
50
ControlsAdjustments
Longitudinal adjustment from 
outside/behind
To move the front seat s 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
Correctly adjusted head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the 
risk of neck injury in the event of an accident.
Correctly adjust the head restraints of all 
occupied seats; otherwise, there is an 
increased risk of injury in an accident. <
Height
Adjust the head restraint so that its center is 
approximately at ear level.
Distance
Adjust the distance so that the head restraint is 
as close as possible to the back of the head.
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 fu nction of the active 
head restraint.
Do not hang any items, e.g. clothes hangers, 
directly on the head re straints. Attach only 
BMW approved accessories  to the seat or head 
restraint. Otherwise, the protective 
function 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 faults, i mmobilization, or after the 
active head restraints  have been triggered, 
have the testing, repa ir, or disassembly per-
formed only by your BMW center or a workshop 
that has the required explosives licenses. 
Unprofessional attempts  to work on the system 
could lead to failure in an emergency or to 
undesired airbag activa tion, either of which 
could result in personal injury. <
For technical reasons,  the head restraint 
cannot be removed. <
Coupe: front seats
Height adjustment
>To raise: pull up.
> To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
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51
Adjustments
Controls
Convertible: front seats
Height adjustment
>
To raise: press the button upward.
> To lower: press th e button downward.
Adjusting the distance to the back of 
the head
>Forward: pull up.
> 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.
> To lower: press  the button, arrow 1, and 
slide the head restraint down.
Removing
Only remove a head rest raint if no one will be 
sitting on the seat in question.
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.
Entering the rear seats
Coupe: seat with manual longitudinal 
adjustment
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107
Technology for driving comfort and safety
Controls
Airbags
The following airbags are located under the 
marked covers:
1
Front airbags
2 Coupe: head airbags
3 Side airbags in the seat backrests
4 Convertible: knee airbags
Protective action
Observe the adjustment instructions on 
page 47 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 restrain t. 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 si tuation, 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 coveri ngs, and do not attach 
holders such as for navi gation instruments or 
mobile phones.
Do not attach seat cove rs, 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 individu al 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 faults, immobilization, or after the 
airbag system has been triggered, have the 
testing, repair, or disassembly and scrapping of 
gas generators performe d only by your BMW 
center or a workshop 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 resu lt 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 impr ession in the front pas-
senger seat cushion determines whether and 
how the seat is occupied. The front and side air-
bags for the front passe nger are activated or 
deactivated by the  system accordingly.
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131
Practical interior accessories
Controls
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 
area net are found on the rear panel of the back-
rest. To unlock the rear seat backrest: press the 
button on the driver's or the opposite side.
Closing
Return the rear seat backrest to the upright 
seating position and engage it.
When returning the backrest to its seating 
position, make sure th at the seat's lock-
ing mechanism engages properly. Otherwise, 
cargo could be thrown around in the event of 
sharp braking or swerving and endanger the 
occupants. <
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 area 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, for 
example, may lead to a  safety hazard due to 
objects flying about  the passenger compart-
ment. Only transport heavy luggage in the 
cargo area if it has been appropriately 
secured. <
For more information on loading the vehicle, 
refer to page 141.
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, for example, may lead to a safety 
hazard due to objects flying about the passen-
ger compartment. Only  transport heavy lug-
gage in the cargo area if  it has been appropri-
ately secured. <
Storage compartments inside 
the cargo area
Coupe
Depending on your vehicle's equipment, the 
following storage spaces can be found in the 
cargo area:
>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 mounts  on the floor panel
> Hooks for hanging up, e.g., shopping bags 
or tote bags
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134
ControlsPractical interior accessories
2.Front cover: press the two recesses 
together and fold the  cover down until it 
engages.
3. In the cargo area: 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.
5. Insert the latch plate of the retaining strap 
into the belt buckle  under the transport bag.
6. Load the transport bag. The zipper eases 
access to the stored items.
Only place clean skis in the transport bag. Wrap 
sharp edges to prevent damage.
You can use the snaps to shorten the transport 
bag if you do not need its full length.Securing cargo
After loading, secure th e transport bag and its 
contents. Tighten the retaining strap on the 
tensioning buckle  for this purpose.
Secure the transport 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 transport bag, perform the steps 
described for loadin g in reverse order.
Removing the front cover
You can remove the fron t cover to use the full 
height of the through-loading opening. With the 
cover folded down, pull  the handle, see arrow, 
and remove the cover to ward the front. To 
replace, insert the cover at an angle from above 
and let it snap it into place.
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