Adjusting the armrest
• To adjust the angle, raise the armrest from
the start ing position detent by detent.
• To bring the armrest back into its origina l
position, lift it above the top position and
then fold it back down.
Opening the storage compartment
• Press the button -arrow- upward.
Please note that the driver's arm movements
may be restricted w ith the armrest fo lded
down. For this reason, the armrest should not
be folded down when driving in c ity traffic.
Head restraints
Front head restraint s
Applies to vehicles : with adj ustable head restraints
Head restraints that are adjusted according
to body size, along with the seat belt, offer
effective protection.
Fig. 49 Front seat: Ad justing t he head restraint
Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head.
I f that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 53.
• To move the head restraint up or forward,
s lid e it until it locks into place.
• To move the head restraint down or back,
press the side button -arrow-¢
fig. 49 and
slide the head restraint until it locks into
place.
Refer to ¢
page 130, Proper adjustment of
head restraints
for gu idelines on how to ad-
Seats and storage 53
just the height of the front head restraints to
suit the occupant's body size.
A WARNING
- Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad
justed increases the risk of serious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 130, Proper adjustment of head
restraints .
(D Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extremely effect ive
combination of safety features.
Rear head restraints
Fig. 50 Rear seats: Head restraint
Fig. 51 Rea r head res tra ints : release
If there is a passenger on the rear center seat
ing position, slide the center head restraint
upward at least to the next notch ¢
A in
Proper adjustment of head restraints on
page 130 .
-Never exceed the maximum permissible
load carry ing capacity of the roof of your
vehicle, the permissible axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi cle
c;, page 280, Weights.
@ For the sake of the environment
As a result of the increased wind resistance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
using fue l unnecessarily. So remove the
roof rack after using it.
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Luggage items must be stowed securely.
Fig. 62 Place heavy objects as far forward as possib le.
Not e the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling characteristics.
.. Distribute the load as evenly as possible.
.. Place heavy objects as far forward as possi
ble
c;, fig. 62 .
.. Secure luggage items with the cargo net* or
with non-elastic retaining straps to the tie down rings*
c;, page 62.
A WARNING
- Loose objects in the luggage compart
ment can slide about suddenly and alter
the vehicle's handling characterist ics.
- Loose objects in the passenger compart
ment can fly forward during abrupt ma
neuvers or accidents and injure occu
pants.
Seats and storage 61
-Always store objects in the luggage com
partment and use suitable straps, partic
ularly with heavy objects.
- When you transport heavy objects, al
ways remember that a change in the cen
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Follow all warnings
c;, page 126, Driving
Safely.
(D Tips
The tire pressure must be adjusted to the
load - see the t ire pressure sticker located
on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Enlarging cargo capacity of the vehicle
interior
The seat backs can be folded forward to en
large the cargo capacity.
Fig. 63 Release handle on th e seatback
Folding the seatback forward
.. When you pull the release lever @ ¢ fig. 63
in the direction of the arrow, the safety knob
@ pops out far enough for the red marking
on knob to be visib le .
.. Fold the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
.. Raise the seatback until it is securely la tch
ed
c;, ,&_ . When you can no longer see the
red mark on the safety knob@, the seat is
latched.
When the seatback is latched in its upright
position, it can be locked and unlocked w ith
the mechanical key
c;, page 32 next to the re-
leas e handle @c>
fig. 63. This prevents any ...,
62 Seats and storage
entry from the vehicle interior into the lug
gage compartment.
The luggage compartment can on ly enlarged
when the seatback is unlocked .
A WARNING
-
-The backrest must a lways be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen
ter seating pos ition can work properly to
help protect the occupant.
- The backrest must be securely latched in
position so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can slide for
ward upon sudden braking .
-Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by p ulling the seatback for
ward .
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt hardware can break in a
c rash . Inspect the be lts periodically .
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind
ings, b uckles, or retractors mus t be re
placed .
W Note
- If you move the front sea t back when the
r ear seat bac krest is fo lded fo rward, yo u
could damage the head restraints on t he
r e ar seat.
- Slide the belt guide on th e outside safety
b elt all the way up before folding the
ba ckrest b ack fo rward. Make su re the
seat belt is no t pinched or dam aged
when the rear seat backrest if folded back . Other objects shou ld be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatback from damage.
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig . 6 4 Locat io n of t he ti e-dow ns in the lu ggage com
pa rt m en t
Fig. 65 Lugga ge compart men t: cargo net *
.. To secure objects with the luggage com
partment net*, fold the tie-down bracket
upward
c:> fig . 64 .
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compart
ment net * into t he tie-downs~
fig . 65 .
.. Read and heed all WARNINGS ~ page 132,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that a re loose in the vehi
cl e w ill turn in to heavy m iss iles tha t ca n cause
serious injury. Items in the veh icle p ick up ki
ne tic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the
most sign ificant factor.
F o r ex ample, in a fro nta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (5 kg) object are abo ut
20 times the
norma l weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item wou ld sudden ly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg) . One can
easily imagi ne the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger ..,.
128 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
r:::> page 51.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag in
flates.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving. Your seat may move unexpect- edly and you could lose control of the ve
hicle .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in
jury due to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating posi
tion .
- Children must always ride in child seats
r:::> page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 145.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possibl e, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 130.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
r:::> page 13 9.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
r:::> page 50 .
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
-Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restraint prop
er ly.
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop
erly and can even increase the risk of in
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are tilted back, the greater the risk of in
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
tion.
- Children must always ride in child seats
¢
page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 145.
Driving Safely 129
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained
whenever the vehicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
.,. 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 130 .
.,. Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 139.
.,. Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate for their size and age
r::, page 171.
,& WARNING
..-
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched . By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint properly
so that it can give maximum protection.
•
•
same effect. If the front passenger
frontal a irbag is turned on, the
PASSEN
GER AIR BAG OFF
light light will go out.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side ai rbags supplement the pro tection of
fe red by the fro nt three -point safety be lts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adj ustab le head restra ints to he lp reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Advanced Airbag System
and the act ivation of the safety be lt preten
sioners depend on the decelerat ion measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control un it. The amount of infla
tion of the front airbags can also be adapted
to the front seat position, depending on the d istance between the respe ctive front seat
and the steering whee l or inst rument panel as
registered by sensors in the seats. Crash se
verity depends on speed and deceleration as
well as the mass and stiffness of the vehicle
or object invo lved in the crash .
On the passenger s ide, regard less of safety
be lt use, the front passenger fronta l airbag
will be t urned off if the electrical capacitance
measured by the capacitive passenger detec
tion system on the front passenger seat is less
than the amount programmed in the electron
ic control unit . The front passenger fronta l air
bag will a lso be turned off if the capac itance
measured by the system for the front passen
ger seat eq ua ls tha t of an infant o f abo ut one
year of age in one o f the child seats that was
used to cert ify the Advanced Airbag System
under Fede ral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 . The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light
comes on and stays on to tell you when the
front Advanced Airbag System on the passen ger s ide has been turned off
c:> page 158 .
Airba g sy stem 155
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury w hen an airbag
in flates, always wear safety be lts p roperly.
- If you are unrestra ined, leaning forward,
sitt ing s ideways or out of pos ition in any
way, your risk of injury is much higher.
- You will a lso receive serious injuries and
could even be killed if you are up aga inst
the airbag o r too close to it when it in
flates -even w it h an Advanced A irbag
¢ page 145 .
More important things to know about
front airbags
F ig. 158 In flated front a irbags
Safety belts are important to help keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position
so that ai rbags can unfold p roper ly and pro
vide s upplementa l pro tect ion in a fron tal col
lis ion .
T he front airbags are des igned to provide ad
di tional protection fo r the chest and face of
the d river a nd the front seat passenger when :
- safety belts are worn properly,
- the seats have been positioned so that the
occupant is properly seated as far as poss i
b le from the airbag,
- and the head restraints have been properly adjusted .
Because airbags inflate in the blink of an eye
with great force, things you have on your lap
or have placed on the seat could become dan
gerous p rojecti les, and be pushed into you if
the a irbag inf lates.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is re leased.
This is norma l and is not caused by a fire in .,,.
156 Airbag sys te m
the vehicle. This dust is made up most ly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they
deploy . It cou ld irritate sk in .
I t is important to remember that while the
supp lemental airbag system is designed to re
duce the likelihood of serious injuries, other
in juries, for example swelling, bruising and
minor abrasions, can also happen when air
bags inflate. Airbags do not protect the arms
or the lower parts of the body . Front airbags
supplement the three-poi nt safety belts only
in some frontal co llisions in which the vehicle
dece lerat ion is high enough to deploy the air
bags.
Front airbag s will not d eploy:
- if the ignit ion is switched off when a crash
occurs,
- in s ide collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by
the airbag system is less than the minimum
threshold needed for airbag deployment as
registered by the electronic control unit.
Th e front pa ssenger airbag al so will not
d epl oy :
-when the front passenger seat is not occu
pied,
- when the electrical capacitance measured by
the capacitive passenger detection system
for the front passenger seat indicates that
the passenger side frontal airbag must be
switched off by the electronic control unit (the
PASSENGER A IR B AG OFF light
c::> page 158 and how they wo rk comes on
and stays on).
.&_ WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can inc rease
the risk of serious injury in crashes .
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the air
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area where
the airbags are
located .
- Occupants who are unbelted, out of posi
tion or too close to the airbag can be se
rious ly injured by an airbag as it unfolds
with great force in the blink of an eye
c::> page 147 .
.&_ WARNING
--A child in a rearward-fac ing ch ild seat in -
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
se riously inju red and can be killed if t he
front ai rbag inflates - even w ith an Ad
vanced A irbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the c hild seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child sea t and chi ld against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof.
- Always install rear -fac ing chi ld seats on
the rear seat.
- If you m ust insta ll a rearward fac ing
chi ld seat on the front passenger seat
because of exceptional circumstances
and the PAS SENGER AIR BAG O FF light
does not come on and stay on, immed i
ately install the rear-facing child seat in a rear seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by you r Audi dealer .
.&_ WARNING
= -
Objects between you and the airbag will
i ncrease the r is k of injury in a crash by in
terfering with the way the a irbag unfolds
or by be ing p ushed in to you as the airbag
i nflates.
- Neve r hold things in yo ur hands or on
your lap when the veh icle is in use.
- Never transpo rt items on o r in the a rea
of the front p assenger sea t. Objects
could move into the a rea of the front air
bags during braking or other sudden ma
neuvers and become dangero us projec
tiles that can cause ser ious personal in-
jury if the a irbags inf late. ..,.
216 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information <=>
page 208.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas . For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
so lve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
8_ WARNING
So lvents can change the propert ies of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
-
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information <=>
page 208 .
(J;) Note
Clean ing agents containing solvents will
attac k the mater ial a nd can change the
way it behaves.
Trim and molding
Trim and mo lding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned w ith a dry microfiber cloth. To pre
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning solu
tions.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior leather.
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lor determines the visu
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ively natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and subt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l nappa le ather is not covered by a co l
o r finish.
It is therefore more sensit ive to soil
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. For example, dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor le athe r seats (especia l
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect .,..