
Main recommendations to carry
children safely
Install the child restraint systems on
the rear seat, which is the most
protected position in the event of an
impact.
Keep children in rearward facing
child restraint systems for as long as
possible, until 3–4 years old if possible.
Should a rearward facing child
restraint system be installed on the rear
seats, it is advisable to position it as
far forward as the position of the front
seat allows.
If the passenger's front airbag is
deactivated, always check that the
warning light is on constantly in the
central dashboard, to make sure that
it has actually been deactivated.
Carefully follow the instructions
supplied with the child restraint system.
Keep the instructions in the vehicle
along with the other documents and
this handbook. Do not use second-
hand child restraint systems without
instructions.
Only one child is to be strapped into
each restraint system; never carry two
children using one child restraint
system.
Always check that the seat belts do
not rest on the child’s neck.
Always check that the seat belt is
well fastened by pulling on it.
While travelling, do not let the child
sit incorrectly or unfasten the belts.
Never allow a child to put the belt's
diagonal section under an arm or
behind their back.
Never carry children on your lap,
even newborns. No one can hold
a child in the case of an accident.
If the car has been involved in a
medium-high severity road accident,
replace the child restraint system with a
new one. In addition, and depending
on the type of child restraint system
installed, replace the isofix anchorages
or the seat belt with which the child
restraint system was connected.
Before installing a child restraint
system of any kind on the rear seat
facing in the direction of movement of
the vehicle, it is necessary to remove
the head restraint from the rear seat
position in which the child restraint
system is to be installed. On the other
hand, before installing a child restraint
system composed of only the seat
cushion (without backrest) on the rear
seat, it is necessary to ensure that
the head restraint of the rear seat
position in which the child restraint
system is to be installed is correctly
fitted.
WARNING
88)SEVERE DANGER When a front
passenger airbag is fitted, do not install
rearward facing child restraint systems on
the front passenger seat. Deployment of
the airbag in an accident could cause fatal
injuries to the child regardless of the
severity of the collision. It is advisable to
always carry children in a child restraint
system on the rear seat, which is the most
protected position in the event of a
collision.
89)On the sun visor there is a label with
suitable symbols reminding the user that it
is compulsory to deactivate the airbag if
a rearward facing child restraint system is
fitted. Always comply with the instructions
on the passenger side sun visor (see the
"Supplementary Restraint System (SRS)
- Airbag" paragraph).
90)Should it be necessary to carry a child
on the passenger side front seat in a rear
facing child restraint system, the passenger
side front and side airbags must be
deactivated through the display main
menu, verifying deactivation by checking
that the warning light
located in the
central part of the dashboard has switched
on. Move the passenger's seat as far
back as possible to avoid contact between
the child seat and the dashboard.
91)Do not move the front or rear seat if a
child is seated on it or on the dedicated
child restraint system.
83

92)Incorrect fitting of the child restraint
system may result in an inefficient
protection system. In the event of an
accident the child restraint system may
become loose and the child may be
injured, even fatally. When fitting a restraint
system for newborns or children, strictly
comply with the instructions provided
by the Manufacturer.
93)When the child restraint system is not
used, secure it with the seat belt or with
the ISOFIX anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it unsecured
inside the passenger compartment. In this
way, in the case of sudden braking or an
accident, it will not cause injuries to the
occupants.
94)After installing a child restraint system,
do not move the seat: always remove
the child restraint system before making
any adjustment.
95)Always make sure that the chest
section of the seat belt does not pass
under the arms or behind the back of the
child. In the event of an accident the seat
belt will not be able to secure the child,
with the risk of injury, including fatal injury.
Therefore the child must always wear
the seat belt correctly.
96)Do not use the same lower anchorage
to install more than one child restraint
system.
97)If a Universal ISOFIX child restraint
system is not fixed to all three anchorages,
it will not be able to protect the child
correctly. In a crash, the child could be
seriously or fatally injured.98)Fit the child restraint system when the
car is stationary. The child restraint system
is correctly fixed to the brackets when
you hear the click. Follow the instructions
for assembly, disassembly and positioning
that the Manufacturer must supply with
the child restraint system.SUPPLEMENTARY
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS) - AIRBAG
The vehicle is equipped with:
front driver airbag;
front passenger airbag;
front side bags for pelvis, chest and
shoulder protection of driver and
passenger (for versions/markets, where
provided);
side bags for head protection of
front seat passengers and rear side
seat passengers (window bag).
FRONT AIRBAGS
99)The front (driver and passenger) airbags
protect the front seat occupants in the
event of head-on crashes of medium-
high severity, by placing the cushion
between the occupant and the steering
wheel or dashboard.
Therefore non-activation of airbags in
other types of collisions (side impacts,
rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) does not
indicate a system malfunction.
Driver and passenger front airbags are
not a replacement of but
complementary to the seat belts, which
should always be worn, as specified
by law in Europe and most non-
European countries.
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SAFETY

110)The airbags may also be deployed
when the car is not moving, if the key is in
the ignition and turned to MAR-ON or
when the engine is off, if the car is hit by
another moving vehicle. Therefore, even if
the vehicle is stationary, when an active
front passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT
install rearward facing child restraint
systems on the front passenger seat.
Deployment of the airbag following an
impact could cause fatal injuries to the
child. Therefore, always deactivate the
passenger side airbag when a rearward
facing child restraint system is installed on
the front passenger seat. The front
passenger seat must also be positioned
back as far as possible in order to prevent
the child restraint system from coming
into contact with the dashboard.
Immediately reactivate the passenger
airbag as soon as the child restraint system
has been removed. Also remember that, if
the key is turned to STOP, none of the
safety devices (airbags or pretensioners)
will be deployed in the event of collision.
Non-deployment in such cases does
not indicate a system malfunction.111)The airbag warning lightindicates
the passenger protection status. If the
warning light is off, the passenger side
protection is activated. It can be
deactivated from the menu, in this case the
warning light comes on. When the vehicle
is started (ignition key in MAR position), the
warning light comes on for approx. 8
seconds, provided that at least 5 seconds
have elapsed from the previous switching
off. If this does not happen please contact
a Fiat Dealership. If the vehicle is switched
off/on again in less than 5 seconds the
warning light may remain off. In this case,
to check correct warning light operation,
switch the vehicle off, wait at least 5
seconds and switch on again. During the
first 8 seconds, the activation of the
warning light does not actually show the
passenger protection status, but only
checks its correct operation. The warning
light may light up with various intensity
levels depending on the vehicle conditions.
The intensity may also vary during the
same key cycle. (The warning light is tested
also for markets where the passenger
protection deactivation function is
not provided, and the warning light
switches on for less than one second when
the key is turned to MAR, then switches
off again.)
112)The airbag deployment threshold is
higher than that of the pretensioners.
For collisions in the range between the two
thresholds, it is normal for only the
pretensioners to be activated.113)The airbag does not replace seat
belts but increases their efficiency.
Because front airbags are not deployed for
low-speed crashes, side collisions,
rear-end shunts or rollovers, occupants are
protected, in addition to any side bags,
only by their seat belts, which must
therefore always be fastened.
114)If the “red”
warning light does not
switch on for a few seconds when the
key is turned to MAR, there may be a fault
with the “red” warning light. In this case,
after a few seconds, the
warning light
starts flashing. Contact a Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system checked.
115)To deactivate the airbags using the
instrument panel menu, see the description
in the "Knowing the instrument panel"
chapter, "Setup Menu" paragraph.
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SAFETY

STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the "heart" of the vehicle:
seeing how you can exploit all of its
potential to the full.
We’ll look at how to drive it safely in any
situation, so that it can be a welcome
companion, with our comfort and
our wallets in mind.STARTING THE ENGINE ................. 92
PARKING THE VEHICLE ................. 93
MANUAL GEARBOX ....................... 94
DUALOGIC GEARBOX .................... 95
MODE SELECTOR .......................... 96
DUALDRIVE ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING ...................................... 97
ECO FUNCTION ............................. 98
STOP/START SYSTEM ................... 99
PARKING SENSORS.......................100
REFUELLING THE VEHICLE ...........101
TOWING TRAILERS ........................103
91

WARNING
116)It is dangerous to run the engine in
enclosed areas. The engine takes in
oxygen and releases carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
117)Remember that the brake servo
and power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, therefore
you need to apply much more force than
usual to the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
118)If the engine fails to start with a gear
engaged, the potentially dangerous
situation due to the fact that the gearbox is
automatically placed in neutral will be
signalled by an acoustic signal.
WARNING
38)If the warning lightflashes for 60
seconds after starting or during an
extended towing period, this indicates a
problem in the glow plug preheating
system. You can use the vehicle as usual if
the engine starts but you should contact
a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
39)It is advisable not to demand maximum
performance from your vehicle (e.g.
excessive acceleration, long distances at
maximum rpm, excessively intense braking,
etc.) when it is first used.
40)When the engine is off, do not leave
the key turned to MAR to prevent
unnecessary electrical consumption from
draining the battery.41)Never bump start the engine by
pushing, towing or coasting downhill. This
could cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
42)There must therefore always be some
petrol in the tank to protect the petrol
pump and to guarantee temporary
switching from LPG or Methane to petrol
operation, if high performance is required.
43)A quick burst on the accelerator
before stopping the engine serves no
practical purpose; it wastes fuel and is
especially damaging to turbocharged
engines.
PARKING THE
VEHICLE
When parking and leaving the car,
proceed as follows:
engage a gear (1st gear if facing
uphill or reverse if facing downhill) and
leave the wheels turned;
stop the engine and engage the
handbrake;
always remove the ignition key.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
On versions equipped with Dualogic
transmission, wait for the letter P to be
displayed before releasing the brake
pedal.
WARNING Never leave the car with the
gearbox in neutral (or, on versions
equipped with Dualogic transmission,
before putting the gear lever in the
P position).
Handbrake
194) 195) 196)
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Handbrake engagement: pull lever A
fig. 77 upwards until the vehicle is
braked.
93

Handbrake disengagement: slightly
raise lever A and hold button B
pressed, checking that the
warning
light switches off in the instrument
panel.
WARNING
119)Never leave children unattended in
the car. Always remove the key from the
ignition when leaving the car and take
it with you.
120)The car should be braked after a few
clicks of the lever, if it is not, contact a
Fiat Dealership to have it adjusted.
121)In the case of parking manoeuvres on
roads on a gradient, the front wheels
must be steered towards the pavement
(when parking downhill), or in the opposite
direction if the vehicle is parked uphill.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if
the car is parked on a steep slope.
MANUAL GEARBOX
122)44)
To engage the gears, press the clutch
pedal fully and put the gear lever into
the required position (the diagram
for gear engagement is shown on the
knob fig. 78).
For 0.9 TwinAir, 0.9 TwinAir Turbo and
1.2 8v 69 HP versions: to engage
reverse R from neutral, raise ring A fig.
78 underneath the knob and, at the
same time, shift the lever to the right
and then backwards.
For version 1.3 16v MultiJet: to engage
reverse R from neutral position, shift
the lever to the right and then back.IMPORTANT Reverse can only be
engaged when the vehicle is completely
stationary. With the engine running,
wait for at least 2 seconds with the
clutch pedal fully pressed before
engaging reverse to prevent damage to
the gears and grating.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal should
be used only for gear changes. Do
not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal, however lightly. For
versions/markets where provided, the
electronic clutch pedal control could cut
in, interpreting the incorrect driving
style as a fault.
WARNING
122)Depress the clutch pedal fully to
change gear correctly. It is therefore
essential that there is nothing under the
pedals: make sure the mats are lying
flat and do not get in the way of the
pedals.
WARNING
44)Do not drive with your hand resting on
the gear lever as the force exerted, even
if slight, could lead over time to premature
wear of the internal gearbox components.
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78F1D0069
94
STARTING AND DRIVING

DUALOGIC
GEARBOX
(for versions/markets, where provided)
45)
The vehicle can be equipped with an
electronically controlled manual
gearbox known as Dualogic which
allows two operating modes: MANUAL
and AUTO.
GEAR LEVER
The gear lever A fig. 79, located on the
dashboard, is floating multistable type,
i.e. it has three stable positions and
three unstable positions.
The three stable positions correspond
to neutral (N), reverse (R) and the
central position located between the
unstable positions (+) and (-).The unstable positions, in other words
those that are abandoned as soon
as the lever is released, are the
positions for requesting a higher gear
(+), requesting a lower gear (–) and
requesting automatic operating mode
(A/M).
IMPORTANT With the engine started,
any error between the lever position
and the gear actually engaged is
signalled by a buzzer until consistency
is restored.
MANUAL MODE
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal and start the
engine;
if AUTO appears on the display,
move the lever A fig. 79 to A/M to
select MANUAL mode;
push gear lever A towards (+) to
engage first gear (if starting from N or
R, simply place the lever in the middle
position) or R to engage reverse;
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal;
in driving conditions, push lever A of
the gearbox towards (+) to engage
the next gear up or towards (–) to
engage the next gear down.AUTOMATIC MODE
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal;
start the engine;
if AUTO does not appear on the
display, move the gear lever A fig. 79 to
A/M to select AUTOMATIC mode;
push the gear lever towards (+) to
engage 1st gear (if starting from N or R,
simply place the lever in the middle
position) or R to engage reverse;
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal: the gear most
suited to the vehicle speed will be
engaged.
AUTO-ECO OPERATION
To activate the function press the ECO
button fig. 80 on the central tunnel.
The ECO function can be only activated
only with automatic mode active.
79F1D0107
80F1D0108
95

With the ECO function active, the
system will select the most suitable
gear depending on the vehicle speed,
engine rpm and intensity with which the
accelerator pedal is pressed, with the
aim of limiting fuel consumption.
“Kick Down” FUNCTION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
If necessary (e.g. when overtaking),
the system downshifts one or more
gears when the accelerator pedal
is depressed beyond the point where it
becomes stiff (and if the rpm allow it)
in order to provide suitable power and
torque for the acceleration requested
by the driver.
IMPORTANT The use of the “Kick
Down” function is recommended only
when overtaking or accelerating quickly,
in order not to increase fuel
consumption.
WARNING
45)Avoid keeping your hand on this lever
except during gear change or AUTO/
MANUAL mode requests.
MODE SELECTOR
(Panda Cross versions)
This device allows, using the ring nut of
the knob fig. 81 (on the central tunnel),
three vehicle response modes to be
selected according to driving style and
road conditions:
1 = AUTO mode;
2 = OFF ROAD mode;
3 = HDC function.
The ring nut is monostable type. In
other words, it always remains in a
central position. The selected driving
mode is indicated by the corresponding
LED switching on the knob and by an
indication on the display."AUTO" MODE
It is a driving mode aimed at comfort
and safety in normal grip and driving
conditions.
"OFF ROAD" MODE
It is a driving mode aimed at setting off
in poor grip conditions on low-grip
road surfaces (e.g. snow, ice, mid, etc.).
Engagement
Rotate the ring nut fig. 81 to the right
and hold in this position for half a
second, until the corresponding LED
lights up and “Off Road” mode
activation indicator appears on the
display with a dedicated message.
When the "Off Road" mode is activated,
the presetting for ELD system
intervention activates automatically.
IMPORTANT When the "Off Road"
mode is activated, the Stop/Start
system is temporarily disabled.
Temporary deactivation of the system
switches on the corresponding LED on
the trim (located on the central
dashboard). To activate the Stop/Start
function, with "Off Road" mode on,
press the
button on the dashboard
trim. However, when the "Off Road"
mode is deactivated, the Stop/Start
system is enabled again.
81F1D0116
96
STARTING AND DRIVING