Page 277 of 522

276 Controls in detailLoadingUnloading and folding
Loosen both straps.
Disconnect hook1 from eye2.
Unload skis.
Close flap in trunk.
Fold and flatten ski bag lengthwise and
place folded ski bag inside recess of
backrest.
Close ski bag compartment cover.Removal of ski bag
For removal of the ski bag, we recommend
that you contact an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
Split rear bench seat*
To expand the trunk, you can fold down the
left and right rear seat backrests.
The two sections can be folded down sep-
arately to enlarge the trunk.
Warning!
G
Never drive vehicle with trunk open while
the ski bag is removed. Deadly carbon mon-
oxide (CO) gases may enter vehicle interior,
resulting in unconsciousness and death.i
To prevent unauthorized persons from ac-
cess to the trunk, always close the cover.
Warning!
G
When expanding the luggage compartment,
always fold the seat cushions fully forward.
Unless you are transporting cargo, the back-
rests must remain properly locked in the up-
right position.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
Always use the cargo tie down rings
(page 280).
Page 278 of 522

277 Controls in detail
Loading
Folding the backrest forward
1Release handle
Pull release handle1.
The seat cushion automatically springs
upward slightly.1Seat cushion
2Seat backrest
Grip the back of seat cushion1 and
fold forward.
Push the rear seat head restraints all
the way in.
Pull the handle in the trunk.
The seat backrest is released and the
head restraints fold back.
Fold the seat backrest forward.
!
You must always release the seat cushion
and fold it up before folding the seat backrests
forward. The upholstery on the seat backrest
may otherwise be damaged.
i
If tall persons have occupied the driver’s and
front passenger seats, it may be necessary to
move these seats forward slightly in order to fold
the rear seat backrests forward.
i
If the rear center seat is to be occupied
while driving, it may be necessary to fold the seat
belt buckle up again.
!
Make sure the head restraints fit all the way
into the seat cushion pockets. This will prevent
the backrests from being damaged during load-
ing.
Page 279 of 522
278 Controls in detailLoadingReturning seat backrest to original po-
sition
1Seat cushion
2Seat backrest
Swing seat backrest2 to the rear until
it engages.
Swing seat cushion1 to the rear and
press the center front of the cushion
until it audibly engages.
Swing the head restraint forward by
hand until it engages.
Warning!
G
Always lock backrest in its upright position
when rear seat bench is occupied, or the ex-
tended trunk compartment is not in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle, and cause injury
to vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo.
Page 280 of 522
279 Controls in detail
Loading
Expanding the cargo area*
Removing the rear seat cushions will pro-
vide you with a larger, flat cargo area.
Fold the seat cushions and the back-
rests forward (
page 277).
Remove the head restraints
(page 130).
Fold the backrest into the vertical posi-
tion.
1Release lever
Pull seat cushion release lever1 and
remove the seat cushion by pulling it
upward.
Fold the seat backrest forward.
Loading instructions
The total load weight including vehicle oc-
cupants and luggage/cargo should not ex-
ceed the load limit indicated on the
corresponding placard located on the driv-
er’s door B-pillar.
!
Leave the seat cushion hinge in this posi-
tion. The upholstery could be damaged if you fold
the hinge back.
Page 281 of 522

280 Controls in detailLoadingThe handling characteristics of a fully load-
ed vehicle depend greatly on the load dis-
tribution. It is therefore recommended to
load the vehicle according to the illustra-
tions shown, with the heaviest items being
placed towards the front of the vehicle.
Always place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
The heaviest portion of the cargo should al-
ways be kept as low as possible since it in-
fluences the handling characteristics of
the vehicle.
Cargo tie-down rings*
Four rings1 are located in the trunk.
Carefully secure cargo by applying
even load on all rings with rope of suffi-
cient strength to hold down the cargo.
Always follow loading instructions
(page 279).
Warning!
G
Always fasten items being carried as secure-
ly as possible using cargo tie-down rings and
fastening materials appropriate for the
weight and size of the load.
In an accident, during hard braking or sud-
den maneuvers, loose items will be thrown
around inside the vehicle and can cause in-
jury to vehicle occupants unless the items
are securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when transporting cargo. Put luggage or car-
go in the trunk if possible. Do not pile lug-
gage or cargo higher than the seat backs.
Do not place anything on the rear-window
shelf.
Never drive vehicle with trunk open. Deadly
carbon monoxide (CO) gases may enter ve-
hicle interior resulting in unconsciousness
and death.
Page 282 of 522
281 Controls in detail
Loading
Rear seat
There is a cargo tie-down ring1 located
on each side of the footwell under the rear
seat.
Retaining hooks
Depending on vehicle production date one
or two hooks are located on the upper
edge of the trunk and can be used to
attach cargo items such as bags.
Pull tab 1 of retaining hook 2 down.
!
Do not use the retaining hooks to tie down
cargo.
Page 283 of 522
282 Controls in detailUseful featuresStorage compartments Glove box
1Compartment for mobile phone/glass-
es
2Glove box lid release
Opening the glove box
Push glove box lid release2.
The glove box lid opens downward.
Closing the glove box
Push glove box lid up to close.Storage compartment in the rear cen-
ter console
Briefly press the top of the compart-
ment.
It extends automatically.
Warning!
G
To help avoid personal injury during a colli-
sion or sudden maneuver, exercise care
when storing objects in the vehicle. Put lug-
gage or cargo in the trunk if possible. Do not
pile luggage or cargo higher than the seat
backs. Do not place anything on the shelf
below the rear window.
Luggage nets cannot secure hard or heavy
objects.
Keep compartment lids closed. This will help
to prevent stored objects from being thrown
around and injuring vehicle occupants dur-
ing an accident.
i
Close the compartment for mobile
phone/glasses1 first before closing the glove
box.
Page 284 of 522
283 Controls in detail
Useful features
Storage compartment in the rear arm-
rest
Press the handle upwards and fold the
rear armrest lid up.Ruffled storage bags
Ruffled storage bags are located on the
back of the front seats.
Warning!
G
USA only: Do not place objects with a com-
bined weight of more than 4.4 lb (2 kg) into
the ruffled storage bag. Otherwise, the
Occupant Classification System OCS
(page 75) may not be able to properly
approximate the occupant weight category.
The ruffled storage bag is intended for stor-
ing light-weight items only.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
ruffled storage bag. In an accident, during
hard braking, or sudden maneuvers, they
could be thrown around inside the vehicle
and cause injury to vehicle occupants.
The ruffled storage bag cannot protect
transported goods in the event of an acci-
dent.