Page 43 of 457

42 Getting started
Adjusting
Seat adjustment
The seat adjustment switches are located
on the respective front door.
1Head restraint height
2Seat backrest tilt
3Seat fore and aft adjustment
4Seat cushion tilt
5Seat height
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
or
Open the respective front door.
Warning!G
According to accident statistics, children
are safer when properly restrained in the
rear seating positions than in the front seat-
ing position. Thus, we strongly recommend
that children be placed in the rear seats
whenever possible. Regardless of seating
position, children 12 years old and under
must be seated and properly secured in an
appropriately sized infant restraint, toddler
restraint, or booster seat recommended for
the size and weight of the child. For addi-
tional information, see “Children in the vehi-
cle” (
page 78).
A child’s risk of serious or fatal injuries is
significantly increased if the child restraints
are not properly secured in the vehicle
and/or the child is not properly secured in
the child restraint.
!When moving the seat, make sure
there are no items in the footwell or behind
the seat
the cup holder next to the armrest is
removed (
page 219)
the cup holder in the front passenger
footwell is folded closed (
page 220)
Otherwise you could damage the seat and/or
cup holders.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the seat position together
with the settings for the steering wheel and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
Page 45 of 457

44 Getting started
Adjusting
Steering wheel
Steering wheel adjustment
Make sure that
you can reach the steering wheel with
your arms slightly bent at the elbows,
you can move your legs freely
all displays (incl. malfunction and indi-
cator lamps) on the instrument cluster
are clearly visibleThe steering wheel adjustment stalk is
located on the lower left of the steering
column.
1Adjusting steering wheel, in or out
2Adjusting steering wheel, up or down
Switch on the ignition (page 39).
or
Open the driver’s door.
Warning!G
Do not adjust the steering wheel while
driving. Adjusting the steering wheel while
driving could cause the driver to lose control
of the vehicle.
When leaving the vehicle, always remove the
SmartKey from the starter switch, take it
with you, and lock the vehicle.
Even with the SmartKey removed from the
starter switch, the steering wheel adjust-
ment feature can be operated when the
driver’s door is open. Therefore, do not leave
children unattended in the vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. A child’s
unsupervised access to a vehicle could
result in an accident and/or serious
personal injury.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the steering wheel together
with the settings for the seat position and the
exterior rear view mirrors.
Page 46 of 457

45 Getting started
Adjusting
Adjusting steering wheel in or out
Move stalk forward or backward in
direction of arrow1.
Adjusting steering wheel up or down
Move stalk up or down in direction of
arrow2.
For information on “Heated steering
wheel”, see (
page 225).
Easy-entry/exit feature
This feature allows for easier entry into and
exit from the vehicle. When entering and
exiting the vehicle, the steering wheel is in
its uppermost position.
The easy-entry/exit feature can be
activated or deactivated in the
Convenience submenu of the control
system (
page 156).With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel will return to its last set
position when you:
close the driver’s door with the ignition
switched on
or
insert the SmartKey into the starter
switch with the driver’s door closed
With the easy-entry/exit feature activated,
the steering wheel tilts upwards when you:
remove the SmartKey from the starter
switch
or
open the driver’s door with the
SmartKey in starter switch position0
or1
Warning!G
You must make sure no one can become
trapped or injured by the moving steering
wheel when the easy-entry/exit feature is
activated.
To stop steering wheel movement, do one of
the following:
Move the steering wheel adjustment
stalk (
page 44).
Press one of the stored position buttons
or the memory button (
page 115).
Do not leave children unattended in the
vehicle, or with access to an unlocked
vehicle. Children could open the driver’s
door and unintentionally activate the
easy-entry/exit feature, which could result
in an accident and/or serious personal
injury.
iThe last set steering wheel position is stored
when
the ignition is switched off (page 39)
the position is stored into memory
(
page 115)
Page 47 of 457

46 Getting started
Adjusting
Mirrors
Adjust the interior and exterior rear view
mirrors before driving so that you have a
good view of the road and traffic condi-
tions.
Interior rear view mirror
Manually adjust the interior rear view
mirror.
For more information, see “Rear view mir-
rors” (
page 177).Exterior rear view mirrors
iIf the current position for the steering wheel
is in the uppermost tilt position, the steering
wheel will no longer be able to move upward
when the easy-entry/exit feature is activated.
Warning!G
Let the system complete the adjustment
procedure before setting the vehicle in
motion. All steering wheel adjustment must
be completed before setting the vehicle in
motion. Driving off with the steering wheel
still adjusting could cause the driver to lose
control of the vehicle.
Warning!G
Exercise care when using the passen-
ger-side exterior rear view mirror. The mirror
surface is convex (outwardly curved surface
for a wider field of view). Objects in mirror
are closer than they appear. Check your
interior rear view mirror or glance over your
shoulder before changing lanes.
Page 48 of 457

47 Getting started
Adjusting
The buttons are located above the exterior
lamp switch.
1Adjustment button
2Driver’s side exterior rear view mirror
button
3Passenger-side exterior rear view
mirror buttonSwitch on the ignition (page 39).
Press button2 for the driver’s side
exterior rear view mirror or button3
for the passenger-side exterior rear
view mirror.
Push adjustment button1 up, down,
left, or right according to the desired
setting.For more information, see “Storing exterior
rear view mirror parking position”
(
page 116).!If an exterior rear view mirror housing is
forcibly pushed forward (hit from the rear) or
rearward (hit from the front), reposition it by
applying firm pressure until it snaps into place.
The exterior rear view mirror housing is now
properly positioned and you can adjust the
mirror in the usual manner.
iAt low ambient temperatures, the exterior
rear view mirrors will be heated automatically.
iThe memory function (page 114) lets you
store the setting for the exterior rear view mir-
rors together with the settings for the steering
wheel and the seat position.
Page 57 of 457

56 Getting started
Driving
After a cold start, the transmission shifts at
a higher engine revolution. This allows the
catalytic converter to reach its operating
temperature earlier.
For more information, see “Driving instruc-
tions” (
page 245).
For information on off-road driving, see
“Off-road driving” (
page 253).
Switching on headlamps
Low beam headlamps
The exterior lamp switch is located on the
dashboard to the left of the steering wheel.
Exterior lamp switch
1Off
2Low beam headlamps on
Turn the exterior lamp switch to
positionB.
The low beam headlamp indicator
lampB in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
iOnce the vehicle is in motion, the automatic
central locking system engages and the locking
knobs drop down.
The automatic door lock feature can be deacti-
vated (
page 155).
You can open a locked door from the inside.
Open door only when conditions are safe to do
so.
Warning!G
On slippery road surfaces, never downshift
in order to obtain braking action. This could
result in drive wheel slip and reduced vehi-
cle control. Your vehicle’s ABS will not pre-
vent this type of loss of control.
Warning!G
It is dangerous to shift the gear selector
lever out ofP or N if the engine speed is
higher than idle speed. If your foot is not
firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could
accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear
when the engine is idling normally and when
your right foot is firmly on the brake pedal.
!Do not run cold engine at high engine speed.
Running a cold engine at high engine speed may
shorten the service life of the engine.
!Simultaneously depressing the accelerator
pedal and applying the brakes reduces engine
performance and causes premature brake and
drivetrain wear.
Page 58 of 457
57 Getting started
Driving
High beam
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1High beam
2High beam flasher
Push the combination switch in
direction of arrow1.
The high beam headlamp indicator
lampA in the instrument cluster
comes on (
page 26).
For more information on headlamps, see
“Lighting” (
page 117).
Turn signals
The combination switch is located on the
left of the steering column.
Combination switch
1Turn signals, right
2Turn signals, left
Press the combination switch in
direction of arrow1 or2.
The corresponding turn signal indicator
lampK orL in the instrument
cluster flashes (
page 26).
The combination switch resets automati-
cally after major steering wheel move-
ments.
iTo signal minor directional changes such as
changing lanes, press combination switch only
to point of resistance and release. The corre-
sponding turn signals will flash three times.
Page 63 of 457

62 Getting started
Parking and locking
You have now completed your first drive.
You have properly stopped and parked
your vehicle. End your drive as follows.Parking brake
Warning!G
With the engine not running, there is no
power assistance for the brake and the
steering system. In this case, it is important
to keep in mind that a considerably higher
degree of effort is necessary to brake and
steer the vehicle.
Warning!G
Do not park this vehicle in areas where
combustible materials such as grass, hay or
leaves can come into contact with the hot
exhaust system, as these materials could be
ignited and cause a vehicle fire.
To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the vehicle drivetrain as a result
of vehicle movement, before turning off the
engine and leaving the vehicle always:
Keep right foot on brake pedal.
Pull the parking brake lever up as many
notches as possible.
Move the gear selector lever to park
positionP.
Slowly release brake pedal.
When parked on an incline, turn front
wheels towards the road curb.
Turn the SmartKey in the starter switch
position0 and remove.
Take the SmartKey with you and lock
vehicle when leaving.
Warning!G
Engaging the parking brake while the vehicle
is in motion can cause the rear wheels to
lock up. You could lose control of the vehicle
and cause an accident. In addition, the
vehicle’s brake lights do not light up when
the parking brake is engaged.