Do BMW 7 Series Rear Seats Fold Down? A Comprehensive Guide

If you’ve ever needed to haul bulky items like ski gear or furniture in your BMW 7 Series, you may have wondered – do the rear seats in a 7 Series fold down?

The 7 Series is BMW’s flagship luxury sedan, with indulgent rear seats designed for maximum passenger comfort. But when you need to carry more cargo, it’s good to know the back seats can fold down to open up interior space.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about folding down the rear seats in a BMW 7 Series, including:

• Which 7 Series models have fold-down rear seats
• Step-by-step instructions for folding the seats
• Tips for maximizing cargo capacity
• Accessing the trunk when seats are folded
• Differences folding executive lounge seating

Let’s get started.

Do All BMW 7 Series Models Have Fold-Down Rear Seats?

The good news is that all generations and body styles of the 7 Series sedan feature rear seats that fold down to some degree, with the exception of the first two generations, the E23 (1977–1987) and E32 (1986–1994) models.

So any 7 Series from 1995-onward will allow you to fold the rear seats down for added cargo space when needed. This includes the:

• E38 generation, produced from 1994–2001
• E65/E66 generation, produced from 2001–2008
• F01/F02 generation, produced from 2008–2015
• G11/G12 current generation, in production since 2015

Some key design changes that allowed the rear seats to fold include:

• The E38 introduced an electronically activated system for folding the rear seats down.
• The E65/E66 was the first 7 Series to feature a split-folding rear seat with a 40/20/40 configuration. This allowed each section to be folded independently.
• Recent G11/G12 models have comfort seats that fold down easily at the touch of a button.

So while the earliest 7 Series sedans lacked fold-down seats, it’s become a standard feature across all contemporary model years.

How to Fold Down the Rear Seats in a BMW 7 Series

The specific method for folding the rear seats will vary slightly depending on the model year and seating configuration. But the general process follows a few simple steps:

Folding Down the Rear Bench

For 7 Series models with a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat:

• Locate the seat release handles. There will be a handle accessible from the trunk for each side of the 40/40 sections, and possibly one within the cabin for the 20 section.
• Pull up on the handle(s) to unlatch the seat backs. You may need to press down on the top of the seat as you pull the handle.
• Fold the seat backs down into the rear footwells. Make sure they securely latch in the folded position. The center 20 section may or may not fold independently, depending on the model.
• For the current G11/G12 generation, there are electric buttons on the side of the cargo area that automatically fold each section down with just a click. Much more convenient!

Folding Down the Rear Headrests

To maximize cargo space, you’ll also want to fold the rear headrests down:

• For manually adjustable headrests, simply push the headrest down until it clicks into the fully lowered position.
• For power adjustable restraints, there will be controls on the side of the cargo area that lower the headrests with the touch of a button.

Accessing the Cargo Area

Once the seat backs are folded down, you can easily access the expanded cargo space:

• For models up to the F01/F02 generation, you’ll need to walk around to the side doors to load items through the rear cabin.
• For the current G11/G12 models, there is a cargo door button conveniently located in the trunk, allowing you to pop open the folded seat backs and load straight from the trunk.

With a few quick steps, the rear seats can be folded down to make room for up to 60 cubic feet of cargo space in most model years. Just be sure not to exceed the maximum weight load, usually around 220 lbs per side.

Folding Down Rear Seats in a 7 Series with Executive Lounge Seating

If you have a BMW 7 Series with the Executive Lounge rear seating configuration, the process for folding down the seats differs slightly.

In models like the M760Li with Executive Lounge Seating, the two outer rear seats are luxury captain’s chairs that recline, offer massages, and are separated by a fixed center console.

To fold these captain’s chairs:

• Power recline the seat fully using the controls on the door.
• Locate the lever at the base of the seat and pull upward to release.
• Push the seat all the way forward to fold it down.

You can also fold the fixed center rear seat down using the trunk release. This expands the center pass-through for long cargo like skis.

The total cargo capacity is more limited than the standard bench, but still provides flexibility when needed.

Max Cargo Space with Rear Seats Folded in 7 Series

So how much interior room do you get when folding down the rear seats on a BMW 7 Series? Here is the maximum cargo capacity with the seats down for recent models:

• F01/F02 generation – Up to 60 cubic feet of space
• G11/G12 generation – Up to 58 cubic feet of space
• Alpina B7 – Up to 59 cubic feet of space

So you can easily fit items like large suitcases, golf clubs, snowboards, strollers, bicycles, and more by folding down the seats.

To compare, the 7 Series offers between 14-18 cubic feet of trunk space with the rear seats upright, depending on the model year. So folding them down more than triples the available cargo room.

If you need to carry especially long items, the center pass-through in models equipped with 40/20/40 seating can accommodate up to 3.5 feet of length.

Can You Fold Down the Rear Seats from the Trunk?

For older 7 Series models up to the F01/F02 generation, the rear seat releases were only accessible from inside the cabin. So you had to fold them from the back doors.

However, starting with the current G11/G12 generation, BMW added a convenient cargo door button that allows you to fold the seats right from the trunk:

• Simply press the button located on the right side wall of the cargo area and the corresponding rear seat back will fold down.
• There are two buttons that independently release the left and right sides of the 40/40 rear bench.
• The seats will fold down automatically and you can access the expanded cargo space directly from the luggage compartment.

This new trunk feature makes it incredibly quick and easy to fold down the rear seats when you need the extra room. No need to walk around the side of the car.

The cargo door button offers one-touch folding that’s a major convenience upgrade over previous models.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide gave you a complete overview of how to fold down the rear seats in a BMW 7 Series to maximize cargo capacity. Here are some key takeaways:

• All BMW 7 Series models from 1995-onward allow you to fold the rear seats down for added cargo room.
• Newer models like the G11/G12 have electric buttons that instantly fold the seats – a major convenience.
• Folding the seats opens up between 58-60 cubic feet of total cargo space, over triple the trunk room alone.
• Executive Lounge models have reclining captain’s chairs that require a slightly different folding procedure.
• The cargo door button on current models lets you conveniently fold seats right from the trunk.

While the 7 Series first and foremost provides a luxurious rear cabin experience, the ability to fold the seats down gives you flexibility when you need to use that space for hauling larger items. BMW didn’t compromise comfort for utility.

So whether you need to fit some home improvement supplies or a few sets of golf clubs, with a few easy steps the rear seats can be folded down to handle whatever you need to transport.