
64 Seats and storage
Enlarging cargo capacity of the vehicle
interior
The seat backs can be folded forward to en
large the cargo capacity .
Fig . 6 4 Re lease hand le on the seatback
Folding th e seatback forward
.. When you p ull the release lever @c:::> fig. 64
in the d irection o f the arrow, the safety knob
@ pops out far enough for the red marking
on knob to be visible.
.. Fold the seatback forward.
Rai sing th e seatback
.. Raise the seatback until it is securely latch
ed
c:::> &_ . When you can no longer see the
red mark on the safety knob @, the seat is
l atched.
When the seatback is latched in its upright position, it can be locked and unlocked with
the mechanical key
c:::> page 33 next to the re
lease handle ©
c:::>fig. 64. This prevents any
entry from the vehicle interior into the lug
gage compartment .
The luggage compartment can only enlarged when the seatback is unlocked .
A 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 securely latched in
posit ion so that no items contained in
the luggage compar tment can slide for
wa rd upo n sudden b raking . -
Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by pull ing the seatback for
ward.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam
aged by be ing caught in door or seat
hardware.
-Torn or frayed safety be lts can tear and
damaged be lt hardware can break in a
crash . Inspect the belts periodica lly.
Belts show ing damage to webb ing, b ind
ings, buckles, o r retractors must be re
p laced.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is folded forward, you
cou ld damage the head r estraints on th e
rea r seat.
- Slide the be lt guide on the outside safety
be lt a ll the way up befo re fold ing the
backrest bac k forward. Make sure the
se at belt is not pinched or damaged
when the rear seat backrest if fo lded
back. Other objects should be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatback from damage.

Starting th e engin e
"'Press the brake peda l c::> _&..
"'Press the !START ENGINE STOP I button
c::>fig. 75. The engine will start .
"' It is possible that the re wi ll be a slight de lay
when starting the engine for diesel vehicles
in colder temperatures. Therefore, you must
hold the brake pedal down until the eng ine
starts. The indicator lamp
&I illum inates
when the eng ine is preheated .
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time . Repeat starting procedure .
Start-Stop-Sy stem *:
Note the information on c::> page 79, Start
S top-Sys tem.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation .
- Never turn off the eng ine unti l the vehi
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steer ing
only work when the engine is running . If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot stee r and brake as you usua l
ly wou ld, this could lead to crashes and
ser ious injur ies.
- Avoid high engine rpm, fu ll throttle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
reached operating temperat ure - ot her
wise yo u risk eng ine dam age.
- The eng ine ca nnot be started by pushing
or tow ing the veh icle.
(D Tips
- After a cold engine is sta rted, there may
be a brief period of increased noise be
ca use oil p ress ure mus t fi rs t bu ild up in
the hyd raulic valve adjus ters. This is nor
mal and not a ca use for concern .
-If yo u leave the vehicle with t he ignit ion
switched on, the ignition will switch off
On th e ro ad 75
after a cer tain per iod of t ime. Please
note that electrical eq uipment such as
exterior lights will sw itch off as well
when that happens.
Stopping the engine
"' Bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
"' Move the selector lever to the P or N posi
tion .
"' Press the
I STA RT E NGINE ST OP I button
c::>page 74, fig. 75.
When you stop and the Start-Stop-System*
turns off the engine, the ignition remains on .
Press the
! S TAR T ENGIN E ST OPI button to
swi tch the ig nition off du ring a stop phase.
Steering lock
The steeri ng locks when you tur n the engine
off using the
I S TART ENGINE STOP I button
and open the driver's door. The locked steer
i ng helps p revent vehicle theft.
Emergency off
If necessary, t he engine can be switc hed off
with the se lector lever in the R or D/S posi
tion. The eng ine stops if you press the
I S TART ENGI NE STOP I button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/ h) .
A WARNING
- Never turn off t he engine un til the vehi
cle has come to a complete stop .
- T he b rake boos ter and power stee ring
only work w hen the eng ine is r unning . If
the engine is off, yo u have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual
ly would, th is cou ld lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons, you sho uld a lways
park your vehicle w ith the selector lever
in P . Otherwise, the vehicle could inad
vertently roll away.
- After the eng ine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can cont inue to run for
up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition .,..

76 On the road
switched off. It can a lso switch on again
after some time if the coolant tempera
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is addit ionally heated by
the sun's rays.
(D Note
D o not stop the engine immediate ly afte r
hard or extended driving . Keep the engine
running for approximately two minutes to
prevent excessive heat build-up.
Driver message in the instrument
cluster display
Turn off ignition b efo re leaving car
This message appears and a war ning tone
sounds if yo u open the dr ive r's door when the
ignition is switched on.
Pres s brake pedal to start en gine
This message appears if you press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OP ! button to start the en
g ine and do not depress the brake pedal. The
engine can on ly be started if the brake pedal
i s depressed.
!I ls k ey in the vehicle ?
If the indicator light turns on and the mes
sage appears, the remote control key was re
moved from the vehicle while the engine was
running . If the ignit ion key is not in the vehi
cle you w ill not be ab le to switch on the ig ni
tion o r restart the eng ine after it has been
switched off. Yo u wi ll also not be able to lock
the vehicle from the outside.
Shift to P , otherwise vehicle can roll away .
Doors do not lo ck if le ver i s not in P .
This message appears for safety reasons
along w ith an audib le warn ing tone if the P
selecto r lever posit io n is not engaged when
stopping the eng ine with the
I START ENGINE STOP! button. Select the P se
lector lever posit io n. Otherw ise the veh icle
could roll and it cannot be locked.
mJ Ke y is not re cogni zed . H old back of ke y
a ga in st marked are a. See owner' s manual.
If the indicator ligh t turns on and this mes
sage appears, there is a malf unct ion
r::!;> page 76.
Tu rn off ignition before l ea v ing car. B attery
i s d isc harging
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened wh ile the ignition is switched on. Al
ways switch off the igni tion if you are leaving
the vehi cle. See also
r::¢,page 81.
Shift to P and turn off ignition before l eav
ing car, oth erwi se v ehicl e can roll away
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened wh ile the ignition is switched on and
t h e selecto r lever is not in the P posi tion. Shift
the selecto r lever into the P pos ition and
switch off the ignit ion when you exit the vehi
cl e. Otherw ise the vehicle cou ld roll. See also
r::¢,page 81.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un
der certain circumstances, for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter
ference has affected the key or if there is a
system malfunction.
F ig . 76 Center console/master key: starting the eng ine
i f there is a malfunct ion
Requirement: The message Key not recog
nized . Hold back of ke y against marked are a.
See o wne r's manual.
must appear and the in-
dicator light
ml must switch on. .,..

Emergency braking
In the event that the conventional brake sys
tem fails or locks .
11-In an emergency, pull the switch C®) and
conti nue to pull it to slow your vehicle down
with the parking brake .
11-As soon as you release the sw itch C®) or ac-
celerate, the braki ng p rocess stops.
If you pull the sw itch (®) and hold it above a
speed of about 5 mph (8 km/h), the emergen
cy braking function is in itiated. The vehicle is
b ra ked at a ll four wheels by activating the hy
d raul ic br ake system. The b rake performance
i s sim ilar to making an emergency stop¢.&. .
I n o rder not to activate the emergency brak
i ng by m istake, an audible warning tone (bu z
z er) sounds when the switc h(®) is p ulled. As
soon as the switch(®) is released, or the accel
erator pedal is dep ressed, emergency braking
stops .
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking shou ld only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
Using t he parking brake to perform emer
gency braking will slow you r vehicle down
as if you had made a fu ll brake applicat ion.
The laws of phy sic s ca nnot be s uspended
eve n w ith ES C and its a ssoci ated compo
nents (ABS, ASR, EDL). In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad,
a full brake application can cause the vehi
cle to skid or the rear end to break away -
r isking a n accident.
Start-Stop-System
Description
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h Start-Stop-System
The Start-S top -System can he lp increase fuel
economy and reduce C O2 emissions.
I n the Start-Stop-mode , the eng ine shuts off
automatically whe n the vehicle is stopped,
such as at a traffic light. The ig nit ion remains
On th e ro ad 79
switched on during this stop phase. The en
gine wi ll be a utomatica lly restarted when
needed .
T he las t Start -Stop-Sys tem se tting (on/off us
ing the b utton
10 «<1) will be restored when the
ignition is turned on. The LED in the
!0 •·1 but
ton t urns on when the Start-Stop-System is
switched off manually.
Basic requir ements for the Start -Stop
mode
- The driver 's door is closed.
- The driver' seat belt is latched.
- The hood is closed.
- The vehi cle must have bee n dr iven faster
t han
2.5 mph (4 km/h) since the las t stop.
- A t railer is not hitched to the ve hicle.
.&_ WARNING
- Never let the ve hicle roll with the eng ine
sw itched off. You co uld lose control over
the vehicle. This can lead to a collision
an d serio us in juries .
- The brake boo ster and the s teering sup
port do not work while the engine is
switched off . More force is required to
stop and to steer the veh icle.
- To reduce t he risk of injuries, make sure
that the Start-Stop -System is tu rned off
when working in the eng ine compart
ment¢
page 81.
([) Note
Always switch off the Sta rt -Stop-System
when driving through water¢
page 81.

-The windshield is being defrosted
Q page 69, ~ page 71 .
-The brake peda l is pressed several times in a
row.
- The battery charge level becomes too low.
- High power consumption .
Switching the ignition automatically
To prevent the battery from draining, the igni
tion will switch off
automatically when all of
the following conditions have been met:
- The vehicle has already been driven .
- The engine has been turned off by the Start-
Stop-System*.
- The driver's door is opened .
- The driver's seat belt is removed.
- The bra ke peda l is not pressed down.
- The vehicle is stationary.
In this case, the activated low beam will be re
placed by the side marker lights. The side
marker lights will switch off after approx i
mately 30 minutes or when you lock the vehi
cle .
If the Start-Stop System has
not turned off
the engine or if you have switched the Start
Stop system off manually, the ignition wil l
not
be automatically switched off and the engine
will continue to run ~,& .
& WARNING
Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation.
(0 Tips
If you shift into the D, N or S positions af
ter shifting into reverse, the vehicle must
be driven faster than 6 mph (10 km/h) in
order for the engine to switch off again .
On the road 81
Switching the Start-Stop-System on/off
manually
Applies to veh icles: w ith Star t-Stop-Sys te m
If you do not wish to use the system, you can
switch it off manually.
=~-
-~ ---
' I~ -
--
Fig. 80 Center console: Start-Stop-System button
.,. To switch the Start-Stop-System off/on
manually, press the
1 (1() ~·1 button. The LED in
the button turns on when the system is
switched off.
(D Tips
If you switch the system off during a stop phase, the engine will start again auto
matically.
Messages in the instrument cluster
display
A pp lies to veh icles : w ith S tart-Stop -Sys tem
Start-Stop system deactivated: Please re
start engine manually
This message appears when spec ific condi
tions are not met during a stop phase and the
Start-Stop-System will
not be able to restart
the engine . If the Dor R selector lever posi
tions were engaged, P will be selected auto
matically. The engine must be started with
the
I START ENGINE STOP! button.
Start-Stop system: System fault! Function
unavailable
There is a malfunction in the Start-Stop-Sys
tem . Drive the vehicle to an authorized repair
facility for servicing as soon as possible to cor
rect the malfunction.

The Automatic Shift Lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below
1 mph (2 km/h).
At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deacti
vated in the N position.
A time delay element prevents the se lector
l eve r from locking when it is moved thro ugh
the N position (going from R to 0/5). The lock
ing e lement will lock the selector lever if the
lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap
prox imately 2 second, without the brake ped
al being pressed.
R elease button
The release button on the selector lever pre
vents the lever from being accidenta lly shifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at d if
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
in the illustration
¢ fig . 113 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles: with multitronic/S tronic/t iptronic
Fig . 114 Sh ift gate on the center conso le: selector lev
er w ith release button
Starting the engine
.., The selector lever must be in P or N .
Starting off
.., Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
.., Press and hold the release button in these
lector lever handle, se lect the desired selec
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button .
.., Wa it br iefly until the transmission has sh ift
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 109
.., Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
accelerate.
Stopping t emporarily
.., Keep the veh icle stationa ry using the brak
ing pedal , for example at traffic lights.
.., Do not press the accelerator peda l w hen do
ing this .
.., To prevent the vehicle from ro lling when you
start dr iving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines¢.&_ .
.., The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the accelerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transm ission: Car
may roll! Shift to park !
appears.
.., Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve-
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.., Apply the parking brake¢
page 78, Parking.
.., Select the P selector lever posit ion c::> ,&. .
Stopping on a n incline
.., Always press the brake pedal to ho ld the ve
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
c::> .&_ . Do not try to prevent the veh i
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en
gaged by increas ing the engine speed
c:::, (D ,
Sta rting on an incline
.., Activate the parking brake .
.., With the driving gear selected, press the ac
celerator peda l carefully. The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be useful to switch
temporarily to the manual shift program in or
der to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i
tions by han d
¢page 111.
On s lopes, 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. .,.

A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
Gj) Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
Driving Safely 135
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured. For recommended tire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
~page 244.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly<>
page 134, Loading the luggage com
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
.
•
•

152 Airbag system
~ fig. 158. The general location of the airbags
is marked "AIRBAG".
There is a lot you need to know about the air bags in your vehicle. We urge you to read the
detailed information about airbags, safety
belts and child safety in this and the other
chapters that make up the owner's literature.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in
fants and small children.
A WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide
only supplemental protection .
- Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts.
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts
and make sure that everybody in your ve
hicle is properly restrained .
- Always hold the steering wheel with both
hands on the outside of the steering
wheel rim at the 9:00 o'clock and 3 :00
o'clock positions to help reduce the risk
of personal injury if the driver's airbag in
flates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands any
where inside the steering wheel or on the
steering wheel hub. Holding the steering
wheel the wrong way increases the risk
of severe injury to the arms, hands, and
head if the driver airbag deploys.
A WARNING
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the risk of injury in a crash by in
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
and/or by being pushed into you as the air
bag inflates.
-Always make sure nothing is in the front
airbag deployment zone that could be
struck by the airbag when it inflates.
- Objects in the zone of a deploying airbag
can become projectiles when the airbag deploys and cause serious personal
in
jury.
- Never hold things in your hands or on
your lap when the vehicle is in use.
- Never place accessories or other objects
(such as cup holders, telephone brackets,
note pads, navigation systems, or things
that are large, heavy, or bulky) on the
doors; never attach then to the doors or
the windshield; never place them over or near or attach them to the area marked
,,A IRBAG" on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel or the seat backrests; never
place them between these areas and you
or any other person in the vehicle.
- Never attach objects to the windshield
above the passenger front airbag, such
as accessory GPS navigation units or mu
sic players. Such objects could cause seri
ous injury in a collision, especially when
the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger seat to
transport objects. Items can also move
into the deployment area of the side air
bags or the front airbag during breaking
or in a sudden maneuver. Objects near
the airbags can fly dangerously through
the passenger compartment and cause
injury, particularly when the seat is re
clined and the airbags inflate.
A person on the front passenger seat, es
pecially infants and small children, will re
ceive serious injuries and can even be kil
led by being too close to the airbag when
it inflates.
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the
front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarantee
that deployment under these special
conditions is impossible in all conceiva
ble situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
~