Safety
Seat belts
The wh y
s
and wherefores of
seat belts
Number of seats Your vehicle has
five se
ats, two in the front
and three in the rear. Each seat is equipped
with a three-point seat belt.
In some versions, your vehicle is approved
only for four seats. Two front seats and two
rear seats. WARNING
● Never tr an
sport more than the permitted
amount of people in your vehicle.
● Every vehicle occupant must properly fas-
ten and we
ar the seat belt belonging to his or
her seat. Children must be protected with an
appropriate child restraint system. Seat belt lamp*
The control lamp illuminates to remind the
driv
er t
o f
asten his seat belt.
Before starting the vehicle: –
Fas
ten your seat belt securely.
– Instruct your passengers to fasten their
seat belts
properly before driving off.
– Protect children by using a child seat ac-
cordin
g to the child's height and weight.
The control lamp on the instrument panel
lights up 1)
if the driver or passenger 1)
has
not fastened their belt when the ignition is
switched on.
If, when starting to drive, speed surpasses
25 km/h (15 mph) approx. and no seat belts
are worn or they are unfastened during the
drive, a warning sound will be heard for a few
seconds. The warning light will also flash .
The lamp goes out when the driver and
passenger seat belts are fastened with the ig-
nition switched on. The protective function of seat belts Fig. 76
Drivers with properly worn seat belts
w i
l
l not be thrown forward in the event of sud-
den braking. Properly worn seat belts hold the occupants
in the pr
oper po
s
ition. They also help prevent
uncontrolled movements that may result in
serious injury and reduce the risk of being
thrown out of the vehicle in case of an acci-
dent.
Vehicle occupants wearing their seat belts
correctly benefit greatly from the ability of the
belts to absorb kinetic energy. In addition,
the front part of your vehicle and other pas-
sive safety features (such as the airbag sys-
tem) are designed to absorb the kinetic ener-
gy released in a collision. Taken together, all
these features reduce the releasing kinetic
energy and consequently, the risk of injury. 1)
Depending on the model version
62
Seat belts
This is why it is so important to fasten seat
belts bef
or
e every trip, even when "just driv-
ing around the corner".
Ensure that your passengers wear their seat
belts as well. Accident statistics have shown
that wearing seat belts is an effective means
of substantially reducing the risk of injury
and improving the chances of survival when
involved in a serious accident. Furthermore,
properly worn seat belts improve the protec-
tion provided by airbags in the event of an
accident. For this reason, wearing a seat belt
is required by law in most countries.
Although your vehicle is equipped with air-
bags, the seat belts must be fastened and
worn. The front airbags, for example, are only
triggered in some cases of head-on collision.
The front airbags will not be triggered during
minor frontal or side collisions, rear-end colli-
sions, rollovers or accidents in which the air-
bag trigger threshold value in the control unit
is not exceeded.
Therefore, you should always wear your seat
belt and ensure that all vehicle occupants
have fastened their seat belts properly before
you drive off!
Important safety instructions for the
use of se
at belts–
Always wear the seat belt as described in
thi s
section. –
En
sur
e that the seat belts can be fastened
at all times and are not damaged. WARNING
● If se at
belts are worn incorrectly or not at
all, the risk of severe injuries increases. The
optimal protection from seat belts can be
achieved only if you use them properly.
● Fasten your seat belt before every trip -
even when drivin
g in town. Other vehicle oc-
cupants must also wear the seat belts at all
times, otherwise they run the risk of being in-
jured.
● The seat belt cannot offer its full protection
if the seat
belt is not positioned correctly.
● Never allow two passengers (even children)
to shar
e the same seat belt.
● Always keep both feet in the footwell in
front of
your seat as long as the vehicle is in
motion.
● Never unbuckle a seat belt while the vehi-
cle i
s in motion. Risk of fatal injury.
● The seat belt must never be twisted while it
is bein
g worn.
● The seat belt should never lie on hard or
fragil
e objects (such as glasses or pens, etc.)
because this can cause injuries.
● Do not allow the seat belt to be damaged or
jammed, or to rub on an
y sharp edges.
● Never wear the seat belt under the arm or
in any other inc
orrect position. ●
Bu lk
y and unfastened clothing (such as an
overcoat over a sweater) impairs the proper
fit and function of the seat belts, reducing
their capacity to protect.
● The slot in the seat belt buckle must not be
block
ed with paper or other objects, as this
can prevent the latch plate from engaging se-
curely.
● Never use seat belt clips, fastening rings or
simil
ar items to alter the position of the belt
webbing.
● Frayed or torn seat belts or damage to the
connections, belt
retractors or parts of the
buckle could cause severe injuries in the
event of an accident. Therefore, you must
check the condition of all seat belts at regular
intervals.
● Seat belts which have been worn in an acci-
dent and hav
e been stretched must be re-
placed by a specialised workshop. Renewal
may be necessary even if there is no apparent
damage. The belt anchorage should also be
checked.
● Do not attempt to repair a damaged seat
belt y
ourself. The seat belts must not be re-
moved or modified in any way.
● The belts must be kept clean, otherwise the
retract
ors may not work properly
››› page 200. 63
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
airbag. In this case, the inflating airbag may
inflict c
ritic
al or fatal injuries on the occu-
pant. This also applies to children.
Always maintain the greatest possible dis-
tance between yourself and the front airbag.
This way, the front airbags can completely
deploy when triggered, providing their maxi-
mum protection.
The most important factors that will trigger
an airbag are: the type of accident, the angle
of collision and the speed of the vehicle.
Whether or not the airbags are triggered de-
pends primarily on the vehicle deceleration
rate resulting from the collision and detected
by the control unit. If the vehicle deceleration
occurring during the collision and measured
by the control unit remains below the speci-
fied reference values, the front, side and/or
curtain airbags will not be triggered. Take in-
to account that the visible damage in a vehi-
cle involved in an accident, no matter how
serious, is not a determining factor for the
airbags to have been triggered. WARNING
● We arin
g the seat belt incorrectly or assum-
ing an incorrect sitting position can lead to
critical or fatal injuries.
● All vehicle occupants, including children,
who are not pr
operly belted can sustain criti-
cal or fatal injuries if the airbag is triggered.
Children up to 12 years old should always travel on the rear seat. Never transport chil-
dren in the
v
ehicle if they are not restrained
or the restraint system is not appropriate for
their age, size or weight.
● If you are not wearing a seat belt, or if you
lean f
orward or to the side while travelling or
assume an incorrect sitting position, there is
a substantially increased risk of injury. This
increased risk of injury will be further in-
creased if you are struck by an inflating air-
bag.
● To reduce the risk of injury from an inflating
airbag, alw
ays wear the seat belt properly
››› page 62.
● Always adjust the front seats properly. Description of airbag system
The airbag system mainly comprises (as per
v
ehic
l
e equipment):
● an electronic control and monitoring sys-
tem (contr
ol unit)
● frontal airbags for driver and passenger,
● side airbags,
● curtain airbags,
● a control lamp on the dash p
anel
››› page 69.
● key-operated switch for front passenger air-
bag,
● a contr
ol lamp for disabling/enabling the
front p
assenger airbag. The airbag system operation is monitored
electronic
ally. The airbag control lamp will il-
luminate for a few seconds every time the ig-
nition is switched on (self-diagnosis).
There is a fault in the system if the control
lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
switc
hed on ››› page 69,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
The airbag system is not triggered if:
● the ignition is switched off
● there is a minor frontal collision
● there is a minor side collision
● there is a rear-end collision
● the vehicle turns over. WARNING
● The seat belt
s and airbags can only provide
maximum protection if the occupants are
seated correctly ››› page 57, Correct position
of the vehicle occupants .
● If a fault has occurred in the airbag system,
have the sy
stem checked immediately by a
specialised workshop. Otherwise, during a 68
Airbag system
frontal collision the system might not trigger
corr
ectly
or may fail to trigger at all. Airbag activation
The airbags deploy extremely rapidly, within
thous
andths
of a second, to provide addi-
tional protection in the event of an accident.
A fine dust may develop when the airbag de-
ploys. This is normal and it is not an indica-
tion of fire in the vehicle.
The airbag system is only ready to function
when the ignition is on.
In special accidents instances, several air-
bags may activate at the same time.
In the event of minor head-on and side colli-
sions, rear-end collisions, overturning or roll-
over of the vehicle, airbags do not activate.
Activation factors
The conditions that lead to the airbag system
activating in each situation cannot be gener-
alised. Some factors play an important role,
such as the properties of the object the vehi-
cle hits (hard/soft), angle of impact, vehicle
speed, etc.
Deceleration trajectory is key for airbag acti-
vation. The control unit analyses the collision trajec-
tor
y
and activates the respective restraint
system.
If the deceleration rate is below the prede-
fined reference value in the control unit the
airbags will not be triggered, even though
the accident may cause extensive damage to
the car.
The following airbags are triggered in seri-
ous head-on collisions:
● Driver airbag.
● Front passenger front airbag
The fol
lowing airbags are triggered in seri-
ous side-on collisions:
● Front side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Re
ar side airbag on the side of the acci-
dent.
● Cur
tain (head) airbag on the side of the ac-
cident.
In an ac
cident with airbag activation:
● the interior lights switch on (if the interior
light swit
ch is in the courtesy light position);
● the hazard warning lights switch on;
● all doors are unlocked;
● the fuel supply to the engine is cut. Airbag and seat belt tensioner control
lamp The control lamp monitors all airbags and
seat
belt
tensioners in the vehicle, including
control units and wiring connections.
Monitoring of airbag and belt tensioner sys-
tem
Both the airbag and belt tensioner systems
operation is constantly monitored electroni-
cally. Each time the ignition is switched on,
the control lamp illuminates for several
seconds (self-diagnosis) and the instrument
panel display* shows AIRBAG/TENSIONER.
The system must be checked when the con-
trol lamp :
● does not light up when the ignition is
swit c
hed on,
● turns off after 4 seconds after the ignition
is sw
itched on,
● turns off and then lights up again after the
ignition is sw
itched on,
● illuminates or flashes while the vehicle is
movin
g.
In the event of a malfunction, the warning
lamp stays on continuously. In addition, de-
pending on the malfunction, a fault message
appears on the instrument panel display for
approximately 10 seconds and a short audi-
ble warning is given. In this event, you »
69
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Safety
should have a specialised workshop check
the sy s
t
em immediately.
The airbag system availability is controlled
electronically, regardless of whether an air-
bag is disabled.
If the front airbag, side airbag, head protec-
tion airbag or the belt tensioner are disabled
using the diagnostics system:
● After switching on the ignition, the warn-
ing l
amp illuminates for about 4 seconds and
flashes for another 12 seconds.
The informative display indicates:
Airbag/belt tensioner disabled!
If the front passenger airbag has been disa-
bled with the airbag switch located in the
storage compartment side: ● When the ignition is turned on, the
warning l
amp illuminates for about 4 sec-
onds.
● The airbag is disabled, signalled with the
warning l
amp which lights up with the
word placed in the cen-
tre part of the dash panel ››› Fig. 82
››› page 72. WARNING
● If ther e i
s a malfunction, the airbag and
belt tensioner system cannot properly per-
form its protective function. ●
If a m a
lfunction occurs, have the system
checked immediately by a specialised work-
shop. Otherwise, in the event of an accident,
the airbag system and belt tensioners may
not be triggered, or may not be triggered cor-
rectly. Airbag safety instructions
Front airb
ags Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 14. WARNING
● The deplo yment
space between the front
passengers and the airbags must not in any
case be occupied by other passenger, pets
and objects.
● The airbags provide protection for just one
accident; r
eplace them once they have de-
ployed.
● It is also important not to attach any ob-
jects
such as cup holders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the air-
bag units.
● Do not attempt to modify components of
the airbag sys
tem in any way.
● When driving, always hold the steering
wheel with both h
ands on the outside part at
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Never
hold the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock po- sition, or in any other manner (e.g. in the cen-
tre of
the s
teering wheel). In such cases, if
the airbag is triggered, you may sustain inju-
ries to the arms, hands and head. Side airbags*
Read the additional information carefully
›› ›
page 15. WARNING
● If y
ou do not wear a seat belt, if you lean
forward, or are not seated correctly while the
vehicle is in motion, you are at a greater risk
of injury if the side airbag system is triggered
in an accident.
● In order for the side airbags to provide their
maximum pr
otection, the prescribed sitting
position must always be maintained with
seat belts fastened while travelling.
● Occupants of the outer seats must never
carry
any objects or pets in the deployment
space between them and the airbags, or al-
low children or other passengers to travel in
this position. It is also important not to at-
tach any accessories (such as cup holders) to
the doors. This would impair the protection
offered by the side airbags.
● The built-in coat hooks should be used only
for lightweight
clothing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp-edged objects in the pockets. 70
Transporting children safely
Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 14.
The switch disables only the front passenger
front airbag.
Switching on the airbag
– Switch the ignition off.
– Open the passenger side storage compart-
ment.
– Inser
t the key into the slot of the switch for
deactivatin
g the front passenger airbag
››› Fig. 82. About 3/4 of the key should en-
ter, as far as it will go.
– Then turn the key gently to the position.
Do not
force it if you feel resistance, and
make sure you have inserted the key fully.
– Close the passenger side storage compart-
ment.
– Check, w
ith the ignition switched on, that
the contro
l lamp does not illuminate,
with the words in the
centre of the dash panel.
Control lamp with the word
(front passenger airbag disabled)
If the front passenger front airbag is disa-
bled, after switching on the ignition, the con-
trol lamp will illuminate for several seconds,
then it will switch off for about 1 s and then
switch on again. If the control lamp is flashing, there is a fault
in the disab
ling of the airbag system ››› .
Pl e
a
se go immediately to an Official Service. WARNING
● The driver of the
vehicle is responsible for
disabling or switching on the airbag.
● Always switch off the ignition before disa-
bling the fr
ont passenger airbag! Failure to do
so could result in a fault in the airbag disa-
bling system.
● Never leave the key in the airbag disabling
switc
h as it could get damaged or enable or
disable the airbag during driving.
● If the (airbag dis
abled) control lamp
flashes, the front passenger front airbag will
not trigger in the event of an accident! Have
the system immediately checked by an Offi-
cial Service. Transporting children safely
Saf ety
f
or children
Introduction For safety reasons, as we have learned from
acc
ident
statistics, we recommend that chil-
dren under 12 years of age travel in the rear
seats. Depending on their age, height and
weight, children travelling in rear seats must
use a child seat or a seat belt. For safety rea-
sons, the child seat should be installed in the
rear seat, behind the front passenger seat or
in the centre back seat.
The physical laws involved and the forces
acting in a collision apply also to children
››› page 64. But unlike adults, children do not
have fully developed muscle and bone struc-
tures. This means that children are subject to
a greater risk of injury.
To reduce the risk of injuries, children must
always use special child restraint systems
when travelling in the vehicle.
We recommend the use of child safety prod-
ucts from the SEAT Original Accessories Pro-
gramme, which includes systems for all ages
made by “Peke” (not for all countries).
These systems have been especially de-
signed and approved, complying with the
ECE-R44. regulation. »
73
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Lights and visibility
Rear fog light Switching on the rear fog light
– First turn the light switch ››› Fig. 134
››› page 124 to position , or .
– Pull on the light switch to position 2 .
If the v
ehicle is not equipped with front fog
lights ››› page 124, the rear fog light is
switched on by turning the switch to position
or and pulling it to position 2 . This
type of sw it
ch only has one position.
The ››› page 100 warning lamp lights up on
the general instrument panel if the rear fog
lights are switched on.
If you are towing a trailer or caravan equip-
ped with a rear fog light on a vehicle with a
factory-fitted towing bracket or one installed
using parts from the original SEAT parts
catalogue, only the rear fog light on the trail-
er or caravan will light up.
Function “Coming Home”/“Leaving
Home”* This function makes it possible, under poor
v
i
s
ibility conditions, to automatically turn on
the lights for a brief period of time after the
vehicle has been parked or when approach-
ing the vehicle. The function is automatically turned on if the
fol
lowing conditions are met:
● The light switch is in position
››
› page 123.
● The visibility around the vehicle is reduced.
● The ignition is switched off.
To turn on thi
s function, switch on the head-
light flasher prior to exiting the vehicle.
The light is adjusted according to the data re-
corded by the light sensor that is installed
between the windscreen and the inside rear
view mirror.
The function automatically turns on the side
lights and headlights, the lighting for the en-
try area on the exterior mirrors and the num-
ber plate light.
“Coming Home” function
The light is automatically switched on when
the driver door is opened (for 60 seconds af-
ter the ignition is switched off).
The light is switched off when all the doors
and the rear lid are closed.
If a door or the rear lid remains open, the
light will switch off after 60 seconds.
“Leaving Home” function
The light is automatically switched on when
the vehicle is unlocked using the remote con-
trol. The light is switched off after 10 seconds or
when the vehic
le is locked.
Hazard warning lights switch Fig. 135
Instrument panel: switch for hazard
w arnin
g lights. –
Press the button ››
›
Fig. 135 to switch
the hazard warning lights on or off.
The warning lamps on the instrument panel
and the warning lamp on the switch will flash
at the same time as the turn signals when
the hazard warning lights are switched on.
The hazard warning lights also work when
the ignition is switched off.
The hazard warning lights come on automati-
cally in the event of an accident in which an
airbag is triggered. »
125
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety
Operation
After approximately 7 minutes, the heating
dev ic
e of
the rear window switches off auto-
matically. For the sake of the environment
The heated rear window should be switched
off a s
soon as the glass is demisted. By sav-
ing electrical power you can also save fuel
››› page 166. Note
In the event of a drop in voltage in the on-
boar d sy
stems, the heated rear window
switches off automatically to ensure enough
power to control the engine ››› page 216, Au-
tomatic disconnection of electrical equip-
ment. Sun visors
Fig. 140
Driver's sun visor. Fig. 141
Front passenger's sun visor. The sun visors for the driver and the front
p
a
s
senger can be pulled out of their central
supports and turned towards the doors in the
direction of arrow 1
› ›
› Fig. 140
and 2 ›››
Fig. 141 re s pectively.
The strip A is to store small objects such as
not ep
aper
, etc.
The front passenger sun visor includes a van-
ity mirror B with a cover. The cover is
opened b y
s
liding it in the direction indicated
by arrow 3
› ›
› Fig. 141
. WARNING
Do not turn sun visors with attached objects
suc h a
s ball-pens, etc. toward the head pro-
tection airbag triggering zone on the side
windows. The head protection airbags could
injure occupants if triggered. Windscreen wipers and wind-
s
c
r
een washers
Introduction The windscreen wipers and windscreen
wa
sher
s only work when the ignition is
switched on.
The speed of the automatic wipe in case of
rain is automatically adjusted according to
the intensity of the rainfall.
The rear window is wiped once if the wind-
screen wipers are switched on and reverse
gear is engaged.
Fill the windscreen washer fluid ›››
page 212. WARNING
● Mak e s
ure the blades ›››
page 54 are in
perfect condition for good visibility and safe
driving.
● In cold conditions, you should not use the
wash/w
ipe system unless you have warmed
the windscreen with the heating and ventila-
tion system. The windscreen washer fluid
could otherwise freeze on the windscreen and
obscure your view of the road. CAUTION
● Durin g w
inter, always check that the wind-
screen wiper blades are not frozen to the
glass before each trip or before switching on 128