AdjustingVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
Sitting safely
The ideal seating position can make a vital con‐ tribution to relaxed, fatigue-free driving.
The seating position plays an important role in
an accident in combination with:▷Safety belts, refer to page 38▷Head restraints, refer to page 41.▷Airbags, refer to page 74.
Seats
Note before adjusting WARNING
Seat adjustments while driving can lead
to unexpected movements of the seat. Vehicle
control could be lost. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Only adjust the side on the driver's side
when the vehicle is stationary. ◀
WARNING
With a backrest inclined too far to the
rear, the protective effect of the safety belt
cannot be ensured anymore. There is a danger
of sliding under the safety belt in an accident.
There is risk of injuries or danger to life. Adjust
the seat prior to starting the trip. Adjust the
backrest in an as upright position as possible
and do not adjust again while driving. ◀
WARNING
There is risk of jamming when moving the
seats. There is risk of injuries or risk of property
damage. Make sure that the area of movement
of the seat is clear prior to any adjustment. ◀
Front seat adjustment
Forward/backward
Pull the lever, arrow 1, and slide the seat into
the desired position, arrows 2.
After releasing the lever, move the seat forward
or back slightly to make sure it engages prop‐
erly.
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MINI Paceman: entry in the rear1.Pull the lever on the back of the seat up‐
ward, arrow 1.
The backrest folds forward.2.Push against the backrest to move the seat
forward, arrow 2.
To make it easier to enter the car in the rear,
push back the safety belt on the lower belt
guide rail if necessary.
Restoring the original seat position The driver's seat has a mechanical memory
function for the forward/backward seat setting
and the backrest setting.
1.Push the seat back to the original position.
Do not fold back the backrest until the seat
is in its original position; otherwise, the seat
will engage in its current position. If this
happens, adjust the forward/backward po‐
sition manually, refer to page 36.2.Fold back the backrest to lock the seat.
WARNING
There is risk of jamming when moving the
seats. There is risk of injuries or risk of property
damage. Make sure that the area of movement
of the seat is clear prior to any adjustment. ◀
WARNING
Unexpected movements of the backrest
while driving may occur due to an unlocked
backrest. Vehicle control could be lost. There is
risk of injuries. Fold back and lock the backrests
before driving. ◀
Seat heating
Switching on
The temperature setting progresses one step
through its control sequence each time you
press the button. The maximum temperature is
reached when three LEDs are lit.
If the trip is continued within approx. 15 mi‐
nutes, the seat heating is activated automati‐
cally with the temperature set last.
The temperature is reduced, if need be, down
to no heat in order to reduce the load on the
battery. The LEDs remain lit.
Switch off
Press the button longer.
Safety beltsNumber of safety belts
Your vehicle has been fitted with four or five
safety belts for the safety of you and your pas‐
sengers.
However, they can only offer protection when
adjusted correctly.
InformationAlways make sure that safety belts are being
worn by all occupants before driving away.
Although airbags enhance safety by providing
added protection, they are not a substitute for
safety belts.
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The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted.
WARNING
If the safety belt is used by more than
one person, the protective effect of the safety
belt cannot be ensured anymore. There is risk
of injuries or danger to life. Do not allow more
than one person to wear a single safety belt. In‐
fants and children are not allowed in an occu‐
pant's lap, but must be transported and respec‐
tively secured in designated child restraint
systems. ◀
WARNING
The protective effect of the safety belts
can be limited or lost when safety belts are fas‐
tened incorrectly. An incorrectly fastened safety
belt can cause additional injuries, e.g. in the
event of an accident or during braking and eva‐
sive maneuvers. There is risk of injuries or dan‐
ger to life. Make sure that all occupants are
wearing safety belts correctly. ◀
WARNING
With a rear backrest that is not locked,
the protective function of the middle safety belt
is not guaranteed. There is risk of injuries or
danger to life. If you are using the middle safety
belt, lock the wider rear backrest. ◀
Correct use of safety belts▷Wear the belt twist-free and as tight to your
body as possible over your lap and should‐
ers.▷Wear the belt deep on your hips over your
lap. The belt may not press on your stom‐
ach.▷Do not wear the belt on your throat, rub it
on sharp edges, guide it or jam it in across
hard or fragile objects.▷Avoid thick clothing.▷Re-tighten the belt frequently upward
around your upper body.Buckling the belt
MINI Countryman:
MINI Paceman:
Make sure you hear the latch plate engage in
the belt buckle.
The shoulder strap's anchorage point will be
correct for adult seat occupants of every build if
the seat is correctly adjusted, refer to page 36.
Unbuckling the belt
1.Hold the belt firmly.2.Press the red button in the belt buckle.3.Guide the belt back into its reel.
Securing the buckle tongues
If the front passenger seat is not occupied, slide
the buckle tongue up to the belt stop knob with
the clip.
When the outer rear seats are not occupied, the
buckle tongues of the rear seats can be slid up
to the cargo area trim with the clip.
This helps avoid annoying noises when driving.
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Move the buckle tongues to the belt holder on
the headliner, refer to page 40, and insert them
into the provided holders.
Safety belt reminder for driver's seat
and front passenger seat
The indicator lamps light up and a sig‐
nal sounds. Check whether the safety
belt has been fastened correctly.
Damage to safety belts
In the case of strain caused by accidents or
damage:
Have the safety belts, including the safety belt
tensioners, replaced and have the belt anchors
checked.
WARNING
The protective effect of the safety belts
may not be fully functional or fail in the follow‐
ing situations:
▷Safety belts are damaged, soiled or
changed in any other way.▷Safety belt buckle is damaged or heavily
soiled.▷Belt tensioners or belt retractors were
modified.
Safety belts can be imperceptibly damaged in
the event of an accident. There is risk of injuries
or danger to life. Do not modify safety belts,
safety belt buckles, belt tensioners, belt retrac‐
tors or belt anchors and keep them clean. After
an accident, have the safety belts checked by a
dealer’s service center or another qualified
service center or repair shop. ◀
Head restraints
Information WARNING
A missing protective effect due to re‐
moved or not correctly adjusted head restraints
can cause injuries in the head and neck area.
There is risk of injuries. Install head restraints
on occupied seats prior to driving and make sure that the center of the head restraint sup‐
ports the back of the head at eye level. ◀
WARNING
Objects on the head restraint reduce the
protective effect in the head and neck area.
There is risk of injuries.▷Do not use seat or head restraint covers.▷Do not hang objects, e.g., clothes hangers,
directly on the head restraint.▷Only use accessories that have been deter‐
mined to be safe for attachment to a head
restraint.▷Do not use any accessories, e.g. pillows,
while driving. ◀
Correctly set head restraint
A correctly adjusted head restraint reduces the
risk of spinal injury in the event of an accident.
Height Adjust the head restraint so that its center is
approx. at ear level.
MINI Countryman: the center rear head re‐
straint is not height adjustable.
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Height adjustment
To raise: pull.
To lower: press the button, arrow 1, and push
the head restraint down until it engages.
MINI Countryman: additionally press button 2
on the rear head restraints only if you wish to
remove them.
Removing Only remove the head restraint if no one will be
sitting in the seat in question.
Front
1.Pull the head restraint upward as far as
possible.2.MINI Countryman: tilt the backrest back
slightly.
MINI Paceman: fold the backrest forward if
necessary.3.Press button 1 and pull out the head re‐
straint all the way to the stop.
MINI Countryman: additionally press but‐
ton 2 using a suitable tool.4.Pull out the head restraint.5.Fold back the backrest.
Rear
1.Pull the head restraint upward as far as
possible.2.Fold the backrest forward slightly.3.Press button 1 and pull out the head re‐
straint all the way to the stop.
MINI Countryman: additionally press but‐
ton 2 using a suitable tool.4.Pull out the head restraint completely.5.Fold back the rear seat backrest.
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors
General information
The mirror on the passenger side is more
curved than the driver's mirror.
WARNING
Objects reflected in the mirror are closer
than they appear. The distance to the traffic
behind could be incorrectly estimated, e.g.
while changing lanes. There is risk of an acci‐
dent. Estimate the distance to the traffic behind
by looking over your shoulder. ◀
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▷Do not cover the area between the inside
rearview mirror and the windshield.▷Do not apply stickers to the windshield in
front of the mirror.
Steering wheel
Adjusting WARNING
Steering wheel adjustments while driving
can lead to unexpected steering wheel move‐
ments. Vehicle control could be lost. There is
risk of an accident. Adjust the steering wheel
while the vehicle is stationary only. ◀
1.Fold the lever down.2.Move the steering wheel to the preferred
height and angle to suit your seating posi‐
tion.3.Fold the lever back.Seite 44CONTROLSAdjusting44
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Transporting children safelyVehicle features and op‐
tions
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and sys‐
tems.
When using the features and systems described
here, adhere to local regulations.
The right place for chil‐
dren
Information WARNING
Unattended children or animals can move
the vehicle and endanger themselves and traf‐
fic, e.g. with the following actions:▷Pressing the Start/Stop button.▷Releasing the parking brake.▷Opening and closing of doors or windows.▷Shifting the selector lever into neutral.▷Using vehicle equipment.
There is risk of accidents or injuries. Do not
leave children or animals unattended in the ve‐
hicle. Carry remote control along when exiting
and lock the vehicle. ◀
Children should always be in the rear WARNING
Persons shorter than 5 ft, 150 cm cannot
correctly fasten the safety belt without suitable
additional restraint systems. The protective ef‐
fect of the safety belts can be limited or lost
when safety belts are fastened incorrectly. An
incorrectly fastened safety belt can cause addi‐
tional injuries, e.g. in the event of an accident
or during braking and evasive maneuvers.
There is risk of injuries or danger to life. Secure
persons shorter than 5 ft, 150 cm using suitable
restraint systems. ◀
Accident research shows that the safest place
for children is on the rear seat.
Only transport children younger than 12 years
of age (13 years of age) or shorter than 5 ft,
150 cm in the rear in child restraint systems
suitable for the age, weight and size of the
child.
Children 13 years of age or older must wear a
safety belt as soon as a suitable child restraint
system can no longer be used due to their age,
weight and size.
Children on the front passenger seat
Should it be necessary to use a child restraint
fixing system on the front passenger seat,
make sure that the front and side airbags on
the front passenger side are deactivated, refer
to page 75.
Information WARNING
Active front-seat passenger airbags can
injure a child in a child restraint system when
the airbags are activated. There is risk of inju‐
ries. Make sure that the front-seat passenger
airbags are deactivated and that the PASSEN‐
GER AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp lights up. ◀
WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child
seat. There is risk of injuries or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fitsSeite 45Transporting children safelyCONTROLS45
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securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀
Installing child re‐ straint fixing systems
Before mounting MINI Countryman: before mounting a child re‐
straint fixing system on the rear seats, move
the seats into the rearmost positions.
Adjust the inclination of the center backrest to
that of the respective outer backrest.
After mounting the child restraint fixing system
on the respective outer rear seat, adjust the
backrest forward, if necessary, to ensure that
the backrest is in contact with the child re‐
straint fixing system. Rear seat backrests, refer
to page 102.
Information Pay attention to the specifications of the child
restraint system manufacturer when selecting,
installing, and using child restraint systems.
WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child seat. There is risk of injuries or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fits
securely against the backrest. If possible, adjust
the backrest tilt for all affected backrests and
correctly adjust the seats. Make sure that seats
and backrests are securely engaged. If possible,
adjust the height of the head restraints or re‐
move them. ◀On the front passenger seat
Deactivating the airbags After installing a child restraint fixing system on
the front passenger seat, ensure that the front,
side, and knee airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Seat position and height Before installing a child restraint fixing system,move the front passenger seat as far back aspossible and adjust its height to the highest po‐
sition to obtain the best possible position for
the belt and to offer optimal protection in the
event of an accident.
Do not change this seat position once it has
been set.
Child seat security
The graphic shows the MINI Countryman as an
example.
The rear safety belts and the safety belt for the
front passenger can be locked to prevent ex‐
tension in order to permit attachment of child
restraint fixing systems.
To lock the safety belt
1.Secure the child restraint fixing system with
the belt.2.Pull out the belt webbing completely.3.Allow the belt webbing to be pulled in and
pull it taut against the child restraint fixing
system.
The safety belt is locked.
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