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 . 66 Re lease hand le on the seatback
Folding th e seatback forward
.. When you p ull the release lever @c:::> fig. 66
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 32 next to the re
lease handle ©
c:::>fig. 66. Th is 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 back forward. Make sure the
sea t 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.
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Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig. 67 Location of th e tie -downs in the luggage com
partment
Fig. 68 Lugg age compartment: cargo net•
.. To secure objects with the luggage com part·
ment net*, fold the tie-dow n bracket up
ward
cc> fig. 67.
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compart
ment net* into the tie-downs ¢
fig. 68 .
.. Read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ page 132,
Stowing luggage.
In a collis ion, the laws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the veh icle pick up ki
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor.
F or example, in a frontal coll is ion at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10- lb (5 kg) object are about
20 times the
normal weight of th e item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easi ly imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger
Seats and storage 65
compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-down s can fail dur
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre
vent items from shifting or flying for
ward.
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a t ie-down .
- For strength-related reasons, the mount
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heavi
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a risk of injury.
Pass-through with ski
sack
Pass-through with ski sack
App lies to vehicles : wi th ski sack
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack* .
Fig. 69 Rear bench seat: opening the pass -through
Fig. 70 Sk i sack: secu ring with rea r seat safety belt
66 Seats and storage
Opening the trunk pass-through
.. Fold the center armrest in the rear forward
and out .
.. Pull the release handle ¢
fig. 69 and fold
down the cover of the pass -through in the
vehicle interior .
.. Open the rear lid .
.. Push the ski sack* through the opening from
the luggage compartment .
Securing the ski sack*
.. Insert the ski sack strap @¢ fig. 70 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
t ransportation of skis and other light ob
jects . To reduce the risk of serious per
sonal inj ury never t ransport heavy o r
pointed objects in the ski sack .
- When brak ing rapidly or during an acci
dent 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. 70.
(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 com
pletely before stowing it away.
- Position skis in the ski sack with the
pointed ends facing the front and ski
poles with the pointed ends facing the
rear.
128 Driving Safely
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
9 page 139.
• Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
t imes.
Fo r detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
<=>page 53.
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 adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the knees and
the lower part of the instrument panel.
- 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 in
flates.
- 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 properly and make sure that all
passengers are properly restrained. -
For adjustable head restraints: before
driving, always also adjust the head re
straints properly.
- 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 seats
<=> page 171. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat <=>
page 145.
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:
• Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact w ith it whenever the vehicle is
moving.
• For ad justab le head restra 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 re
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible <=>
page 130. Move the head re
straint so that it is as close to the back of
the head as possible.
• Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat.
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
<=> page 139.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
<=> page 52. ...
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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:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it un
folds with great force in the blink of an
eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger's breastbone and the instru
ment panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front pas
senger's knees and the lower part of the
instrument panel.
- 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, always adjust the front
passenger seat properly .
- For adjustable head restraints : before
driving, always also adjust the head re
straints properly .
- Always keep your feet on the floor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win
dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt will not be able to protect you prop
erly and can even increase the risk of in
jury in a crash.
- 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 seats
¢ page 171. Special precautions apply
Driving Safely 129
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat¢
page 145.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright wi th
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor
rect seating position in the event of a sudden
braking maneuver or an accident, your pas
sengers on the rear bench seat must always
observe the following:
... For adjustable head restraints: 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 re
straint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢page 130 .
... Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
... Fasten and wear safety belts properly
¢page 139.
... Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate for their size and age
¢ page 171.
A WARNING
Passengers who are improperly seated on
the rear seat can be seriously injured in a
crash.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec
tion when the safety belts are properly
positioned on the body and securely
latched. By not sitting upright, a rear
seat passenger increases the risk of per
sonal injury from improperly positioned
safety belts!
- For adjustable head restraints: always adjust the head restraint properly so that
it can give maximum protection.
•
•
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How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of
fered by the front three -point safety be lts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restra ints* to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of acc ident and
crash situat ions. Be sure to read the impor
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS i n this chap ter.
Dep loyment of the Advanced Airbag System
and the activat ion of the safety be lt pre ten
sioners depend on the dece lerat ion meas ured
by the c rash senso rs and registered by the
e lectronic control u nit. Cr ash severity depends
on speed and dece leration as well as the mass
and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved
in the crash.
On the passenge r side, reg ard less of safety
be lt use, the fron t passenger fronta l airbag
will be t urned off i f the electrical capacitance
measured by the capac itive passenger detec
tion system on the front passenger seat is less
than the amount programmed in the e lectron
ic control unit. The front passenger frontal air
bag will also be turned off if the capac itance
measured by the system for the front passen
ge r seat equa ls that of an infant of about one
year of age in one of the child seats that was
used to cert ify the Advanced Airbag Sys tem
u nder Fede ral Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 . The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on to tell you when t he
front Advanced Airbag System on the passen
ger s ide has been turned off¢
page 158.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag
inf lates, a lways wear safety belts properly.
- If you are unrestrained, lean ing forward,
sitting sideways or out of position in any
way, yo ur r isk of inj ury is much hig he r.
- You w ill also receive serious injuries and
cou ld eve n be killed if you are up against
the a irbag or too close to it when it in-
A irba g sy stem 155
flates -even w it h an Advanced A irbag
¢page 145.
More important things to know about
front airbags
Fi g. 1 59 In flated front airbags
Safety be lts are important to he lp keep front
seat occupants in the proper seated position
so that airbags can unfold properly and pro
vide supplementa l protect ion in a frontal col
li s ion.
The front airbags are des igned to provide ad
ditional protection for the chest and face of
the driver and the front seat passenger when:
- safety belts are worn proper ly,
- t he seats have been positioned so that the
occupant is properly seated as far as poss i
ble from the airbag,
- and for ad justab le head restra ints: the head
restraints have been properly adj usted .
Bec ause airbags infl ate in the bli nk of an eye
wi th great force, th ings you have on your lap
o r have p laced on the seat co uld become dan
gerous projectiles, and be p ushed into you if
the a irbag inf lates.
When an airbag deploys, fine dust is re le ased.
This is norma l and is not caused by a fi re in
the ve hicle . This dust is made up mostly of a
powder used to lubricate the airbags as they
deploy. It could irr itate skin.
It is important to remembe r that wh ile the
supplementa l airbag system is designed to re
duce the like lihood of serious injur ies, other
i njur ies, for example swelling, bruis ing and
minor abrasions, can also happen when air-
bags inflate. A irbags do not protect the arms .,_
156 Airbag sys te m
or the lower parts of the body. Front airbags
supp lement the three-point safety belts only
in some frontal collisions in which the vehicle
dece leration is high enough to deploy the air
bags.
F ront airbag s will not d eplo y:
-if the ignition is switched off when a crash
occurs,
- in side collisions,
- in rear-end collisions,
- in ro llovers,
- when the crash deceleration measured by
the a irbag system is less than the minimum
t h reshold needed for airbag deployment as
registered by the electron ic control uni t.
The f ront pas senger airbag also will not
deploy:
- when the front passenger seat is not occu
pied,
- when the electrical capac itance measured by
the capacitive passenger detect io n sys tem
for the front passenger seat indicates that
the passenger side fronta l airbag must be
switched off by the e lectronic control unit
(the
PA SSENGER AIR BA G OFF light
c> page 158 and how they work comes on
and stays on).
A WARNING
Sitting in the wrong position can increase
the risk of serious injury in crashes.
- To reduce the r isk of injury when the air
bags inflate, the driver and passengers
must always sit in an upright position,
must not lean against or place any part
of the ir body too close to the area where
the a irbags are located.
- Occupants who a re unbelted, out of posi
t ion or too close to the airbag can be se
riously injured by an airbag as it un folds
with great force in the blin k of an eye
i=>page
147.
A WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child seat in
stalled on the front passenger seat will be
-
seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates -even w ith an Ad
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will h it the ch ild seat
or infant carrier with great force and will
smash the child seat and child against
the backrest, center armrest, door or
roof.
- Always install rear-fac ing ch ild seats on
the rear seat .
- If you must install a rearward fac ing
child seat on the front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances
and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immed i
ately insta ll the rear-facing child seat in a
rea r seat ing pos ition and have the airbag
system inspected by yo ur Audi dealer.
A WARNING
c'-----
Objects between you and the airbag will
increase the r isk of injury in a crash by in
terfering with the way the airbag unfolds
or by be ing p ushed into you as the airbag
inflates.
- Never hold things in yo ur hands or on
your lap when the veh icle is in use.
-
- Never transport items on or in the area
of the front passenger seat. Objects
could move into the area of the front air bags during braking or other sudden ma
neuvers and become dangero us projec
tiles that can cause ser ious perso nal in
jury if the a irbags inflate.
- Never p lace or attach accesso ries o r oth
er objects (such as cup holders, te le
p hone bra ckets, large, heavy or bulky ob
jects) on the doors, over o r near the area
marked "AIRBAG" on the steering whee l,
instr ument panel, seat bac krests o r be
tween those areas and yourself. These
objects could ca use in jury in a crash, es
pecially when the airbags inflate.
- Never recline the front passenger 's seat
to transport objects. Items can a lso
move into the a rea of the s ide airbag or
the front airbag during braking or in a