Driving
damage the automatic gearbox. Apply the
h
andbr
ake firmly or press the brake pedal in
order to prevent the vehicle from rolling back.
● If you allow the car to roll with the selector
lev
er in position N with the engine switched
off, the automatic gearbox will be damaged
as it will not be lubricated.
● In certain driving situations or traffic condi-
tions, s
uch as frequently starting, prolonged
“creeping” of the vehicle or traffic jams with
continuous stoppages, the gearbox could
overheat causing damage! If the warning
lamp lights up, stop the vehicle as soon as
possible and wait for the gearbox to cool
››› page 183. Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac-
c
el
eration to be reached.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed right
down past the point of resistance at full throt-
tle, the gearbox will shift down to a lower
gear, depending on road speed and engine
speed. The upshift to the next higher gear is
delayed until the engine reaches maximum
rpm. WARNING
Please note that if the road surface is slip-
per y
or wet, the kick-down feature could
cause the driving wheels to spin, which could
result in skidding. Launch control programme
3
Valid for vehicles: with Launch-Control/6-Speed
D
SG with diesel engines superior to 125 kW and pet-
rol engines superior to 140 kW.
The Launch control programme enables maxi-
mum acceleration.
Important: the engine must have reached op-
erating temperature and the steering wheel
must not be turned.
The engine speed for launch-control is differ-
ent on petrol and diesel engines. To use the
launch-control you must disconnect the anti-
slip regulation (ASR) through the Easy Con-
nect system menu ›››
page 108. The warning
lamp will stay switched on or will flash
slowly depending on whether or not the vehi-
cle has a driver information system*.
On vehicles with the driver information sys-
tem, the ESC lamp lights up permanently and
the corresponding text message Stabilitycontrol deactivated
(tempor
ary) ap-
pears on the instrument panel to indicate the
deactivation status.
– When the engine is running, switch off the
traction c
ontrol (ASR) 1)
.
– Turn the selector lever to the position “S”
or tiptronic, or el
se select the sport driv-
ing mode from the SEAT Drive Profile*
››› page 225.
– Press the brake pedal firmly with your left
foot
and hold it down for at least one sec-
ond.
– With your right foot, press the accelerator
down t
o the full throttle or kick-down posi-
tion. The engine speed will stabilise at
about 3,200 rpm (petrol engine) or about
2,000 rpm (diesel engine).
– Take your left foot off the brake pedal. WARNING
● Alw
ays adapt your driving style to the traf-
fic conditions.
● Only use the launch control programme
when ro
ad and traffic conditions permit, and
make sure your manner of driving and accel-
erating the vehicle does not inconvenience or
endanger other road users. »1)
Vehicles without driver information system: the
w arnin
g lamp flashes slowly/Vehicles with driver in-
formation system: the warning lamp stays on. 181
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
●
Mak
e sure that the ESC remains switched
on. Please note that when the ASR and ESC
are deactivated, the wheels may start to spin,
causing the vehicle to lose grip. Risk of acci-
dent!
● After putting the vehicle into gear, the
“spor
t” mode of the ESC should be deactiva-
ted again by briefly pressing the OFF but-
t on. Note
● Af t
er using the Launch control programme,
the temperature in the gearbox may have in-
creased considerably. In this case, the pro-
gramme could be disabled for several mi-
nutes. The programme can be used again af-
ter the cooling phase.
● Accelerating with the Launch control pro-
gramme p
laces a heavy load on all parts of
the vehicle. This can result in increased wear
and tear. Downhill speed control*
The downhill speed control function helps
the driv
er when driv
ing down steep gradi-
ents.
Downhill speed control is activated when the
selector lever is in D/S and the driver applies
the foot brake. The automatic gearbox auto-
matically engages a lower gear that is suita-
ble for the slope. The downhill speed control function attempts to maintain the speed at
which the
vehicle was travelling when the
foot brake was applied (subject to the laws of
physics and technical drive limitations). It
may be necessary to adjust the speed again
using the foot brake in certain situations. Giv-
en that the downhill speed control can only
change down to 3rd gear, on very steep de-
scents the tiptronic mode may be required. In
this case, manually reduce the tiptronic to
2nd or 1st gear to use the engine brake and
reduce the charge on the brakes.
Downhill speed control is deactivated as
soon as the road levels out again or you
press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with cruise control system*
››› page 193, downhill speed control is acti-
vated when you set a cruising speed. WARNING
The downhill speed control cannot defy the
l a
ws of physics. Therefore, speed cannot be
maintained constant in all situations. Always
be prepared to use the brakes! Inertia mode
The inertia mode enables the kinetic energy
of
the
vehicle to be harnessed enabling cer-
tain stretches to be driven without using the
accelerator. This enables fuel to be saved. Use the inertia mode to “let the vehicle roll”
befor
e, for example, arriving in a town.
Switching on inertia mode
Important: selector lever must be in position
D, gradients below 12 %.
– Select, in SEAT Drive Profile*, Eco mode
››
› page 225.
– Take your foot off the accelerator.
The driver me
ssage Inertia will be dis-
played. At speeds higher than 20 km/h (12
mph), the gearbox will automatically disen-
gage and the vehicle will roll freely, without
the effect of the engine brake. While the vehi-
cle rolls, the engine runs at idling speed.
Stopping inertia mode
– Press the brake or the accelerator pedal.
To m
ake use of the braking force and switch
off the engine again, simply press the brake
pedal briefly.
Applying both the inertia mode (= prolonged
section with less energy) and the switching
off using inertia (= shorter section without
the need for fuel) facilitates improved fuel
consumption and emission balance.
182
Driving
Economical and environmentally-
friendly driv
ingFuel consumption, environmental pollution
and w
e
ar to the engine, brakes and tyres de-
pends largely on driving style. Fuel consump-
tion can be reduced by 10-15% with an eco-
nomical driving style and proper anticipation
of traffic conditions. The following section
gives you some tips on lessening the impact
on the environment and reducing your oper-
ating costs at the same time.
Active cylinder management (ACT ®
)*display
Depending on vehicle equipment, the active
cylinder management (ACT ®
) may automati-
cally deactivate some of the engine cylinders
if the driving situation does not require too
much power. When it is switched off, no fuel
is injected into these cylinders, hence total
fuel consumption may be reduced. The num-
ber of active cylinders can be seen on the in-
strument panel display ›››
page 30.
Foresight when driving
Acceleration causes the vehicle to consume
more fuel. If you think ahead when driving,
you will need to brake less and thus acceler-
ate less. Wherever possible, let the car roll
slowly to a stop, with a gear engaged (for in-
stance when you can see that the next traffic
lights are red). This takes advantage of the
engine braking effect, reducing wear on the brakes and tyres. Emissions and fuel con-
s
umption w
ill drop to zero due to the overrun
fuel cut-off.
Changing gear to save energy
An effective way of saving is to change in ad-
vance to a higher gear. Running the engine at
high rpm in the lower gears uses an unneces-
sary amount of fuel.
Manual gearbox : shift up from first to second
gear as soon as possible. In any case, we rec-
ommend that you change to a higher gear
upon reaching 2,000 rpm. Choosing the right
gear enables fuel savings. Select the highest
possible gear appropriate for the driving sit-
uation (the engine should continue function-
ing with cyclical regularity).
Automatic gearbox : accelerate gradually and
without reaching the “kick-down” position.
Avoid driving at high speed
Avoid travelling at top speed, whenever pos-
sible. Fuel consumption, emission of harmful
gases and noise pollution multiply dispropor-
tionately as speed is increased. Driving at
moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Reduce idling time
In vehicles with the Start-Stop system idling
is automatically reduced. In vehicles without
the Start-Stop system it is worth switching off
the engine, for example, at level crossings and at traffic lights that remain red for long
periods
of time. When an engine has reached
operating temperature, and depending on
the cylinder capacity, keeping it switched off
for a minimum of about 5 seconds already
saves more than the amount of fuel necessa-
ry for restarting.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high dur-
ing this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore
best to drive off immediately after starting
the engine. Avoid running the engine at high
speed.
Regular maintenance
Regular servicing helps in saving fuel even
before the engine is started. A well-serviced
engine gives you the benefit of improved fuel
efficiency as well as maximum reliability and
an enhanced resale value. A badly serviced
engine can consume up to 10% more fuel
than necessary.
Avoid short journeys
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their optimal operating temperature in
order to minimise fuel consumption and
emissions.
A cold engine consumes a disproportionate
amount of fuel. The engine reaches its work-
ing temperature after about four kilometres »
185
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Driving
(automatic gearbox: gear S). Maintain the en-
gine s peed at
approximately 2,000 rpm. The
rise in temperature causes the soot on the fil-
ter to burn. On completion of the cleaning
the warning lamp will switch off. If the warn-
ing lamp does not switch off, go immediately
to a specialised workshop to rectify the prob-
lem.
Engine management* This warning lamp monitors the engine man-
ag
ement
system for petrol engines.
The warning lamp (Electronic Power Con-
trol) lights up when the ignition is switched
on while system operation is being verified. It
should go out once the engine is started.
If there is a fault in the electronic engine
management system while you are driving,
this warning lamp will light up. Take the vehi-
cle to a specialised workshop as soon as
possible and have the engine checked.
Emission control system* Control lamp
fla
shes:
When there is misfiring that can damage the
catalytic converter. Reduce speed and drive
carefully to the nearest specialised workshop
to have the engine checked. The control lamp
lights
up:
If a fault has developed during driving which
has reduced the quality of the exhaust gas
(e.g. lambda probe fault). Reduce speed and
drive carefully to the nearest specialised
workshop to have the engine checked.
Engine pre-heating/fault system* The warning lamp lights up to show that the
glo
w p
lugs are preheating the diesel engine.
The control lamp lights up
If the control lamp lights up when the en-
gine is started it means that the glow plugs
are preheating. The engine can be started
straight away when the lamp switches off.
Control lamp flashes
If a fault develops in the engine management
system while you are driving, the glow plug
system lamp will flash . Take the vehicle to
a specialised workshop as soon as possible
and have the engine checked. Driving tips
Driv in
g on flooded roads To prevent damage to the vehicle when driv-
in
g thr
ough water, for example, along a floo-
ded road, please observe the following:
● The water should never come above the
low
er edge of the bodywork.
● Drive at pedestrian speed. WARNING
After driving through water, mud, sludge,
et c
., the braking effect can be delayed slight-
ly due to moisture build-up on the discs and
brake pads. Applying the brakes carefully
several times will remove the moisture and
restore the full braking effect. CAUTION
● Driv in
g through flooded areas may severely
damage vehicle components such as the en-
gine, transmission, running gear or electrical
system.
● Whenever driving through water, the Start-
Stop sy
stem* must be switched off
››› page 188. Note
● Chec k
the depth of the water before enter-
ing the flooded zone. » 187
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
●
Do not s
top in the water, drive in reverse, or
stop the engine in any situation.
● Note that vehicles travelling in the opposite
direction m
ay splash water that could exceed
the maximum permitted water height for your
vehicle.
● Avoid driving through salt water (corro-
sion). Driver assistance systems
St ar
t-Stop System*
Description and operation The Start-Stop system helps save fuel and re-
duc
e C
O2 emissions.
In Start-Stop mode, the engine will automati-
cally switch off when the vehicle stops, when
stopping at traffic lights for example. The ig-
nition remains switched on during the stop-
ping phase. The engine automatically
switches back on when required. In this sit-
uation the light of the START ENGINE STOP but-
t on s
tays on.
As soon as the ignition is switched on, the
Start-Stop function is automatically activa-
ted.
Basic requirements for the Start-Stop mode
● The driver door must be closed.
● The driver must have their seat belt fas-
tened.
● The bonnet
must be closed.
● The engine must have reached a minimum
serv
ice temperature.
● The reverse gear must not be engaged.
● The vehicle must not be on a very steep
slope. WARNING
● Nev er sw
itch the engine off until the vehi-
cle is stationary. The brake servo and power
steering functions will not be completely cov-
ered under warranty. More force may also be
needed to turn the steering wheel or to brake.
As you cannot steer and brake in the normal
manner, there is a greater risk of accidents
and serious injury.
● Never remove the key from the ignition if
the v
ehicle is in motion. Otherwise, the steer-
ing could lock making it impossible to steer
the vehicle.
● To avoid injury, make sure that the Start-
Stop sy
stem is switched off when working in
the engine compartment ››› page 190. CAUTION
The Start-Stop system must always be
sw it
ched off when driving through flooded
areas ››› page 190. Stopping/Starting the engine
Vehicles with a manual gearbox
– When the vehicle is stopped, put it into
neutr al
and release the clutch pedal. The
engine will switch off. The warning lamp
will appear on the instrument panel dis-
play.
188
Driver assistance systems
– When the c lut
ch pedal is pressed the en-
gine will start up again. The warning lamp
will switch off.
Vehicles with an automatic gearbox
– Use the foot brake to bring the vehicle to a
st
op and keep the brake pedal pressed
down with your foot. The engine will switch
off. The warning lamp will appear in the
display.
– When you take your foot off the brake pedal
the engine w
ill start up again. The warning
lamp will switch off.
Additional information related to the auto-
matic gearbox
The engine stops when the selector lever is in
the positions P, D, N and S, in addition to
when in manual mode. With the selector lev-
er in position P, the engine will also remain
switched off when you take your foot off the
brake pedal. In order to start the engine up
again the accelerator must be pressed, or an-
other gear engaged or the brake released.
If the selector lever is placed in position R
during the stopping phase, the engine will
start up again.
Change from position D to P to prevent the
engine from accidentally starting when
changing and passing by position R. Note
● You c
an control whether the engine should
switch off or not by reducing or increasing the
brake force applied. While the vehicle re-
mains stopped, the engine will not stop if the
brake pedal is slightly pressed, in traffic jams
with frequent stopping and starting for exam-
ple. As soon as strong pressure is applied to
the brake pedal, the engine will stop.
● In vehicles with manual gearbox, during
the st
opping phases the brake pedal must re-
main depressed to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
● If the engine “stalls” in vehicles with man-
ual
gearbox, it can be directly started up
again by immediately pressing the clutch
pedal. General notes
The system can interrupt the Start-Stop mode
fr
equently
for different reasons.
The engine does not switch off
Before the stopping phase, the system veri-
fies whether certain conditions are met. The
engine does not switch off, in the following
situations for example:
● The engine has not yet reached the mini-
mum requir
ed temperature for the Start-Stop
mode. ●
The interior t
emperature selected for the air
conditioner has not yet been reached.
● The interior temperature is very high/low.
● Defrost function button activated
››
› page 42.
● The parking aid* is switched on.
● The battery is very low.
● The steering wheel is overly turned or is be-
ing t
urned.
● If there is a danger of misting.
● After engaging reverse gear.
● In case of a very steep gradient.
The indication i
s shown on the instrument
panel display, and in addition, the driver in-
formation system* shows, .
The engine starts by itself
During a stopping phase the normal Start-
Stop mode can be interrupted in the follow-
ing situations: The engine restarts by itself
without involvement from the driver.
● The interior temperature differs from the
value sel
ected on the air conditioner.
● Defrost function button activated
››
› page 42.
● The brake has been pressed several times
con
secutively.
● The battery is too low.
● High power consumption. »
189
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
Note
In vehicles with an automatic gearbox, if the
sel ect
or lever is placed in position D, N or S
after engaging reverse gear, the vehicle must
be driven at a speed faster than 10 km/h (6
mph) for the system to return to conditions in
which the engine can be stopped. Manually switching on/off the Start-
St
op sy
stem Fig. 169
Centre console: Start-Stop system
b utt
on If you do not wish to use the system, you can
sw
it
ch it off manually.
– To manually switch on/off the Start-Stop
sys
tem, press the button . The button
symbo l
remains lit up yellow when the sys-
tem is switched off. Note
The system is automatically switched on each
time the en gine i
s deliberately stopped dur-
ing a stopping phase. The engine will start
automatically. Driver messages on the instrument
p
anel
display Start-Stop system deactivated.
Start the engine manually
Thi s
driver message is displayed when cer-
tain conditions are not met during the stop-
ping phase and the Start-Stop system cannot
restart the engine. The engine must be star-
ted manually.
Start-Stop system: Fault! Func-
tion not available There is a fault in the Start-Stop system. Take
the vehicle to a workshop to have the fault
repaired.
Hill Descent Control (HDC) D e
scription and operation 3
V
alid for vehicles: 4Drive
Hill Descent Control limits the speed on steep
descents by automatically braking all four wheels, both when moving forward and in re-
v
er
se. As the anti-lock brake system remains
active, it prevents the wheels from locking. In
vehicles with manual transmission, the Hill
Descent Control adapts the theoretical speed
without slowing the engine below its idling
speed.
After starting the descent of a slope below
30 km/h (18 mph), speed is limited to a min-
imum of 2 km/h (1 mph) and a maximum of
30 km/h (18 mph). When appropriate, the
driver may increase or decrease the speed
within the limit by pressing the accelerator or
the brake. At this point the function is inter-
rupted and, if necessary, it is then reactiva-
ted.
Even so, it is imperative that the surface
guarantees sufficient adhesion. For this rea-
son, the Hill Descent Control will not fulfil its
function when, for example, descending a
slope with a frozen or slippery surface.
Hill Descent Control is available when the
dash panel display shows the message .
Hill Descent Control automatically intervenes
if the following conditions are met:
● The vehicle engine is running.
● The Offroad driving profile has been selec-
t
ed ›››
page 225. Driving at a speed below 30
km/h (18 mph) (the message is shown on
the dash panel display).
190
Operation
km/h (18 and 150 mph), as well as the tem-
por ar
y distance required with regard to the
vehicle in front. The ACC function will adapt
the vehicle's cruise speed at all times, main-
taining a safe distance with the vehicle in
front.
The ACC function is based on a radar sensor
that can measure the distance to the vehicles
in front.
If the vehicle is equipped with automatic
gearbox, the ACC can brake the vehicle until
it stops completely if a vehicle in front of it
stops.
Driver intervention prompt
During driving, the ACC is subject to certain
limitations inherent in the system. In other
words, in certain circumstances the driver will
have to adjust speed him or herself, as well
as the distance from other vehicles.
In this case, the instrument panel screen will
warn you to intervene by applying the brake
and a warning tone will be heard
››› page 199. WARNING
The intelligent technology in the ACC cannot
o v
ercome the system's inherent limitations
or change the laws of physics. If used negli-
gently or involuntarily, it may cause serious
accidents and injuries. The system is not a re-
placement for driver awareness. ●
Ad apt
your speed and safe distance to the
vehicle in front of you at all times to suit visi-
bility, weather, road and traffic conditions.
● Do not use the ACC when visibility is bad,
on st
eep roads, with several bends or in slip-
pery circumstances such as snow, ice, rain or
loose gravel, or on flooded roads.
● Never use the ACC when driving off-road or
on unp
aved roads. The ACC has been de-
signed for use on paved roads only.
● The ACC does not react on approaching a
fix
ed obstacle, such as the tail of a traffic
jam, a damaged vehicle or a vehicle stopped
at the traffic lights.
● The ACC only reacts to people if a pedes-
trian monit
oring system is available. In addi-
tion, the system does not react to animals or
vehicles crossing your path or approaching
head-on down the same lane.
● If the ACC does not reduce speed sufficient-
ly, br
ake the vehicle immediately by applying
the pedal.
● If you are driving using the spare wheel,
the AC
C system could automatically switch
off during the journey. Switch off the system
when starting off.
● If the vehicle continues to move involuntar-
ily
after a driver intervention prompt, brake
the vehicle by applying the pedal.
● If the dash panel displays a dri
ver interven-
tion prompt, adjust the distance yourself.
● The driver should be ready to accelerate or
brak
e by him/herself at all times. CAUTION
If you have the sensation that the radar sen-
sor i s
damaged, disconnect the ACC. This will
avoid possible damage. If this occurs have it
adjusted.
● Repairs to the radar sensor require special-
is
t knowledge and special tools. SEAT recom-
mends visiting a SEAT dealership for this pur-
pose. Note
● If the A
CC system does not work as descri-
bed in this chapter, do not use it until it has
been checked by a specialised workshop.
SEAT recommends visiting a SEAT dealership
for this purpose.
● Maximum speed with the ACC activated is
limited t
o 210 km/h (150 mph).
● When the ACC is switched on, strange
noise
s may be heard during automatic brak-
ing cause by the braking system. 198