2013 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV ESP

control cannot take into account road,
weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads).
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to
lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid.
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever You can operate cruise control and variable
SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control lever.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec-
ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected. :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
? To activate or reduce speed A
To switch between cruise control and var-
iable SPEEDTRONIC
B To deactivate cruise control
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in position D.
R on vehicles with manual transmission, a
gear must be engaged.
R cruise control must be selected.
X To select cruise control: check whether
LIM indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 30 km/h.
X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the speed. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

i
Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically braking the vehicle.
i Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds
R change gear in good time
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time
Storing the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the set speed.
X Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ?for a lower speed.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed until
the desired speed is reached. X
Release the cruise control lever.
The new speed is 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: press the cruise control lever
briefly up :or down ?beyond the pres-
sure point.
The last stored speed increases or decrea- ses in 10 km/h increments.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards B.
or
X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R the vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual trans-
mission, you shift into neutral or depress
the clutch pedal for longer than six seconds 190
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

R
on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a
result the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
you shift into position Nwhile driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off
trol off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. SPEEDTRONIC
General notes SPEEDTRONIC brakes automatically so that
you do not exceed the set speed. You must
select a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to have selected manual drive program M
(Y page 172). By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. If you need additional
braking, depress the brake pedal repeatedly
rather than continuously.
You can set a variable or permanent limit
speed:
R variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas
R permanent for long-term speed restric-
tions, e.g. when driving with winter tyres
fitted (Y page 193)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, SPEED-
TRONIC can neither reduce the risk of an
accident nor override the laws of physics. SPEEDTRONIC cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. SPEED-
TRONIC is only an aid. You are responsible for
the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and for stay-ing in lane.
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
cruise control or DISTRONIC PLUS and vari-
able SPEEDTRONIC.
The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable SPEED-
TRONIC is selected.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the technically
permitted maximum speed of the vehicle. If
the set value of permanent SPEEDTRONIC is
lower then this value applies (Y page 193). :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed Driving systems
191Driving and parking Z

There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this deceleration is not sufficient, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS alerts you with a visual and
acoustic warning. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam- age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take road and
weather conditions or traffic conditions into
account. DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You
are responsible for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in goodtime, and for staying in the lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed
(e.g. in heavy traffic or on winding roads)
R on smooth or slippery roads. Braking or
accelerating can cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then
skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line. In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired in the case of:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R the possibility of strong radar reflections,
for example, in multi-storey car parks
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored.
This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high in the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the left
R be so high in the left lane that you pass
vehicles driving on the right
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever You can operate DISTRONIC PLUS and varia-
ble SPEEDTRONIC with the cruise control
lever.
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. :
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; To set the specified minimum distance 194
Driving systemsDriving and parking

=
LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed and calling up
the last stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower
speed
B To switch between DISTRONIC PLUS and
variable SPEEDTRONIC
C To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS X Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation 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 electric parking brake must be
released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not inter-
vening.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and the rear
doors must be closed.
R the DISTRONIC PLUS function must be
selected with the cruise control lever
(Y page 195). Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed up :
or down Auntil 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.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC PLUS inactive DISTRONIC PLUS inactive
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.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set is 30 km/h.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?or press it up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 194) towards you ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is Driving systems
195Driving and parking Z

stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving
i The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving
on a different line from another vehicle. The vehicle then brakes automatically. There is
a risk of an accident. Be ready to brake at all
times.
DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated when you
depress the brake, except when the vehicle is
stationary.
X If you want to pull away with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 194) towards you ?.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your vehi-
cle accelerates to the set speed.
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 front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style when you have selected the S or M driv- ing program (Y page 171). Acceleration
behind the vehicle in front or to the set speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you have
selected the E driving program, the vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is rec-
ommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS supports you if:
R you are driving faster than 70 km/h
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the respective turn signal
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-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating DIS-
TRONIC PLUS (Y page 198).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it is stationary. 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

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 199).
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary. X
To increase: turn control=in direc-
tion ;.
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.
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 DISTRONIC PLUS
PLUSoff
offmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if: R you apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the
electric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R the vehicle is skidding
R you activate DSR
R you activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐ DIS‐
TRONIC
TRONIC PLUS
PLUSoff
offmessage in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away. !
If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam-
age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 202).
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
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 electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z