56 Seats and storage
Armrest
Th ere is a storage compartment under the
armrest.
F ig. SO Cockp it : center arm rest
Adjusting th e armrest
• To ad just the angle, raise the armrest from
the start ing pos ition detent by detent.
• To bring the armrest back into its original
position, lift it above the top position and
then fold it back down .
Opening th e storage compartment
• Press the button -arrow-upward.
Please note that the driver's arm movements
may be restr icted w ith the armrest fo lded
down. Fo r th is reason, the armrest should not
be folded down when driving in city traffic.
Head restraints
Front head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adjustable head restrain ts
Head restraints that are adjusted according
to body size, along with the seat belt, offer
effective protection.
F ig . 51 Fr ont seat: Adjusting t he head res tra int
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 position
as possible. Move the head restraint so th at it
is as close to the back of the head as possib le .
• To move the head restraint up or forward,
slide it until it locks into place.
• To move the head restraint down or back,
press the side button -arrow -
c::> fig. 51 and
slide the head restraint unt il it loc ks into
p lace.
Refer to
c::> page 132, Proper adjustment of
head restraints
fo r guidelines on how to ad
just the height of the front head restraints to
su it the occupant's body size.
_& WARNING
- Dr iving w ithou t hea d rest rain ts or with
hea d restra ints tha t ar e no t properly ad
justed increases t he risk of ser ious or fa
tal neck injury dramatica lly.
- Read and heed all WARN INGS
c::> page 132, Proper adjustment of head
restraints.
(D Tips
Cor rec tly adjusted hea d restr aints and
s a fety be lt s are an extreme ly effe ctive
com bination of safety features.
-
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Rear head restraints
/
Fig. 52 Rear seats : Head restra int
Fig. 53 Rear head restra ints: re lease
If there is a passenger in the rear center seat
ing position*, slide the center head restraint*
upward at least to the next notch
Q ,&..
Adjusting the head restraints
.. To move the head restraint up, hold it at the
sides with both hands and slide it upward
until you feel it lock into place
Q .&. in Prop
er adjustment of head restraints on
page 132.
.. To move the head restraint down, press the
button -arrow-
Q fig. 52 and sl ide the head
restraint downward .
Removing the head restraints
.. Fold the backrest forward Q page 65 .
.. Move the head restraint upward as far as it
can go .
.,. Press the release
Q fig. 53 with the mechan
ical key
9 page 32 and the button -arrow-
9 fig. 52. Pull the head restraint out of the
backrest at the same time
9 ,&..
Seats and storage 57
Installing the head restraints
.. Slide the posts on the head restraint down
into the guides until you feel the posts lock
into place .
.. Press the button -arrow-
Q fig. 52 and slide
the head restraint all the way down. You
should not be able to pull the head restraint
out of the backrest.
So that the driver can have a better view to
the rear, the head restraints should be pushed down completely when the rear seats are not
occupied.
A WARNING
- Only remove the rear seat head restraints
when necessary in order to install a child
seat. Install the head restra int again im
mediately once the child seat is removed.
Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad
justed increases the risk of serious or fa
tal neck injury dramat ica lly.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 132.
Seat memory
Description
Applies to veh icles: w ith memory f unction
The memory function allows you to quickly
and easily store and recall personal seating profiles for the driver and front passenger*.
T he memory function is operated through the
master key and the memory buttons in the
driver's/front passenger's* doors.
The driver's seating profile is stored and as
s ig ned to the master key each time the vehicle
is locked. When you open the door, the seat
ing profile is automatically recalled. If two
people use one vehicle, it is recommended
that each person always uses "their own"
master key .
Two seating profiles can be stored in each of
the driver's/front passenger's* doors. Once
stored, these seat ing profiles can be recalled
at any time.
IIJ,,
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Removing the cover in the rear lid
• Remove the knobs CD c::> fig. 65 from the ball
mounts.
• Pull the cover @out of the retainers@ in
the direct ion of the arrow .
Installing the cover in the rear lid
• Slide the cover upward into the retainers @.
• Press the knobs
CD onto the ball mounts.
Removing the cover behind th e rear bench
seat
• Pull the cover ¢ fig. 66 back.
• Pull the cover upward to release.
Installing the cover behind the rear bench
seat
• Insert the left and right sides of the cover
into the mounts on the side trim .
• Slide the cover forward until it locks into
place .
A WARNING
-To prevent accidents, never install the
luggage compartment cover unsecured.
- The luggage compartment cover is not a
surface for storing objects. Objects
placed on the cover could endanger all
vehicle occupants during sudden braking
maneuvers or in a crash.
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
aga inst the rear window could damage the
heating wires for the rear window defog
ger.
Seats and storage 65
Enlarging cargo capacity of the vehicle
, interior
The seat backs can be folded forward to en
large the cargo capacity.
Fig. 67 Release handle on th e seatback
Folding the seatback forward
• When you pull the release lever @<=:> fig. 67
in the direction of the arrow, the safety knob
® pops out far enough for the red marking
on knob to be visib le.
.,. Fold the seatback forward.
Raising the seatback
.,. Raise the seatback until it is secure ly latch
ed¢ &,.. When you can no longer see the
red mark on the safety knob@, the seat is
latched.
_& WARNING
-
- The backrest must always be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen
ter seating position can work properly to he lp protect the occupant.
- The backrest must be securely latched in
position so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can s lide for
ward upon sudden braking.
- Always check whether the latch is fully
engaged by pulling the seatback for
ward .
- N ever a llow safety belts to become dam
aged by being caught in door or seat
hardware .
- Torn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged be lt hardware can break in a
crash. Inspect the belts periodical ly.
66 Seats and st o rage
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind
ings, buckles, or retractors must be re
placed.
(D Note
- If you move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is fo lded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the
rear seat.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
belt all the way up before folding the
backrest back forward. Make sure the
seat belt is not p inched or damaged
when the rear seat backrest if folded
back. Other objects shou ld be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatbac k from d amage.
Tie -downs and cargo net
The cargo net" prevents small objects from
sliding.
Fig . 68 Locat ion of the tie-downs in the luggage com
partment
Fig. 69 Luggage compartme nt: ca rgo net*
... To secure objects with the luggage compa rt
ment net*, fold the tie-down bracket up
ward
c:::> fig. 68.
... Insert the hooks on the luggage compart
ment net* into the tie-downs
c:::> fig . 69.
... Read and heed all WARNINGS
c:::> page 134,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle wi ll turn into heavy missi les that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki
netic energy which varies with the veh icle and
the weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the
most sign ificant factor .
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acti ng on a
10-lb (5 kg) object are about
20 times the
normal we ight of the item . This means that
the weight of the item would sudden ly be the
equivalent of abo ut 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenge r
compartment ca n cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low.
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 retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to help pre
vent items from shift ing or fly ing for
ward.
- Never attach a chi ld seat tether strap to
a tie-down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mou nt
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob
jects weigh ing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heavi
er objects will not be adequ ately sec ured
- there is a risk of injury.
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Bag hooks
Light objects can be secured on the hooks.
Fig. 70 Luggage compartme nt: bag hooks
You can also use the hooks to hang light purs
es,bags, etc.
A WARNING
The hooks can hold a maximum weight of
3 kg. Heavier objects are not adequately
secured. There is risk of personal injury .
Luggage compartment covering
(reversible mat )
Applies to vehicles: with luggage compartment carpeting
The reversible luggage compartment covering
should be used when transporting dirty or
wet objects.
Fig. 71 Luggage compartment carpeting with seatback
folded dow n: sp read out over the bumper
The lugg age compartment carpeting can be
used w ith the dirt resistant s ide or the decora
tive side, depending on what is needed .
@ Tips
The protective mat should be folded up
only when dry.
Seats and storage 67
Pass-through with ski
sack
Preparing the pass-through
Applies to vehicles: wi th ski sack
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack*.
Fig. 72 Rear bench seat: opening the pass -through
Opening the trunk pass-through
.. Fold the center armrest in the rear forward
and out .
.. Pull the release handle
c::> fig. 72 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.
.,. Secure the ski sack
c::> page 68 .
Closing the trunk pass-through
.,. Open the rear lid .
.,. Remove the ski sack from the trunk pass
through .
.. Push the pass-through cover up inside the
veh icle until it latches .
.,. Raise the center armrest in the vehicle
again.
.. Close the rear lid.
A WARNING ~
Objects must only be transported in the ski
sack since the ski sack can be secured. In
dividual objects cannot be secured. There is a risk of injury .
130 Driving Safely
• Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
9 page 141.
• 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 54.
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 173. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat <=>
page 147.
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 132 . 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 141.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger's seat, see
<=> page 53. ...
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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 173. Special precautions apply
Driving Safely 131
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
c> page 147.
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear sea t passengers mus t sit uprigh t wi th
both fee t on the floor consisten t wi th 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
c> page 132 .
... Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
... Fasten and wear safety belts properly
c> page 141 .
... Make sure that children a re always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro
priate for their size and age
c> page 173.
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 160.
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 15 7
flates -even w it h an Advanced A irbag
¢page 147.
More important things to know about
front airbags
Fi g. 16 3 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 .,_