Cruise control lever
:
To store the curren tspeed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the curren tspeed and call up the
last stored speed
A To store the curren tspeed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: DISTRONIC PLUS
is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Important safety notes
G
WARNING
The vehicle can be braked when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. For this reason, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehicle is to be set in
motion by other means (e.g. in a car wash or
by towing). Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following
conditions must be fulfilled:
R
the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is ready for use.
R the parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the bonnet must be closed.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the fron tpassenger door must be closed.
R the vehicle must no tbe skidding.
Activating while driving X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS if the vehi-
cle in fron thas been detected and is shown
in the multifunction display. If the vehicle in
fron tis no longer detected and displayed, 190
Driving systemsDriving and parking
DISTRONIC PLU
Sswitches off and you will
hear a tone.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS suspended message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained.
You will be driving at the speed you deter-
mine by the position of the accelerator
pedal.
Activating when driving towards asta-
tionary vehicle
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, or press it up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis selected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until the desired speed
is set.
If the vehicle in front of you is stationary, you
can only activate DISTRONIC PLUS once your
vehicle is stationary as well.
i DISTRONIC PLUS can only be activated at
under 30 km/h if a vehicle in front has been
detected. Therefore, the DISTRONIC PLUS
distance display in the instrument cluster
should be activated (Y page 240).
i You can use the cruise control lever to set
the stored speed and the control on the
cruise control lever to set the specified
minimum distance (Y page 194).
Pulling away and driving G
WARNING
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
DISTRONIC PLUS then no longer brakes your
vehicle. In such cases, control the distance
from vehicles travelling in front with the brake
alone. You could otherwise cause an accident
and thereby injure yourselfa nd others. The
driver remains fully responsible for the vehi-
cle's distance from othe rvehicles, the speed
being driven and for braking in good time. X
If the vehicle in front pulls away: remove
your foot from the brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, or press it up :or down =.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron thas slowed down ,itbrakes yourv ehi-
cle. In this way, the distance you have selec-
ted is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tis driving faster, it accelerates your
vehicle, but only up to the speed you have
stored.
Changing lanes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS and Active Blind Spot Assist
are only an aid designed to assist driving.
They do not relieve you of the responsibility
of paying attention. The driver remains fully
responsible for the vehicle's distance from
other vehicles, the vehicle's speed and for
braking in good time. Always pay attention to
traffic conditions and your surroundings. Oth-
erwise, you may fail to recognise dangers in
time, cause an accident and injure yourself
and others.
If you change to the overtaking lane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 60 km/h.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front.
R you switch on the respective turn signals.
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision.
If these conditions are met, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis- Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z
tance between your vehicl
eand the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
i Whe nchanging lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane for left-hand-drive
vehicles and the right lane for right-hand-
drive vehicles.
Vehicles with COMAND APS/
Audio 50 APS Example: roundabout
i
The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
adapt to certain traffic situations. This is the
case if, while following a vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the current driving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system.
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately 10 seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and approximately
1.5 seconds when driving on a roundabout
R approximately 12 seconds before reaching
a motorway exit and approximately
4s econds after the motorway exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified. Vehicles with COMAND Online
i
The following function is not operational
in all countries.
DISTRONIC PLUS uses additional information
from your navigation system so that it can
react appropriately to certain traffic situa-
tions. This is the case if, while following a
vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS is active and you:
R approach or drive around a roundabout
R approach a T-junction
R turn off at a motorway exit
Even if the vehicle in front leaves the detec-
tion range, DISTRONIC PLUS temporarily
maintains the curren tdriving speed and does
not accelerate. This is based on the current
map data in the navigation system. Example
:roundabout
The current speed is maintained:
R approximately ten seconds before the
roundabout/T-junction and for approx-
imately 1.5seconds when driving on the
roundabout
R approximately twelve seconds before
reaching a motorway exit and approx-
imately four seconds after the motorway
exit
Afterwards, the vehicle accelerates back to
the set speed you specified.
Stopping G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when DISTRONIC
PLUS is activated. 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking
DISTRONIC PLUS must also never be oper-
ated, activated or deactivated by a passenger
or fro moutside the vehicle.
DISTRONIC PLUS does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The DISTRONIC PLUS braking effect is can-
celled and the vehicle can start moving if:
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated using the
cruise control lever.
R you accelerate.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g .bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you wish to leave th evehicle or park it,
deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the
vehicle against rolling away.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle
in fron tis stopping, it brakes your vehicle until
it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle
in front.T he specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if DISTRONIC PLUS is acti-
vated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
Select Park (P) X
Shift the transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated. The warn-
ing message in the multifunction display
disappears.
The horn will also sound at regular intervals if
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is still activated. The sound
becomes louder if you attempt to lock the
vehicle. The vehicle is not locked until DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until DISTRONIC
PLUS has been deactivated.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is activated and a fault
occurs in the system or if there is a disruption
in the power supply, the Brake immedi‐ ately message is shown in the multifunction
display. Immediately depress the brake firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out or shift the transmission
to position P. DISTRONIC PLUS is deactiva-
ted.
Setting aspeed X
Press the cruise control lever up :for a
highe rspeed or down ;for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached. Driving systems
193Driving and parking Z
X
Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is stored. DISTRONIC PLUS
is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the new speed stored.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control
lever up :or down ;to the pressure
point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 1 km/h increments.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h
increments: briefly press the cruise con-
trol lever up :or down ;beyond the
pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea-
ses in 10 km/h increments.
i DISTRONIC PLU Sis not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal.Ify ou accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the stored speed G
WARNING
Only call up a stored speed if you know what
that speed is and if it is suitable for the current
traffic and driving situation. You can other-
wise endanger yourself or others by uninten-
tionally triggering sudden acceleration or
braking. X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you :.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can
see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 195).
X To increase: turn control;in direction
=.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control;in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
i Make sure that you maintain a sufficient
and safe distance from the vehicle in front.
Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if
necessary. 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking
X
Select the Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 240).
i You will see the stored speed for about
five seconds when you activate DISTRONIC
PLUS.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X
Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or
X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected .LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC PLUS off message
in the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if:
R you engage the parking brake.
R you are driving slower than 25 km/h and
there is no vehicle in front, or if the vehicle
in front is no longer detected. R
ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
.
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition.
R the vehicle is near a radio telescope facility
(Y page 382).
R you switch off the radars ensor system
(Y page 245).
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door is open.
R the vehicle has skidded.
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐ TRONIC PLUS off message in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds.
If the vehicle has been stopped by DISTRONIC
PLUS and a fault occurs in the system, the
Brake immediately message appears in the
multifunction display. Depress the brake
pedal immediately so that the vehicle does
not roll away. DISTRONIC PLUS is then deac-
tivated, and the message disappears.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated.
Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend196
Driving systemsDriving and parking
HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive
rinthe
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary.
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened.
R the parking brake is released.
R the bonnet is closed.
R the selector lever is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission.
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated.
Activating the HOLD function G
WARNING
The vehicle's brakes are applied when the
HOLD function is activated. For this reason,
deactivate the HOLD function if the vehicle is
to be set in motion by other means (e.g. in a
car wash or by towing). X
Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until ë appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function G
WARNING
Never get out of the vehicle when the HOLD
function is activated.
The HOLD function must never be operated
or deactivated by a passenger or from outside
the vehicle.
The HOLD function does not replace the park-
ing brake and must not be used for parking.
The braking effect of the HOLD function is
cancelled and the vehicle could roll away if:
R the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal.
R there is a malfunction in the system or an
interruption in the power supply, e.g. bat-
tery failure.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
If you leave the vehicle or park it, deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R you shift the transmission to position Pon
vehicles with automatic transmission. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking
R
you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressur euntil ë dis-
appears from the multifunctio ndisplay.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
You will see a warning message in the multi-
function display if the HOLD function is acti-
vated and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R the bonnet is opened.
For vehicles with manual transmission:
Brake immediately X
Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out. This deactivates the
HOLD function.
In vehicles with automatic transmission:
Select Park (P) .
X Shif tthe transmission to position Pto pre-
vent the vehicle from rolling away.
The HOLD function is deactivated. The
warning message in the multifunction dis-
play disappears.
Ah orn will also sound at regular intervals if
the HOLD function is activated and you:
R switch the engine off, open the driver's
door and take off your seat belt
R open the bonnet
The sounding of the horn alerts you to the fact
that the vehicle has been parked while the
HOLD function is still activated. If you attempt
to lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder.
The vehicle is not locked until the HOLD func-
tion is deactivated.
i If the engine has been switched off, it
cannot be started again until the HOLD
function has been deactivated.
If there is a fault in the system or power supply
while the HOLD function is activated, the
Brake immediately message is shown inthe multifunction display
.Immediately
depress the brake firmly until the warning
message in the multifunction display goes
out.
On vehicles with automatic transmission, you
can also shift into position P.This deactivates
the HOLD function. Dynamic handling package with
sports mode
General notes The most important part of the dynamic han-
dling package with sports mode is the adjust-
able damping system. This automatically con-
trols and adapts the suspension to the
respective driving situation.
The calibration of the suspension depends
on:
R
your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R your individual selection; see the following
description
If your vehicle is equipped with automatic
transmission, the dynamic handling package
with sports mode also includes steering
wheel gearshift paddles (Y page 170) with a
manual drive program (Y page 171).
Sports tuning Example: position of dynamic handling package
with sports mode button
The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
sports mode ensures even better contact Driving systems
199Driving and parking Z