2013 Seat Alhambra height adjustment

8Safe driving
● Check that the lights and turn signals operate correctly.
● Check the tyre pressures ( ⇒ page 296) and level of fuel ( ⇒ page 267).
● Ensure there is good visibility through all the windows.
● Make sure that all objects and bags in the storage compartments, in the
luggage compartment and, where applicable, on the roof, are securely fas-
tened ⇒ page 13.
● Ensure there is nothing obstructing the free passage of the foot pedals.
● Use child retention systems appropriate for the child's body weight and
height ⇒ page 40.
● Correctly adjust front seat, head rests and rear vision mirrors to suit your
height ⇒ page 10.
● Wear close-fitting shoes which do not prevent you from using the pedals
correctly.
● The driver's floor mat should be fixed to the floor, leaving the pedal area
unobstructed.
● Before starting out, ensure you are correctly seated and remain in this
position throughout the journey. This applies to all passengers in the vehi-
cle ⇒ page 10.
● Correctly fasten your seat belt before starting to drive and keep it se-
curely fastened throughout the journey. This applies to all passengers in the
vehicle ⇒ page 21.
● Never carry more passengers than the number of available seats and
seat belts in your vehicle.
● Never drive with impaired faculties (for example, due to medication, al-
cohol or drugs).
● Do not allow yourself to be distracted from the traffic, for example, to re-
set or switch on a menu, by other passengers or to answer a phone call.
● Always try to adapt the speed of the vehicle and your style of driving to
the condition of the ground or the road and to weather and traffic condi-
tions.
● Observe the highway code and speed limits. ●
On long journeys, rest at regular intervals (at least every two hours).
● If carrying animals, make sure they are correctly restrained in accord-
ance with their weight and size.
WARNING
Always observe traffic regulations and speed limits and try to anticipate
traffic movements. Correctly anticipating traffic situations may mean the
difference between arriving safe and sound at your destination or having
a serious accident.
Note
Regular servicing of your vehicle not only helps to keep it in good working
order but also helps to ensure road safety. Therefore, please ensure the ve-
hicle is taken for service as indicated in the Maintenance Programme. If the
vehicle is subjected to hard use, it may require certain maintenance work
before the next service date. Hard use may involve frequent driving in traffic
jams, driving in dusty areas or frequent use of the tow bar. For further infor-
mation, please refer to a Technical Service or specialised workshop. 
Driving abroad
Check list
In some countries, certain safety regulations and requirements are in force
relating to exhaust gas emissions, which differ from the technical character-
istics of the vehicle. Before travelling abroad, SEAT recommends you con-
sult a Technical Service about the legal requirements and the following
points:
● Does the vehicle need technical modifications for driving abroad, for ex-
ample, adjustment of the headlamps?
● Does the vehicle have all the tools, diagnostics equipment and spare
parts required for inspections and repairs? 

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

26Seat belts
Adapting the position of the belt webbing to your size
The seat belt can be adapted using the following equipment:
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats.
● Seat height adjustment (front seats).
WARNING
An incorrectly worn seat belt web can cause severe injuries in the event
of an accident or sudden braking or manoeuvre.
● The seat belt cannot provide optimum protection if it is not correctly
worn and the seat backrest is not tilted slightly backwards.
● The seat belt itself or a loose seat belt can cause severe injuries if the
belt moves from hard areas of the body to soft areas (e.g. the stomach).
● The shoulder part of the seat belt must lie on the centre of the shoul-
der, never across the neck or the arm.
● The seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on the torso
● The lap part of the seat belt must lie across the pelvis, never across
the stomach. The seat belt must lie flat and fit comfortably on the pelvis
Pull the belt tight if necessary to take up any slack.
● For pregnant women, the lap part of the seat belt must lie as low as
possible over the pelvis and always lie flat, “surrounding” the stomach.
● Do not twist the seat belt while it is fastened.
● Never pull the seat belt away from your body using your hand.
● Do not lie the seat belt across rigid or fragile objects, e.g. glasses,
pens or keys.
● Never use seat belt clips, retaining rings or similar instruments to al-
ter the position of the belt webbing.
Note
If you physical constitution prevents you from maintaining the correct posi-
tion of the belt webbing, contact a specialised workshop for help with any
special devices to ensure the optimum protection of the seat belt and air-
bag. SEAT recommends visiting a Technical Service. 
Belt height adjustment
Fig. 15 Next to the front
seats: belt height adjust-
er
Using the height adjusters for the front seats and the outer seats of the sec-
ond row, the position of the seat belts can be adjusted in the shoulder area
according to the height of the occupant:
● Keep the guide device pressed down in the direction of the arrow
⇒ Fig. 15.
● Move the guide device up or down until the seat belt lies over the centre
of your shoulder ⇒ page 25, Seat belt position.
● Release the guide device.
● Pull the belt sharply to check that the device is engaged securely. 

32Airbag system
CAUTION
Always pay attention to any lit control lamps and to the corresponding de-
scriptions and instructions to avoid damage to the vehicle. 
Airbag system Description and function of the airbag
The airbag can protect vehicle occupants in the event of an accidents, cush-
ioning the movement of the occupants in the direction of the collision in
frontal and side accidents.
Deployed airbags fill with a propellant gas. This causes the airbag covers to
break and the airbags to deploy extremely quickly in their entire deploy-
ment space within fractions of a second. When an occupant with the seat
belt properly fastened puts pressure on the inflated airbag, the propellant
gas escapes to absorb the force of the impact and slow the movement. This
reduces the risk of severe or fatal injuries. Airbag deployment does not
mean that other types of injury such as swelling, bruising, burns and skin
injuries can be ruled out.
Airbags do not protect the arms or the lower part of the body.
The most important factors for triggering the airbag are the type of accident,
the angle of impact, the vehicle speed and the characteristics of the object
the vehicle hits. Therefore, airbags are not triggered every time the vehicle
is visibly damaged.
The airbag system is designed to be triggered in collisions with a severe im-
pact. The front, curtain, side and knee airbags may be triggered under spe-
cial circumstances. The scope of any visible damage to the vehicle is not an
indication of airbag deployment. Airbags act in conjunction with three-point seat belts in the event of certain
accidents, when the vehicle deceleration rate is severe enough to trigger
the airbags. Airbags only deploy once and only under certain circumstan-
ces. Seat belts remain present to offer protection in situations where air-
bags are not triggered or where they have already deployed. For example,
when a vehicle hits another after an initial collision or is hit by another vehi-
cle.
The airbag system is an integral part of the car's passive safety system. The
airbag system can only work effectively when the vehicle occupants are
wearing their seat belts correctly and have adjusted the head restraints
properly
 ⇒ page 10.
Vehicle safety components
The following safety equipment makes up the vehicle safety design to re-
duce the risk of severe and fatal injuries. Depending on the vehicle equip-
ment, some equipment may not be fitted in the vehicle or may not be avail-
able in some markets.
● Optimised seat belts for all seats.
● Belt tensioners for the driver and front passenger and, where applicable,
on the outer seats of the second row of seats in combination with the side
airbags.
● Furthermore, belt tension limiters for the driver's and front passenger
seat belt.
● Belt height adjustment for the front seats and, where applicable, the
outer seats of the second row of seats.
● Seat belt warning lamp
● Front airbags for driver and passenger.
● Side airbags for the driver, front passenger and, where applicable, the
outer seats of the second row of seats.
● Left and right curtain airbags.
● One airbag for the driver's knees.
● Airbag control lamp .
● PASSENGER AIR BAG   control lamp. 

43
Child safety
Always secure child seats properly and safely in the vehicle according to the
child seat manufacturer's installation instructions.
Mounted child seats must rest correctly on the vehicle's seat and must not
move or rock more than 2.5 cm (1 inch).
Child seats equipped for a Top Tether strap must also be secured using the
Top Tether retaining strap in the vehicle ⇒ page 46. Only secure the re-
taining belt to the rings fitted for this purpose and identified as Top Tether.
Not all rings can be used with the Top Tether system. Always tighten the Top
Tether retaining strap so that the child seat fits snugly against the corre-
sponding seat in the vehicle.
Specific mounting systems for each country
Europe: ISOFIX retaining rings and upper retaining strap ⇒ page 45
and ⇒ page 46.
Three-point seat belt and upper retaining strap ⇒ page 45.
The systems include the child restraint system mounting with an upper re-
taining strap (Top Tether) and lower anchoring points on the seat. 
Use of the child seat on the front passenger seat
Transporting children on the front passenger seat is not permitted in all
countries. Furthermore, not all child seats are approved for use on the front
passenger seat. Your Technical Service has an updated list of all approved
child seats. Only used child seats that are approved for each vehicle.
The front airbag on the front passenger side is highly dangerous for a child.
The front passenger seat is life-threatening to a child if he or she is trans-
ported in a rear-facing child seat.
If a rear-facing child seat is secured to the front passenger seat, an inflating
front airbag can strike it with such great force that severe or fatal injuries
may result ⇒ 
. Therefore, rear-facing child seats must never be used on
the front passenger seat when the front passenger front airbag is enabled. A
B
Only use a rear-facing child seat on the front passenger seat if the front pas-
senger front airbag is disabled. When it is disabled, the yellow
PASSENGER
AIR BAG   control lamp on the dash panel will be lit ⇒ page 32. If you
cannot disable the front passenger front airbag and it remains activated, it
is forbidden to transport children on the front passenger seat ⇒ 
.
Things to note if using a child seat on the front passenger seat:
● The front passenger front airbag must be disabled  when using a rear-
facing child seat ⇒ page 36.
● The seat backrest of the front passenger seat must be upright.
● The front passenger seat must be moved as far back as possible.
● The seat backrest of the front passenger seat must be upright.
● The seat belt height adjustment must be as high as possible.
Suitable child seats
The child seat must be authorised by the manufacturer especially for use on
a front passenger seat with a front or side airbag.
If the front passenger seat is equipped with retaining rings, the child seat
can be secured using the approved retaining system provided it is approved
for this type of vehicle in accordance with current regulations in the country
in question.
Universal seats for children of groups 0, 0+, 1, 2 or 3 according to the
standard ECE-R 44 can be mounted In the front passenger seat and the rear
seats.
WARNING
If a child seat is mounted on the front passenger seat, the risk of the
child sustaining severe or fatal injuries in the event of an accident increa-
ses. Rear-facing child seats must never be mounted on the front passen-
ger seat when the front passenger front airbag is enabled. This is life-
threatening to the child should the front airbag deploy, as the child seat
would be struck by the inflated airbag and thrown against the seat back-
rest. 
Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

44Child safety
WARNING
If, in exceptional circumstances, a child must be transported in a rear-fac-
ing child seat on the front passenger seat, strictly observe the following:
● Always disable the front passenger front airbag and leave it disabled.
● The child seat must be approved by the manufacturer for use on a
front passenger seat with front and side airbag.
● Follow the installation instructions of the child seat manufacturer and
observe the warnings.
● Move the front passenger seat as far back as possible and adjust it to
its highest position to keep as far away as possible from the front airbag.
● Move the seat backrest to the upright position.
● The seat belt height adjustment must be as high as possible.
● Children must always be protected with an approved child restraint
system suited to their height and weight.

Use of the child seat on the rear seat
If a child seat is mounted on the rear seat, adapt the position of the front
passenger seat so that the child has enough space. Therefore, adapt the
front passenger seat to the size of the child seat and the height of the child.
Ensure the passenger is in the correct position  ⇒ page 10.
Move the second and third row of seats fully back and lock them. Place the
seat backs in a vertical position and fold the head restraints down.
ISOFIX child seats approved for rear seats
The rear seats are suitable for child seats with the ISOFIX system specially
designed for this type of vehicle in accordance with regulation ECE-R 44.
ISOFIX child seats are divided into “specific categories for the vehicle”,
“limited” or “semi-universal”. Child seat manufacturers supply a list of vehicles with each ISOFIX seat,
which includes the models for which the ISOFIX child seat in question is ap-
proved. If the vehicle is included in the manufacturer's list and the ISOFIX
child seat belongs to a seat category included in the list, then it can be
used in your vehicle. If necessary, contact the child seat manufacturer for an
updated list of vehicles.
Group (weight
category)ISOFIX child seat cate- gorySeat position on the rear seats
Group 0:to 10 kgEIUF a)
Group 0+:
to 13 kgEIUF a)DIUFa)CIUFa)
Group 1:
9 to 18 kg
DIUF a)CIUFa)BIUFa)B1IUFa)AIUFa)a)
IUF: suitable for “universal” ISOFIX child seats authorised for use in this group.
WARNING
If child seats are fitted to all the seats in the second row then it is possi-
ble that the seats of this row cannot be folded down from the third row of
seats in case of an accident. In case of an emergency, passengers in the
third row of seats will not be able to leave the vehicle or to help them-
selves.
● Child seats should not occupy all the seats of the second row if other
passengers are to occupy the third row of seats.


45
Child safety
Securing child seats with the seat belt
Securing the child seat using the seat belt
● Please read and observe the child seat manufacturer's handling instruc-
tions.
● Positioning the child seat on the seat according to the manufacturer's
instructions.
● The seat belt height adjustment must be as high as possible.
● Fasten the seat belt or pass it around the child seat structure in the man-
ner described in the manufacturer's instructions.
● Make sure the seat belt is not twisted.
● Insert the latch plate into the buckle for the appropriate seat and push it
down until it is securely locked with an audible click.
● Ensure that the upper belt web lies tightly on the child seat.
● Pull the belt (it must be no longer possible to pull the lower belt web-
bing out).
Removing the child seat
The seat belt must not be unfastened until the vehicle has come to a stand-
still ⇒ 
.
● Press the red button on the buckle. The latch plate is released from the
buckle.
● Guide the belt back by hand so that it rolls up easily and the trim will not
be damaged.
● Remove the child seat from the vehicle.
WARNING
Unbuckling the seat belt while the vehicle is in motion can cause severe
or fatal injuries in the event of an accident or sudden braking.
● The seat belt must not be unfastened until the vehicle has come to a
standstill.
 Securing the child seat using the lower anchor points
(ISOFIX, LATCH*)
Fig. 27 Version 2: identi-
fication of the anchor
points for the child seat
on the vehicle seat
There are two retaining rings, the so-called lower anchor points, on each
rear seat or, where applicable, on the front passenger seat. The retaining
rings are attached to the seat frames.
Child seats with rigid mounting
● Observe the manufacturer's instructions when installing and removing
the child seat ⇒ 
.
● Press the child seat onto the retaining rings
⇒ Fig. 27 in the direction of
the arrow. The child seat must be safely engaged and click audibly into
place.
● Pull on both sides of the child seat to ensure that it is secure.
Child seat with adjustable retaining straps
● Observe the manufacturer's instructions when installing and removing
the child seat ⇒ 
.
● Place the child seat on the seat cushion and attach the retaining strap
hooks to the retaining rings ⇒ Fig. 27.

Safety FirstOperating instructionsPractical tipsTechnical Specifications

114Seats and storage
Seats and storage
Seat adjustment
Mechanical controls on the front seat
Fig. 74 Front left seat
controls
The controls are mirrored for the front right-hand seat.
Mechanically and electrically adjusted controls can be combined on the
seat.
Fig. 74FunctionNecessary operations
1Moving the head re-
straint backwards or for-
wards.Pull the lever and move the seat for-
wards. The front seat must be engag-
ed when the lever is released!
2Adjusting the lumbar
support*.Turn the lever.
Fig. 74FunctionNecessary operations
3Adjusting the seat back-
rest angle.Turn the wheel.
4Adjusting the seat
height.Pull the lever up or push down (sev-
eral times if necessary) from its
home position.
