Kia Picanto: Seats / Rear seat adjustment

Headrest

The rear seat is equipped with headrests for the occupant's safety and comfort.

The headrest not only provides comfort for passengers, but also helps to protect the head and neck in the event of a collision.

WARNING

• For maximum effectiveness in case of an accident, the headrest should be adjusted so the middle of the headrest is at the same height as the center of gravity of an occupant's head. Generally, the center of gravity of most people's head is similar with the height of the top of their eyes. Also adjust the headrest as close to your head as possible. For this reason, the use of a cushion that holds the body away from the seatback is not recommended.
• Do not operate the vehicle with the headrests removed. Severe injury to an occupant may occur in the event of an accident. Headrests may provide protection against severe neck injuries when properly adjusted.

Adjusting the height up and down (if equipped)

To raise the headrest, pull it up to the desired position (1). To lower the headrest, push and hold the release button (2) on the headrest support and lower the headrest to the desired position (3).

Removal and installation (if equipped)

To remove the headrest, raise it as far as it can go then press the release button (1) while pulling upward (2).

To reinstall the headrest, put the headrest poles (3) into the holes while pressing the release button (1). Then adjust it to the appropriate height.

WARNING

Make sure the headrest locks in position after adjusting it to properly protect the occupants.

Folding the rear seat

The rear seatbacks may be folded to facilitate carrying long items or to increase the luggage capacity of the vehicle.

WARNING

The purpose of the fold-down rear seatbacks is to allow you to carry longer objects than could not otherwise be accommodated.

Never allow passengers to sit on top of the folded down seatback while the car is moving as this is not a proper seating position and no seat belts are available for use. This could result in serious injury or death in case of an accident or sudden stop. Objects carried on the folded down seatback should not extend higher than the top of the front seats. This could allow cargo to slide forward and cause injury or damage during sudden stops.

The rear seatbacks may be folded forward to provide additional cargo space and to provide access to the cargo area.

• To raise the seatback, lift and push it firmly until it clicks into place.
• When you return the seatback to its upright position, reposition the rear safety belts so that they can be used by rear seat passengers.

WARNING

Do not fold the rear seat if the driver's position is not properly set according to the driver's physical figure after folding the rear seat. A sudden stop or collision may cause injury.

CAUTION

• When folding or unfolding the rear seat, make sure to move the front seat fully forward. If there is not enough space to fold the rear seat, never fold it by force. It will cause damage to the headrest or the related parts of the seat.
• Before using the seat belt, be sure to remove it from the holes located on both sides of seat back. If you pull out the seat belt while it's in the holes, it may damage the seat belt or the holes.
• Use the holes only when there are no passengers in the rear seat or when you need to fold the rear seat.

To fold down the rear seatback:

1. When folding the seat back, insert the rear seat belt buckle in the pocket between the rear seatback and cushion then make sure both seatbelts do not interfere with stowed luggage and cargo. Then, insert the seat belt into the two holes located on both sides.

2. Set the front seatback to the upright position and if necessary, slide the front seat forward.

3. Lower the rear headrests to the lowest position.

4. Pull the lock release lever and fold the rear seatback forward and down firmly.

To unfold the rear seat

1. To use the rear seat, lift and pull the seatback backward. Pull the seatback firmly until it clicks into place. Make sure the seatback is locked in place. When you return the seatback to its upright position, always be sure it has locked into position by pushing on the top of the seatback. If you can not see the red line at the side of the folding lever, it means the seatback is locked completely.

2. Return the rear seat belt to the proper position.

3. When the seatback is completely installed, check the seatback folding lever again.

WARNING

Uprighting seat

When you return the seatback to its upright position, hold the seatback and return it slowly. If the seatback is returned without holding it, the back of the seat could spring forward resulting in injury caused by being struck by the seatback.

WARNING

After folding the rear seat, unless the driver’s position is properly set according to the driver’s physical figure, do not fold the rear seat. It may increase body injuries in a sudden stop or collision.

WARNING

When you return the rear seatback to its upright position after being folded down:

Be careful not to damage the seat belt webbing or buckle. Do not allow the seat belt webbing or buckle to get caught or pinched in the rear seat. Ensure that the seatback is completely locked into its upright position by pushing on the top of the seatback. Otherwise, in an accident or sudden stop, the seat could fold down and allow cargo enter the passenger compartment, which could result in serious injury or death.

CAUTION

Damaging rear seat belt buckles

When you fold the rear seatback, insert the buckle between the rear seatback and cushion. Doing so can prevent the buckle from being damaged by the rear seatback.

CAUTION

Rear seat belts

When returning the rear seatbacks to the upright position, remember to return the rear shoulder belts to their proper position.

WARNING

Cargo

Cargo should always be secured, to prevent injury to the vehicle occupants, in case of a sudden stop or a collision. Do not place objects in the rear seats, since they cannot be properly secured and may hit the front seat occupants in a collision.

WARNING

Cargo loading

Make sure the engine is off, the automatic transaxle is in P (Park) or the manual transaxle is in 1st, and the parking brake is securely applied whenever loading or unloading cargo. Failure to take these steps may allow the vehicle to move if the shift lever is inadvertently moved to another position.