2013 Seat Alhambra Passenger airbag

10Safe driving
Adjusting the seat position
Introduction
Number of seats
Depending on the equipment, your vehicle has a total of five or seven seats.
Each seat is equipped with a seat belt.
EquipmentSeats in the frontSeats in the sec- ond rowSeats in thethird row
5 seats23–7 seats232
Additional information and warnings:
● Seat functions ⇒ page 117
● Seat belts ⇒ page 21
● Airbag system ⇒ page 32
● Child seats (accessories) ⇒ page 40
WARNING
An incorrect sitting position in the vehicle can lead to severe injuries or
death in the event of sudden braking or manoeuvres, collision or acci-
dents or if the airbag deploys.
● Before the vehicle moves, assume the proper sitting position and
maintain it throughout the trip. This also includes fastening the seat
belt.
● Never transport more people than there are seats with a seat belt
available in the vehicle.
WARNING (Continued)
● Children must always be protected with an approved child restraint
system suited to their height and weight ⇒ page 40, ⇒ page 32.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
Never, for example, put your feet on the surface of a seat or on the dash
panel and never put them out of a window. Otherwise the airbag and seat
belt offer insufficient protection and the risk of injury in the event of an
accident is increased.
WARNING
Before every trip, adjust the seat, the seat belt and the head restraints
and instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly.
● Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible.
● Adjust the driver seat so that there is a distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) between the centre of your chest and the hub of the steering
wheel. Adjust the driver seat so that you are able to press the accelera-
tor, brake and clutch pedals to the floor with your knees slightly angled
and that the distance between your knees and the dash panel is at least
10 cm (4 inches). If your physical constitution prevents you from meeting
these requirements, contact a specialised workshop to make any modifi-
cations required.
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted far back. The further the seat
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due to incor-
rect positioning of the belt web or to the incorrect sitting position!
● Never drive with the seat backrest tilted forwards. Should a front air-
bag deploy, it could throw the seat backrest backwards and injure the
passengers of the rear seats.
● Sit as far away as possible from the steering wheel and the dash pan-
el. 

11
Safe driving
WARNING (Continued)
● Keep your back straight and resting completely against the seat back-
rest and the front seats correctly adjusted. Never place any part of your
body in the area of the airbag or very close to it.
● If passengers on the rear seats are not sitting in an upright position,
the risk of severe injury due to incorrect positioning of the belt web in-
creases.
WARNING
Incorrect seat adjustment may lead to accidents and severe injuries.
● Only adjust the seats when the vehicle is stationary, as the seats
could move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion and you could
lose control of the vehicle. Furthermore, an incorrect position is adopted
when adjusting the seat.
● Only adjust the height, seat backrest and forwards or backwards po-
sition of the seat when there is nobody in the seat adjustment area.
● There must be no objects blocking the seat adjustment area.
● Only adjust the height, angle and longitudinal position of the rear
seats when nobody is in the way.
● The seat adjustment and lock areas must be kept clean.

Danger of injuries due to an incorrect sitting position
If the seat belts are worn incorrectly or not at all, the risk of severe injuries
increases. Seat belts can provide optimal protection only if the belt web is
properly worn. The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if the belt web is
not positioned correctly. This could result in severe and even fatal injuries.
The risk of severe or fatal injuries is especially increased when a deploying
airbag strikes a vehicle occupant who has assumed an incorrect sitting po-
sition. The driver is responsible for all passengers in the vehicle, particularly
children. The following list shows just some examples of incorrect sitting positions
which can be dangerous to all vehicle occupants.
Whenever the vehicle is in motion:
●
Never stand in the vehicle.
● Never stand on the seats.
● Never kneel on the seats.
● Never tilt your seat backrest too far to the rear.
● Never lean against the dash panel.
● Never lie on the rear bench.
● Never sit on the front edge of a seat.
● Never sit sideways.
● Never lean out of a window.
● Never put your feet out of a window.
● Never put your feet on the dash panel.
● Never put your feet on the surface of a seat or seat backrest.
● Never travel in a footwell.
● Never sit on the armrests.
● Never travel on a seat without wearing the seat belt.
● Never carry any person in the luggage compartment.
WARNING
Every incorrect sitting position increases the risk of severe or fatal inju-
ries in the event of accidents or sudden braking or manoeuvres.
● All passengers must assume the proper sitting position and be prop-
erly belted in while travelling.
● Vehicle occupants in incorrect sitting positions, not wearing their
seat belt or too close to the airbag run the risk of suffering severe or fatal
injuries, particularly if the airbag deploys and hits an occupant sitting in
an incorrect position.

Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

12Safe driving
Correct sitting position
Fig. 1 The correct dis-
tance between the driver
and the steering wheel
must be at least 25 cm
(10 inches)
Fig. 2 Correct belt web
and head restraint posi-
tions
The correct sitting positions for the driver and passengers are shown below.
If your physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the correct sit-
ting position, contact a specialised workshop for help with any special devi-
ces. The seat belt and airbag can only provide optimum protection if a cor- rect sitting position is adopted. SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Serv-
ice.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of injury in the event of an acci-
dent or sudden braking or manoeuvre, SEAT recommend the following posi-
tions:
Valid for all vehicle occupants:
●
Adjust the head restraint so that its upper edge is at the same level as
the top of your head, or as close as possible to the same level as the top of
your head and under no circumstances below eye level. Keep the back of
your neck as close as possible to the head restraint ⇒ Fig. 1 and ⇒ Fig. 2.
● Short people must lower the head restraint completely, even if your
head is below its upper edge.
● Tall people must raise the head restraint completely.
● Adjust the seat backrest to an upright position so that your back rests
completely against it.
● Always keep your feet in the footwell while the vehicle is in motion.
● Adjust and fasten your seat belt correctly ⇒ page 21.
Also valid for the driver:
● Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a distance of at least 25 cm
(10 inches) between it and your chest ⇒ Fig. 1 and so that you can hold the
steering wheel with both hands on the outside of the ring at the 9 o'clock
and 3 o'clock positions with your arms slightly bent.
● The adjusted steering wheel must face your chest and not your face.
● Adjust the driver seat forwards or backwards so that you are able to
press the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals to the floor with your knees
slightly angled and the distance between your knees and the dash panel is
at least 10 cm (4 inches) ⇒ Fig. 1.
● Adjust the height of the driver seat so that you can easily reach the top
of the steering wheel.
● Keep both feet in the footwell so that you have the vehicle under control
at all times. 

13
Safe driving
Also valid for the front passenger:
● Move the front passenger seat back as far as possible for optimum pro-
tection should the airbag deploy. 
Transporting objects Introduction
Always transport heavy loads in the luggage compartment and place the
seat backs in a vertical position. Always use the anchors provided with suit-
able rope to secure heavy objects. Never overload the vehicle. Both the car-
rying capacity as well as the distribution of the load in the vehicle have ef-
fects on the driving behaviour and braking ability ⇒ 
.
Additional information and warnings:
● Rear lid ⇒ page 83
● To lower the front passenger seat back ⇒ page 117
● Light ⇒ page 95
● Luggage compartment ⇒ page 126
● Roof carrier ⇒ page 139
● Towing mode ⇒ page 236
● Wheels and tyres ⇒ page 296
WARNING
Unsecured or incorrectly secured objects can cause serious injury in case
of a sudden manoeuvring or breaking or in case of an accident. This is es-
pecially true when objects are struck by a detonating airbag and fired
through the vehicle interior. To reduce the risks, please note the follow-
ing:
● Secure all objects in the vehicle. Always keep equipment and heavy
objects in the luggage compartment.
● Always secure objects with suitable rope or slings so that they cannot
enter the areas around the front or side airbags in case of sudden braking
or an accident.
● Always ensure that objects inside the vehicle cannot move into the
area of the airbags while driving.
● While driving, always keep object compartments closed.
● Remove all objects from the front passenger seat when this is fol-
lowed down. When the seat backrest is folded down, it presses on small
and light objects and these are detected by the weight sensor on the
seat; this sends false information to the airbag control unit.
● While the seat backrest of the front passenger seat is folded, the
front airbag must remain disabled and the PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF 
light on.
● Objects secured in the vehicle should never be placed in such a way
as to make passengers sit in an incorrect position.
● If secured objects occupy a seat then this should not be occupied or
used by anybody. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

16Seat belts
Seat belts
Brief introduction Introduction
Check the condition of all the seat belts at regular intervals. If you notice
that the belt webbing, fittings, retractor mechanism or buckle of any of the
belts is damaged, the belt must be replaced immediately by a specialised
workshop ⇒ 
. The specialised workshop must use the appropriate spare
parts corresponding to the vehicle, the equipment and the model year. SEAT
recommends visiting a Technical Service.
Additional information and warnings:
● Adjust the seat position ⇒ page 10
● Airbag system ⇒ page 32
● Child seats (accessories) ⇒ page 40
● Integrated child seats ⇒ page 46
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 260
WARNING
Unbuckled or badly buckled seat belts increase the risk of severe or even
fatal injuries. The seat belt cannot offer its full protection if it is not fas-
tened and used correctly.
● Seats belts are the most effective ways of reducing the risk of sus-
taining severe or fatal injuries In the event of an accident. Seat belts
must be correctly fastened when the vehicle is in motion to protect the
driver and all vehicle occupants.
WARNING (Continued)
● Before each trip, every occupant in the vehicle occupants must sit
properly, correctly fasten the seat belt belonging to his or her seat and
keep it fastened throughout the trip. This also applies to other vehicle
occupants when driving in town.
● When travelling, children must be secured in the vehicle with a child
restraint system suitable for their weight and height and with the seat
belts correctly fastened ⇒ page 40.
● Instruct your passengers to fasten their seat belts properly before
driving off.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the appropriate seat and en-
sure it is engaged. Using the latch plate in the buckle of another seat will
not protect you properly and may cause severe injuries.
● Do not allow liquids or foreign bodies to enter the buckle fastenings.
This could damage the buckles and seat belts.
● Never unbuckle your seat belt when the vehicle is moving.
● Never allow more than one passenger to share the same seat belt.
● Never hold children or babies on your lap sharing the same seat belt.
● Loose, bulky clothing (such as a jacket) impairs the proper fit and
function of the seat belt.
WARNING
It is extremely dangerous to drive using damaged seat belts and could re-
sult in serious injury or loss of life.
● Avoid damaging the seat belt by jamming it in the door or the seat
mechanism. 

20Seat belts
Dangers of not using the seat belt
Fig. 7 A driver not wear-
ing a seat belt is thrown
forward violently
Fig. 8 The unbelted rear
passenger is thrown for-
ward violently, hitting the
driver wearing a seat belt
Many people believe that the vehicle occupants can protect themselves
with their hands in a minor collision. This is false!
Even at low speeds, the forces acting on the body in a collision are so great
that it is not possible to brace oneself with just one's arms and hands. In a frontal collision, unbelted passengers are thrown forward and will make vio-
lent contact with the steering wheel, dash panel, windscreen or whatever
else is in the way
⇒ Fig. 7.
The airbag system is not a substitute for seat belts. When triggered, airbags
provide only additional protection. Airbags do not deploy in all types of ac-
cident. All vehicle occupants (including the driver) must be wearing seat
belts properly during the trip, even if the vehicle is equipped with airbag
systems. This will reduce the risk of critical or fatal injuries in the event of an
accident – regardless of whether an airbag is fitted for the seat.
The airbag is only deployed once. To achieve the best possible protection,
the seat belt must always be worn properly so that you will be protected in
accidents in which no airbag is deployed. Vehicle occupants not wearing
belts could be thrown from the vehicle and sustain even more severe or fa-
tal injuries.
It is also important for the rear passengers to wear seat belts properly, as
they could otherwise be thrown forward violently in an accident. Rear pas-
sengers who do not use seat belts endanger not only themselves but also
the driver and other vehicle occupants ⇒ Fig. 8.

21
Seat belts
Seat belt protection
Fig. 9 Drivers with prop-
erly worn seat belts will
not be thrown forward in
the event of sudden brak-
ing
Wearing a correctly fastened seat belt can significantly change the situa-
tion. Properly worn seat belts hold the vehicle occupants in the correct sit-
ting positions and substantially reduce the kinetic energy in the event of an
accident. Seat belts also help to prevent uncontrolled movements that
could lead to severe injuries. In addition, properly worn seat belts reduce
the danger of being thrown from the car ⇒ Fig. 9.
Passengers wearing their seat belts correctly benefit greatly from the ability
of the belts to absorb kinetic energy. The front crumple zones and other
passive safety features (such as the airbag system) are also designed to ab-
sorb the kinetic energy generated in a collision. Taken together, all these
features reduce the energy released and decrease the risk of injury.
Our examples describe frontal collisions. Of course, properly worn seat belts
substantially reduce the risk of injury in all other types of accidents. This is
why it is so important to fasten seat belts before every trip, even when just
driving “around the corner”. Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown properly worn seat belts to be an effective
means of considerably reducing the risk of severe injury and improving the
chances of survival in a serious accident. Furthermore, properly worn seat
belts improve the protection provided by deployed airbags in the event of
an accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt is required by law in most
countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with airbags, the seat belts must be fas-
tened and worn. The front airbags, for example, are only triggered in some
frontal accidents. The front airbags will not be triggered during minor frontal
collisions, minor side collisions, rear collisions, rolls or accidents in which
the airbag trigger threshold value in the control unit is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat belt and ensure that your pas-
sengers have fastened their seat belts properly before you drive off!

Seat belts Using seat belts
Checklist
Using seat belts ⇒ :
● Check the condition of all the seat belts at regular intervals.
● Keep the seat belts clean.
● Keep the belt web, the latch plate and the buckle free of foreign bodies
and liquids.
● Do not jam or damage the seat belt or the latch plate when closing the
door, for example.
● Never remove, modify or repair the seat belt or belt fastening mecha-
nisms.
● Fasten your seat belt properly before each trip and keep it fastened. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

29
Airbag system
Airbag system
Brief introduction Introduction
Front airbags have been installed for both driver and passenger. The front
airbags can also protect the chest and head of driver and passenger if the
seats, seat belts head restraints and, for the driver, the steering wheel are
correctly adjusted and used. Airbags are considered as additional safety
equipment. An airbag cannot replace the seat belt, which must be worn at
all times, even in front seats where front airbags have been installed.
Additional information and warnings:
● Driving tips ⇒ page 7
● Correct sitting positions ⇒ page 10
● Seat belts ⇒ page 21
● Child seats (accessories) ⇒ page 40
● Care and cleaning of the vehicle interior ⇒ page 252
● Accessories, parts replacement, repairs and modifications ⇒ page 260
● Notes for the user ⇒ page 258
WARNING
Never exclusively trust the airbag system as a means of protection.
● Even when triggered, airbag protection is only auxiliary.
WARNING (Continued)
● The airbags provide the best protection when the seat belts are prop-
erly fastened, thus reducing the risk of sustaining injuries ⇒ page 21,
Seat belts.
● Before each trip, every occupant must sit properly, correctly fasten
the seat belt belonging to his or her seat and keeping it fastened
throughout the trip. This rule is valid for all vehicle occupants.
WARNING
Vehicle occupants sitting in the front of the vehicle must never carry any
objects in the deployment space between them and the airbags, as this
increases the risk of sustaining injuries if the airbag is triggered. This
modifies the airbag deployment space or the objects may fly uncontrolla-
bly and hit your body.
● Never carry objects in your hand or on your lap while the vehicle is in
motion.
● Never transport objects on the front passenger seat. In the event of
sudden braking and manoeuvres, the objects may end up in the airbag
deployment space and fly uncontrollably around the vehicle interior if the
airbag is activated.
● Vehicle occupants of the front and outer rear seats must never carry
any other people, pets or objects in the deployment space between them
and the airbags. Make sure children and other passengers also respect
this recommendation. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications