
At a glance
 15Reference
Controls
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
1Microphone for voice command system* 
and for telephone in hands-free mode*
2Initiating an emergency call*
3Reading lamps96
4Glass sunroof, electric
*38
5Interior lamps96
6Passenger airbag status lamp
*92
7Control Display16
8Hazard warning flashers
9DTC Dynamic Traction Control85
10Central locking system32
11Automatic climate control
12Ejecting
>Audio CD144
>Navigation DVD12413Changing
>Radio station148
>Track157
15Controller16 
Can be turned, pressed, or moved horizon-
tally in four directions
16Activating voice command system
*22
17Opening start menu on Control Display17
18Drive for navigation DVD124
19Switching audio sources on/off and adjust-
ing volume144
20Drive for audio CDs144 Air distribution to the 
windshield98
Air distribution to the upper body 
area98
Air distribution to the footwell98
Automatic air distribution and flow 
rate98
Cooling function100
AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control99
Recirculated-air mode99
Maximum cooling98
Residual heat mode99
Air flow rate99
Defrosting windows100
Rear window defroster100
14
Heated seats*43
PDC Park Distance Control
*83
Roller sun blind
*106
Hill Descent Control HDC
*86 

Adjustments
40
Adjustments
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In con-
junction with the safety belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seated position 
has a major influence on your safety in the event 
of an accident. To ensure that the safety sys-
tems operate with optimal efficiency, we 
strongly urge you to observe the instructions 
contained in the following section.
For additional information on transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page49.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
grip the steering wheel on the rim, with your 
hands in the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, 
to minimize the risk of injury to the hands or 
arms in the event of the airbag being triggered 
off. 
No one and nothing is to come between the air-
bags and the seat occupant. 
Do not use the cover of the front airbag on the 
front passenger side as a storage area. Make 
sure that the front passenger is sitting correctly, 
e.g. not resting feet or legs on the instrument 
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the 
front airbag is triggered.
Make sure that passengers do not lean their 
heads against the side or head airbags, other-
wise serious injuries could result if the side air-
bags suddenly deployed.<
Even if you follow all the instructions, injuries 
resulting from contact with airbags cannot be 
fully excluded, depending on the circum-
stances. The ignition and inflation noise may 
provoke a mild hearing loss in extremely sensi-
tive individuals. This effect is usually only tem-
porary.
For airbag locations and additional information 
on airbags, refer to page90.
Head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Adjust the head restraint in such a way 
that its center is at approx. ear level. Oth-
erwise, there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page42.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
Never allow more than one person to 
wear a single safety belt. Never allow 
infants or small children to ride in a passenger's 
lap.
Expectant mothers should also wear the safety 
belt, making sure that the strap in the pelvic 
area is well down on the hips and does not press 
against the abdominal region of the body. 
Do not route the belt across your neck, or run it 
across sharp edges. Be sure that the belt does 
not become caught or jammed. The safety belt 
should not be twisted and must be positioned 
firmly over the pelvis and shoulder, as close to 
the body as possible. It should not pass over 
hard or fragile objects, otherwise the belt in the 
pelvic area could slide over the hips in the event 
of a head-on collision and injure the lower abdo-
men. Avoid wearing bulky clothing and regularly 
pull the belt in the upper-body area taut, other-
wise its restraining effect could be impaired.<
Safety belts, refer to page45.
Seats
Note before adjusting
Never attempt to adjust your seat while 
the vehicle is moving. The seat could 
respond with unexpected movement, and the  

Controls
 43Reference
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Mobility
Front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Removing
1.Pull up all the way.
2.Press the button, arrow1, and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
Rear seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
The center head restraint is not height-adjust-
able.
Removing
1.Pull up all the way.
2.Press the button, arrow1, and pull the head 
restraint all the way out. 
With through-loading system: Fold the rear-seat backrest slightly forward before pulling 
out a head restraint.
Folding the center head restraint down 
and up
Folding down: 
Press the button, arrow1.
Folding up:
Pull the head restraint.
Depending on the equipment version, it may be 
possible to fold the outer rear head restraints 
down and up as well.
Note that it is an offense to drive with the 
rear seats occupied and the rear head 
restraints folded down. Fold up the head 
restraints before allowing passengers to 
occupy the rear seats.<
Heated seats*
Press once for each temperature level. 
Three lamps indicate the highest temperature.
To switch off:
Press button longer.
If you continue driving within the next 15 min-
utes, the seat heating is automatically activated 
at the previously set temperature. 

Controls
 45Reference
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Communications
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Entertainment
Mobility
Convenience mode
1.Unlock and open the driver's door or switch 
on radio readiness, refer to page52.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1 
or 2.
The adjusting procedure is immediately halted 
when you touch a seat adjustment switch or 
one of the MEMORY buttons.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch the igni-
tion on or off, refer to page52.
2.Press the desired memory button1 or2 
and maintain pressure until the adjustment 
process has been completed.
If the   button was pressed accidentally:
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Safety belts
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page40 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
Before every drive, make sure that all occupants 
wear their safety belts. Airbags complement the 
safety belt as an additional safety device, but 
they do not represent a substitute.
O n  t h e  r e a r  s e a t s ,  t h e  c e n t e r  b e l t  b u c k l e  m a r k e d  
with the letters CENTER is solely intended for 
the center passenger.
Closing
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in 
the belt buckle.The upper belt anchor is suitable for adults of 
any stature as long as the seat is adjusted prop-
erly, refer to page40.
Opening
1.Grasp the belt firmly.
2.Press the red button in the buckle.
3.Guide the belt into its reel.
'Fasten safety belts' reminder for front 
seats
The indicator lamp comes on and an 
acoustic signal sounds. In addition, a 
message will appear on the Control 
Display. Check whether the safety 
belt has been fastened correctly.
The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is issued as 
long as the driver's safety belt has not been fas-
tened. The 'Fasten safety belts' reminder is also 
activated at road speeds above approx. 5 mph 
or 8 km/h if the front passenger's safety belt is 
not fastened, if heavy objects are placed on the 
front passenger seat, or if driver or front pas-
senger unfasten their safety belts.
Damage to safety belts
If the safety belts are damaged or 
stressed in an accident: have the belt sys-
tem, including any belt tensioners, replaced and 
the belt anchors checked. Have this work done 
only by your BMW Center or at a workshop that 
works according to BMW repair procedures 
with correspondingly trained personnel. Other-
wise, it is not guaranteed that the safety devices 
will function properly.<
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The front passenger's mirror is more convex 
than the driver's mirror. The objects seen in the 
mirror are closer than they appear. Do not 
gauge your distance from traffic behind you on 
the basis of what you see in the mirror; other-
wise there is an increased risk of an accident.< 

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Transporting children safely
The right place for children
Do not leave children unattended in the 
vehicle, otherwise they could endanger 
themselves and/or other persons by opening 
the doors, for example.<
The rear center seat is not suitable for installing 
universal child-restraint systems for all age 
groups, approved for the age group in question.
Children always in the rear
Accident research has shown that the safest 
place for children is on the rear seats.
Children under the age of 13 or smaller 
than 5 ft/150 cm may be transported only 
in the rear in suitable child-restraint systems 
appropriate for their age, weight and size. Oth-
erwise there is an increased risk of injury in the 
event of an accident.<
Children 13 years of age or older must be buck-
led in with a safety belt as soon as there no 
longer is any child-restraint system that is 
appropriate for their age, size and weight.
All rear seats in your vehicle meet the recom-
mendations of the SAE J1819 standard for 
safely mounting child-restraint systems in 
motor vehicles.
Exception for front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child-
restraint system on the front passenger 
seat, the front and side airbags must be deacti-
vated. Otherwise, a child traveling on that seat 
will be at an increased risk of injury if the airbags 
are triggered off, even with a child-restraint sys-
tem. Your BMW Center will be glad to advise 
you.<
For more information on automatic deactivation 
of the front passenger airbags refer to page91.
Installing child-restraint 
systems
Observe the child-restraint system man-
ufacturer's instructions for selecting, 
installing and using child-restraint systems. 
Otherwise the protective effect may be dimin-
ished.<
Standard child-restraint systems are designed 
to be secured with a lap belt or with the lap-belt 
section of a lap-and-shoulder belt. Incorrectly 
or improperly installed child-restraint systems 
can increase the risk of injury to children. 
Always follow the installation instructions for 
the system with the greatest care.
On the front passenger's seat
Before installing a child-restraint system 
on the front passenger's seat, make sure 
that the front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are deactivated, otherwise there is an 
increased risk of injury if the airbags deploy.<
Seat height
Before installing a universal child-restraint sys-
tem, move the front passenger's seat up as far 
as it will go to ensure that the safety belt will be 
ideally positioned. Do not change the seat 
height afterward.
Backrest width
The backrest width of the front passenger 
seat must be adjusted to its widest set-
ting, otherwise the stability of the child seat on 
the front passenger seat is limited.<
1.Adjust the backrest width to its widest set-
ting, refer to page42.
2.Install the child seat. 

Transporting children safely
50
Child seat security
All rear safety belts and the front passenger's 
safety belt can be prevented from being pulled 
out in order to fasten child-restraint systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child-restraint system with the 
belt.
2.Pull the belt strap all the way out.
3.Allow the belt strap to retract and pull it taut 
against the child-restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
To unlock the safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle
2.Remove the child-restraint system.
3.Allow the safety belt strap to retract all the 
way.
Child-restraint system with tether 
strap
There are three additional anchors for child-
restraint systems with tether straps, see 
arrows.
Placement of the tether strap
Fold the anchors upward before using them.
1.Push the head restraint upward.
2.Guide the tether strap through the mount-
ing for the head restraint.
3.Push the head restraint into its lowermost 
position.
LATCH child-restraint fixing system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
When installing a LATCH child seat, com-
ply with the system manufacturer's oper-
ating and safety instructions.<
Rear seats with through-loading 
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system are located behind the 
indicated protective caps. Flip up the corre-
sponding caps. 

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 51Reference
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Rear seats without through-loading 
system
The anchor points for the LATCH child-
restraint fixing system can be found at the loca-
tions marked by the arrows. They are not visible 
from the outside.
On journeys
Child-safety locks for rear doors
Slide down the safety lever on the rear doors:
The door can now be opened from the outside 
only.
Safety switch for power windows
Press the safety switch for the power windows, 
refer to page38, if children are traveling on the 
rear seat. 

Controls
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Mobility
seat covers, cushions or other objects not spe-
cifically approved for seats with integral side air-
bags to the front seats. Do not hang items of 
clothing such as coats or jackets over the back-
rests. Do not attempt to remove the airbag 
retention system from the vehicle. Do not mod-
ify the individual components of the system or 
its wiring in any way. This includes the uphol-
stered covers on the steering wheel, instrument 
panel, seats and roof posts, as well as the sides 
of the roof lining. Do not attempt to remove or 
dismantle the steering wheel.
Do not touch the individual components imme-
diately after the system has been triggered, 
because there is a danger of burns.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation, or 
triggering of the airbag restraint system, have 
the testing, repair, removal, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Cen-
ter or a workshop that works according to BMW 
repair procedures with correspondingly trained 
personnel and has the required explosives 
licenses. Unprofessional attempts to service 
the system could lead to failure in an emer-
gency or undesired airbag activation, either of 
which could result in personal injury.<
Warning notices and information about the air-
bags can also be found on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of the front 
passenger airbags
An analysis of the impression in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and 
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passenger are activated or 
deactivated by the system accordingly.
The indicator lamp above the interior 
rearview mirror shows the current status 
of the front passenger airbags, deactivated or 
activated, refer to Status of front passenger air-
bags below.
Before transporting a child on the front 
passenger seat, read the safety precau-
tions and handling instructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page49.
The front and side airbags can also be deacti-
vated by adolescents and adults sitting in cer-
tain positions; the indicator lamp for the front passenger airbags comes on. In such cases, the 
passenger should change his or her sitting 
position so that the front passenger airbags are 
activated and the indicator lamp goes out. If the 
desired airbag status cannot be achieved by 
changing the sitting position, transport the rele-
vant passenger on a rear seat. Do not attach 
seat covers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or 
other items to the front passenger seat unless 
they are specifically recommended by BMW. 
Do not place any items under the seat which 
could press against the seat from below. Other-
wise a correct analysis of the seat cushion is not 
ensured.<
Status of front passenger airbags
The indicator lamp for the front passenger air-
bags shows the functional status of the front 
passenger's front and side airbags in accor-
dance with whether and how the front passen-
ger seat is occupied. The indicator lamp shows 
whether the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated or deactivated.
>The indicator lamp comes on as intended 
when a child in a specially designated child-
restraint system is detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on as 
long as a person of sufficient size and in a 
correct sitting position is detected on the 
seat.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are activated.
>The indicator lamp does not come on if the 
seat is empty.
The front and side airbags for the front pas-
senger are not activated.