
Controls
 47Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjusting
Sitting safely
The ideal sitting position can make a vital con-
tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving. In the 
interaction with the safety belts, the head 
restraints and the airbags, the seat position 
plays an important role in an accident. To 
ensure that the safety systems operate with 
optimal efficiency, we strongly urge you to fol-
low the instructions contained in the following 
section.
For additional information on Transporting chil-
dren safely, refer to page56.
Airbags
Always maintain an adequate distance 
between yourself and the airbags. Always 
hold the steering wheel by its rim with hands at 
the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to mini-
mize the risk of injuries to your hands and arms 
in the event of airbag deployment.
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 
and does not rest feet or legs on the instrument 
panel, otherwise leg injuries can occur if the 
knee and front airbags are triggered.
Make sure that occupants do not rest their head 
on the side or head airbags; otherwise, injuries 
can occur if the airbags are triggered.<
Even if you adhere to all the instructions, inju-
ries 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 page94.
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of injury to cervical vertebrae in an accident.
Adjust the head restraint so that its center 
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise, there is 
increased danger of injury in the event of an 
accident.<
Head restraints, refer to page50.
Safety belt
Before every drive, make sure that safety belts 
are being worn at all of the occupied seats. Air-
bags complement the safety belt as an addi-
tional safety device, but they do not represent a 
substitute.
Your vehicle has four seats that are each 
equipped with a safety belt.
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. Make sure that the belt lies low around the 
hips in the lap area and does not press on the 
abdomen. The safety belt must not lie across 
the neck, rub against sharp edges, be routed 
over solid or breakable objects or be pinched. 
Wear the safety belt without twisting, snugly 
across the lap and shoulders, as close to the 
body as possible. Otherwise, the belt can slip 
over the hips in the lap area in a frontal impact 
and injure the abdomen. Avoid wearing clothing 
that prevents the belt from fitting properly and 
pull the shoulder belt upward periodically to 
readjust the tension across your lap in order to 
avoid a reduction in the restraining effect of the 
safety belt.<
Safety belts refer to page52. 

Controls
 49Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Seat, mirror and steering 
wheel memory
You can store and select three different adjust-
ment settings for the driver's seat, exterior mir-
rors and steering wheel.
The adjustment of the lumbar support is not 
stored in the memory.
Storing
1.Switch on radio readiness or ignition, refer 
to page58.
2.Adjust the desired seat, exterior mirror and 
steering-wheel positions.
3.Press the   button:
The LED in the button lights up.
4.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3:
The LED goes out.
Requesting
Do not request a position from the mem-
ory while the vehicle is moving. There is a 
risk of accident from unexpected movement of 
the seat or steering wheel.<
Comfort mode
1.Open the driver's door after unlocking or 
switch on radio readiness, refer to page58.
2.Briefly press the desired memory button1, 
2 or3.
The system cancels the adjustment procedure 
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.The adjusting procedure for the steering wheel 
is interrupted if you briefly press the switch for 
the steering wheel adjustment in any direction, 
refer to page54.
Safety feature
1.Close the driver's door and switch ignition 
on or off, refer to page58.
2.Press the desired memory button 1, 2 or3 
and maintain pressure until the adjustment 
process has been completed.
If the   button was pressed inadvertently: 
press the button again; the LED goes out.
Activating with remote control
The last positions of the driver's seat, external 
rearview mirrors, and steering wheel are stored 
for the remote key currently in use.
You can choose when the position is requested:
>Request when unlocking vehicle
>Request when opening driver's door
When using this feature, always make 
sure that the footwell behind the driver's 
seat is empty and unobstructed. If you fail to do 
so, any persons or objects behind the seat 
could be injured or damaged by a rearward 
movement of the seat.<
The system cancels the adjustment procedure 
when you briefly press one of the seat adjust-
ment switches or one of the memory buttons.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Open the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Vehicle / Tires" and press the con-
troller. 

Controls
 51Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Front seats: adjusting distance to the 
back of the head
>Forward: pull up.
>Back: push the button and slide the head-
rest cushion toward the rear.
Do not place any objects behind the 
headrest cushion. Otherwise, you can 
impair the proper function of the head 
restraint.<
Convertible
Adjusting height
Move the switch up or down.
Front seats: adjusting distance to the 
back of the head
>Forward: pull up.>Back: push the button and slide the head-
rest cushion toward the rear.
Do not place any objects behind the 
headrest cushion. Otherwise, you can 
impair the proper function of the head 
restraint.<
Entering rear
Before starting to drive, fold backrests 
back, otherwise there is the danger of 
accident due to an unexpected movement of 
the seat.<
Coupe: releasing backrest
Pull the lever upward and fold the backrest for-
ward.
The lever is designed so that the safety belt can 
be hooked onto it. This enables you to fasten 
the safety belt more conveniently.
Convertible: releasing backrest
The belt system integrated in the seat makes it 
easier to get in back.
1.Pull lever 1 up and fold the backrest for-
ward. 

Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Damage to safety belts
When subjected to strain due to an acci-
dent or in the event of damage, replace 
the safety belts, the belt tensioners, and any 
child restraint systems and have the belt anchor 
points checked. Have this work carried out only 
by a BMW center or a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with 
appropriately trained personnel. Otherwise, 
correct operation of this safety equipment is not 
guaranteed.<
Heated seats*
The temperature setting advances one step in 
its control sequence each time you press the 
button. The maximum temperature is supplied 
when three LEDs are lit.
The temperature is reduced and if need be, the 
heating is switched off in order to reduce the 
load on the battery. The LEDs remain lit.
To switch off:
Press the button longer.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
The mirror on the passenger's side is 
more curved than the driver's mirror. 
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer than 
they appear. Do not estimate the distance of 
following traffic based on what you see in the 
mirrors; otherwise, there is an increased acci-
dent risk.<1Adjusting
2Switching to the other mirror or to the 
automatic curb monitor
3Folding mirrors in and out
*
Storing the mirror positions, refer to Seat, mir-
ror and steering wheel memory on page49.
Adjusting manually
You can also adjust the mirrors manually by 
pressing against the outer edges of their mirror 
glass.
Folding exterior mirrors in and out
Pressing button3 allows you to fold mirrors 
in and out up to a speed of approx. 20 mph/
30 km/h. This is advantageous, for example, in 
car washes, narrow streets or for bringing mir-
r o r s  t h a t  h a v e  b e e n  m a n u a l l y  f o l d e d - i n  b a c k  i n t o  
the correct position. Mirrors that were folded in 
are folded out automatically at a speed of 
approx. 25 mph/40 km/h.
Before going through a car wash, fold the 
mirrors in manually, or with button 3, oth-
erwise they could be damaged, depending on 
the width of the car wash system.<
Automatic heating
Below a certain outdoor temperature, both 
exterior mirrors are heated whenever the 
engine is running or the ignition is switched on. 

Controls
 55Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Programmable buttons* on steering 
wheel
You can program the buttons individually.
The setting is stored for the remote control cur-
rently in use.
iDrive, for operating principle refer to page16.
1.Press the   button.
This opens the start menu.
2.Press the controller to open the   menu.
3.Select "Settings" and press the controller.
4.Select "Steering wheel buttons" and press 
the controller.
A list of different functions appears:
>"Navigation voice instructions" 
Voice instructions of the navigation sys-
tem
*
>"Air recirculation on / off"
Permanently shutting off outside air, 
refer to AUC Automatic recirculated-air 
control on page111
>"Mute on / off" 
Mutes the audio sources
>"Monitor on / off" 
Switches the Control Display on/off
>"Telephone list"
*
Display/hide phone book or last list of 
stored phone numbers displayed
>"Next entertainment source"
Changes audio source
>Switches "Night Vision on / off"
BMW Night Vision
* on/off
5.Select the desired function unit and press 
the controller.
6.Select the button if necessary and press the 
controller.
You can now activate the selected function 
using the corresponding button.
Operating function
Press the corresponding button on the steering 
wheel.
If you have programmed "Navigation voice 
instructions" for one of the buttons:
>To switch voice instructions on/off: 
Press the button longer.
>To repeat the last voice instruction: 
Press the button. 

Controls
 57Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Follow the system manufacturer's 
instructions on installation and use of 
LATCH child restraint systems in order not to 
impair their protective function.<
Anchor points for LATCH mounts
Before attaching the LATCH child's seat, pull 
the belt away from the region of the child 
restraint fixing system.
Make sure that both of the lower LATCH 
mounts have properly clicked into place 
and that the child restraint system is resting 
snugly against the backrest. Otherwise, the 
protective action may be impeded.<
Rear seats
The mounting points for the LATCH anchors 
are located at the positions indicated by arrows 
in the gap between the seat and the backrest.
Coupe: child restraint system with 
tether strap
Only use the top tether-strap mounting 
points to secure child restraint systems, 
otherwise the mounting points could be dam-
aged.
to arrows.
Placement of tether strap
Make sure that the tether strap is not 
routed over sharp edges and does not 
twist on its way to the upper mounting point; 
otherwise, the belt may not properly secure the 
child restraint system in the event of an acci-
dent.<
1Direction of travel
2Head restraints
3Tether strap hook
4Mounting point
5Rear window shelf/luggage compartment 
floor
6Backrest
7Tether strap of child restraint system
Before using the mounting points, fold the head 
restraint
* into its raised position.
1.Slide the head restraint into the bottom 
position.
2.Guide the tether strap over the head 
restraint.
3.Attach the tether strap hook to the mount-
ing point. 

Controls
 59Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Radio readiness and ignition off
All indicator and warning lamps in the instru-
ment cluster go out.
Starting engine
Do not run the engine in closed rooms, 
otherwise the inhalation of toxic exhaust 
gases can cause unconsciousness and death. 
The exhaust gases contain carbon monoxide, 
an odorless and colorless, but highly toxic gas.
Never leave an unattended vehicle with the 
engine running, as such a vehicle represents a 
potential safety hazard.
Before leaving the vehicle with the engine run-
ning, select the idling position, or shift the trans-
mission into position P and firmly apply the 
handbrake, otherwise the vehicle can begin to 
roll.<
Avoid frequent starting in quick succes-
sion or repeated starting attempts in 
which the engine does not start. Otherwise, the 
fuel is not burned at all or is burned inade-
quately and there is a danger of overheating and 
damage to the catalytic converter.<
Do not allow the engine to warm up by leaving it 
running while the vehicle remains stationary. 
Instead, drive off at a moderate engine speed.
Manual transmission
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort 
access in vehicle, refer to page36.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Depress the clutch pedal and select the 
idling position.
3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Sport automatic transmission*
Remote control in ignition lock or with comfort 
access in vehicle, refer to page36.
1.Depress brake pedal.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.
Switching engine off
When leaving the vehicle, always take the 
remote control with you.
When parking, firmly apply the handbrake, as 
otherwise the vehicle could roll.<
Manual transmission
1.Press the Start/Stop button with the vehicle 
stopped.
2.Shift into first gear or reverse.
3.Firmly apply the handbrake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page58.
Sport automatic transmission*
1.Shift transmission into position P with the 
vehicle stopped.
2.Press the Start/Stop button.
3.Firmly apply the handbrake.
4.Remove the remote control from the igni-
tion lock, refer to page58.
Before driving into a car wash
The vehicle can roll if you proceed according to 
the following steps:
1.With comfort access: insert the remote con-
trol into the ignition lock.
2.Depress brake pedal.
3.Shift into transmission position N.
4.switch off the engine.
Transmission position P will be engaged:
>automatically after approx. 30 minutes
>if you remove the remote control from the 
ignition lock 

Controls
 61Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
The transmission mode and the currently 
selected gear are displayed.
Engaging transmission position
>Do not leave the transmission position P 
until the engine is running: interlock.
>With the vehicle stationary, depress the 
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N; 
otherwise the shift command will not be 
executed: shiftlock.
To prevent the vehicle from creeping 
after you select a driving position, 
maintain pressure on the brake pedal until 
you are ready to start.<
Engaging N, D, R
Briefly press the selector lever in the desired 
direction, beyond a resistance point if neces-
sary. Press button1 simultaneously out of P or 
into R.
The engaged transmission position is also dis-
played on the selector lever.
The selector lever immediately returns to the 
center position when released.
Engaging P
Press buttonP.
R Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
P Park
Select only when the vehicle is stationary. 
The rear wheels are locked.
P is engaged automatically as soon as 
you switch off the engine unless N is 
engaged and with comfort access the remote 
control is inserted in the ignition lock, refer to 
Before driving into a car wash, page59.<
N Neutral
You can select N in car washes, for example. 
The vehicle can roll.
N remains engaged even after the engine 
is switched off whenever you leave the 
remote control in the ignition lock. This function 
is useful, for example, in automatic car washes, 
refer to page59.<
D Drive, automatic position
Position for normal vehicle operation. 
All forward gears are available.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables you to achieve maximum 
performance. 
Press the accelerator pedal beyond the 
increased resistance at full throttle.
Sport program and manual mode M/S
Press selector lever toward the left from trans-
mission position D: 
The sport program is activated and S1 through 
S6 is displayed in the instrument cluster.