2021 Kia Niro Seats and Seat Belt

Introduction

The 2021 Kia Niro has a well-thought-out interior that puts comfort and safety first, as evidenced by its painstakingly constructed seats and cutting-edge seat belt systems. As passengers board the Niro, they are welcomed by a cabin where every aspect has been carefully planned out to provide a comfortable and secure flight. The Niro’s seating and seat belt features perfectly combine elegance, comfort, and safety, starting with the ergonomically contoured seats that offer plenty of support during lengthy trips and ending with the cutting-edge seat belt technology that enhances occupant protection. This introduction delves into the outstanding features that characterize the seats and seat belt systems of the 2021 Kia Niro, highlighting Kia’s dedication to offering a great driving experience while prioritizing the safety of every passenger.

Seat

The following explains name, feature and adjustment of each seat.

Front seat

1. Forward and backward
2. Seatback angle
3. Seat cushion height
4. Lumbar support (if equipped)
5. Head rest
   Rear seat
6. Seatback folding
7. Headrest
8. Armrest (if equipped)

WARNING
Loose objects
Do not place anything in the driver’s footwell or under the front seats. Loose objects in the driver’s foot area could interfere with the operation of the foot pedals.

WARNING
Uprighting seat
Do not press the release lever on a manual seatback without holding and controlling the seatback. The seatback will spring upright possibly impacting you or other passengers.

WARNING
Driver responsibility for passengers

The driver must advise the passengers to keep the seatback in an upright position whenever the vehicle is in motion. If a seat is reclined during an accident, the restraint system’s ability to restrain will be greatly reduced.

WARNING
Seat cushion
Occupants should never sit on aftermarket seat cushions or sit-ting cushions.
The passenger’s hips may slide under the lap portion of the seat belt during an accident or a sudden stop.

WARNING
Driver’s seat

• Never attempt to adjust the seat while the vehicle is moving. This could result in loss of control of your vehicle.
  Do not allow anything to interfere with the normal position of the seatback and seatback adjustment.
  Sit as far back as possible from the steering wheel while still maintaining comfortable control of the your vehicle. A distance of at least 10″ from your chest to the steering wheel is recommended. Failure to do so can result in air bag inflation injuries to the driver.

WARNING
Rear seatbacks
Always lock the rear seatback before driving. Failure to do so could result in passengers or objects being thrown forward injuring vehicle occupants.

WARNING
Unexpected Seat Movement
After adjusting a manual seat, always check that it is locked by shifting your weight to the front and back. Sudden or unexpected movement of the driver’s seat could cause you to lose control of the vehicle.

WARNING
Seat adjustment

• Do not adjust the seat while wearing seat belts. Moving the seat forward will cause strong pressure on the abdomen.
  Do not place your hand near the seat bottom or seat track while adjusting the seat. Your hand could get caught in the seat mechanism.

WARNING
Luggage and Cargo
Do not stack pile or stack lug-gage or cargo higher than the seatback in the cargo area. In an accident the cargo could strike and injury a passenger. If objects are large, heavy or must be piled, they must be secured in the cargo area.

WARNING
Cargo Area
Do not allow passengers to ride in the cargo area under any circumstance. The cargo area is solely for the purpose of trans-porting luggage or cargo.

WARNING
Small Objects
Use extreme caution when picking small objects trapped under the seats or between the seat and the center console. Your hands might be cut or injured by the sharp edges of the seats mechanism.

WARNING
Seating Position
To reduce the risk of injury in a crash, both drivers and passengers should always sit as far back as possible in the upright position with the seatbelt properly secured.

Feature of Seat Leather

• Leather is made from the outer skin of an animal, which goes through a special process to be available for use. Since it is a natural substance, each part differs in thickness or density.
  Wrinkles may appear as a natural result of stretching and shrinking depending on the temperature and humidity.
  The seat cover is made of stretch-able material to improve comfort of passengers.
  The parts contacting the body are curved and the side supporting area is high which provides driving comfort and stability.

CAUTION

• Belts with metallic accessories, zippers or keys inside the back pocket may damage the seat fabric.
  Make sure not to wet the seat. It may change the nature of natural leather.
  Jeans or clothes which could bleach may contaminate the surface of the seat covering fabric.

NOTICE
Wrinkles or abrasions may appear naturally from usage. It is not a fault of product. Wrinkles or abrasions are not covered by warranty.

Front seat adjustment manual 
Forward and backward 

To move the seat forward or backward:

1. Pull the seat slide adjustment lever up and hold it.
2. Slide the seat to the position you desire.
3. Release the lever and make sure the seat is locked in place.

Adjust the seat before driving, and make sure the seat is locked securely by trying to move forward and back-ward without using the lever. If the seat moves, it is not locked properly.

Seatback Angle 

To recline the seatback:

1. Lean forward slightly and lift up the seatback recline lever.
2. Carefully lean back on the seat and adjust the seatback of the seat to the position you desire.
3. Release the lever and make sure the seatback is locked in place.(The lever MUST return to its original position for the seatback to lock.)

Reclining seatback
Sitting in a reclined position when the vehicle is in motion can be dangerous. Even when buckled up, the protections of your restraint system (seat belts and/or air bags) is greatly reduced by reclining your seatback.
Seat belts must be snug against your hips and chest to work properly. When the seatback is reclined, the shoulder belt cannot do its job because it will not be snug against your chest. Instead, it will be in front of you. During an accident, you could be thrown into the seat belt, causing neck or other injuries.
The more the seatback is reclined, the greater chance the passenger’s hips will slide under the lap belt or the passenger’s neck will strike the shoulder belt.

Seat Height 

To change the height of the seat, push the lever upwards or downwards.

• To lower the seat cushion, push the lever down several times.
  To raise the seat cushion, pull the lever up several times.

Front seat adjustment for power seat (if equipped)

The front seat can be adjusted by using the control switches located on the outside of the seat cushion.

Before driving, adjust the seat to the proper position so you can easily control the steering wheel, pedals and switches on the instrument panel.

Forward and Backward 

To move the seat forward or back-ward:
Push the control switch forward or backward to move the seat to  the desired position. Release the switch once the seat reaches the desired position.

Seatback Angle 

To recline the seatback:

To recline the seatback:

• Push the control switch forward or backward to move the seat-back to the desired angle. Release the switch once the seat reaches the desired position.

Seat Cushion Height

To change the height of the seat:

• Pull the front portion of the control switch up to raise or press down to lower the front part of  the seat cushion. Pull the rear portion of the control switch up to raise or press down to lower the seat cushion. Release the switch once the seat reaches the desired position.
• Release the switch once the seat reaches the desired position.

Lumbar Support

The lumbar support can be adjusted by pressing the lumbar support switch on the side of the seat.

1. Press the front portion of the switch to increase support, or the rear portion of the switch, to decrease support.
2. Release the switch once it reaches the desired position.

Driver position memory system (if equipped, for power seat)

A driver position memory system is provided to store and recall the driver seat and outside rearview mirror position with a simple button operation. By saving the desired position into the system memory, different drivers can reposition the driver seat based upon their driving preference. If the battery is disconnected, the desired seat position memory will need to be re-saved.

WARNING
Driver Position Memory System
Never attempt to operate the driver position memory system while the vehicle is moving.
This could result in loss of control, and an accident causing death or serious injury.

SEAT BELTS

Seat belt restraint system

• For maximum restraint system protection, the seat belts must always be used whenever the vehicle is moving. A properly positioned shoulder belt should be positioned midway over your shoulder across your collarbone.
  Never allow children to ride in the front passenger seat. See child restraint system section for further discussion.

WARNING
Twisted seat belt
Make sure your seat belt is not twisted when worn. A twisted seat belt may not properly protect you in an accident and could even cut into your body.

WARNING
Shoulder Belt

• Never wear the shoulder belt under your arm or behind your back. An improperly positioned shoulder belt cannot protect the occupant in a crash.
• Always wear both the shoulder portion and lap portion of the lap/shoulder belt.

WARNING
Damaged seat belt
Replace the entire seat belt assembly if any part of the webbing or hardware is damaged, as you can no longer be sure that a damaged seat belt will provide protection in a crash.

Seat belts are designed to bear upon the bony structure of the body, and should be worn low across the front of the pelvis, chest and shoulders, as applicable; wearing the lap section of the belt across the abdominal area must be avoided.
Seat belts should be adjusted as firmly as possible, consistent with comfort, to provide the protection for which they have been designed.
A slack belt will greatly reduce the protection afforded to the wearer.
Care should be taken to avoid contamination of the webbing with polishes, oils and chemicals, and particularly battery acid. Cleaning may safely be carried out using mild soap and water. The belt should be replaced if webbing becomes frayed, contaminated or damaged.

• No modifications or additions should be made by the user which would either prevent the seat belt adjusting devices from operating to remove slack, or prevent the seat belt assembly from being adjusted to remove slack.
• When you fasten the seat belt, be careful not to latch the seat belt in buckles of other seats. It is very dangerous and you may not be protected by the seat belt properly.
• Do not unfasten the seat belt and do not fasten and unfasten the seat belt repeatedly while driving. This could result in loss of control, and an accident causing death, serious injury, or property damage.
•  When fastening the seat belt, make sure that the seat belt does not pass over objects that are hard or can break easily.

WARNING
Seat belt buckle
Do not allow foreign material (gum, crumbs, coins, liquids, etc.) to obstruct the seat belt buckle. This may prevent the seat belt from fastening securely.

Driving conditions	Conditions		Warning pattern
	Seat belt	Vehicle speed	Light	Sound
While parked (Ignition switch ON)	Buckled	0 mph (0 km/h)	Illuminates (for 6 seconds)	No sound
	Unbuckled			–  Sounds (for 6 seconds, driver`s seat) –  No sound (for passenger’s seat)
While driving	Unbuckled	6 mph (9 km/h) or more but less than 12mph (20 km/h)	Continuously Illuminates	No sound
	When the seatbelt is unbuckled after use	Less than 12 mph (20km/h)	Continuously Illuminates	No sound
		12 mph (20 km/hr) or more	Blinks continuously	Alarm sounds for 100 seconds

Seat belt – Driver’s 3-point system with emergency locking retractor

To fasten your seat belt:
To fasten your seat belt, pull it out of the retractor and insert the metal tab (1) into the buckle (2). There will be an audible “click” when the tab locks into the buckle.

WARNING
You should place the lap belt portion as low as possible and snugly across your hips, not on your waist. If the lap belt is located too high on your waist, it may increase the chance of injury in the event of a collision. Both arms should not be under or over the belt. Rather, one should be over and the other under, as shown in the illustration.
Never wear the seat belt under the arm near the door.

The seat belt automatically adjusts to the proper length only after the lap belt portion is adjusted manually so that it fits snugly around your hips. If you lean forward in a slow, easy motion, the belt will extend and let you move around. If there is a sudden stop or impact, however, the belt will lock into position. It will also lock if you try to lean forward too quickly.

NOTICE
If you are not able to pull out the seat belt from the retractor, firmly pull the belt out and release it. Then you will be able to pull the belt out smoothly.

Height adjustment (For Front seat)
You can adjust the height of the shoulder belt anchor to one of the 4 positions for maximum comfort and safety.
The height of the adjusting seat belt should not be too close to your neck. The shoulder portion should be adjusted so that it lies across your chest and midway over your shoulder near the door and not your neck.

To adjust the height of the seat belt anchor, lower or raise the height adjuster into an appropriate position. To raise the height adjuster, pull it up (1). To lower it, push it down (3) while pressing the height adjuster button (2).
Release the button to lock the anchor into position. Try sliding the height adjuster to make sure that it has locked into position.
Improperly positioned seat belts can cause serious injuries in an accident.

WARNING
Shoulder belt positioning
Verify the shoulder belt anchor is locked into position at the appropriate height. Never position the shoulder belt across your neck or face. Improperly positioned seat belts can cause serious injuries in an accident.

WARNING
Seat belt replacement
Replace your seat belts after being in an accident. Failure to replace seat belts after an accident could leave you with damaged seat belts that will not provide protection in the event of another collision.

WARNING
Seatback pockets
Do not put heavy or sharp objects in the seatback pockets. In an accident they could come loose from the pocket and injure vehicle occupants.

Seat belts -Front passenger and rear seat 3-point system with combination locking retractor
The following explains how to fasten the passenger’s and rear seat belt.

To fasten your seat belt:
Combination retractor type seat belts are installed in the rear seat positions to help accommodate the installation of child restraint systems. Although a combination retractor is also installed in the front passenger seat position, it is strongly recommended that children always be seated in the rear seat. NEVER place any infant restraint system in the front seat of the vehicle.
This type of seat belt combines the features of both an emergency locking retractor seat belt and an automatic locking retractor seat belt.

• Pull it out of the retractor and insert the metal tab into the buckle. There will be an audible “click” when the tab locks into the buckle. When not securing a child restraint, the seat belt operates in the same way as the driver’s seat belt (emergency locking retractor type).

It automatically adjusts to the proper length only after the lap belt portion of the seat belt is adjusted manually so that it fits snugly around your hips.
When the seat belt is fully extended from the retractor to allow the installation of a child restraint system, the seat belt operation changes to allow the belt to retract, but not to extend (automatic locking retractor type).

NOTICE
Although the combination retractor provides the same level of protection for seated passengers in either emergency or automatic locking modes, have the seated passengers use the emergency locking feature for improved convenience. The automatic locking function is intended to facilitate child restraint installation. To convert from the automatic locking feature to the emergency locking operation mode, allow the unbuckled seat belt to fully retract.

CAUTION
Do NOT fold down the left portion of the rear seatback when the rear center seat belt is buckled. ALWAYS UNBUCKLE the rear center seat belt before folding down the left portion of the rear seatback. If the rear center seat belt is buckled when the left portion of the rear seatback is folded down, distortion and damage to the top portion of the seatback and seat belt garnish may result, causing the seatback to lock into the folded down position.

The seat belt should be locked into the buckle on each seat cushion to be properly fastened.

A: Rear right seat belt fastening buckle
B: Rear center seat belt fastening buckle
C: Rear left seat belt fastening buckle

WARNING
Prior to fastening the rear seat belts, ensure the latch matches the seat belt buckle. Forcefully fastening the left or right seat belt to the center buckle can result in an improper fastening scenario that will not protect you in an accident.

When using the rear center seat belt, the buckle with the “CENTER” mark must be used.

To release the seat belt:

• The seat belt is released by pressing the release button (1) on the locking buckle.
  When it is released, the belt should automatically draw back into the retractor.
  If this does not happen, check the belt to make sure it is not twisted, then try again.

Stowing the rear seat belt

If the center seat belt is not in use, always lock the latch plate into the buckle as above illustration.
The rear seat belt buckles can be stowed in the pocket between the rear seatback and cushion when not in use.
Then insert the seat belt into the two webbing guide (or holder)(A) located on both sides. It will help keep the belts from being trapped behind or under the seats.
After inserting the seat belt, tighten the belt webbing by pulling it up.

Pre-tensioner Seat Belt

Your vehicle is equipped with driver’s and front passenger’s pre-tensioner seat belts (retractor pre-tensioner and EFD (Emergency Fastening Device)).

The pre-tensioner seat belts may be activated, when a frontal collision is severe enough, together with the air bags.
When the vehicle stops suddenly, or if the occupant tries to lean forward too quickly, the seat belt retractor may lock into position. In certain frontal collisions, the pretensioner will activate and pull the seat belt into tighter contact against the occupant’s body.

1. Retractor pre-tensioner The purpose of the retractor pre-tensioner is to make sure that the shoulder belts fit in tightly against the occupant’s upper body in certain frontal collisions.
2. EFD (Emergency Fastening Device)
   The purpose of the EFD is to make sure that the pelvis belts fit in tightly against the occupant’s lower body in certain frontal collisions.

If the system senses excessive tension on the driver or passenger’s seat belt when the pre-tensioner system activates, the load limiter inside the retractor pre-tensioner will release some of the pressure on the affected seat belt.

NOTICE
When the pre-tensioner seat belts are activated, a loud noise may be heard and fine dust, which may appear to be smoke, may be visible in the passenger compartment. These are normal operating conditions and are not hazardous.

* The actual position of seat belt pre-tensioner system components may differ from the illustration.

1. SRS air bag warning light
2. Retractor pre-tensioner assembly
3. SRS control module
4. Emergency fastening device (EFD)

WARNING
Skin Irritation
Wash all exposed skin areas thoroughly after an accident in which the pretensioner seat belts were activated. The fine dust from the pre-tensioner activation may cause skin irritation and should not be inhaled for prolonged periods.

NOTICE

• Both the driver’s and front passenger’s seat belt pre-tensioner systems may be activated, not only in certain frontal collisions, but also in certain side collisions  or rollovers, if the vehicle is equipped with a side or curtain air bag.
• Because the sensor that activates the SRS air bag is connected with the pretensioner seat belt, the  SRS air bag warning light on on the instrument panel will illuminate for approximately 6 seconds after the POWER button has been changed to the ON position, and then it should turn off.

If the pre-tensioner seat belt system is not working properly, this warning light will illuminate even if there is not a malfunction with the SRS air bag. If the SRS air bag warning light does not illuminate when POWER button has been changed to ON, or if it remains illuminated after illuminating for approximately 6 seconds, or if it illuminates while the vehicle is being driven, have an authorized Kia dealer inspect the pre-tensioner seat belt and SRS air bag system as soon as possible.

NOTICE
Do not attempt to service or repair the pre-tensioner seat belt system in any manner. Do not attempt to inspect or replace the pretensioner seat belts yourself. This must be done by an authorized Kia dealer.

WARNING
Hot pre-tensioner
Do not touch the pre-tensioner seat belt assemblies for several minutes after they have been activated. When the pre-tensioner seat belt mechanism fires during a collision, the pre-tensioner becomes hot and can burn you.

Pre-tensioners are designed to operate only one time. After activation, pretensioner seat belts must be replaced. If the pretensioner must be replaced, contact an authorized Kia dealer.

Seat belt precautions
Take the following precautions when using seat belts.

NOTICE
Small children are best protected from injury in an accident when properly restrained in the rear seat by a child restraint system that meets the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Before buying any child restraint system, make sure that it has a label certifying that it meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. The restraint must be appropriate for your child’s height and weight. Check the label on the child restraint for this information. Refer to “Child restraint system” in this section.

Larger children
Children who are too large for child restraint systems should always occupy the rear seat and use the available lap/shoulder belts. The lap portion should be fastened and snugged on the hips as low as possible. Check periodically to insure that the belt fits. A child’s squirming could put the belt out of position. Children are given the most safety in the event of an accident when they are restrained by a proper restraint system in the rear seat. If a larger child (over age 13) must be seated in the front seat, the child should be securely restrained by the available lap/shoulder belt and the seat should be placed in the rearmost position. Children age 13 and under should be restrained securely in the rear seat. NEVER place a child age 13 and under in the front seat. NEVER place a rear facing child seat in the front seat of a vehicle.

FAQs

Useful Links

View Full PDF : 2021 Kia Niro| Auto User Guide