Page 43 of 189

Seats, restraints41
Stow head restraints securely in load
compartment. Do not drive with head
restraints removed if the seat is
occupied.Front seats
Seat position9 Warning
Only drive with the seat correctly
adjusted.
■ Sit with buttocks as far back against
the backrest as possible. Adjust the distance between the seat and the
pedals so that legs are slightly
angled when pressing the pedals.
Slide the front passenger seat as
far back as possible.
■ Sit with shoulders as far back against the backrest as possible.
Set the backrest rake so that it is possible to reach the steering
wheel with arms slightly bent.
Maintain contact between
shoulders and the backrest when
turning the steering wheel. Do not
angle the backrest too far back. We recommend a maximum rake of
approx. 25°.
■ Adjust the steering wheel 3 71.
■ Set seat height high enough to have a clear field of vision on allsides and of all display instruments.
There should be at least one hand
of clearance between head and the
roof frame. Thighs should rest
lightly on the seat without pressing
into it.
■ Adjust the head restraint 3 40.
■ Adjust the height of the seat belt 3 48.
■ Adjust the lumbar support so that it
supports the natural shape of the
spine 3 42.
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54Seats, restraints9Warning
Optimum protection is only
provided when the seat is in the
proper position.
Seat position 3 41.
Keep the area in which the airbag
inflates clear of obstructions.
Fit the seat belt correctly and
engage securely. Only then is the
airbag able to protect.
Side airbag system
The side airbag system consists of an
airbag in each front seat backrest.
This may be identified by the word
AIRBAG .
The side airbag system is triggered in the event of an accident of a certain
severity. The ignition must be
switched on.
The inflated airbags cushion the
impact, thereby reducing the risk of
injury to the upper body and pelvis in
the event of a side-on collision
considerably.
9 Warning
Keep the area in which the airbag
inflates clear of obstructions.
Notice
Only use protective seat covers that have been approved for the vehicle.Be careful not to cover the airbags.
Curtain airbag system
The curtain airbag system consists of an airbag in the roof frame on each
side. This may be identified by the
word AIRBAG on the headlining trim.
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Seats, restraints55
The curtain airbag system is triggeredin the event of a side-on impact of a
certain severity. The ignition must be
switched on.
The inflated airbags cushion the
impact, thereby reducing the risk of
injury to the head in the event of a
side-on impact considerably.9 Warning
Keep the area in which the airbag
inflates clear of obstructions.
Airbag deactivation
The front passenger airbag system
must be deactivated if a child restraint is to be fitted on the front passenger
seat in accordance with the
instructions in the Child restraint
installation locations tables 3 58.
The belt tensioners and all other
airbag systems will remain active.
The airbag deactivation system may
be indicated by a label on the side of
the instrument panel, visible when the
front passenger door is open.
Front passenger airbag system can
be deactivated via a switch located on the side of the instrument panel.
Open the front passenger door to
access the switch.
Press the switch in and rotate to
choose the position:* OFF=front passenger seat
airbag system is
deactivated and will not
inflate in the event of a
collision. Control indicator
* OFF illuminates
continuously in the roof
console 3 79, 3 81
and a corresponding
message appears in the
Driver Information Centre
3 86.V ON=front passenger airbag
system is active.
Page 66 of 189
64StorageStorageStorage compartments................64
Load compartment .......................66
Roof rack system .........................69
Loading information .....................69Storage compartments9Warning
Do not store heavy or sharp
objects in the storage
compartments. Otherwise, the
storage compartment lid could
open and vehicle occupants could be injured by objects being thrown
around in the event of hard
braking, a sudden change in
direction or an accident.
Instrument panel storage
Storage compartments, pockets and
trays are located in the instrument
panel.
A coin holder and/or a phone holder
are located on the top of the
instrument panel.
The tray located on top of the
instrument panel has a lid.
Glovebox
To open, pull the handle.
Depending on version, the glovebox
may be lockable.
The glovebox should be closed while
driving.
Page 67 of 189
Storage65Cupholders
Cupholders are located at both ends
of the instrument panel, centrally in the lower instrument panel and in the
rear seat area.
Additional cupholders are located on
the back of the folded down centre
rear seat 3 65, 3 44.
The cupholders can also be used to hold the portable ashtray unit 3 76.
Remove the portable ashtray unit to
use the cupholders.
Front storage
Coat hooks are located on the cabin
bulkhead and on the grab handles in
the roof lining.
The front door pockets contain bottle
holders.
Folding centre seatback
The centre rear seat backrest, when
folded fully forwards, features storage
compartments and cupholders.
The swivelling document tray must be returned to its original position before
raising the seat backrest.
Underseat storage
Using the two loops on the passenger seat cushion, pull the cushion
forwards to gain access to the storage
under the seat.
Page 70 of 189

68Storage
Lashing eyes are mounted in the load
compartment to enable cargo to be
secured against slippage using
lashing straps or a luggage floor net.
The maximum force applied to the
lashing eyes should not exceed
6250 N at 30°.
Safety net The safety net can be installed behind the front seats or the rear seats.
Passengers must not be transported
behind the safety net.
InstallingRelease the covers in the roof lining
to access the mountings, then insert
the load compartment net rods into
the left and right mounting locations and secure.
Attach the straps to the lashing eyes
or rings behind the seats, then
tension the straps.
Removal Release tension from straps and
unhook straps from lashing eyes or
rings. Remove net rods from their
mounting locations and close the
covers.
Warning triangle
The warning triangle can be
accommodated in the space under
the seats.
Underseat storage 3 65.
First aid kit
The first aid kit can be accommodated
in the space under the seats.
Underseat storage 3 65.
Page 71 of 189

Storage69Roof rack system
Roof rack For safety reasons and to avoiddamage to the roof, the vehicle
approved roof rack system is
recommended.
Follow the installation instructions and remove the roof rack when not in
use.
Further information 3 69.Loading information
■ Heavy objects in the load compartment should be evenlydistributed and placed as far
forward as possible. If objects can
be stacked, the heavier objects
should be placed at the bottom.
■ Secure objects with lashing straps attached to lashing eyes 3 67.
■ Secure loose objects in load compartment to prevent sliding.
■ When transporting objects in the load compartment, the backrests ofthe rear seats must not be angled
forward.
■ Do not allow the load to protrude above the upper edge of the
backrests.
■ Do not place any objects on the instrument panel.
■ The load must not obstruct the operation of the pedals, parking
brake and gear selector, or hinder
the freedom of movement of the
driver. Do not place any unsecured
objects in the interior.■ Do not drive with an open load compartment. In addition, the
number plate is only
distinguishable and illuminated correctly if the doors are closed.9 Warning
Always make sure that the load in
the vehicle is securely stowed.
Otherwise objects can be thrown
around inside the vehicle and
cause personal injury or damage
to the load or car.
■ The payload is the difference between the permitted gross
vehicle weight (see identification
plate 3 169) and the EC kerb
weight.
To calculate the EC kerb weight,
enter the data for your vehicle in the
Weights table at the front of this
manual.
The EC kerb weight includes
weights for the driver (68 kg),
luggage (7 kg) and all fluids (tank
90 % full).
Page 72 of 189
70Storage
Optional equipment and
accessories increase the kerb
weight.
■ Driving with a roof load increases the sensitivity of the vehicle to
cross-winds and has a detrimental
effect on vehicle handling due to
the vehicle's higher centre of
gravity. Distribute the load evenly
and secure it properly with retaining
straps. Adjust the tyre pressure and
vehicle speed according to the load conditions. Check and retighten the
straps frequently.
Do not drive faster than 75 mph.
The permissible roof load is
200 kg for standard roof variants
and 150 kg for high roof variants
(excludes Platform cab
conversions). The roof load is the
combined weight of the roof rack
and the load.