported thus reducing phys ica l stress and
fatigue
• the safety be lts and airbag system can offer maximum protection
=>
page 190 .
In the following sections, you w ill see exact ly how you can best ad just
your sea ts .
Th ere are special regulations a nd instr uctions for install ing a child
safety seat on the front passenger's sea t. Always follow the informa
tion regarding child safety p rovided in=>
page 215, "Child Safety ".
& WARNING
Incorrect seating posit ion of the dri ver and all other passengers
can result in seriou s personal injury.
• Always keep your feet on the floor when the vehicle is in
motion -never put your feet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the window o r on top of the seat cush ion. This applies especially
to the passengers.
If your seating po sition is incorrect, you
increase the ri sk of injury in the case of sudden braking or an acci-
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
& WARNING
(con tinu ed)
dent . If the airbag inflates and the seating position is incorrect ,
this could result in per sonal injury or even death .
• It is important for both the dri ver and front passenger to keep
a distan ce of at least 10 inche s (25 cm) between themselves and
the steering wheel and /or instrument panel. If you 're sitting any
closer than this , the airbag system cannot protect you properly. In
addition, the front seats and head restraints must be adjusted to
your body height so that they can give you maximum protection .
• Always try to keep as much distance as possible between your
self and the steering wheel or instrument panel.
• Do not adjust the driver's or front passenger 's seat while the
vehicle is moving. You r seat may move unexpectedly , causing
sudden loss of vehicle control and personal injury . If you adjust
your seat while the vehicle is moving , you are out of position. •
Driver's seat
The correct seat position is important for saf e and
re lax ed driving.
W e recomme nd that you a djust the drive r's sea t in the
f ollowing man ner :
- Ad just the seat in fore and aft direction so that you can
easily pus h the pedals to the floor w hile keeping your
knees slightly bent=>
& in "Why is yo ur seat a djus tme nt
so importa nt?" .
- Adjust the seatback so that when yo u sit with yo ur back
agai nst t he seatback , you can st ill grasp t he top of the
steering w heel. ..,
Vehicle care Technical data
Seats and storage
-Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=>
page 80.
& WARNING
Never place any objects in the driver's footwell. An object could
get into the pedal area and interfere with pedal function. In case
of sudden braking or an accident, you would not be able to brake
or accelerate. •
Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost
position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is deploying, do not
sit any closer to the instrument panel than necessary and
always wear the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the passenger's
seat in the following manner:
- Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright position.
Do
not ride with the seat reclined.
- Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is as even as
possible with the top of your head. If that is not possible,
try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as close to this
position as possible=>
page 80.
-Place your feet on the floor in front of the passenger's
seat. •
Adjusting front seats manually
Applies to veh icles: wit h manually adjustab le seats
Seat adjustment controls
The seat has several adjustments.
Fig. 68 Controls on
the driver's seat
Some the controls shown are only installed in certain model versions
or are supplied as an option.
Controls
© Fore-and-aft adjustment
@ Upper thigh support"
@ Adjusting seat cushion angle*
© Adjusting lumbar support*
© Adjusting seat height
© Adjusting seatback angle •
Applies to veh icles : w ith manua lly ad justable seats
Adjusting the seat
Position and shape of the seat can be adjusted manually
to ensure safe and comfortable seating.
Read and follow the warning notices~ & before you adjust
your seat .
Fore-and-aft adjustment
- Pull the lever CD~ page 74, fig. 68 up and push the seat
to the desired position.
- Release the lever
CD and continue to move the seat until it
locks into place.
L e ngthening or shortening upper thigh
support *
- Lift the button@ under the seat cush ion. The front seat
cushion moves forward under spring force.
- Push the seat cushion back when you have finished using it.
Adjusting seat cushion angle *
- Pull or push the lever®==> page 74, fig. 68 up or down
(pumping motion) .
Adjusting the curv ature of the lumb ar
support *
-Push the switch plate© forward or backward to increase
or reduce the curvature .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
S
eats and storage
Adjusting the height of the lumbar support *
- Push the switch plate© up or down to position the curva
ture higher or lower.
R aising or lowering seat height
- Pull or push the lever©==> page 74, fig. 68 up or down
(pump ing motion) .
Adjusting s eatback angl e
Remove weight from the seatback (do not lean against it) .
- Turn the hand wheel©==>
page 74, fig. 68 to adjust the
angle of the seatback accordingly .
L1}. WARNING
• Adju st t he d riv er 's se at onl y when th e v ehicle is st atio nary. Y ou
ri sk an ac cident oth erwi se .
• Exe rci se ca ution w hen a djust in g th e sea ts. A dju st in g th e sea t
ca re less ly o r witho ut checkin g ca n pinch h and s and fin gers.
• While the vehicle is m oving , th e seat backs of th e front seats
mu st n ot b e incl in ed t oo far to the re ar b ecau se the effe cti ve ness
o f the s afe ty bel ts and th e air ba g sys te m is sev erel y co mpr om is e d
- ther e is a risk of injury. •
Vehicle care Technical data
Seats and storage
Applies to veh icles : w ith manua lly adj ustable seats
Easy entry function
The easy entry function makes it easier for the rear
passengers to enter and leave the vehicle .
Fig. 69 Driver's seat:
La tch on the seatba ck
Tilt the seatback forward and push the front
seats forward
- Lift the latch=:> fig. 69.
- Hold the latch and tilt the seatback forward.
- Release the latch and push the seat forward.
Push the front seats back and fold the
seatback up
- Push the front seat back before you fold the seat backs up.
Otherwise the seat cannot be pushed back to its original position .
& WARNING
Always be certain that the front seats are upright and securely
latched when you drive.•
Power front seat adjustment
Ap plies to vehicl es: wit h po wer adjusta ble se at s
Seat adjustment controls
The operating logic for the switches corresponds to the
construction and function of the seat .
.,
~ 9
"' "' m
Fig. 70 Front seat:
Controls for seat
adj ustme nt
The switches to adjust the seat cushion and the seatback correspond
to the layout, the design and the funct ion of the seat. The seats are
adjusted by moving the switches following this logi c.
Controls
@ Lumbar support*
@ Seat adjustment
© Seat back and head restraint height adjustment*
@ Upper thigh support* •
Applies to veh icles : w ith power adjusta ble seats
Adjusting the seat
Position, angl e and shape of the seat can be adjusted
ele ctrically to ensure safe and comfortabl e seating .
Read an d follow the warning notices~ & before you ad just
your seat .
Adjusting the curvature of the lumbar
support*
- Pu sh the switch p late @forwa rd or backward to in crease
or red uce the curvature.
Adjusting the height of the lumbar support*
- Push the sw itch p late @ up or dow n to position the curva
ture higher or lower.
Fore-and-aft adjustment
- P ush t he switc h® forward or backward ~ page 76,
fig .
70 .
Adjusting seat height
- Pull or push t he switch ® up o r down.
Front seat cushion up/ down
- P ress the sw itch ® at the fron t up or down .
Rear seat cushion up/ down
- Press the swi tch ® at the rear up o r dow n.
Adjusting seatback angle
- P ush t he switc h © forward or backw ard .
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Seats and storage
Head restraint height adjustment*
- P ress the switch @from up to down or t he ot her way.
Lengthening or shortening upper thigh
support*
- Li ft the button @ under the seat cush io n. T he front seat
cushion moves forward under spri ng force .
- Pus h t he s eat c ushion ba ck w hen you hav e finishe d us ing
i t.
& WARNING
• Adjust the driver's seat only when the vehicle is stationary . You
risk an accident oth erwise .
• The power adjustment for the front seat s al so works with the
ignit ion switched off or with the ign ition key removed. For this
rea son, children should never be left unattended in the vehicle -
they could be injured!
• Exerci se caution when adjusting the seat height. Unsupervis ed
or careless seat adjustment can p inch fingers or hands causing
injuries .
• While the vehicle is moving , the seat backs of the front seats
must not be inclined too far to the rear be cause the effectiveness
of the safety belts and the ai rbag system is severely compromised
- there is a risk of injury .•
Vehicle care Technical data
Seats and storage
Applie s to veh icles : wi th powe r ad justa ble seats
Easy entry function
The easy entry function makes it easier for the rear
passengers to enter and leave the vehicle.
Fig . 71 Driv er's se at:
C o nt rol s for e asy entry
a ss ist
Folding down the front seat backs
- Liftthel atc h=>fig.71 .
- Tilt the s eatba ck fo rward .
Moving the front seats forward
-Press and hold the switc h@ until t he seat has reached t he
desired position.
Moving front seats back
- Press an d ho ld t he switc h@ unti l the s eat has r eached t he
des ired posi tion . The seat stop s au to matically when it has
reached its starting posit io n again.
To make it eas ier to enter and leave t he rear seat, t he sea tbacks of the
front seats can be folded forward and the head restraints a re a uto
matically lowe red . At the same time, the front seats can be moved
forward and b ack . When the front seats a
re moved forward, their original pos it io n is
sto red. Whe n it i s move d back, t he se at a utoma ticall y sto ps in t his
position . To move the seat eve n further back, you have to release the
switch ® and reactivate it.
T he head res tra ints from the fron t seats , dependi ng on the seat
height that has been set, are automat ically ret racted when the seat
backs are folded down . T hey retu rn to t heir o riginal position again
when the sea tbacks for the fron t sea ts are raised.
[ i ] Tips
Wi th the driver's or passenge r's door closed, the correspond ing
switch to move the seat is inoperative .•
Seat memory
Ap plies to veh icles : w ith sea t mem ory
Memory for driver's seat
The seat adjustment settings for two drivers can be
stored using the memory butt ons in th e driver's door .
Fig. 72 Driver 's door :
Seat m em ory
In addit ion to the setting for the driver's sea t, the exterio r rea r view
m irror set ting can be stored and re called throug h sea t memory if t he
vehicle is p roperly equippe d.
~
The head restraints on the front seats can be adjusted to
provide safe support to head and neck at the optimum height
=> page 80, fig. 73. Adjust the head restraint so the upper
edge is as even as possible with the top of your head. If that
is not possible, try to adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible=>
page 80.
Raising/Lowering the head restraint
-Grasp the sides of the head restraint with both hands and
slide the head restraint upward/downward, until you feel
it click into place=>
page 80, fig. 73.
Electric height adjustment*
Push the switch up or down=> page 80, fig. 74 to adjust
the height of the head restraint.
Refer to=> page 174, "Proper adjustment of head restraints" for
guidelines on how to adjust the height of the front head restraints to
suit the occupant's body size.
& WARNING
• Driving without head restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious or fatal neck
injury dramatically.
• Read and heed all WARNINGS=>
page 174.
(I) Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and safety belts are an extremely
effective combination of safety features. •
Contro ls a nd e quip
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Seats and storage
Rear head restraints
Adjusting the head restraints
Fig. 75 Rear seats:
Head restraint
Fig. 76 Rear head
restraints: release
- To move the head restraint up, hold it at the sides with
both hands and slide it upward until you feel it click into
place.
- To move the head restraint down, press the button ©
=> fig. 75 and slide the head restraint downward.
Removing the head restraints
- Fold the backrest forward=> page 84.
-Move the head restraint upward as far as it can go.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
-L~C:_.!:h~ i~ld ~ S~ a:!: f~ e~ t~ y ~ ------------------------------------------
- Do not use the convertible locking retractor when using
the vehicle's safety belt to restrain a child on a booster
seat.
- Always position the shoulder portion of the safety belt midway over the child's shoulder . If you must transport an
older child in a booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt height adjustment to help
adjust the shoulder port ion properly .
- Always make s ure that the shoulder por tion of the safety
belt never rests against or across the child's neck .
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the lap portion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen .
Children up to about 40 lbs. (18 kg) are best protected in child safety
seats designed for their age and weight. Experts say that the skeletal
st ruct ure, particularly the pelv is, of these chi ldren is not fully deve l
oped, and they must not use the vehicle safety belts without a suit
able child rest raint .
Children who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehicle's three point lap and shoulder belts . Never
use the lap belt port ion of the vehicle's safety belt alone to restra in
any child, regard less of how big the child is. Always remember that
childre n do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required for the
proper function of lap belt portion of the vehicle's three point lap and
shoulder belts. The ch ild's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
around the pelvis. Neve r let the lap belt po rtion of the safety bel t
pass over the child's stomach or abdomen.
It is usua lly best to p ut these ch ildren in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all appl icable safety standards .
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass across the child
's body in the right places . The rout ing of the belt over
t he c hild's body is very impo rtan t for the chi ld's p ro tect io n, whether
or not a booster seat is used. Children age 12 and under must always
ride in the rear seat .
In a crash, airbags m ust inflate with in a blink of an eye and with
considerable force. In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
infl ate so that it w ill be t he re to protect t he oc cupan t as the occupant
moves forward into the a irbag.
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag gets in the way of an inflating a irbag . When a n occupant is too close,
he or she will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly
even fatal injury.
In order for the airbag to offer protection, it is important that all
veh icle occupants , espec ia lly any ch ild ren, who must be in the front
seat because of exceptional c ircumstances, be properly restra ined
and as far away from the airbag as possib le . By keeping room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certa in frontal collisions.
& WARNING
Not using a booste r sea t, using th e boo ste r seat improp erl y, inc or
rectl y installing a boo ste r seat or u sing the vehicle saf ety b elt
i mp roperly increa se s the risk of serio us per sonal injur y and death
i n a colli sion or oth er emergenc y situatio n. To he lp red uce the ri sk
of s eriou s pers onal injury and /or d eath:
• Alway s make su re to po sition the shoulder portion of the three
point b elt ove r the middl e of child' s sho ulder.
• Never l et the shoulder p orti on of the b elt re st again st or acro ss
th e neck, fa ce, chin , or thro at of the ch ild.
• Alwa ys make sure the lap belt portion of th e thr ee -point belt i s
worn snug and pa sses as low a s pos sible across the ch ild 's pel vis.
N ever le t th e be lt pa ss over the soft abdomen .
liJ>