
70 Seats and storage
.::> page 34 ©.::>fig. 76 . This prevents any ac
cess to the luggage compartment from the
vehicle inte rior.
You can on ly enlarge the luggage compar t
ment if the backrest is not locked .
~ WARNING
-
-The backrest must a lways be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen
ter seating pos ition can work properly to
help protect the occupant .
- The backrest must be secure ly latched in
posit ion so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can slide for
ward upon sudden braking .
- Always check whether the latch is f ully
engaged by pu lling the seatback for
wa rd.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in doo r o r seat
hardware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt ha rdware can break in a
c rash . Inspect the be lts periodica lly.
B elt s showing damage to we bbing, bind
ings , bu ckles , or retractors must be re
placed .
(D Note
-If you move the front seat back when the
r ear seat ba ckrest is fo lded fo rward, yo u
could d amage t he head res trai nts on the
rear sea t.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
belt all the w ay up before folding the
b ackrest back forward. Make su re the
seat belt is not pinched o r damaged
when the rear seat backrest if folded back. Other objects shou ld be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the seatback from damage. Partition net (seatback in upright
position)
Applies to vehicles: with partition net
The partition net is designed to pr event loose
objects from flying forward into the passen
ger compartment (e.g. under sudden brak
ing).
Fi g. 7 7 Behind t he backrest : hangin g th e p art itio n ne t
Fig. 78 Be hind t he backre st: rem ov ing the par tition
ne t
Hanging
.,. Pull the net upward . Hang the c rossbar in
the rear eye lets
over th e re ar bench seat
¢ fig. 77 -arrow-.
Removing
.,. Ti lt the seatback forwa rd.
.,. Press the left and right release knobs
¢ fig . 78 -arrow-and pull the net upward
and out.
Installing
• Ti Lt the seatback forward
¢ page 69 .
.,. Move the partition ne t left and r igh t in the
retain ing clamp .
.,. Press the partition net down diagonally at
t he left and right until it locks into place and
t he red ma rkings o n the bu ttons are no lon-
ger v is ible. ..,.

7 4 Seats and storage
Loading
.,. Fol d the rear seat center armrest down .
.,. Fold the pass-thro ugh cover
¢
fig. 87 -arrow-down.
.,. Slide the ski sack
from the luggage com
partment through the pass-through with
the z ipper a t the rear ¢.&. -
Securing
.,. Inse rt the ski sack st rap @ co fig. 88 in the
center buck le @ .
.,. Pull the safety belt taut on the free end of
the belt @.
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the
transportation of skis and ot her light ob
jects . To reduc e the risk of serious p er
sonal injury, neve r transport heavy o r
poin ted objects in the ski sa ck.
- When bra king rapidly or d uring an acci
dent, the load could be displaced and
cause inju ry to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be cove red
for pro tect ion. Always fas ten the belt
ti gh tly around the sac k an d its contents
c::> fig . 88.
- F or safety reasons, do not transport
more than two pa irs o f skis in the ski
sac k.
- You m ust sec ure the ski sack with t he
st rap a fter loading .
- M ake su re all obje cts tha t you are trans
porting in the pass- thro ugh a re secured.
O therwise they cou ld slide around during
s u dden braking maneuvers and cause in
jury.
(D} Tips
- Never stow the sk i sack away when i t is
still wet or damp (for examp le, snow
melt ing from sk is) . Allow it to dry com
plete ly before stowing it away.
- When transporti ng skis or snowboards,
tighten the securing strap between the
bindings. -
Pos ition skis in the ski sack with the
pointed ends facing the front and ski
poles with the pointed ends facing the
rear.
- Sedan: You ca n lock or unlock the pass
through using the mechanical key. This prevents any access to the luggage com
partment from the vehicle inte rior .
Reversible cargo area floor (dirt
collecto r)
Applies to vehicles: with reversible cargo area floor
You con transport dirty or damp objects in the
reversible cargo area floor
F ig . 89 Lu ggag e compar tmen t: cargo a rea floo r
F ig . 9 0 Lugg ag e co mpa rt m ent: cargo area floo r re ·
ve rse d
Reversing the cargo are a floor
.,. Lift the cargo area f loor using the handle
c::> fig. 89 -arrow- .
.,. Flip the floor over and install it.
Parcel shelf
., U1 .,
-><
~
The pa rcel shelf beh ind t he rea r seatback can
be used to ca rry light items of clothing .
ll>-

Starting and autom ati call y relea sing the
pa rking b rake
~ When you start to drive as usua l, the park
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
When stopping at a traffic signa l or stopp ing
in city traffic on vehicles with an automatic
transmission, the parking brake can be ap
plied. The vehicle does not have to be held
w ith the footbrake . The park ing brake elimi
nates the tendency to creep with a drive range
engaged. As soon as you dr ive off as usual,
the park ing brake is released automatically
and the vehicle sta rts to move .
Starting on slop es
When starting on inclines, the start ing ass ist
prevents the vehicle from unintentionally roll
ing back. The braking force of the parking
brake is not released until sufficient dr iving
force has been b uilt up at the whee ls.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iv
er 's safety belt is engaged in the buc kle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
~ Keep the switch@c::> page 85, fig . 98 pulled
and depress the accelerator. The park ing
brake stays applied and prevents the vehicle
from roll ing backward.
~ You can release the switch @once you are
sure that yo u are developing enough driving
force at the wheels by depressing the accel
erator.
D epending on the weight of the rig (vehicle
and trai ler) and the severity of the incline , you
may roll backwards as you start. Yo u can pre
vent roll ing backwards by holding the parking
brake switch @pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill wit h
a conventional hand brake .
On the ro ad 87
Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys
tem fails or locks .
~ In an emergency, pull the switch @
c::>
page 85, fig. 98 and continue to pull it to
slow your vehicle down with the parking
brake .
~ As soon as you re lease the switch @or ac-
celerate, the b rak ing process s tops.
If you pull the switch @and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the eme rgen
cy bra king funct ion is initia ted . T he veh icle is
braked at all four whee ls by activating the hy
draulic brake system. The brake performance
is similar to making an emergency stop c::>
&..
In order not to act ivate the eme rgency brak
ing by mis take, an audib le warning tone (buz
zer) so unds when the switch @is pulled. As
soon as the switch @ is re leased, or the acce l
erato r pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
A WARNING
...--
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has fa iled or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the parking b rake to pe rform emer
gency brak ing will slow your vehicle down
as if you had made a full bra ke application .
The laws of physics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDS) . In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can ca use the vehi
cle to sk id or the rear end to break away -
risking an accident.
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
The speed warn ing system warns if the driver
exceeds a p reviously stored max imum speed .
A warn ing tone w ill sound as soon as the
Ill>

94 Transmission Starting the engine
.. The selecto r lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect t he des ired selec
tor lever position such as D/S and release
the button .
.. Wait briefly unti l the transmission has shift
ed (you will feel a slight movement) .
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate.
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary usin g the brak
ing peda l, for examp le at traffic lights .
.. Do not press the accelerator pedal when do
ing this .
.. To prevent the veh icle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c> _& .
.. The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle w ill start moving once you
press the accelerator pedal.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the dr iver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. Apply the parking brake
c> page 86, Parking .
.. Select the P selector lever position c> _&.
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c> _& . Do not try to prevent the vehi
cle from "roll ing back" when a gear is en
gaged by increasing the eng ine speed
c> (D.
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake.
.. With the driving gear se lected, press the ac
celerator pedal carefully. The park ing brake will release automatically if your seat
belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mountains, it may be usefu l to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or
der to adjust the gears to the driving cond i
tions by hand
c> page 96.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too much stress from being
placed on the locking mechanism .
Vehicles with multitronic transmission: Your
vehicle is equipped with
hill hold assist allow
ing you to start while on an incline. The sys
tem is activated when the brake pedal is
pressed down and he ld
for a few seconds . The
brake pressure will hold for
a moment after
the brake pedal loosens to prevent the vehicle
from roll ing backwards wh ile starting up .
A WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
r un ning while in gear. If you must leave
your veh icle when the engine is running,
activate the parking brake and move the
selecto r lever to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is running and the selector
lever is in
DIS or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected .
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever position
while the veh icle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep s lope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".

-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases
braking distance or causes complete fail
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it
in place with the brake pedal or parking
brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
mJ illu
minates and a driver message appears
¢ page 9 7 when the clutch is overload
ed .
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 214. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo
tion, even with the parking brake ap plied .
0 Note
-S tronic- and tiptronic transmission:
When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator pedal while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti
vate the parking brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- S tronic- and tiptronic transmission: Al
lowing the vehicle to roll when the en
gine is stopped and the selector lever is in N will damage the transmission be
cause it is not lubricated under those cir
cumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re
leased automatically only when the driv
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Transmission 95
Hill descent control
App lies to vehicles : wi th mult itronic/ S tro nic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline. Hill de scent control tries to maintain the speed ach
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations. It may still be nec
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de
cline levels out or you press the accelerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
¢ page 89 , hill descent control is also activat
ed when the speed is set.
.&_ WARNING
-
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes .

128 Driving Safely
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, airbags, child restraints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori
ty number 1.
Always observe the information
and warnings in this section - for your own
safety as well as that of your passengers.
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the
features described in this sections may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others. If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in
structions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the interest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
your vehicle so that this important infor
mation will always be available to the
driver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find it easily if you have
questions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
reduce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a variety of features
available to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophisticated safety belts for driver and all
passenger seating positions,
- belt force limiters for the front seats,
- belt pretensioners for the seats,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the front seats,
- side curtain airbags,
- special LATCH anchorages for child re-
straints,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to gether as a system to help protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor
rectly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occu
pant safety always depends on the informed and careful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are op
erating correctly.
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct .
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and af
ford good visibility to the outside.
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
qpage 64 .
.,. Make sure that nothing can interfere with
the pedals.
.,. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height.
.,. Instruct rear seat passengers to adjust the
head restraints according to their height.
.,. Make sure to use the right child restraint
correctly to protect children¢
page 167,
Child Safety. "'

.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
¢ page 58,
Seats and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly.
Also instruct your passengers to fasten their
safety belts properly¢
page 138 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condi
tion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver's ability to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the
vehicle and all of its occupants. If your ability
to drive is impaired, safety r isks for everybody
in the vehicle increase and you a lso become a
hazard to everyone else on the road
~ .&_.
Therefo re:
.. Do not let yourself be dist racted by passen
gers or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when yo ur driving ability is im
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol, drugs, etc.).
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions .
.,. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not
drive for more than two hours at a stretch.
.. Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are stressed .
& WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk
of serious personal injury and death when
ever a vehicle is being used.
Driving Safely 129
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is impor
tant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 139 Co rrect seat ing pos it ion
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the driver's seat to the
follow ing position:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easi
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
wh ile keeping your knee(s) slightly bent
¢&_ .
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full contact w ith it when you drive.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that th ere is a
distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) be
tween the steering wheel and yo ur breast
bone
~ fig. 139. If not possible, see your au
thorized Audi dealer about adaptive equip
ment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steer
ing wheel and airbag cover points at your
chest and not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing whee l with
your elbow(s) slightly bent .
.. App lies to veh icles with adjustable head re
straints: Ad just the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this posit ion as possible .
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 141 . .,._

130 Driving Safely
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢page 60.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision.
- Always sit in an upright position and nev
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect
edly and you could lose control of the ve
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in- jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi
tion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 167. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 146.
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
• Move the front passenger seat back as far as
possible . There must be a minimum of
10 inches (25 cm) between the breastbone
and the instrument panel¢,&. .
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• Applies to vehicles with adjustable head re
straints: Adjust the head restraint so the up
per edge is as even as possible with the top
of your head. If that is not possible, try to
adjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to this position as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 141.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
¢ page 58.
A WARNING
-
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury: