Children can be killed or seriously injured by
an inflating air bag. Note the following
important information when circumstances
require you to place a child in the front
passenger seat:
R Children 12 years old and under must never
ride in the front seat, except in a Mercedes-
Benz authorized BabySmart™ compatible
child seat, which operates with the
BabySmart™ system installed in the vehicle
to deactivate the front passenger front air
bag when it is installed properly. Otherwise
they will be struck by the air bag when it
inflates in a crash. If this happens, serious
or fatal injury will result.
R A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriously
injured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates in a collision which
could occur under some circumstances,
even with the air bag technology installed
in your vehicle. The only means to
completely eliminate this risk is to never
place a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the front seat. We therefore strongly
recommend that you always place a child
in a rear-facing child restraint in a backseat.
R If you must install a rear-facing child
restraint on the front passenger seat
because circumstances require you to do
so, make sure the 4/ indicator lamp
is illuminated, indicating that the front
passenger front air bag is deactivated.
Should the 4/ indicator lamp not
illuminate or go out while the restraint is
installed, please check installation.
Periodically check the 4/ indicator
lamp while driving to make sure the
4/ indicator lamp is illuminated. If
the 4/ indicator lamp goes out or
remains out, do not transport a child on the
front passenger seat until the system has
been repaired.
A child in a rear-facing child restraint on the
front passenger seat will be seriouslyinjured or even killed if the front passenger
front air bag inflates.
R If you have to place a child in a forward-
facing child restraint on the front passenger
seat, move the seat as far back as possible,
use the proper child restraint
recommended for the age, size and weight
of the child, and secure child restraint with
the vehicle’s seat belt according to the child
seat manufacturer’s instructions.GWarning!
Infants and small children should never share
a seat belt with another occupant. During an
accident, they could be crushed between the
occupant and seat belt.
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.
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Position
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck. A booster seat may be
necessary to achieve proper seat belt
positioning for children over 41 lb (18 kg) until
they reach a height where a lap/shoulder belt
fits properly without a booster.
When the child restraint is not in use, remove
it from the vehicle or secure it with the seat
belt to prevent the child restraint from
becoming a projectile in the event of an
accident.
Installation of infant and child restraint
systems
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.GWarning!
Always lock the seat backrests in their upright
position when the rear seats are occupied by
passengers. Lock the seat backrests in their
upright position before installing top tether
straps or when the extended cargo
48Occupant safetySafety and security
463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 48
compartment is not in use. Make sure that
seat backrests are secured properly by
pushing and pulling on the seat backrests. If
a seat backrest is not locked properly, the
seat backrest could fold. The child seat would
no longer be supported properly or positioned
to provide its intended benefit. That could
cause serious or even fatal injuries.
This vehicle is equipped with tether
anchorages for a top tether strap at each of
the rear seating positions. The anchorage
rings are located on the floor behind each rear
seat.
Top tether straps enable an additional
connection to be made between child
restraint systems secured with LATCH-type
(ISOFIX) anchors and rear seats. This can
further reduce the risk of injury.
XRemove the cargo compartment cover
blind, if installed (Y page 132).
XGuide the top tether strap between head
restraint and top of the seat backrest.
The head restraint must be installed and
positioned such that the top tether strap
can pass freely between the head restraint
and top of the seat backrest.
XMake sure the top tether strap is not
twisted.
XFold up anchorage ring :.XSecurely fasten hook ;, which is part of
top tether strap, to anchorage ring :.
XFor safety, make sure hook ; is attached
to anchorage ring : beyond the safety
catch, as illustrated.
Once hook ; is attached, the child restraint
itself can be secured.
XInstall the child restraint system and
tighten the top tether strap according to
the child restraint manufacturer’s
instructions.
GWarning!
Only use the described top tether anchorage
rings for the respective child seat. Other
lashing eyelets could tear in case of an
accident. Make sure the top tether straps are
not crossed or twisted and the hook is
attached and closed properly.
Child seat anchors – LATCH-type
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.GWarning!
Children too big for a toddler restraint must
ride in seats using regular seat belts. Position
shoulder belt across chest and shoulder, not
face or neck.
A booster seat may be necessary to achieve
proper seat belt positioning for children over
41 lb (18 kg) until they reach a height where
a lap/shoulder belt fits properly without a
booster.
Install child seat according to manufacturer’s
instructions.
Occupant safety49Safety and security463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 49Z
The child seat must be firmly attached to both
anchors.
An incorrectly mounted child seat may come
loose during an accident which could result in
serious injury or death to the child.
Damaged or impact damaged child seats or
child seat mounting fittings must be replaced.
Each rear outer seat has two LATCH-type
(ISOFIX) anchors for the installation of a
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat with matching
mounting fittings.
Non-LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seats may
also be used and can be installed using the
vehicle’s seat belt system. Install child seat
according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
LATCH-type (ISOFIX) anchors : are located
between the seat cushion and the backrest.
XInstall a LATCH-type (ISOFIX) child seat
according to the manufacturer’s
instructions.
A rigid connection between the child seat
and the body of the vehicle is established.
XMake sure that the seat belt for the rear
center seat can operate freely with a child
seat installed.
Child safety
Child safety locks
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.GWarning!
Children could open a rear door from the
inside. This may cause serious personal injury
or an accident. Therefore, secure the rear
doors with the child safety locks whenever
children are riding in the back seats of the
vehicle.
The child safety locks on the rear doors
enable you to secure each rear door
individually. You cannot open a secured rear
door from the inside. You can open the rear
door from the outside when the vehicle is
unlocked.
XSecuring: Press the lever up in direction of
arrow :.
XCheck to make sure the child safety locks
are working properly.
XReleasing: Press the lever down in
direction of arrow ;.
Override switch
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.
With the override switch you can disable the
rear door window switches in the rear door
panels. This can be useful, for instance, when
you have children riding in the rear passenger
compartment.
50Occupant safetySafety and security
463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 50
Starter switch positions
SmartKey
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.
Starter switch
gFor removing SmartKey (gear selector
lever must be in park position P)
1Power supply for some electrical
consumers, e.g. wipers
2Ignition (power supply for all electrical
consumers) and driving position
3Starting position
When you switch on the ignition, all lamps in
the instrument cluster come on. The low-
beam headlamp indicator lamp, high-beam
headlamp indicator lamp, and turn signal
indicator lamps will only come on if activated.
If a lamp in the instrument cluster fails to
come on when the ignition is switched on,
have it checked and replaced if necessary. If
a lamp in the instrument cluster remains on
after starting the engine or comes on while
driving, refer to “Lamps in instrument cluster”
(Y page 219).
If the SmartKey is left in starter switch
position 0 for an extended period of time, it
can no longer be turned in the starter switch.
In this case, the steering is locked. To unlock,
remove SmartKey from the starter switch and
reinsert.
The steering is locked when the SmartKey is
removed from the starter switch.
XAlways remove the SmartKey from the
starter switch when the engine is not in
operation.
This will help to prevent accelerated vehicle
battery discharge or a completely
discharged vehicle battery.
If the SmartKey cannot be turned in the
starter switch, the vehicle battery may not be
sufficiently charged.
XCheck the vehicle battery and charge it if
necessary (Y page 244).
or
XGet a jump start (Y page 244).
Seats
Safety notes
GWarning!
In order to avoid possible loss of vehicle
control the following must be done before the
vehicle is put into motion:
Rseat adjustment
Rhead restraint adjustment
Rsteering wheel adjustment
Rrear view mirror adjustment
Rfastening of seat belts
GWarning!
Do not adjust the driver’s seat while driving.
Adjusting the seat while driving could cause
the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Never ride in a moving vehicle with the seat
backrest in an excessively reclined position as
this can be dangerous. You could slide under
the seat belt in a collision. If you slide under
it, the seat belt would apply force at the
abdomen or neck. That could cause serious
or fatal injuries. The seat backrest and seat
belts provide the best restraint when the
wearer is in a position that is as upright as
possible and seat belts are properly
positioned on the body.
Seats65Controls in detail463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 65Z
GWarning!
Your seat must be adjusted so that you can
correctly fasten your seat belt.
Observe the following points:
RAdjust the seat backrest until your arms are
slightly angled when holding the steering
wheel.
RAdjust the seat to a comfortable seating
position that still allows you to reach the
accelerator/brake pedal safely. The
position should be as far back as possible
with the driver still able to operate the
controls properly.
RAdjust the head restraint so that it is as
close to the head as possible. The center of
the head restraint must support the back of
the head at eye level.
RNever place hands under the seat or near
any moving parts while a seat is being
adjusted.
Failure to do so could result in an accident
and/or serious personal injury.
GWarning!
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly restrained in the rear
seating positions than in the front seating
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 additional
information, see “Children in the vehicle”.
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.
GWarning!
For your protection, drive only with properly
positioned head restraints.
Adjust the head restraint so that it is as close
to the head as possible and the center of the
head restraint supports the back of the head
at eye level. This will reduce the potential for
injury to the head and neck in the event of an
accident or similar situation.
Do not drive the vehicle without the seat head
restraints. Head restraints are intended to
help reduce injuries during an accident.
Seat adjustment
! When moving the seats, make sure
Rthere are no items in the footwell or
behind the seat
Rthe cup holder next to the armrest is
removed
Rthe cup holder in the front passenger
footwell is folded closed
Otherwise, you could damage the seats.
Power seats
iThe memory function (Y page 73) lets
you store the settings for the seat position
together with the settings for the steering
wheel and the exterior rear view mirrors.
XSwitch on the ignition.
or
XOpen the respective door.66SeatsControls in detail
463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 66
XSwitch on the ignition.XSwitching on: Press button ª6 or |7 on the respective climate control panel.
The indicator lamp in the button comes on.
XSwitching off: Press button ª or
| again.
XSwitch off consumers that are currently not
needed if required.
Power tilt/sliding sunroof
Opening and closing
GWarning!
When closing the tilt/sliding sunroof, make
sure there is no danger of anyone being
harmed by the closing procedure.
The opening procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof can be immediately halted by
releasing the sunroof switch or, if the sunroof
switch was moved past the resistance point
and released, by moving the sunroof switch in
any direction.
The closing procedure of the tilt/sliding
sunroof can be immediately halted by
releasing the sunroof switch.The closing
procedure of the tilt/sliding sunroof can be
immediately reversed by moving the sunroof
switch in direction : or ?.
In a vehicle rollover, occupants not wearing
their seat belts or not wearing them properly
may be thrown out of the opening. Such an
opening also presents a potential for injury for
occupants wearing their seat belts properly as
entire body parts or portions of them may
protrude from the passenger compartment.
GObserve Safety notes, see page 46.
iThe tilt/sliding sunroof can be opened or
closed manually should an electrical
malfunction occur (Y page 231).
! To avoid damaging the seals, do not
transport any objects with sharp edges
which can stick out of the tilt/sliding
sunroof.
Do not open the tilt/sliding sunroof if there
is snow or ice on the roof, as this could
result in malfunctions.
If you cannot open or close the tilt/sliding
sunroof due to a malfunction contact
Roadside Assistance or an authorized
Mercedes-Benz Center.
! Please keep in mind that weather
conditions can sometimes change rapidly.
Make sure to close the tilt/sliding sunroof
when leaving the vehicle. If water enters
the vehicle interior, vehicle electronics
could be damaged which is not covered by
the Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty.
iYou can also open or close the tilt/sliding
sunroof using the SmartKey, see “Summer
opening feature” (Y page 84) and
“Convenience closing feature”
(Y page 85).
Sunroof switch
:Raising;Lowering=Closing?Opening6USA only7Canada only
128Power tilt/sliding sunroofControls in detail
463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 128
for items which do not fit in the cargo
compartment alone.
Please pay attention to and comply with the
following instructions when loading the
vehicle and transporting cargo:
RAlways pad off sharp edges.
RAlways place items being carried against
front or rear seat backrests, and fasten
them as securely as possible.
RThe heaviest portion of the cargo should
always be kept as low as possible against
front or rear seat backrests.
For additional safety when transporting cargo
while the rear seats are unoccupied, fasten
the outer seat belts crosswise into the
opposite side buckles :.
Roof rack
This vehicle is not intended to carry items on
its roof. Thus roof rails and any roof-mounted
devices must not be used.
GWarning!
Do not load items on the roof. It may cause
instability during some maneuvers which
could result in an accident.
Parcel netGWarning!
Parcel nets are intended for storing light-
weight items only, such as road maps, mail,
etc.
Heavy objects, objects with sharp edges, or
fragile objects may not be transported in the
parcel nets. In an accident, during hard
braking, or sudden maneuvers, they could be
thrown around inside the vehicle and cause
injury to vehicle occupants.
Parcel nets cannot protect transported goods
in the event of an accident.
A parcel net is located in the front passenger
footwell.
Cargo tie-down rings
Your vehicle is equipped with four cargo tie-
down rings.
Always follow loading instructions
(Y page 129).
Carefully secure cargo by applying even load
on all the cargo tie-down rings with a rope of
sufficient strength to hold down the cargo.
Expanding cargo volume
To expand the cargo volume, you can fold the
left and right rear seat backrests and the rear
seat bench forward.
130Loading and storingControls in detail
463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 130
GWarning!
Always lock the seat backrest in its upright
position when the rear seat bench is
occupied, or the extended cargo volume is not
in use.
Check for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the seat backrest.
In an accident, during hard braking or sudden
maneuvers, loose items will be thrown around
inside the vehicle. This can cause injury to
vehicle occupants unless the items are
securely fastened in the vehicle.
To help avoid personal injury during a collision
or sudden maneuver, exercise care when
transporting cargo.
GWarning!
Never drive a vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
GWarning!
Failure to assure that the seat bench and seat
backrests are locked into place could result
in an increased chance of injury in an
accident.
Never place hands under seat or near any
moving parts while a seat is being adjusted.
For safety reasons, the rear seat bench must
only be adjusted when the vehicle is
stationary.
Never drive a vehicle with the tailgate open.
Deadly carbon monoxide (CO) gases may
enter vehicle interior resulting in
unconsciousness and death.
! Before folding the rear seat backrest and
the rear seat bench forward, make sure
that all containers in the rear cup holder are
removed.
XFolding rear seat backrest: Pull release
lever : in direction of arrow and fold the
rear seat backrest forward until it locks into
place.
XFolding rear seat bench: Remove the
middle rear seat head restraint
(Y page 68).
XIf necessary, pull the driver’s and/or front
passenger seat forward.
XFold the rear seat backrests forward.XPull release lever ; in direction of arrow.XFold the rear seat bench forward.XAdjust front seats to desired position.XReturning rear seat bench to original
position: Fold the rear seat bench together
with the rear seat backrest rearward until
it locks into place.
XInstall the middle rear seat head restraint
(Y page 68).
XReturning rear seat backrest to original
position: Relieve the tension on the rear
seat backrest and pull release lever :.
XRaise the rear seat backrest until it locks
into place.
! Make sure that the seat belt is not
pinched when folding rear seat backrest.
XCheck for secure locking by pushing and
pulling on the rear seat backrest.
Loading and storing131Controls in detail463_AKB; 3; 35, en-USd2ureepe,Version: 2.11.8.12009-07-16T20:59:56+02:00 - Seite 131Z