Volvo 2008 C70 - Manual (Page 151)

06 Starting and driving
150
Loading
06
General
The load capacity is affected by extra acces-
sories mounted on the car, such as a towbar,
the passengers’ combined weight etc. as
well as towball load. The load capacity of the
car is reduced by the number of passengers
and their weight. For information on permit-
ted weights, see page 234.
Loading the cargo area
Stop the engine and apply the parking brake
when loading or unloading long objects. The
gear lever or gear selector could be knocked
out of position by long loads, which could set
the car in motion.
Place the load firmly against the backrest in
front.
• Put wide loads in the centre.
• Heavy objects should be placed as low as
possible.
• Cover sharp edges with something soft to
avoid damaging the upholstery.
• Secure all loads to the load retaining eye-
lets with straps or web lashings.
Load carriers
To avoid damaging the car and for maximum
possible safety while driving, it is recom-
mended to use load carriers specially
designed for your car by Volvo.
Carefully follow the installation instructions
supplied with the carriers.
• Check periodically that the load carriers
and load are properly secured. Lash the
load securely with retaining straps.
• Distribute the load evenly over the load
carriers. Put the heaviest objects at the
bottom.
• The size of the area exposed to the wind,
and therefore fuel consumption, increase
with the load’s size.
• Drive gently. Avoid quick accelerations,
heavy braking and taking curves hard.
WARNING
The car’s driving characteristics change
depending on how heavily it is loaded and
how the load is distributed.
WARNING
A loose object weighing 20 kg can, in a
frontal collision at a speed of 50 km/h, carry
the impact of an item weighing 1000 kg.
WARNING
Never load cargo above the backrest.
The protection provided by the inflatable
curtain in the headlining may be compro-
mised or eliminated by high loads.
Always secure the load. During heavy brak-
ing the load may otherwise shift, causing
personal injury.
WARNING
The car’s centre of gravity and driving char-
acteristics are altered by roof loads.