
Adjustments
44 1Longitudinal direction
2Height
3Angle
4Backrest
5Convertible: head restraints
Coupe: the head restraints are adjusted manu-
ally, refer to Head restraints below.
Lumbar support*
You can also adjust the contour of the backrest 
to obtain additional support in the lumbar 
region.
The upper hips and spinal column receive sup-
plementary support to help you maintain a 
relaxed, upright sitting position.
>Increase or decrease curvature: press the 
switch at the front or rear, respectively.>Shift curvature up or down: press the switch 
at the top or bottom, respectively.
Backrest width*
You can change the width of the backrest to suit 
your individual preferences by adjusting the lat-
eral-support pads.
Press the front or rear end of the switch.
Backrest width decreases or increases accord-
ingly.
Longitudinal adjustment from outside/
behind*
To move the front seats forward or backward 
from outside or from one of the rear seats: with 
the door open, press the front end 1 or rear end 
2 of the switch.
Head restraints
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. Only remove a head 
restraint if no one will be sitting on the seat in 
question. Reinstall the head restraint before  

Controls
 45Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
transporting anyone on that seat. Otherwise, 
the passenger will be without protection from 
the head restraint.<
Front active head restraints
In a rear collision of a sufficient strength, the 
active head restraint reduces the distance to 
the head.
Do not use seat or head restraint covers 
that could impair the function of the active 
head restraint. Otherwise, the protective func-
tion of the active head restraint will not be 
ensured and its full potential in reducing the risk 
of injury in the event of a rear collision may not 
be realized.
In the event of malfunctions, deactivation or 
triggering of the active head restraints, have the 
testing, repair and removal executed only by a 
BMW center or a workshop that works accord-
ing to repair procedures of BMW with corre-
spondingly trained personnel and that has the 
required explosives licenses. Unprofessional 
attempts to work on the system could lead to 
failure in an emergency or to undesired airbag 
activation, either of which could result in per-
sonal injury.<
For technical reasons, the head restraint 
cannot be removed.<
Front seats
Coupe: height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
>To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Convertible: height adjustment
>To raise: press the button upward.
>To lower: press the button downward.
Convertible: adjusting the distance to 
the back of the head
>Forward: pull.
>Back: press the button and push the head 
cushion toward the rear.
Do not insert objects behind the head 
cushion; otherwise, the head restraint 
may not function properly.<
Coupe: rear seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up. 

Adjustments
46 >To lower: press the button, arrow1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Removing
1.Pull up as far as it will go.
2.Press the button, arrow 1, tilt the rear seat 
backrest slightly forward and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
Only remove the head restraints if no pas-
sengers will be sitting in the rear. Reinstall 
head restraints before transporting passengers 
in the rear.<
Entering the rear seats
Coupe: seat with manual longitudinal 
adjustment
Convenient entry
The convenient entry feature includes a mem-
ory function for the longitudinal adjustment and 
backrest angle.
1.Pull the lever and swing the backrest for-
ward.
2.Push the seat forward.
Previous position
Push the seat backward and swing the backrest 
back.
When pushing the seat into its rearmost 
position, make sure that no one is injured 
and that no objects are damaged.
Before driving off, engage both seats and back-
r e s t s  s o  t h a t  t h e y  a r e  l o c k e d  i n  p l a c e .  O t h e r w i s e  
there is a risk of accident due to an unexpected 
movement.<
Seat with electrical longitudinal 
adjustment
Coupe
Convertible
Seat backrest warning lamp:
Comes on when a seat backrest is not 
engaged. In addition, a message 
appears on the Control Display.
Convenient entry
The convenient entry feature includes a mem-
ory function for the longitudinal adjustment and 
backrest angle.
1.Pull lever 1 and swing the backrest forward.
2.Press the front end 2 of the switch until the 
seat has moved into the desired position.
Previous position
Press the rear end 3 of the switch until the seat 
automatically stops in its previous position, and 
fold the backrest back. If you release the switch 
before the previous seat position is reached, 
the seat will stop at its current position.
When sliding the seat backward, make 
sure no one is injured and no objects are 
damaged.
Before driving off, engage both seats and back- 

Technology for driving comfort and safety
90
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2Coupe: head airbags
3Side airbags in the seat backrests
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page42 to ensure the best possible per-
sonal protection.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and 
front passenger by responding to frontal 
impacts in which safety belts alone cannot pro-
vide adequate restraint. When needed, the 
head and side airbags help provide protection in 
the event of side impact. The relevant side air-
bag supports the side upper body area. The 
head air bag supports the head.
The airbags have been designed to not be trig-
gered in every collision situation, e.g. not in 
minor accidents or rear-end collisions.
Do not apply adhesive materials to the 
cover panels of the airbags, cover them or 
modify them in any other way.
Keep the dashboard and windows on the front 
passenger side clear, i.e. do not cover with 
adhesive labels or coverings, and do not attach 
holders such as for navigation instruments or 
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat covers, cushions or other 
objects not specifically approved for seats with 
integral side airbags to the front seats. Do not 
hang items of clothing such as coats or jackets 
over the backrests. Do not attempt to remove the airbag retention system from the vehicle. Do 
not modify the individual components of the 
system or its wiring in any way. This includes 
the upholstered 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 center 
or a workshop that works according to repair 
procedures of BMW with correspondingly 
trained personnel and that has the required 
explosives licenses. Unprofessional attempts to 
work on the system could lead to failure in an 
emergency or to 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  

Practical interior accessories
110
Folding down the rear seat backrest
You can fold down the rear seat backrest to 
transport light objects in the rear without dam-
aging the seats. Depending on the vehicle 
equipment, the mounting points for the cargo 
bay net
* are found on the back of the seat back-
rest. To unlock the rear seat backrest: press the 
button on the driver's or the opposite side.
Bag holder*
W h e n  t h e  r e a r  s e a t  b a c k r e s t  i s  f o l d e d  d o w n ,  y o u  
will find two bag holders on the cargo bay wall:
1.Fold open the holder by pressing the but-
ton.
2.Press the handles of the bag onto the 
holder from above.
Only hang light shopping bags or other 
suitable objects from the holders, other-
wise braking maneuvers and swerving may lead 
to a safety hazard due to objects flying about 
the passenger compartment. Only transport 
heavy luggage in the cargo bay if it has been 
appropriately secured.<
For more information on loading the vehicle, 
refer to page119.
Storage compartment behind the rear 
seat backrest
A storage compartment is located behind the 
rear seat backrest. To access the storage com-
partment: remove the insert or fold down the 
rear seat backrest.
When the rear seat backrest is folded 
down or the insert has been removed, 
only transport small light objects in the storage 
compartment, otherwise braking maneuvers 
and swerving may lead to a safety hazard due to 
objects flying about the passenger compart-
ment. Only transport heavy luggage in the 
cargo bay if it has been appropriately secured.<
Storage compartments inside 
the cargo bay
Coupe
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
following storage spaces can be found in the 
cargo bay:
>Left storage compartment, e.g. for storing a 
box of cleaning tissues or up to 12 CD jack-
ets, depending on vehicle equipment ver-
sion
>Net
* for securing smaller objects, to be 
attached to the fixtures on the floor panel
>Hooks for hanging up, e.g. shopping bags 
or tote bags
>Rubber strap on the left trim panel for 
securing small objects such as a folding 
umbrella
>Net for small objects on the right trim panel 
of the cargo bay 

Practical interior accessories
112 Secure the ski bag in the manner 
described, otherwise it could endanger 
the car's occupants, e.g. in case of heavy brak-
ing or sudden swerving.<
To store the ski bag, perform the steps 
described for loading in reverse order.
Removing the ski bag
The ski bag can be completely removed, e.g. for 
faste r drying or  to  allow you to use other inserts.
1.Fold down the center panel in the rear seat 
backrest.
2.Pull the handle, arrow1.
3.Pull out the insert, arrow 2.
For more information on the various 
inserts available, contact your BMW cen-
ter.<
Convertible: through-loading 
opening with integrated 
transport bag
*
The transport bag is designed for safe, clean 
transport of up to 4 pairs of standard skis or up 
to 2 snowboards.
When the rear seat backrest is folded up, you 
can remove the insert and use the transport bag 
with the regular through-loading opening. To 
transport larger objects, you can fold down the 
rear seat backrest to create an expanded 
through-loading opening.
With the transport bag you can stow skis with a 
l e ng t h  o f  up  t o  6 f t  2 i n/ 1 . 9 0 m .  W h e n  s k i s  o f  6 f t  
2 in/1.90 m length are loaded, the overall capac-
ity of the transport bag is reduced due to its 
tapered design.
Loading
1.For loading using the regular through-load-
ing opening:
Press the button down and remove the 
insert from the front.
For loading with the through-loading open-
ing expanded:
Fold down the rear seat backrest, refer to 
page110.
2.Front cover: press the two recesses 
together and fold the cover down until it 
engages.
3.In the cargo bay: press the two recesses 
together and fold down the cover.
4.Undo the Velcro fastener and spread out 
the transport bag between the front seats.