Page 128 of 252
2.38
Operation
With the selection lever 1 in position P, 
switch on the ignition.
To move out of position P, you must de-
press the brake pedal before pressing 
the unlocking button  2.
With your foot on the brake pedal 
(warning light  3 on the display goes 
out), move the lever out of position  P.
Only engage  D  or  R when the vehi-
cle is stopped, with your foot on the 
brake and the accelerator pedal re-
leased.
Selector lever 1
P: park
R: reverse
N: Neutral
D: automatic mode
M: manual mode
+: upper gear
–: lower gear
4:   displays the gear engaged in manual 
mode.
Note: Press the button 2 to go from po-
sition D or N to R or P.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (1/3)
1
4
32
Gear change paddles 5
The paddles 5  enable you to change 
gear while the gear lever is in ‘manual 
mode’ position or, if driving, in ‘auto-
matic mode’ position.
P,  N and R are not accessible using the 
paddles.
The display  4 notifies the driver about 
the current mode and gear.
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        Page 129 of 252

2.39
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (2/3)
Driving in manual modeWith the selector lever in position D, 
move the lever to the left into the M po-
sition. Shifting the lever or the paddles 
repeatedly allows you to change gears 
manually:
–  to move down through the gears,  push the lever forwards or press the 
left-hand paddle;
–  to move up through the gears, push  the lever backwards or press the 
right-hand paddle.
The gear selected is displayed on the 
instrument panel.
Special casesIn certain driving conditions (for exam-
ple, engine protection, operation of the 
Electronic Stability Programme: the au-
tomatic system may change gear auto-
matically. Likewise, to prevent incorrect 
manoeuvres, a gear change may be re-
fused by the automatic system: in this 
case the gear display flashes for a few 
seconds as a warning.
Special circumstances
–  If the bends and road surface  do 
not allow you to stay in automatic 
mode (e.g. in the mountains), we 
recommend that you change to 
manual mode. This will prevent the 
automatic gearbox from changing 
gear repeatedly when climbing, and 
permit engine braking on long de-
scents.
Driving in automatic mode
Put lever 1 into position  D.
In most road conditions you will en-
counter, you will not need to touch your 
lever again: the gears will change au-
tomatically at the right time and at the 
most suitable engine speed because 
the automatic system takes into ac-
count the vehicle load and road contour 
and adjusts itself to the particular driv-
ing style you have chosen.
Economical driving
When driving, always leave the lever 
in position  D, keeping the accelerator 
pedal lightly depressed to ensure auto-
matic gear changes at a lower engine 
speed.
Accelerating and overtaking
Depress the accelerator pedal firmly 
and fully (so that it goes beyond the 
kickdown point).
This will enable you to change down 
to the optimum gear within the 
engine range.
When facing uphill, to remain 
stopped, do not keep your foot on 
the accelerator.
Risk of overheating the automatic 
gearbox. 
     
        
        Page 130 of 252

2.40
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (3/3)
Parking the vehicle
When the vehicle is stopped, move the 
lever to position  P while keeping your 
foot on the brake pedal: the gearbox is 
in neutral and the drive wheels are me-
chanically locked by the driveshaft.
Apply the handbrake.
When setting off, if the lever is locked 
in position  P even though you are press-
ing the brake pedal, the lever can be re-
leased manually. To do this, release the 
base of the lever, then use a tool (rigid 
rod) in the slot 6  and simultaneously 
press button 7 to unlock the lever.
Contact an authorised dealer as soon 
as possible.Operating faults
–  when driving , if the “CHECK AUTO 
GEARBOX ” message appears on 
the instrument panel, it indicates a 
fault.
Contact your approved Dealer as 
soon as possible;
–  when driving,  if the message 
“Gearbox overheating” appears on 
the instrument panel, stop as soon 
as possible to let the gearbox cool 
down and wait for the message to 
disappear;
–  If a vehicle with an automatic 
gearbox breaks down, refer to the 
information on “Towing” in Section 5.
For safety reasons, do not 
switch off the ignition before 
the vehicle has come to a 
complete standstill.
An impact to the under-
side of the vehicle while 
manoeuvring (e.g.: strik-
ing a post, raised kerb or 
other street furniture) may result in 
damage to the vehicle (e.g.: defor-
mation of an axle).
To avoid any risk of accident, have 
your vehicle checked by an ap-
proved Dealer.
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