
Adjusting
52
Head restraints
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.Adjust the head restraint so that its center 
is approx. at ear level. Otherwise there is 
increased danger of inju ry in the event of an 
accident. Only remove the head restraints if the 
respective seat is not  occupied. Reinstall the 
head restraints before transporting passen-
gers, as otherwise the head restraint cannot 
provide its protective function. <
Active front head restraints
In the event of a rear-end collision of sufficient 
severity, the active head  restraint reduces the 
distance to the head.
Do not use seat covers or head restraint 
covers that could impede the proper 
functioning of the active head restraint. Other-
wise, there is no assuranc e that the active head 
restraint will perform its protective function and 
it is not possible to take advantage of its injury-
reducing potential in th e event of a rear-end 
collision.
Have the active head rest raints reset after they 
are triggered in a rear-end collision. Have this 
work carried out only at a BMW Sports Activity 
Vehicle Center or at a workshop that works 
according to BMW repair procedures with cor-
respondingly trained personnel. Otherwise, 
correct operation of this safety equipment is not 
guaranteed. <
Removal and installation of the front head 
restraints should be performed by a BMW 
Sports Activity Vehicle Center. <
Front seats: height adjustment
You can adjust the height of the head restraints 
electrically.
Front seats: adjust ing distance from 
back of head
> Forward: pull up.
> Back: press 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. <
Comfort seat*
You can adjust the distance  from the back of the 
seat occupant's head using the shoulder sup-
port, refer to page 50. 

Controls
 53Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Adjusting side extensions
You can fold the side extensions on the head 
restraint forward for increased lateral support in 
the resting position.
BMW X5: rear seats and 3rd row seats*, 
adjusting height
> To raise: pull up.
> To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and 
push the head restraint downward.
In vehicles equipped with 3rd row seats, the 
height of the middle head  restraint is not adjust-
able.
Removing
1. Pull the head restraint upward to the stop.
2. Press the button, arro w 1, and pull the head 
restraint all the way out.
BMW X5: rear seats
2nd row seats
With a divided* row of seats you can adjust 
both sides individually.
Never adjust the 2nd row seats while the 
vehicle is moving, as otherwise the pas-
sengers on the 3rd row seats could be injured.
Make sure that the locking devices of the 2nd 
row seats engage properly. Otherwise the 
restraining effect of the  safety belts during an 
accident could be reduced. <
Longitudinal direction*
1.Pull the lever and slide the seat into the 
desired position.
2. Release the lever and move the seat slightly 
forward or back so that  it engages properly.
Backrest*
The backrests can be adjusted in four steps.
Pull the lever and apply weight to or remove 
weight from the backrest as needed. 

Adjusting
54
Access to 3rd row seats*
Pull the lever and fold the seat forward.The handle recess on th e interior trim of 
the door pillar makes climbing in easier. <
When folding back the 2nd row seats, 
make sure that the footwell under the 
2nd row seats is clear.  Otherwise persons in the 
3rd row seats could be injured or objects dam-
aged.<
Warning lamp for 2nd row seats: 
Lights up when the 2nd row seats are 
not locked. A message also appears 
on the Control Display.
3rd row seats*
The 3rd row seats are divided and offer space 
for two persons.
Folding up backrest
Before folding the seats up, remove the roll-up 
cover, refer to page 130, and if need be, slide 
the 2nd row seats slightly forward.
1. Pull the lever, refer to  arrow. The backrest is 
unlocked.
2. Fold up and engage the backrest. Make sure that the catch engages 
securely. If it is no
t properly engaged, 
transported cargo could enter the passen-
ger compartment during braking or evasive 
maneuvers and endanger the vehicle occu-
pants. <
3. Push the head restraints into the top posi-
tion.
Folding backrest down
1.Push down the head  restraint, refer to 
page 53.
2. Pull the lever, refer to  arrows. The backrests 
are released.
3. Fold the backrest down.
Safety belts
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 48.<
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. 

Transporting children safely
62
Locking safety belt
1.Secure the child restra int device with the 
belt.
2. Pull out the belt we bbing completely.
3. Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and 
pull taut against the child restraint device. 
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking safety belt
1.Open the belt buckle.
2. Remove the child restraint device.
3. Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in com-
pletely.
LATCH child restraint fixing 
system
LATCH: Lower Anchor and Tethers for CHil-
dren.
Follow the system manufacturer's 
instructions on inst allation and use of 
LATCH child restraint devi ces; otherwise, their 
protective function may be reduced. <
Before attaching the child 's seat, pull the belt 
away from the region of  the child restraint fixing 
system.
BMW X5: before installing the child's 
seat, remove the covers
* from the 
mounts for the LATCH anch or fittings, as other-
wise the LATCH anchor  fittings have no 
restraining effect. < Make sure that the 
LATCH mounts have 
properly clicked into  place and that the 
child restraint device is  resting snugly against 
the backrest. Otherwise, the protective action 
may be reduced. <
The mounts for the LATC H anchors are located 
at the points indicated by the arrows.
Child restraint device with tether strap
Only use the top tether mounting points 
to secure child restraint devices, other-
wise the mounting poin ts could be damaged.
Do not mount child restraint devices on the 
3rd row seats in the BMW X5; otherwise the 
protection provided by these child restraint 
devices may be reduced. <
BMW X5
There are three additional mounting points for 
child restraint devices with  a tether strap on the 
2nd row seats, refer to arrows. Fold out before 
using the center mounting point. 

Controls
 105Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Brake force display*
BMW X5
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.
BMW X6
On the left: normal braking.
On the right: heavy braking.
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1Front airbags
2 Head-level airbags in front and rear
3 Side airbags in backrests
Protective action
To ensure that the safety systems con-
tinue to provide optimized protection, 
observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 48.<
The front airbags help protect the driver and 
front passenger by re sponding 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 are deliberately not triggered in 
every impact situation, e.g. less severe acci-
dents 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 instrument cluster and window in the 
region of the passenger  seat free of foreign 
materials, i.e. do not co ver them with adhesive 
film or covers and do not attach mounts, e.g. for 
a navigation device or mobile phone to them.
Do not install cosmetic covers, seat cushions, 
or other items on the fr ont seats that are not 
especially approved for  seats with integrated 
side airbags. Do not hang articles of clothing 
such as jackets over the backrests.
Do not attempt to  remove the airbag restraint 
system from the vehicle. Do not modify or 
tamper with either the wiring or the individual 
components in the airbag  system. This includes  

Technology for comfort, convenience and safety
106
the upholstery in the center of the steering 
wheel, on the instrument cluster, the doors, and 
the roof pillars as well as
 the sides of the head-
liner. Do not attempt to  remove or dismantle the 
steering wheel. Do not  touch the individual 
components immediately 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, remova l, and disposal of air-
bag generators executed only by a BMW Sports 
Activity Vehicle Center or a workshop that 
works according to BMW repair procedures 
with correspondingly trained personnel and has 
the required explosives licenses. Otherwise 
unprofessional attempts  to service the system 
could lead to failure in an emergency or undes-
ired airbag triggering, either of which could 
result in personal injury. <
Warnings and information on the airbags is also 
provided on the sun visors.
Automatic deactivation of front 
passenger airbags
The occupation of the seat is detected by eval-
uating the impression on  the occupied seat sur-
face of the front passeng er seat. The front and 
side airbags on the front passenger side are 
activated or deactivated  accordingly by the sys-
tem.
The current status of the front passenger 
airbag, i.e. deactivated or activated, is 
indicated by the indicator  lamp over the interior 
rearview mirror, refer to Operating state of front 
passenger airbags in the following. <
Before transporting a child on the front 
passenger seat, read the safety informa-
tion and follow the inst ructions under Trans-
porting children safely, refer to page 61.
When teenagers and adults assume certain sit-
ting positions, this can cause the front and side 
airbags to deactivate. The indicator lamp for the 
front passenger airbags lights up when this 
occurs. In these cases, change the sitting posi-
tion so that the front passenger airbags are acti-
vated and the indicator la mp goes out. If the 
desired status cannot be  produced by changing  the sitting position, transport the correspond-
ing person on the rear se
at. Do not fit seat cov-
ers, seat cushion padding, ball mats or other 
items onto the front passenger seat unless they 
are specifically recomme nded by BMW. Do not 
lay objects under the seat which could press 
against the seat from below. Otherwise a cor-
rect evaluation of the occupied seat surface 
cannot be ensured. <
Operating state of front passenger 
airbags
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the 
arrangement of the switches and indicator 
lamps may differ somewhat.
The indicator lamp for  the front passenger air-
bags indicates the operating status of the front 
and side airbags on the front passenger side 
depending on the seat occupation. The indica-
tor lamp shows whether the front passenger 
airbags are activated or deactivated.
> The indicator lamp light s up when a child in 
a child restraint device  intended for the pur-
pose is properly detected on the seat.
The front and side airbags on the front pas-
senger side are not activated.
Most child's seats are detected by the 
system. Especially the child's seats 
required by the NHTSA at the time the vehi-
cle is manufactured. Af ter installing a child's 
seat, make sure that  the indicator lamp for 
the front passenger airbags lights up. This 
indicates that the child's seat has been 
detected and the front passenger airbags 
are not activated. <
> The indicator lamp does not light up when, 
for example, a correctly seated person of 
sufficient height is detected on the seat.  

Controls
 119Reference
At a glance
Driving tips
Communications
Navigation
Entertainment
Mobility
Ventilation in rear
1Serrated dials to smoothly open and close 
air vents
2 Serrated dial for adjusting the temperature 
in the upper body region:
>Turn toward blue: colder
> Turn toward red: warmer
3 Levers to change the air vent direction
BMW X5: heating and ventilation, 
3rd row seats
The air in the area of the 3rd row seats can be 
heated or recirculated. Air vents are located in 
the storage compartmen t area between the 
seats and in the footwell of the 3rd row seats.
1 Serrated dial:
>Activating heating and distributing air in 
footwell: 
Turn toward front
> Distributing air in storage compartment 
area between seats: 
Turn toward rear
2 Button for switching on blower: 
LED lights up
The heating is not ready for operation 
without switching on the blower. After the  heating is switched off, the blower can be used 
to recirculate the air within the vehicle, e.g. at 
high temperatures. To do
 this, turn the serrated 
dial 1 toward the rear and switch on the blower, 
button 2.<
Microfilter/activated-charcoal filter
The microfilter removes dust and pollen from 
the incoming air. The activated-charcoal filter 
provides additional protection by filtering gas-
eous pollutants from the outside air. This com-
bined filter is changed during maintenance by 
your BMW Sports Activity Vehicle Center. 
You can select a display  of more detailed infor-
mation on the Control Display, refer to page 82.
Automatic climate control 
with 4-zone control*
Front operation
Corresponds to the operation of the automatic 
climate control with 2-zone control, refer to 
page 115.
Rear operation
The control unit is located in the center console 
in the rear.
1Temperature, left rear seating area
2 AUTO program
3 Display
4 Temperature, right rear seating area
5 Seat heating, right rear seat
6 Air volume, manual
7 Seat heating, left rear seat 

Practical interior accessories
128
Rear
BMW X5
Unlock the center armrest with the button in the 
lower section of the opening and fold down.
Press the button; the cover folds forward.
With the 3rd row seats
*:
Fold down the center armrest.
Press the button; the cup holders are opened.
The cup holders of the 3rd row seats are 
located in the center console between the 
seats.
BMW X6
Slide the cover forward. Remove the beverage  container before 
folding the rear seat backrest forward or 
using the ski bag; othe rwise it may cause dam-
age.<
Ashtray
Front
To open the cover, slide it forward.
Press the button. The ashtray insert raises 
slightly and can be removed.