Vehicle equipment
i This manual describes all the standard
and optional equipment of your vehicle
available at the time of publicatio nofthe
Owner's Manual. Country-specific differen-
ces are possible. Please note that your
vehicle may not be equipped with all fea-
tures described. This also applies to safety-
relevant systems and functions. Occupant safety
Important safety notes
Seat belts, together with belt tensioners, belt
force limiters and airbags, are complemen-
tary, coordinated restraint systems. They
reduce the risk of injury in specific, pre-
defined types of accident situations and
thereby increase occupant safety. However,
seat belts and airbags generally do not pro-
tect against objects penetrating the vehicle
from the outside.
To ensure that the restraint systems can
deliver their full potential protection, make
sure that:
R the seat and head restraint are adjusted
properly (Y page 84).
R the seat belt has been fastened properly
(Y page 43).
R the airbags can inflate unrestricted if
deployed (Y page 36).
R the steering wheel is adjusted properly
(Y page 84).
R the restraint systems have not been modi-
fied.
i An airbag increases the protection of
vehicle occupants wearing a seat belt. As
such they are only an additional restraint
system which complements, but does not
replace, the seat belt. All vehicle occupants
must wear their seat belt correctly at all
times, even if the vehicle is equipped with
airbags. Airbags are not deployed in all
types of accidents, e.g. in situations where airbag deployment would not increase the
protection afforded by a correctly worn
seat belt. Airbag deployment only provides
increased protection if the seat belt is worn
correctly because:
R the seat belt helps to keep the vehicle
occupant in the best position in relation
to the airbag.
R for example, in a head-on collision, the
seat belt can more adequately prevent
the occupant from being propelled
towards the point of the impact, and is
thus better suited to prevent injury.
Therefore, in accident situations where an
airbag is deployed, it only provides protec-
tion in addition to the seat belt if the seat
belt is being worn correctly. G
Risk of accident and injury
If service work is not carried out correctly, the
operating safety of your vehicle may be affec-
ted. This could cause you to lose control of
your vehicle and cause an accident. More-
over, the safety systems may no longer be
able to protect you or others as they are
designed to do.
Always have service work carried out at a
qualified specialist workshop. The workshop
must have the necessary specialist knowl-
edge and tools to carry out the work required.
Mercedes-Ben zrecommends that you use a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre for this pur-
pose. In particular, work relevant to safety or
on safety-related systems must be carried out
at a qualified specialist workshop. G
Risk of injury
Modifications to or work performed incor-
rectly on the following parts can result in the
restraint systems not functioning as intended:
R the restraint system, consisting of seat
belts and their anchorage points, belt ten-
sioners, belt force limiters and airbags
R the wiring
R networked electronic systems 34
Occupant safetySafety
R
Rearward-facing child restrain tsystems
must not be fitted to the front-passenger
seat unless the front-passenger airbag has
been disabled. On the front-passenger
seat, the front-passenger airbag is disabled
if a child restrain tsystem with automatic
child seat recognition is fitted to the front-
passenger seat .The 4 PASSENGER
AIRBAG OFF indicator lamp must be con-
tinuously lit.
If the front-passenger seat of your vehicle
does not have automatic child seat recog-
nition, or your rearward-facing child
restraint system does not have automatic
child seat recognition, children must be
secured in a child restraint system on a
suitable seat in the rear. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint system to the
front-passenger seat, you must move the
front-passenger seat as far back as possi-
ble.
R Make sure there are no heavy or sharp-
edged objects in the pockets of items of
clothing.
R Do not lean forwards, e.g. over the cover of
the driver's/front-passenger airbag, partic-
ularly when the vehicle is in motion.
R Do not put your feet on the dashboard.
R Only hold the steering wheel by the rim.
This allows the airbag to be fully deployed.
You could be injured if the airbag is
deployed and you are holding the inside of
the steering wheel.
R Do not lean on the doors from inside the
vehicle.
R Make sure that there are no people, ani-
mals or objects between the vehicle occu-
pants and the area where the airbags are
deployed.
R Do not place any objects between the seat
backrest and the door. R
Do not hang any hard objects, for example,
coat hangers, on the grab handles or coat
hooks.
R Do not attach accessories, e.g. cup holders,
to the doors.
It is not possible to rule out a risk of injury
being caused by an airbag due to the high
speed at which the airbag must be deployed. G
Risk of injury
Airbag functionality can only be assured if the
following parts are not covered and no badges
or stickers are attached to them:
R padded steering wheel boss
R kneebag cover below the steering column
R front-passenger airbag cover
R outer side of front seat bolsters
R side trim next to the rear seat backrest
R roof frame cover between the front A-pillar
and the C-pillar in the rear compartment G
Risk of injury
As mall amount of powder is released when
an airbag is deployed. The powder could
cause short-term breathing difficulties in peo-
ple with asthma or other respiratory prob-
lems.
In order to prevent breathing difficulties, you
should leave the vehicle as soon as it is safe
to do so. You can also open the window to
allow fresh air to enter the interior. The pow-
der does not constitute ahealth hazard and
does not indicate that there is a fire in the
vehicle. G
Risk of injury
The airbag parts are hot after the airbag has
been deployed. Do not touch them as you
could burn yourself.
Have the airbags replaced at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Otherwise, occupants are
not protected by the airbags in the event of
another accident. Occupant safety
37Safety Z
Fron
tairbags The fron
tairbags increase protection for the
driver's and front-passenger's head and
chest. Driver's airbag
:deploys in front of the
steering wheel; front-passenger airbag ;
deploys in front of and above the glove com-
partment.
They are deployed:
R at the start of an accident with a high rate
of vehicle acceleration or deceleration in a
longitudinal direction
R if the system determines that airbag
deploymen tcan offer additional protection
to that provided by the seat belt
R if the seat belt is fastened
R independently of other airbag sinthe vehi-
cle
If the vehicle overturns, the front airbags are
generally not deployed unless the system
detects high vehicle deceleration in a longi-
tudinal direction.
Front-passenger airbag ;is only deployed if
the front-passenger seat is occupied or if the
4 PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF indicator
lamp in the centre console is not lit
(Y page 48). This means that a child
restraint system with automatic child seat
recognition has not been fitted to the front-
passenger seat or has been fitted incorrectly.
! Do not place heavy objects on the front-
passenger seat. This could cause the sys-
tem to identify the seat as being occupied.
In the event of an accident, the restraint systems on the front-passenger side are
triggered. Have restraint systems that have
been triggered replaced.
Driver's kneebag i
The driver's kneebag is only available in
certain countries.
The driver's kneebag increases protection of
the driver against:
R knee injuries
R thigh injuries
R lower leg injuries Driver's kneebag
:is always deployed along
with the driver's airbag and inflates under-
neath the steering column.
Sidebags G
Risk of injury
If you wish to use seat covers, Mercedes-Benz
recommends that, for safety reasons, you
only use seat covers that have been approved
for Mercedes-Ben zvehicles.
The seat covers must have a special tear seam
for sidebags/pelvisbags. Otherwise, the side-
bag/pelvisbag cannot deploy correctly and
would fail to provide the intended protection
in the event of an accident. Appropriate seat
covers can be obtained, for example, from a
Mercedes-Benz Service Centre. 38
Occupant safetySafety
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
Important safety guidelines G
Ris
kofa ccident
Do no tdepress the brake pedal several times
in quick succession (pumping). Pumping the
brake pedal reduces the braking effect. You
might otherwise not be able to stop the vehi-
cle in time and could cause an accident.
Depress the brake pedal firmly and smoothly.
ABS regulates brake pressure in such a way
that the wheels do not lock when you brake.
This allows you to continue steering the vehi-
cle when braking.
ABS works from a speed of about 8 km/h
upwards, regardless of road-surface condi-
tions. ABS works on slippery surfaces, even
when you only brake gently.
Braking If ABS intervenes when braking, you will feel
a pulsing in the brake pedal.
X If ABS intervenes: continue to depress the
brake pedal with force until the braking sit-
uation is over.
X To make a full brake application:
depress the brake pedal with full force. G
Risk of accident
If ABS is faulty, the wheels could lock when
braking .This limits the steerability of the vehi-
cle when braking and the braking distance
may increase.
If ABS is deactivated due to a malfunction,
then BAS and ESP are also deactivated. There
is an increased risk of your vehicle skidding in
certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
The pulsating brake pedal can be an indica-
tion of hazardous road conditions and func-
tions as a reminder to take extra care while
driving. BAS (Brake Assist)
BAS operates in emergency braking situa-
tions. If you depress the brake pedal quickly,
BAS automatically boosts the braking force,
thus shortening the stopping distance.
X Keep the brake pedal firmly depressed until
the emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will function as usual once you
release the brake pedal. BAS is deactivated. G
Risk of accident
If BAS has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect. However, braking force is not auto-
matically increased in emergency braking sit-
uations and the stopping distance may
increase. BAS PLUS (Brake Assist PLUS)
BAS PLUS is only available in vehicles with
DISTRONIC PLUS.
BAS PLUS assists you in braking during haz-
ardous situations at speeds above 30 km/h
and uses the radar sensor system to evaluate
the traffic situation. G
Risk of accident
BAS PLUS is only an aid to assist you when
driving. You are responsible for maintaining a
safe distance from other vehicles, for the vehi-
cle's speed and for braking in good time.
Always pay attention to the traffic conditions.
Otherwise, you may recognise dangers too
late, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
BAS PLUS can detect obstacles that are in the
path of your vehicle for an extended period of
time. Should you approach a detected obsta-
cle quickly, BAS PLUS calculates the braking
force necessary to avoid a rear-end collision.
Should you additionally apply the brakes, BAS
PLUS will automatically increase the braking Driving safety systems
57Safety Z
force to a level suitable for the traffic condi-
tions.
If BAS PLUS demands particularly high brak-
ing force, PRE-SAFE
®
is activated simultane-
ously.
X Keep the brake pedal depressed until the
emergency braking situation is over.
ABS prevents the wheels from locking.
The brakes will work normally again if:
R you release the brake pedal.
R no obstacle is detected in front of your
vehicle.
R there is no longe rany dange rofarear-end
collision.
BAS PLUS is then deactivated.
At speeds up to approximately 70 km/h, BAS
PLUS may also detect stationary obstacles,
for example, stopped or parked vehicles.
Vehicles without COMAND and a navigation
system and vehicles for Australia: the radar
sensor system and on-board computer must
be switched off in the vicinity of radio tele-
scope facilities (Y page 210).
For BAS PLUS to assist you when driving, the
rada rsensor system must be switched on and
operational. You can chec kthis by activating
DISTRONIC PLUS(Y page 154) or via the
"radars ensor" function in the on-board com-
puter (Y page 210). G
Risk of accident
Only clearly identified obstacles will initiate
braking assistance by BAS PLUS.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be restricted if there is:
R dirt on the sensors or anything else cover-
ing the sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, for example in
multi-storey car parks
BAS PLUS does not react to people or ani-
mals, oncoming vehicles and crossing traffic,
or when cornering. BAS PLUS may not detect narrow vehicles
such as motorcycles and vehicles driving on
a different line.
Following a collision or accident-related dam-
age to the fron tend of the vehicle, have the
configuratio nand operatio nofthe radar sen-
sors checked at a Mercedes-Benz Service
Centre.
If BAS PLUS is not available due to a malfunc-
tion in the radar sensor system, the brake
system remains available with full brake
boosting effect and BAS. Adaptive brake lamps
i Adaptive brake lamps are only available in
certain countries.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 50 km/h or if braking is assisted by BAS
or BAS PLUS, the brake lamps flash rapidly.
In this way, traffic travelling behind you is
warned in an even more noticeable manner.
If you brake sharply from a speed of more
than 70 km/h to a standstill, the hazard warn-
ing lamps are activated automatically .Ifthe
brakes are applied again, the brake lamps
light up continuously.T he hazard warning
lamps switch off automatically if you travel
faster than 10 km/h .You can also switch off
the hazard warning lamps using the hazard
warning switch button . ESP
®
(Electronic Stability Program)
Important safety notes If ESP
®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilise the
vehicle. If necessary, the engine output is also
modified to keep the vehicle on the desired
course within physical limits. ESP ®
assists
the driver when pulling away on wet or slip-
pery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilise the vehi-
cle during braking. 58
Driving safety systemsSafety
If ESP
®
intervenes, the ÷warning lamp
flashes in the instrument cluster. G
Risk of accident
If the ÷ warning lamp in the instrument
cluster flashes, proceed as follows:
R do not deactivate ESP ®
under any circum-
stances.
R only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R adapt yourd riving style to suitt he prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
Otherwise, the vehicle could go into a skid.
ESP ®
cannot reduce the risk of an accident if
you drive too fast. ESP ®
cannot override the
laws of physics.
! Switch the ignition off when:
R the parking brake is being tested using a
dynamometer
R the vehicle is being towed with the front/
rear axle raised
Application of the brakes by ESP ®
may oth-
erwise destroy the brake system.
! Do not tow vehicles with 4MATIC with the
front or rear axle raised.
i Only use wheels with the recommended
tyre sizes. Only then will ESP ®
function
properly.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System) Traction control is part of ESP
®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. On vehicles with 4MATIC, more drive
torque is also transferred to the wheel or
wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active if you deacti-
vate ESP ®
. G
Risk of accident
Traction control cannot reduce the risk of an
accident if you drive too fast. Traction control
cannot override the laws of physics.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(except
AMG vehicles) ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply.E SP®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin.
If you deactivate ESP ®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels can spin. The spinning of
the wheels results in a cutting action, which
provides bette rgrip.
R traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you
brake.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster flashes. In such situa-
tions, ESP ®
will not stabilise the vehicle.
X To deactivate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running. Driving safety systems
59Safety
Z
If the
÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction.
There is an increased risk of yourv ehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weather condi-
tions.
X To activate:(Y page 204).
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Deactivating/activating ESP ®
(AMG
vehicles) Activating/deactivating SPORT handling
mode
ESP
®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to activate SPORT handling
mode in the following situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel
Otherwise, you should only use SPORT han-
dling mode on designated race circuits. G
Risk of accident
Deactivate SPORT handling mode and acti-
vate ESP ®
as soon as the situations described
above no longer apply. Otherwise, SPORT
handling mode will only be able to stabilise
the vehicle to a limited degree if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
R the engine's torque is restricted to a limited
degree and the drive wheels can spin. The
spinning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip. R
traction control is still activated.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP ®
only stabilises the vehicle to a
limited degree. X
To activate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode message
appears in the multifunction display.
X To deactivate: briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
Activating/deactivating ESP ®
ESP ®
is activated automatically when the
engine is started.
It may be best to deactivate ESP ®
in the fol-
lowing situations:
R when using snow chains
R in deep snow
R on sand or gravel G
Risk of accident
Activate ESP ®
as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP ®
will
otherwise not be able to stabilise the vehicle
if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel starts
to spin. 60
Driving safet
ysystemsSafety
If you deactivate ESP
®
:
R ESP ®
no longer improves driving stability.
R the engine's torque is no longer limited and
the drive wheels are able to spin. The spin-
ning of the wheels results in a cutting
action, which provides better grip.
R traction control is still activated.
R PRE-SAFE ®
is no longer available and is
also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP.
R PRE-SAFE ®
Brake is no longer available and
is also not activated if you brake firmly with
the assistance of ESP ®
.
R ESP ®
still provides support when you brake
firmly.
If ESP ®
is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®
warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash.Ins uch
situations, ESP ®
will no tstabilise the vehicle. X
To deactivate: press button:until the
å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the instru-
ment cluste rlights up.
The ÷OFF message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. G
Risk of accident
ESP ®
is deactivated if the åwarning lamp
in the instrument cluster lights up continu-
ously when the engine is running.
If the ÷ warning lamp and åwarning
lamp are lit continuously, ESP ®
is not availa-
ble due to a malfunction. There is an increased risk of your vehicle skid-
ding in certain situations.
You should always adapt your driving style to
suit the prevailing road and weathe
rcondi-
tions.
X To activate: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®
OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷ON message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. EBD (Electronic Brake force Distribu-
tion)
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking. G
Risk of accident
If EBD has malfunctioned, the braking system
remains available with full brake boosting
effect .However, the rear wheels can still lock,
e.g. under full braking. This could cause you
to lose control of your vehicle and cause an
accident .You should therefore adapt your
driving style to the different handling charac-
teristics. ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function (Y page 165) and
hill start assist (Y page 131). For further
information, see Driving tips (Y page 149). PRE-SAFE
®
Brake (vehicles with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS)
PRE-SAFE ®
Brake can help you to minimise
the risk of a frontal collision with a vehicle
ahead or reduce the effect sofsuch a colli-
sion. Driving safety systems
61Safety Z