
Airbag system
30Airbag 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  ⇒page 19.
– Adjust the driver seat and the steering wheel correctly  ⇒page 10.
– Adjust the front passenger seat correctly  ⇒page 11.
– Adjust the head restraint correctly  ⇒page 13.
– Use the correct child restraint system to protect children in your  vehicle  ⇒page 46.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, no matter how serious, is not a 
determining factor for the airbags to have 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 critical or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered. Children up to 12 
years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport children in 
the vehicle if they are not restrained or the restraint system is not appro-
priate 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  ⇒page 19.
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Seats and storage compartments137
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Seats and storage compartmentsThe importance of correct seat adjustmentProper seat adjustment optimises the level of protection 
offered by seat belts and airbags.Your vehicle has five seats, two in the front and three in the rear. Each seat is 
equipped with a three-point seat belt.
The driver seat and the front passenger seat can be adjusted in many ways to 
suit the physical requirements of the vehicle occupants. The correct seat 
position is very important for:•a fast and easy operation of all controls on the instrument panel,•a relaxed posture which does not cause drowsiness,•a safe driving ⇒ page 7,•ensuring that the seat belts and airbag system provide maximum protec-
tion  ⇒page 19.WARNING
•If the driver and passengers assume improper sitting positions, they 
may sustain critical injuries.•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. Chil dren must be protected with an appro-
priate child restraint system  ⇒page 46, “Child safety”.•The front seats and all head restraints must always be adjusted to body 
size and the seat belt must always be properly adjusted to provide you and 
your passengers with optimum protection.
•Always keep your feet on the footwell when the vehicle is moving; never 
rest them on the dash panel, out of the window or on the seat. This is also 
applied to passengers. An incorrect sitting position exposes you to an 
increased risk of injury in case of a sudden braking or an accident. If the 
airbag is triggered, you could sustain severe injuries due to an incorrect 
sitting position.•It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of 
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel or dash panel. Failure to respect the 
minimum distance means that the airbag will not protect you. Risk of fatal 
injury. The distance between the driver and the steering wheel or between 
the front passenger and the dash panel should always be as great as 
possible.•Adjust the driver or front passenger seat only when the vehicle is 
stationary. This also applies to the forwards/backwards adjustment of the 
rear seats. Otherwise, your seat could move unexpectedly while the vehicle 
is moving. This could increase the risk of an accident and therefore, injury. 
In addition, while adjusting your seat, you will assume an incorrect sitting 
position. Risk of fatal accidents.•Special guidelines apply to installing a child seat on the front 
passenger seat. When installing a child seat, please observe the warnings 
described in  ⇒page 46, “Child safety”.WARNING (continued)
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Seats and storage compartments147
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Storage in the luggage compartment*
There is a variable storage area* in the luggage compartment 
floor.
– Lift the luggage compartment floor and fold it back all the way 
⇒fig. 106 .
– Fit the separator    ⇒fig. 107 , into the side grooves depending 
on the size of the objects to be transported. The on-board tool kit 
and the spare wheel are located underneath the luggage 
compartment.
Note•Do not exceed the maximum authorised weight for the vehicle 
⇒ page 291.Luggage compartment net*
There is a retaining net in the luggage compartment for 
securing objects.
Fig. 106  Foldable 
luggage compartment 
coverFig. 107  Luggage 
compartment divider
AA
Fig. 108  Retaining net
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Wheels and tyres
254New tyres and wheels
New tyres and wheels have to be run in.The tyres and wheel rims are an essential part of the vehicle’s design. The 
tyres and rims approved by SEAT are specially matched to the characteristics 
of the vehicle and make a major contribution to good road holding and safe 
handling  ⇒.
Tyres should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (i.e. both front 
tyres or both rear tyres together). A knowledge of tyre designations makes it 
easier to choose the correct tyres. Radial tyres have the tyre designations 
marked on the sidewall, for example: 195/65 R15 91T
This contains the following information:
195 Tyre width in mm
65 Height/width ratio in %
RTyre construction: Radial
15 Rim diameter in inches
91 Load rating code
TSpeed rating
The tyres could also have the following information:•A direction of rotation symbol•“Reinforced” denotes heavy-duty tyres.
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tyre sidewall (possibly only 
on the inner side of the wheel).
“DOT ... 1103 ...” means, for example, that the tyre was produced in the 11th 
week of 2003.
We recommend that work on tyres and wheels be carried out by an Authorised 
Service Centre. They are familiar with the procedure and have the necessary  special tools and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of 
the old tyres.
Any Authorised Service Centre has full information on the technical require-
ments when installing or changing tyres, wheels or wheel trims.
WARNING
•We recommend that you use only wheels and tyres which have been 
approved by SEAT for your model. Failure to do so could impair vehicle 
handling. Risk of accident.•Avoid running the vehicle on tyres that are more than 6 years old. If you 
have no alternative, you should drive slowly and with extra care at all 
times.•Never use old tyres or those with an unknown history of use.•If wheel trims are retrofitted, you must ensure that the flow of air to the 
brakes is not restricted. This could cause them to overheat.•All four wheels must be fitted with radial tyres of the same type, size 
(rolling circumference) and the same tread pattern.For the sake of the environment
Old tyres must be disposed of according to the laws in the country concerned.
Note
•For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to use the wheels from 
other vehicles. This can also apply to wheels of the same model. The use of 
wheels or tyres which have not been approved by SEAT for use with your 
model may invalidate the vehicle’s type approval for use on public roads.•If the spare tyre is not the same as the tyres that are mounted on the 
vehicle (e.g. winter tyres) you should only use the spare tyre for a short period 
of time and drive with extra care. Refit the normal road wheel as soon as 
possible.
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Wheels and tyres255
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be tightened to the correct torque.The design of wheel bolts is matched to the rims. If different wheel rims are 
fitted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt 
heads must be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted securely and that the 
brake system functions correctly.
In certain circumstances, you should not use wheel bolts from a different 
vehicle, even if it is the same model  ⇒page 224.
After the wheels have been changed, the tightening torque of the wheel bolts 
s ho uld  b e  ch ecke d  as  so on  as  possi ble  wi th a  to rq ue  wre nch ⇒ . The tight-
ening torque for steel and alloy wheels is 120 Nm.
WARNING
If the wheel bolts are not tightened correctly, the wheel could become 
loose while driving. Risk of accident.•The wheel bolts must be clean and turn easily. Never apply grease or oil 
to them.•Use only wheel bolts which belong to the wheel.•If the torque of the wheel bolts is too low, they could loosen whilst the 
vehicle is in motion. Risk of accident! If the tightening torque is too high, 
the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged.Caution
The prescribed tightening torque for wheel bolts for steel and alloy wheels is 
120 Nm.
Winter tyres
Winter tyres will improve the vehicles handling on snow and 
ice.In winter conditions winter tyres will considerably improve the vehicle’s 
handling. The design of summer tyre s (width, rubber compound, tread 
pattern) gives less grip on ice and snow.
Winter tyres must be inflated to a  pressure 0.2 bar higher than the pressures 
specified for summer tyres (see sticker on tank flap).
Winter tyres must be fitted on all four wheels.
Information on permitted  winter tyre sizes can be found in the vehicle’s regis-
tration documents. Use only radial winter tyres. All tyre sizes listed in the 
vehicle documentation also apply to winter tyres.
Winter tyres lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth 
of 4 mm.
The speed rating code  ⇒page 254, “New tyres and wheels” determines the 
following  speed limits  for winter tyres:  ⇒
Q max. 160 km/h
S max. 180 km/h
T max. 190 km/h
H max. 210 km/h
In some countries, vehicles which can exceed the speed rating of the fitted 
tyre must have an appropriate sticker in the driver’s field of view. These 
stickers are available from your Authorised Service Centre. The legal require-
ments of each country must be followed.
Do not have winter tyres fitted for unnecessarily long periods. Vehicles with 
summer tyres handle better when the roads are free of snow and ice.
If you have a flat tyre, please refer to the notes on the spare wheel 
⇒ page 254, “New tyres and wheels”.
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Wheels and tyres
256
WARNING
The maximum speed for the winter tyres must not be exceeded. Otherwise, 
this could lead to tyre damage and risk of accident.
For the sake of the environment
Fit your summer tyres again as soon as possible. They are quieter, do not wear 
so quickly and reduce fuel consumption.Snow chainsSnow chains are only permitted on front wheels and only for tyres 195/65R15 
and 205/55R16. These tyres may only be fitted with fine-pitch link chains 
which do not protrude more than 15 mm  ⇒page 290.
Other tyres may use fine-pitch links which do not protrude more than 9 mm, 
including tension device.
Remove wheel hub covers and trim rings before fitting snow chains. For safety 
reasons cover caps, available in any Authorised Service Centre, must then be 
fitted over the wheel bolts.
WARNING
Snow chains should be correctly tightened in accordance with the manu-
facturer’s instructions. This will prevent the chains coming into contact 
with the wheel housing.
Caution
Remove the snow chains to drive on roads without snow. Otherwise they will 
impair handling, damage the tyres and wear out very quickly.
Note
•In some countries, the speed limit for using snow chains is 50 km/h. The 
legal requirements of the country should be followed.•We recommend that you ask your Authorised Service Centre for informa-
tion about appropriate wheel, tyre and snow chain size.
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If and when
258Compact temporary spare wheel* (emergency wheel) 
The compact spare wheel (emergency wheel for vehicles 
without the anti-puncture kit) should only be used when 
strictly necessary.The temporary spare wheel is stored under the floor panel in the luggage 
compartment and is attached by a thumbnut.
How to use the temporary spare wheel
Should you ever have a punctured tyre, the temporary spare wheel is only 
intended for temporary use until you can reach a workshop. The standard-size 
road wheel should be replaced as soon as possible.
Please note the following restrictions when using the temporary spare wheel. 
This spare wheel has been specially designed for your vehicle, thus, it cannot 
be changed with the spare wheel from another vehicle.
No other type of tyre (normal summer or winter tyre) may be fitted on the 
compact temporary spare wheel rim. Snow chains
For technical reasons, snow chains must not
 be used on the compact tempo-
rary spare wheel.
If you have a puncture on one of the front wheels when using snow chains, fit 
the compact temporary spare in place of one of the rear wheels. You can then 
attach the snow chains to the wheel taken from the rear and use this wheel to 
replace the punctured front wheel.
WARNING
•The tyre pressures must be checked and corrected as soon as possible. 
The emergency tyre pressure for dimensions 125/70R16 125/70R18 
135/90R16 is 4.2 bar; for all other tyre dimensions please refer to the label 
on the fuel cap. Failure to do so could result in an accident.•Do not drive faster than 80 km/h. Higher speeds can cause an accident.•Avoid heavy acceleration, hard braking and fast cornering. Risk of acci-
dent.•Never use two or more compact spare tyres at the same time, risk of 
accident.•No other type of tyre (normal summer or winter tyre) may be fitted on 
the compact temporary spare wheel rim.
Tyre repair kit*
The tyre repair kit (for vehicles not including a spare wheel) is 
stored under the floor panel in the luggage compartment.Your vehicle is equipped with the Tyre Mobility System “Tyre repair kit”.
The tyre repair kit consists of a container with sealing compound to repair the 
puncture and a compressor  to generate the required tyre pressure. The kit will 
Fig. 174  Luggage 
compartment. Access to 
the spare wheel
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If and when259
Safety First
Operating Instructions
Practical Tips
Technical Specifications
reliably seal punctures up to a size of about 4 mm caused by the penetration 
of a foreign body into the tyre.
Note
•Seek professional assistance if the repair of a tyre puncture is not 
possible with the sealing compound.Wheel changePreparation work
What you must do before changing a wheel.– If you have a flat tyre or puncture, park the vehicle as far away  from the flow of traffic as possible. Choose a location that is as 
level as possible.
– All passengers should leave the vehicle. They should wait in a  safe area (for instance behind the roadside crash barrier).
– Switch off the engine. Switch on the hazard warning lights.
–Apply the handbrake  firmly.
– Engage the  first gear, or put the selector lever to position P  for 
those vehicles with an automatic gearbox.
– If you are towing a trailer, unhitch it from your vehicle.
– Take the vehicle tools  and the spare wheel  out of the luggage 
compartment.
WARNING
Put the hazard warning lights on and place the warning triangle in position. 
This is for your own safety and also warns other road users.
Caution
If you have to change the tyre on a gradient, block the wheel opposite the 
wheel being changed by placing a stone or similar object under it to prevent 
the vehicle from rolling away.
Note
Please observe legal requirements when doing so.Changing a wheelChange the wheel as described below
– Remove the  wheel cover. Also refer to  ⇒page 260, fig. 175
– Slacken the wheel bolts .
– Raise  the vehicle with the jack at the corresponding area
– Remove the wheel and put on  the spare one
– Lower  the vehicle.
– Tighten the wheel bolts firmly with the box spanner
– Replace the  hub cap.
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