2013 SKODA OCTAVIA ESP

The area monitoring system (From here on only referred to as Front Assist) warns
you of the danger of a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle and tries to
avoid a collision or mitigate its consequences by automatically applying the
brakes as appropriate.WARNING■ Front Assist only works as an aid, it does absolve the driver of the responsi-
bility to maintain full control over the vehicle's steering.■
Front Assist has physical and system related limitations. For this reason, the
driver may experience some undesired or delayed system responses in certain
situations. You should therefore always be alert and ready to intervene!
■
Always adapt your speed and safety proximity to the vehicle ahead to the
current visibility, weather, road and traffic conditions.
■
If Front Assist gives a warning, then, depending on the traffic situation, im-
mediately slow down the car by applying the brakes or avoid the obstacle.
■
The increased safety through the Front Assist system must not tempt you
to take greater risks than otherwise – risk of accident!
■
The driver must always be ready to take over steering of the vehicle himself
(brake or accelerate).
■
Front Assist does not respond to crossing or oncoming objects.

Instructions and Information
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 154.
Front Assist may become impaired in the following situations, for example.
› When visibility is poor, (e.g. fog, heavy rain, thick snowfall).
› Driving around “sharp” bends.
› When fully pressing down the accelerator pedal.
› If there is a fault with the Front Assist system.
› When one of the brake assist systems (e.g. ESC) intervenes.
WARNINGIn the following situations, Front Assist should be switched off for safety rea-
sons.■
When the vehicle is being towed away.WARNING (Continued)■ When the vehicle is on a rolling test bench.■When an undesired activation has repeatedly occurred.■
When on a truck, train or a car ferry service or the like.
CAUTION
Narrow vehicles or vehicles travelling side by side are not detected by Front As-
sist via the radar sensor until they are within the sensor's range. This is especially
true for narrow vehicles, such as motorcycles.
Note
In case of failure of more than one brake light on the vehicle or on the electrically
connected trailer, Front Assist not available.
Radar sensor
Fig. 141
Mounting location of the radar
sensor
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 154.
The radar sensor » Fig. 141 (From here on referred to as sensor) is used to assess
the traffic situation in front of the vehicle.
The sensor can distinguish objects by radiating and receiving electromagneticwaves. 
155Assist systems

The sensor function may be impaired in the events of one of the following.
› The sensor is covered by mud, snow or debris, for example.
› The sensor or its immediate surroundings are covered by other objects, for ex-
ample, a sticker is attached.
› When visibility is poor, (e.g. fog, heavy rain, thick snowfall).
If the sensor is dirty or does not have “visibility” for any other reason, the follow-
ing message appears in the instrument cluster display.
Front Assist: no sensor view.
Stop the car, switch off the engine and clean the sensor or eliminate the obstacle
causing the lack of“visibility”. Should Front Assist still be unavailable after the en-
gine is restarted, consult a specialist garage for help.WARNING■ If you suspect that the sensor is damaged, deactivate Front Assist. Have the
sensor checked by a specialist garage.■
The sensor can become misaligned by collisions or by damage to the front of
the vehicle, the wheel arch or the underside of the vehicle. This can lead to
impaired function of the Front Assist function - risk of accidents! If this is the
case, have the sensor checked by a specialist garage.
■
Any improperly carried out work to the front of the vehicle may cause the
sensor to become misaligned. We therefore recommend only having these
modifications and technical alterations carried out by a specialist garage. Please also observed the instructions in » page 200, Service work, adjust-
ments and technical alterations .
■
The area in front of and around the sensor must not be covered with stick-
ers, additional lights or similar items. This can lead to impaired function of the
sensor - risk of accidents!
WARNINGThe sensor may not be able to distinguish all objects correctly under certain
circumstances. You should therefore not use Front Assist in the following ca-
ses - risk of accidents!■
When driving through places where metal objects (such as metal buildings,
railroad tracks, etc.) can be found.
■
When driving through very divided and enclosed spaces (such as large-ca-
pacity garages, car ferries and the like.)
CAUTIONRemove the snow with a brush and the ice with a solvent-free de-icer.
Operation
Fig. 142
Instrument cluster display: Note
(dangerous proximity) / advance
warning or intervention of the
city emergency braking function
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 154.
Front Assist assists the driver while driving in the following ways:
› Alerts you about a dangerous proximity to the vehicle ahead.
› Warns you of an impending collision.
› Prepares the brakes for emergency braking prior to a detected danger.
› Assists with a brake action triggered by the driver.
› If the driver fails to respond to a detected danger, an automatic brake action is
performed.
Front Assist can work only if the following basic conditions are met. Front Assist is enabled.
TCS is enabled » page 137, Brake assist systems .
The vehicle is traveling forwards at a speed of more than approx. 5 km/h.
proximity warning (dangerous proximity)
If a safe time interval to the vehicle ahead is exceeded, the display of the instru- ment cluster shows the symbol » Fig. 142 - 
.
Immediately increase the proximity if the current traffic situation allows you to do so!
The proximity at which the warning is displayed depends on the current speed.
The warning may occur when driving between about 60 km/h and 210 km/h. 
156Driving

Advance warning
If Front Assist detects a risk of collision with a vehicle ahead, a symbol appears in
the display of the instrument cluster and an acoustic signal is heard » Fig. 142 -  .
At the same time, the braking system is prepared for possible emergency braking.
The advance warning may occur when driving between 30 km/h and 210 km/h.
Apply the brakes or avoid the obstacle!
Acute alert
If the driver does not react to the advance warning, Front Assist briefly applies
the brake automatically via an active brake intervention to draw attention to the
potential danger of a collision again.
Automatic Braking
If the driver fails to respond to the acute warning, Front Assist starts to apply the
brakes automatically with increasing stopping power in several stages.
Front Assist can help to mitigate the consequences of a potential accident by
means of a speed reduction.
Brake Support
If the driver does not brake sufficiently in case of an imminent collision, Front As-
sist can increase the braking power, thereby reducing the consequences of a po-
tential accident.
The brake support only occurs as long as the brake pedal is being firmly pressed
down.
CAUTION
The automatic braking interventions by Front Assist can be terminated by press-
ing the clutch or the accelerator, or by moving the steering wheel.
Note
If an automatic brake intervention is triggered by Front Assist, the pressure in the
brake system increases and the brake pedal cannot be operated with the normal
pedal stroke.
Activating/deactivating
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 154.
Front Assist is automatically activated each time the ignition is switched on.
Front Assist should only be disabled in exceptional cases.
Activate / deactivate front assist
Front Assist can be activated or deactivated in the Infotainment » Infotainment
manual , chapter Vehicle settings (CAR button) or in the MAXI-DOTDis-
play » page 32 , Menu item wizard .
By disabling the system, the proximity warning system and the advance warning are also deactivated.
Activate/deactivate proximity warning
The proximity warning indicator can be activated/deactivated in the Infotain-
ment » Infotainment manual , chapter Vehicle settings (CAR button) .
The set proximity warning remains active even after stopping and starting the ig-
nition.
Activate/deactivate advance warning
The advance warning can be activated/deactivated in the Infotainment » Info-
tainment manual , chapter Vehicle settings (CAR button) .
The set advance warning remains active even after stopping and starting the ig- nition.

“City”Emergency braking
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 154.
The “City”Emergency braking function (From here on referred to only as the emer-
gency brake function) is a component of the Front Assist system.
The emergency brake function assists the driver when driving as follows. › Prepares the brakes for emergency braking prior to a detected danger.
› If the driver fails to respond to a detected danger, an automatic brake action oc-
curs with stopping power that increases in several stages.
The emergency brake function intervenes when driving between about 5 km/h
and 34 km / h. 
157Assist systems

Information messagesFirst read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 158.
The messages and information are indicated in the instrument cluster display.
Start the engine manually!
START MANUALLY
The driver sees this message when the conditions for the automatic start proce-
dure are not met during the STOP phase. The engine must be started manual-
ly » page 121 .
Error: start-stop system
START STOP ERROR
Error in the START-STOP system. Seek help from a specialist garage.

Driving mode
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Selecting driving mode
161
Normal Mode
162
Sportmode
162
Ecomode
162
Individualmode
163
Selecting the driving mode allows you to adjust a range of different driving pa-
rameters for the vehicle.
The set driving mode remains stored even after switching the ignition on and off.
WARNING■ Setting the driving mode while driving can distract you from other traffic –
risk of accident.■
Concentrate fully at all times on your driving! As the driver you are fully re-
sponsible for the operation of your vehicle.
■
Adjust the speed and driving style to the current visibility, weather, road and
traffic conditions.
Note
The driver can change some vehicle functions irrespective of the selected driving
mode. For instance, in the driving mode Eco, the driver can switch the automatic
transmission to the mode S.
Selecting driving mode
Fig. 146
Button for selecting the driving mode: Octavia, Octavia Combi / Fa-
bia RS Octavia RS
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 161.
The menu for selecting the driving mode allows you to set the vehicle to one of
the three preset driving modes Normal, Sportand Eco, or to the driving mode
Individual which allows individual settings.
The selected driving mode is accessed by pressing the symbol button 
or
 » Fig. 146 , and the menu is opened in the Infotainment display. More informa-
tion about setting the driving mode » operating instructions for Infotainment ,
chapter Vehicle settings . 
161Assist systems

If a driving mode other than Normal is selected, then the symbol lights up on the
button  or  » Fig. 146 .
Normal Mode
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 161.
The relevant systems are set for a general type of vehicle use.
This mode is suitable for common everyday use.

Sportmode
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 161.
This mode is suitable for a sporty driving style.
Selecting this mode primarily affects the function of the following systems.
Engine (drive)
The accelerator pedal is more responsive to depressing the pedal, and the accel-
eration is more dynamic than in mode Normal.
The automatic gearbox is set automatically to mode S » page 126 .
The engine noise is noticeable in the interior more intensely than in
normalmode 1)
.
Steering
The power steering is reduced slightly, i.e., the driver needs to exert more force for steering » page 119.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
The acceleration is quicker than normal mode with distance control » page 148.
Adaptive headlights (AHL)
The headlights adapt to the driving style more dynamically than in mode
Normal » page 57 .
ProActive passenger protection
The first level of protection is deactivated » page 163.
Ecomode
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 161.
This mode is suitable for a relaxed style of driving and helps to save fuel.
Selecting this mode primarily affects the function of the following systems.
Engine (drive)
The accelerator pedal is less responsive to depressing the pedal, and the acceler-
ation is more relaxed than in mode Normal.
After pressing the button, the acceleration occurs more relaxed than in mode
Normal » page 146 , Cruise Control System .
The recommended gear is controlled such to achieve the lowest possible fuel consumption » page 27.
When the START-STOP system was deactivated manually » page 158, it is auto-
matically activated.
The automatic gearbox is set automatically to mode E » page 126 .
The engine noise is felt less intensely in the interior less than in normalmode 1)
.
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
The acceleration occurs more relaxed than in Normal » page 148mode with dis-
tance control.
Adaptive headlights (AHL)
The system is automatically deactivated » page 57.
Air conditioning (Climatronic)
The air conditioning is controlled so as to save energy. For this reason, for exam-
ple, it may take longer to reach the desired interior temperature in mode Normal. 

1)
Applies to Octavia RS, Octavia RS.
162Driving

Lane Assist
Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Operation
164
Activating/deactivating
165
Explanation of situations
165
Information messages
166WARNING■ Lane Assist only operates as a support- it does absolve the driver of the re-
sponsibility to maintain full control over the vehicle's steering.■
Lane Assist only makes the driver away that the vehicle is approaching the
line between two lanes by means of a steering intervention. The driver retains
responsibility at all times for keeping the vehicle within the lane.
■
Lane Assist can help you keep the vehicle within the lane. However, it does
not steer the vehicle for you. The driver retains full responsibility for steering at all times.
■
The camera need not be able to detect all lane lines. A steering intervention
can only be made when the vehicle approaches a detected line between lanes.
■
Some objects on the road may be incorrectly detected as lines. As a result,
an incorrect steering intervention may take place.
■
The function of adaptive lane guidance Assist system may be restricted
when driving e.g. over rutted roads, on a slope, or if there are lateral winds.
■
Do not use the assist system in poor weather, e.g. black ice, fog, heavy rain –
risk of accident!
WARNINGThe detection capability of the camera may be limited by various external in-
fluences. In such cases, the assistant may not detect the line between two
lanes at all or not properly. The detection capability of the camera may be re- stricted in the following situations, for example.■
When visibility conditions are poor, e.g. fog, heavy rain, thick snowfall.
■
When driving around “sharp” bends.
WARNING (Continued)■ The camera is blinded by the sun.■The camera is blinded by the oncoming traffic.■
The viewing range of the camera is impeded by a vehicle traveling ahead.
■
The camera viewing range is obstructed by an obstacle.
CAUTION
Do not attach any stickers or similar objects to the windscreen to avoid impairing
the functions of the Assist system.
Note
■ The system is designed for driving on motorways and roads with adequate lon-
gitudinal markings.■
The system can detect both continuous and broken lines.

Operation
Fig. 147
Windscreen: Camera viewing
window for Lane Assist
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings on page 164.
Lane Assist (From here on referred to only as the system), helps to keep the vehi-
cle within the lane.
The system detects the boundary lines of a lane using the camera » Fig. 147.
When the vehicle approaches a detected line between lanes, the system makes a
light movement of the steering wheel in the opposite direction to the boundary
line. This corrective steering intervention can be overridden at any time. 
164Driving

Warning lights in the instrument clusterIlluminatesDescriptionThe system is active, but not ready to intervene.The system is active and ready to intervene or is currently
intervening.

Information messages
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 164.
The messages and information are indicated in the instrument cluster display.
Lane Assist not available. No sensor view.
The windscreen is dirty, iced over or misted up in the camera viewing range. Clean the windscreen or remove the obstacles.
Lane Assist currently not available.
The system has limited functionality due to a temporary error. Try to re-activate the machine.
Error: Lane Assist
A system error is present. Seek help from a specialist garage. Lane Assist: take over steering!
The system has detected that there are no hands on the steering wheel. In this
case, the Assist system is not ready to intervene. Place your hands on the steer-
ing wheel.

Traffic sign recognition
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Function
166
Notifications and settings
167
Information messages
167WARNING■ Traffic sign detection only operates as a support. Real traffic signs always
have priority over electronic displays. The driver is always responsible for cor-
rectly assessing the traffic situation.■
Traffic signs may not be recognised at all by the system, or may be recog-
nised incorrectly. As a result, the traffic signs may not be displayed at all, or
the wrong one may appear.
■
Traffic sign recognition does not warn about exceeding the maximum per-
mitted speed nor does it adjust the driving speed to the maximum speed!
■
The display refers to the standard national speed units. For example, the
display  is able top refer to km / h or mph.depending on the country.
Note
Traffic sign recognition is not available in all countries.
Function
Fig. 150
Windscreen: Camera viewing
range for traffic sign recognition
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn- ings on page 166.
Traffic sign recognition (From here on referred to only as system) allows the fol-
lowing traffic signs recognised by the system to be shown in the instrument clus-
ter display.
› Speed limit
› Overtaking prohibited.
Additional signs, such as 'when wet' or signs which only apply for a limited time
can also be displayed. 
166Driving

Infotainment Navigation is not currently providing any data. Check whether the
maps are up-to-date or the whether the vehicle is currently in a location for which
no navigation data are available.
Fatigue detection (break recommendation)
 Introduction
This chapter contains information on the following subjects:
Function
168
Information messages
168WARNING■ For the driving ability is always the driver's responsibility. Never drive if you
feel tired.■
The system may not detect all cases where a break is needed.
■
Therefore, take regular, sufficient breaks during long trips.
■
There will be no system warning during the so-called micro-sleep.
Note
■ In some situations, the system may evaluate the driving incorrectly and thus
mistakenly recommend a break (e.g. sporty driving, in adverse weather conditions,
or in bad road conditions).■
The fatigue detection system is designed primarily for motorway driving.

Function
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-ings
on page 168.
The fatigue detection system advises the driver on the basis of information about
the steering behaviour, to take a break from driving. The system recommends a
break at speeds of 65-200 km/h.
After the ignition has been switched on, the system evaluates the steering be-
haviour for 15 minutes. This baseline analysis is constantly compared with the
current steering behaviour.
If the system detects deviations from normal steering behaviour due to possible
fatigue of the driver, it recommends to take a break from driving.
The system deletes the stored baseline analysis if one of the following condi-tions is met.
› The vehicle is stopped and the ignition is turned off.
› The vehicle is stopped, the seat belt is taken off and the driver's door is opened.
› The vehicle is stopped for more than 15 minutes.
If none of these conditions is met or the driving style is not changed, the system
recommends a driving break again after 15 minutes.
The system can be activated/deactivated in the Infotainment » operating instruc-
tions for Infotainment , chapter Vehicle settings (CAR button) .
Information messages
First read and observe the introductory information and safety warn-
ings
on page 168.
The icon appears and the following message for a few seconds in the display of the instrument cluster  .
Driver alert. Take a break!
DRIVER ALERT TAKE A BREAK
An audible signal is also emitted.

168Driving