Front airbags

The front airbags (driver and passenger) protect the front occupants in medium to high severity frontal impacts, by interposing the cushion between the occupant and the steering wheel or the instrument panel.

Non-deployment of the airbags in other types of impact (side, rear, rollover, etc.) is therefore not an indication of a system malfunction.

The front airbags (driver and passenger) are not a substitute for, but complement, the use of seat belts, which should always be worn, as is also required by law in Europe and in most non-European countries.

In an impact, a person not wearing a seat belt is thrown forward and may come into contact with the cushion while it is still inflating. In this situation, the protection offered by the cushion is impaired.

The front airbags may not deploy in frontal impacts against very deformable objects that do not involve the front surface of the vehicle (e.g. the wing hitting a guard rail), or when the vehicle wedges under other vehicles or protective barriers (e.g. under lorries or guard rails).

Non-deployment in the conditions described above is because the airbags may not offer any additional protection beyond the seat belts and therefore their deployment would be inappropriate. Non-deployment in these cases is not an indication of a system malfunction.

The driver and passenger front airbags are designed and calibrated to provide the best protection for front occupants wearing seat belts.

When fully inflated, their volume is such that they fill most of the space between the steering wheel and the driver, and between the dashboard and the passenger.

In frontal impacts of low severity (for which the restraining action of the seat belts is sufficient), the airbags do not deploy.

The use of seat belts is therefore always necessary.

Driver's frontal airbag

It consists of an instantly inflating cushion contained in a special compartment located in the centre of the steering wheel, fig. 74.

Passenger frontal airbag

It consists of an instantly inflating cushion contained in a special compartment located in the instrument panel, fig. 75, with a larger cushion volume than the driver's side.

Passenger frontal airbag and child seats

Child seats installed facing the rear of the vehicle must NEVER be placed on the front seat when the passenger front airbag is active, as airbag deployment in a collision could cause fatal injury to the child. ALWAYS follow the instructions on the label located on the passenger-side sun visor, fig. 76.

Deactivating the passenger airbags: front airbag and side airbag

If it is necessary to transport a child in a rear-facing child seat on the front seat, deactivate the passenger front airbag and the side airbags (side bags). With the airbags deactivated, the warning light in the center of the dashboard lights up(A-fig. 77). To deactivate, use the Setup menu on the display.

Passenger front airbag and child seats: WARNING