
Adjustments
34 gered in every type of collision, e.g. in the 
event of minor accidents, certain vehicle 
roll-over situations or collisions from the 
rear. In these instances, the safety belt pro-
vides sufficient protection. 
Adjust your seat to a position that provides 
maximum distance between you and the 
steering wheel and the instrument panel 
while still allowing comfortable and safe 
access to all vehicle controls. 
To minimize the risk of sustaining hand and 
arm injuries, always hold the steering wheel 
on the rim with the hands at or near the 
9 and 3 o'clock positions. Do not place 
your hands on the center pad. 
Never allow any objects to obstruct the 
area between the airbags and an occupant. 
Do not use the cover panel above the pas-
senger side airbags as a storage area.
Never allow front passengers to lean 
against or rest their feet or legs on the air-
bag cover panel.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the 
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or 
modify them in any other way. 
Never install a rear-facing child-restraint 
system in the passenger seat of this vehi-
cle, unless the passenger airbags have 
been turned off and the indicator lamp in 
the center console indicates that the pas-
senger airbags are deactivated.
If you transport children, carefully read and 
comply with the instructions in the follow-
ing section.
Be sure that child-restraints are mounted 
correctly and as far as possible towards the 
rear and in the lowest position. <
Even when all these guidelines are 
observed, there is still a small residual risk 
of injuries resulting from contact with 
deploying airbags in isolated instances. 
The ignition and inflation noise from the air-
bags may induce a mild temporary hearing 
loss in sensitive individuals.
Transporting children safely
Deactivating/reactivating passenger 
airbags
The passenger airbags must be deac-
tivated before using a rear-facing 
child-restraint system on the passenger 
seat, refer also to page 36 for explanation.
BMW also recommends that the passenger 
airbags be deactivated if a child is trans-
ported in a front-facing child-restraint sys-
tem, regardless of the age of the child. If 
you transport a child in the passenger seat 
– not an infant in a rear-facing seat – who is 
properly seated and seat-belted at all 
times, the potential benefits of airbags 
deploying in an accident generally out-
weigh the risks of the child being injured by 
the force of a deploying airbag. 
Therefore, you should deactivate the pas-
senger airbags only if you find it difficult to 
ensure that the child will remain properly 
seated and seat-belted at all times.
Always position the passenger seat as far 
back as possible and at the lowest level.
The above warning and recommendations 
are compatible with regulations estab-
lished by the National Highway Traffic 
Safety Administration – NHTSA – permitting 
the deactivation of front passenger airbags 
by means of an on-off switch for members 
of certain "at risk" groups.
Specifically, the 'at risk' groups are:
>Infants in rear-facing infant seats
>Persons with certain medical conditions
>Children aged 12 and under in the front 
passenger seat.
NHTSA provides this information via their 
website – www.nhtsa.dot.gov – or via their 
Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at 1-800-424-
9393 or 366-0123 in Washington, D.C. 
area.< 

Adjustments
36
LATCH child-restraint mounting 
system*
LATCH: Lower Anchors and Tethers for 
CHildren
The anchorage points for the LATCH child-
restraint system are located at the posi-
tions indicated by the arrows.
For Canadian models only:
The position of the anchorage points is 
indicated by a label on the seat; refer to 
detail in illustration.
Carefully slide the brackets through the 
gaps in the upholstery at the indicated 
locations, see arrows. 
To mount the LATCH child-restraint 
system, please follow the manufac-
turer's operating and safety precautions.<
Commercially available child seats comply-
ing with the legal standard are designed to 
be secured with a seat belt or with the seat 
belt portion of a combination lap/shoulder 
belt. 
Improperly or inadequately installed child-
restraint systems can increase the risk of 
injury to children. Always read and follow 
the instructions that come with the system.Before installing any child-restraint 
device or child seat, please read the 
following: 
Never install a rear-facing child-restraint 
system in the passenger seat of this vehi-
cle, unless the passenger airbags have 
been turned off and the indicator lamp in 
the center console indicates that the pas-
senger airbags are deactivated.
Your vehicle is equipped with an airbag 
restraint system for the passenger. 
Because the backrest on any rear-facing 
child-restraint system – of the kind 
designed for infants under 1 year and 
20 lbs/9 kg – would be within the airbag's 
deployment range, you must deactivate the 
passenger's airbags, as the impact of the 
airbags against the child-restraint's back-
rest could lead to serious or fatal injuries, if 
the airbags are not deactivated.
For a child – not an infant –, certain precau-
tions should be taken. Position the passen-
ger seat as far back as possible and at the 
lowest level. This important precaution is 
intended to maximize the distance 
between the airbags and the child. Younger 
children should be secured in an appropri-
ate forward-facing child-restraint system 
that has first been properly secured. Older 
children should be tightly secured with a 
safety belt, sitting with their back against 
the vehicle seat back.
Always ensure that all occupants – of all 
ages – remain properly and securely 
restrained at all times.<
Securing the child-restraint system
The front passenger's safety belt can be 
locked for mounting and securing a child-
restraint system.
A label with the appropriate instructions for 
this is located in the immediate vicinity of 
the buckle latch of the safety belt. 

Interior conveniences
60
Interior conveniences
Glove compartment
To open
Press the two push buttons together.
To close
Swing the door up.
To prevent injury in the event of an 
accident, close the glove compart-
ment immediately after use.<
Storage compartments
Storage compartment between 
backrests
To open
1.Press button; see arrow 1
2.Swing the cover downward.
To close
Swing the door up.
Locking/unlocking
The storage compartment between the 
backrests is automatically locked and 
unlocked with the central locking system.
Releasing manually
In the event of an electrical malfunction of 
the central locking system, you can manu-
ally unlock the storage compartment 
between the seats.
1.Pull on the cord in the rear luggage 
compartment panel.
The storage compartment between the 
seats unlocks
2.Press button; see arrow 1.
Other compartments and nets*
You will find additional storage compart-
ments in the front doors and in the center 
console.
Depending on the particular version, the 
vehicle may also be equipped with two 
storage compartments behind the seats.
A net
* is located on the passenger side 
along the center console.