2013 Seat Altea Owner's Manual

135
Seats and storage
Seats and storage The importance of correct seat adjustment
Proper seat adjustment optimises the level of protection of-
fered 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 pro-
tection ⇒  page 19.
WARNING
● If the driver and passengers assume improper sitting positions, they
may sustain critical injuries.
● Never transport more than the permitted amount of people in your ve-
hicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fasten and wear the seat belt
belonging to his or her seat. Children 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.
WARNING (Continued)
● 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 in-
correct sitting position.
● It is important for the driver and front passenger to keep a distance of
at least 25 cm from the steering wheel and 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 sta-
tionary. This also applies to the forwards/backwards adjustment of the
rear seats. Otherwise, your seat could move unexpectedly while the vehi-
cle is moving. This could increase the risk of an accident and therefore,
injury. In addition, while adjusting your seat, you will assume an incor-
rect sitting position. Risk of fatal accidents.
● Special guidelines apply to installing a child seat on the front passen-
ger seat. When installing a child seat, please observe the warnings de-
scribed in ⇒ page 46, Child safety.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

136Seats and storage
Head restraints
Correct adjustment of head restraints
Properly adjusted head restraints are an important part of
passenger protection and can reduce the risk of injuries in
most accident situations.
Fig. 90 Front view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
Fig. 91 Side view: head
restraints and seat belts
correctly adjusted
– Adjust the head restraint so that the top 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, at least at eye level ⇒ Fig. 90 and
⇒ Fig. 91.
Adjusting the head restraints ⇒ page 137
WARNING
● Travelling with the head restraints removed or improperly adjusted
increases the risk of severe injuries.
● Improperly adjusted head restraints could lead to death in the event
of a collision or accident.
● Incorrectly adjusted head restraints also increase the risk of injury
during sudden or unexpected driving or braking manoeuvres.
● The head restraints must always be adjusted according to the height
of the passenger.
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137
Seats and storage
Removing or adjusting head restraints
The head restraints can be adjusted by moving them up and
down.
Fig. 92 Adjusting and re-
moving the head re-
straints
Adjusting height (front seats)
– Press the button on the side and pull upwards to the desired
position.
– To lower the head restraint, press the button and push head re-
straint downwards.
– Make sure that it engages securely into position.
Adjusting height (rear seats)
– Press the button on the side and pull upwards to the desired
position.
– To lower the head restraint, press the button and push head re-
straint downwards. –
Make sure that the head restraint engages securely in one of its
positions. ⇒ page 14
Angle adjustment (front seats)
– Press the head restraint forward or back to the required posi-
tion.
Removing the head restraint
– Push the head restraint up as far as it will go.
– Press the button ⇒ Fig. 92 (arrow).
– Pull head restraint out of fitting without releasing the button.
Fitting the head restraint
– Insert the head restraint into the guides on the backrest.
– Push head restraint down.
– Adjust the head restraint to suit body size ⇒ page 14 and
⇒ page 13.
WARNING
● Never drive if the head restraints have been removed. Risk of injury.
● Never drive if the head restraints are in an unsuitable position, there
is a risk of serious injury.
● After refitting the head restraint, you must always adjust it properly
for height to achieve optimal protection.
● Please observe the safety warnings in ⇒ page 136, Correct adjust-
ment of head restraints.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

138Seats and storage
Front seats
Adjustment of the front seats
Fig. 93 Front left seat
controls
The control elements in ⇒ Fig. 93 are mirrored for the front right-
hand seat.
1
Adjusting the seat forwards and backwards
– Pull up the grip and move the seat forwards or backwards.
– Then release the grip 1
and move the seat further until the
catch engages.
2
Adjusting the seat height*
– Pull the lever up or push down (several times if necessary) from
its home position. This adjusts the seat height in stages. 3
Adjusting the backrest angle
– Take your weight off the backrest and turn the hand wheel.
4
Adjusting the lumbar support*
– Take your weight off the backrest and turn the hand wheel to
adjust the lumbar support.
As you make the adjustments, the curvature of the cushioned area of the
lumbar region becomes more or less acute. In this way, it adapts to the nat-
ural curvature of the spine.
WARNING
● Never adjust the driver or front passenger seat while the vehicle is in
motion. While adjusting your seat, you will assume an incorrect sitting
position. Risk of fatal accidents. Adjust the driver or front passenger seat
only when the vehicle is stationary.
● To reduce the risk of injury to the driver and front passenger in case of
a sudden braking or an accident, never drive with the backrest tilted to-
wards the rear. The maximum protection of the seat belt can be achieved
only when the backrests are in an upright position and the driver and
front passenger have properly adjusted their seat belts. The further the
backrests are tilted to the rear, the greater the risk of injury due to im-
proper positioning of the belt web!
● Exercise caution when securing the seat height into forwards/back-
wards position. Injuries can be caused if the seat height is adjusted with-
out due care and attention.


139
Seats and storage
Heated seats* 
The front seat cushions and backrests can be heated electri-
cally.
Fig. 94 Thumb wheel for
the front seat heating
Fig. 95 Front seat heat-
ing with Climatronic Front seat heating for vehicles without Climatronic
–
Turn the appropriate thumb wheel ⇒ Fig. 94 to switch on the
seat heating. The seat heating is switched off in the 0 position.
Front seat heating for vehicles with Climatronic
– Press button A
to switch on the seat heating.
– Press once to set seat heating at maximum level (level 3).
– Press twice to set seat heating at medium level (level 2).
– Press three times to set seat heating at minimum level (level 1).
– When the button is pressed four times, the heating goes off and
the LED goes out (level 0).
The seat heating only works when the ignition is switched on. The left
thumb wheel controls the left seat and the right thumb wheel the right seat.
CAUTION
To avoid damaging the heating elements, please do not kneel on the seat or
apply sharp pressure at a single point to the seat cushion and backrest. 
Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

140Seats and storage
Rear seats
Seat adjustment
Fig. 96 For unlocking
the rear seat
Fig. 97 Rear seat back-
rest angle adjustment The seats may be moved forwards or backwards independently.
The movement can be 1/3 or 2/3 of the seat. There are various
possible positions.
Adjusting reach
–
In the seated position, unlock the lever in the direction of the
arrow ⇒ Fig. 96.
– Move the seat cushion forwards or backwards to the desired po-
sition.
Adjusting the backrest angle
– Hold the backrest at the top. Pull the loop on the side of the
seat ⇒ Fig. 97 1
in the direction of the arrow and hold the loop
in this position. Push the backrest to the required position and
release the loop.
WARNING
● Adjust the seat only when the vehicle is stationary. Otherwise, your
seat could move unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving. This could in-
crease the risk of an accident and therefore, injury.
● Do not push the backrests down when the seat is moved, this is to
avoid damage to the centre console.
● Ensure that the seat, once moved, is fixed in position.
Note
● In order to maintain the maximum luggage compartment space, put the
backrests in position normal, without moving.
● In order to maintain the maximum space without putting the backrests
down, move the seats forward to the desired position. 

141
Seats and storage
Folding the seat backrests down
Fig. 98 Folding or open-
ing the rear seat backr-
ests
– Pull the loop on the side of the seat ⇒ Fig. 98 1
In this position the backrest is locked. This is the reason why the loop loca-
ted on the side of the seat must be pulled in the direction of the arrow to
open the backrest.
WARNING
● You should check that the backrest has engaged properly in position
after the loop is released.
● For safety reasons the locking system loops on the seats may not be
used to secure any items.
 Lifting the seat backrests
Fig. 99 Folding or open-
ing the rear seat backrest
– Pull the loop on the side of the seat ⇒ Fig. 99 1
in the direc-
tion of the arrow and lift the seat backrest into position.
WARNING
● You should check that the backrest has engaged properly in position
after the loop is released.
● For safety reasons the locking system loops on the seats may not be
used to secure any items.
● After locking the seat backrest into position ensure that the seat
belts protrude from the seat.

Safety FirstOperating InstructionsPractical TipsTechnical Specifications

142Seats and storage
Storage compartment
Storage compartment on the front passenger side
Fig. 100 Passenger side:
storage compartment
The compartment can be opened by pulling the lever ⇒ Fig. 100.
WARNING
Always keep the storage compartment cover closed while the vehicle is
in motion in order to reduce the risk of injury caused by a sudden braking
or by an accident.
 Front centre armrest with storage compartment
There is a storage compartment in the armrest.
Fig. 101 Front armrest
with storage compart-
ment
– To open the storage compartment, lift the armrest up in the di-
rection of the arrow ⇒ Fig. 101 and then lift the cover.
– To access the CD changer* or the lower storage compartment,
pull on the armrest cover without pressing on the button.
– To close the storage compartment, push the armrest down.
WARNING
Always keep the storage compartment closed while the vehicle is in mo-
tion to reduce the risk of injury from the armrest during a sudden braking
manoeuvre or in the event of an accident.
Note
The CD changer is located in this compartment. 