Seats and storage
@ Tips
-You can open the pass-through from the
luggage compartment. Push the release
button down and push the cover forward.
- You can lock or unlock the pass-through us
ing the mechanical key. This prevents any
access to the luggage compartment from
the vehicle interior.
Securing the ski sack
App lies to veh icles: w ith s ki sac k
The ski sack must be secured in the luggage com
partment.
Fig. 72 Luggage compartmen t: Securing t he s ki sack
Fig. 73 Rear bench seat: securing the sk i sack
There are two straps with hooks on the bottom
side of the ski sack
~ fig. 72 @ . There is also a
securing strap@~
fig. 73 on the sack.
.. To secure the ski sack in the luggage compart
ment, hang the hooks in the rear tie-downs
~fig. 72.
.. Tighten the strap on the ski sack to prevent the
objects in the sack from sliding
~ fig. 73.
66
A WARNING
-The ski sack is intended only for the trans
portation of skis and other light objects. To
reduce the risk of serious personal injury,
never transport heavy or pointed objects in
the ski sack.
- When braking rapidly or during an accident,
the load could be displaced and cause injury to occupants.
- Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection. Always fasten the belt tightly
around the sack and its contents~
fig. 73.
-For safety reasons, do not transport more
than two pairs of skis in the ski sack.
- You must secure the ski sack with the strap
after loading.
- Make sure that all objects you are transport
ing in the pass-through are secured. Other
wise they could slide around during sudden
braking maneuvers and cause injuries.
(D Tips
- Never stow the ski sack away when it is still
wet or damp (for example, snow melting
from skis). Allow it to dry completely before
stowing it away.
- When transporting skis or snowboards,
tighten the securing strap between the
bindings.
- Position skis in the ski sack with the pointed
ends facing the front and ski poles with the
pointed ends facing the rear.
- You can lock or unlock the pass-through us
ing the mechanical key. This prevents any
access to the luggage compartment from
the vehicle interior.
Parcel shelf
The parcel shelf behind the rear seatback can be
used to carry light items of clothing.
A WARNING
No heavy or hard objects should be placed on
the parcel shelf. They are a hazard to the vehi
cle occupants during sudden braking. The is a risk of injury.
M N
i? co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
~ Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted (you will feel a slight movement) .
~ Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac
celerate.
Stopp ing tempo raril y
~ Keep the vehicle stationary using the b raking
pedal, for examp le at traffic lights.
~ Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
this .
~ To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving , se t the parking brake when stop
ping on steep inclines¢&,. .
~ The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopp ing /p ar kin g
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver 's door, the veh icle could roll.
The message
Tr ansmi ssion : Car m ay roll ! Shift
t o park!
appears .
~ Press and hold the brake pedal until the vehicle
has come to a complete stop .
~ Apply the parking brake¢ page 78, Parking.
~ Select the P selector lever pos ition ¢ .&_.
Stopp ing on an incline
~ Always press the brake pedal to hold the vehi
cle in place and prevent it from "rolling back"
¢ &,. . Do
not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in
creasing the engine speed ¢0 .
Startin g on an incline
~ Activate the parking br ake.
~ With the driving gear selected, press the accel
erator pedal carefully . The parking brake will re
lease automat ically if you r seat belt is fastened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driv ing in
the mountains, it may be useful to switch tempo
rarily to the manual shift program in orde r to ad
just the gears to the d riving conditions by hand
¢ page 86.
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P posit ion.
Aut omatic transm issio n
This prevents too much stress from being placed
on the locking mechanism .
A WARNING ,-
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine is
stopped.
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause se
rio us injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear . If you must leave your
veh icle when the engine is running, activate
the park ing brake and move the selector lev
er to P .
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is runn ing at idle . To pre
vent the vehicle from "creep ing", you must
keep your foot on the brake when the eng ine
is running and the se lector lever is in D/S or
R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the eng ine is
r u nning .
- Never sh ift into R or P while driving ,
- Before driving down a steep s lope, reduce
your speed and sh ift into a lower gear with
" t ipt ronic ".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake pedal too ofte n or too long whe n driving
down a hi ll. Constant brak ing causes the
b rakes to overhea t and substantially re
duces braking performance, increases brak ing distance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from ro lling back
when stopping on inclines, always ho ld it in
p lace with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An ind icator lamp@] illuminates
and a driver message appears¢
page 87
when the clutch is overloaded .
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any dr iving posit ion engaged when
checking under the hood . Make sure these
lecto r lever has secu rely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
85
Automatic transmission
¢ page 191. Otherwise, any increase in en
gine speed may set the veh icle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac
ce lerator pedal while a driving gear is se
lected. This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it . Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
i s stopped and the selector lever is in
N w ill
damage the transm ission because it is not
lubr icated under those circumstances.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the park ing brake is re
leased automatically only when the dr iver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith 5 tro nic/t iptronic
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines.
Hill descent control is activated when the selec
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatica lly selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
tim e of braking, within physical and technical
limitations. It may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the acce lerator pedal.
On veh icles w ith the cruise control system*
¢ page 80, hill descent control is also act ivated
when the speed is set.
& WARNING
Hi ll descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be ab le to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
86
Manual sh ift program
App lies to vehicles: wit h S tron ic/tip tro nic
Using the manual shift program you can man
ually select gears.
'
Fig. 89 Center console: shifting the gears manually
Fig. 90 Steering wheel: sh ift padd les•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either w ith
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
11> Push the se lector lever to the right from D/S.
An M appears in the instrument cluster display
as soon as the transmission has shifted .
"T o upshift, push the se lector lever forwa rd to
the plus position
G) ¢ fig. 89.
" To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 .
Gear selection with shift paddles*
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
l ever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual sh ift pro
gram .
" To upshift, touch the shift padd le on the r ight
G) ¢fig. 90.
"To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0 .
11o Ifyou do not press a shift p addle within a short
time while in the 0/5 position, the transmission .,.
Driving safety
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safe ty 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 summar ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al
ways 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 fea
tures 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 in
terest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Litera
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
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 ques
tions .
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re
straint system and work together to help reduce
the risk of injury in a wide variety of occident sit
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech
nology have made a variety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
112
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
-sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas-
senger 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 restraints,
- adjustable steering column.
T hese 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 correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care
ful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen
gers,
before driving always:
.,. Make sure that all lights and signals are operat
ing correctly .
.,. Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
.,. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outside .
.,. Secure all luggage and other items carefully
Q page 60.
.,. 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 cor
rectly to protect ch ildren
c> page 151 , Child
safety .
.,. Sit properly in your seat and make sure that
your passengers do the same
Q page 54, Seats
and storage.
M N
0 loo
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly. Al
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe
ty belts properly
¢ page 121.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle, the driver as well as the driver's abili
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis
tracted .
The driver is responsible for the safety of the ve
hicle and all of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impaired, safety risks for everybody in the
veh icle increase and you also become a hazard to
everyone else on the road ¢.&, .Therefore:
.. Do not let yourself be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular te lephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driv ing 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 you r speed to road, traff ic and
weather cond itions .
.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch .
.. Do NOT drive when you are tired , under pres
sure or when you are stressed.
A WARNING
Impaired driving safety increases the risk of
ser ious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Driving safety
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver seating position is important
for safe, relaxed driving.
Fig. 119 Correct se ating position
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver's seat to the following pos ition:
.. Adjust the driver's seat so that you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor while
keeping your knee(s) slightly bent¢.&, .
.,. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
fu ll contact wi th it when you dr ive.
.. Adjust the steer ing wheel so that there is a dis
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
steering whee l and your breast bone
¢fig. 119 .
If not possible, see your authorized A udi dealer
about adaptive equipment.
.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wheel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face .
.,. Grasp the top of the steer ing wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
.. App lies to veh icles w ith adjustable head re
s tra ints: Adjust the head restraint so the upper
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 posi
tion as possible.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢page 124.
.,. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in control of the vehicle at all times.
113
Driving safety
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 55.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in
jured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help re duce 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 breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the out
side of the steering wheel rim with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in
jury 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 . Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli
sion.
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
and head restraints properly and make sure
that all passengers are properly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is
moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
¢page 151. Special precautions ap
ply when installing a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat¢
page 129 .
114
-
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 in
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
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 in
ches (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 upper
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 posi
tion as possible .
.,. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passenger seat.
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 124.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see ¢
page 54.
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 airbag as it
unfolds . To help reduce the risk of serious per
sonal injury :
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po sition and never lean against or place any
pa rt of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
great force in the blink of an eye .
-Always make sure that there are at least 10
inches (25 cm) between the front passen
ger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
M N
i? co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N 1.1'1 ,....,
-Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat.
- Before driving, a lways ad just the front pas
senger seat and head restraint properly.
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be able to protect you properly and can even in
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest recl ined or
t ilted far back! The farther the backrests are
t il ted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect pos ition ing of the safety belt
and improper seating posit ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats¢
page 151. Spe cial preca utions ap
ply when installing a ch ild safety sea t on the
front passenger seat¢
page 129.
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the ve hicle is in use.
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, yo ur passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow
in g:
~ Make sure that the seatback is securely latched
in the upright pos ition ¢
page 64.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat.
~ Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢ page 124.
~ Make su re that c hildren are always proper ly re
stra ined in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate
for their size and age¢
page 151 .
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously in jured in a crash .
Drivin g s afet y
-Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and proper ly fasten and wear the
safety belt be long ing to that seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protection
when the seatback is secure ly latched in the
upright pos ition and the safety belts are
properly pos itioned on the body . By not sit
ting upright, a rear seat passenger increases
the risk of personal injury from improperly
positioned safety belts!
- Always adjust the head restraint p roperly so
that it can give maximum p rotection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Applies to veh icles: w it h adjustable head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
accident situations.
F ig . 1 20 Head restra int: v iewed from t he front
The head restra ints must be cor rectly adjusted to
achieve the best protect ion.
~ Adj ust the head restraints so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of your head. If
that is not possible, t ry to ad just the head re
straint so that it is as close to this position as
possible ¢
fig. 120.
Adjusting head restraints ¢page 57.
A WARNING
--
All seats are equ ipped with head restraints.
Driving w ithout head restraints or with head
restra ints that a re not properly adjusted in
creases the risk of serious or fatal neck in ju ry
d ramatically. To help reduce the r isk of injury: ..,.
115
Driving safety
-Always drive with the head restraints in
place and properly adjusted.
- Every person in the vehicle must have a
properly adjusted head restraint.
- Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restraints so the upper 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 possib le .
- Never attempt to adjust head restraint wh ile driving .
If you have driven off and
must adjust the driver headrest for any rea
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at
tempting to adjust the head restraint.
- Children must always be properly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size ~
page 151 .
Examples of improper seat ing positions
The occupant restraint system can only reduce
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants are properly
seated.
Improper seating positions can cause serious in
jury or death . Safety be lts can only work when
they are properly positioned on the body. Im
proper seat ing pos itions reduce the effectiveness
of safety belts and wi ll even increase the risk of
injury and death by moving the safety belt to crit
ical areas of the body. Improper seating positions
also increase the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not in the proper seating position. A driver
is responsible for the safety of all vehicle occu
pants and especially for children . Therefore:
~ Never allow anyone to assume an incorrect
seating position when the vehicle is being used
~ .&. -
The following bulletins list only some sample po
si tions that will increase the risk of serious injury
and death . Our hope is that these examples will
make you more aware of seating positions that
are dangerous.
116
Therefore, whenever the vehicle is moving:
-never stand up in the vehicle
- never stand on the seats
- never kneel on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument panel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- never put your feet on the instrument panel
- never rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- never ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the risk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants stay in a proper seating position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used .
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
' Important safety instructions
Applies to vehicles : wit h knee airbags
A WARNING
Always make sure that the knee airbag can in
flate without interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat .
If the airbag deploys, this can result in
serious or fatal injuries.
- No objects of any kind should be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping bags, for example) can hamper or prevent