V60 Parking brake with Geartronic gears
 

I am about to buy a V60 SE Lux D4 with a Geartronic gearbox. The test drive went fine but got confusing when discussing the electronic parking brake as the salesman did not really know how to operate it. This is the only concern we had over buying the car having read frustrations about it elsewhere.

Having found and downloaded a manual for the car it seems that as I expected it does automatically turn itself off when the car is put in drive and you start to drive off. This is contrary to what the salesman said who insisted with deactivate it every time.

Having driven a Citroen for many years (apologies) with an EGS gearbox (automatic clutch) which I think is similar to the new 8 speed box, can I ask whether this handbrake is, or can be set to, automatically be applied when you turn off the ignition. This is what my Citroen does and would seem logical AND it also saves having to switch hands over on the steering wheel, after having put the car in Park, to operating the parking brake on the other side of the wheel. (For the Citroen you just stopped the car and turn the ignition off without even switching out of drive.)

If this isn't a feature why not? Perhaps the Park position of the gearbox (which the EGS box does not have) is safe enough to use in most cases without using the parking brake?

Andrew S

Your salesman is totally incorrect as the EPB will release immediately you start to move - if you have the driver seat belt done up.

Regarding the use of P, you should only use this for brief stops and when you have your foot on the footbrake otherwise you place strain on the transmission holding the car which should be taken by the brakes.

Hope this helps

Seconded

I would not recommend using the park position on the gearbox as the only brake as you are relying on the transmission to hold the car (which increases wear on the gearbox), you can get away with it for a short time but for parking up purposes it is best to use the electronic handbrake.
This leads me onto the next question.... I am not aware of a way to automatically apply the electronic handbrake when the engine is switched off but you can dis-engage it by just pulling away, as the torque rises it dis-engages the brake (you have to be wearing a seatbelt though).

Citroën did away with that park brake arrangement in the menu.
My wife had a 2009 C4 GP 1.6HDi EGS which allowed the selection of when the park brake came on (automatic or manual). With the introduction of Stop/Start in her 2012 car it was removed from the menu option and always applies now.