
brake pedal immediately or engage the
parking brake.
- Should the engine stall, depress the
brake pedal immediately or engage the
parking brake.
- In order to prevent the vehicle from roll
ing back unintentionally when starting in
stop-and-go traffic, keep the brake pedal
depressed for a few seconds before driv
ing off .
- When you leave the vehicle - even if only
briefly -, sw itch off the ignition and
make sure to remove the ignition key . Al
so engage the
park ing br ake to prevent
your vehicle from rolling u nintentionally.
Th is parti cularly applies if chi ldren are
left in the vehicle - danger of accident!
Cruise control
Switching the system on
Th e cruise control syst em makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
20 mph
(30kmlh).
Fig. 124 Contro l leve r wi th s et button
Fig. 125 D is play: Selected speed
.,. Pull the lever to position (D ~ fig . 124 to
switch the system on .
.,. Drive at the speed you wish to set.
On th e road 111
.,. Press button @to set that speed.
The sto red speed and the indicator light
ltj;\l)~iJ (US mode l) fill (Canadian model) ap
pear in the instrument cluster display
~ fig. 125 . The display may vary depending on
the type of display in your vehicle.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your veh icle and
other veh icles .
- For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as
ice, fog , gravel, heavy rain and hydro
p laning) - risk of accident.
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when en ter ing turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones .
- Please note that inadvertently "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes
the cruise control not to brake. This is because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration.
- Never use the cruise control when driving
off-road o r on unpaved roads. The cruise
control is intended for use only when the
vehicle is being operated on paved roads,
and is not suitable for use off-road or on
unpaved roads .
(D Tips
The cruise control cannot maintain a con
stant speed when driving downhill. The ve
hicle will accelerate under its own weight .
Downshift to a lower gear or use the
brakes to slow down.
Changing speed
.,. To increase/decrease the speed in incre
ments, tap the lever in the
0 10 direction
~ page 111, fig . 124 . Ill>-

Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle level is shown with seg
ments filled out in the segment display @. If
only the bottom segment is filled out, the ve
hicle is at highway level. If all segments are
filled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos
sible.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow @
¢
fig. 188 or a white border @¢ fig. 189. The
arrow/border disappears again when the vehi
cle is at the target level.
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This mode must be activated in the MMI be
fore raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ve
hicle lift.
.,. Select: ICARI function button> !SETUP I func
tion button >
Jacking mode. Or
.,. Select:
I CARI function button > Car systems*
control button > Servicing & checks> Air
susp.: tire change.
The vehicle jack mode must be activated be
fore changing a wheel so that the automatic
control processes for the air suspension do not make lifting with the vehicle jack more dif
ficult.
The check lamp
II in the instrument cluster
display illuminates in vehicle jack mode.
0) Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off auto
matically at speeds above 9 mph (15 km/
h).
Towing a trailer
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch and Adaptive Air
Suspension
Automatic lowering is not desirable when
towing a trailer.
.,. Select: ICAR I function button> !SETUP I func
tion button >
Towing mode. Or
Adaptive Air Suspension 159
.,. Select: !CAR I function button > Car systems*
control button > Vehicle settings > Air
susp.: towing.
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle
with a trailer appears in the
adaptive air sus
pension
main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
- Before hitching up the trailer and before ad
justing the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfort mode
must be select
ed so that the vehicle can be at normal level
¢page 157, MMI settings.
-If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this
mode
must be selected before hitching up
the trailer and before adjusting the tongue
weight. However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clearance is reduced.
- If you have to drive under difficult road con
ditions, you can select offroad or lift mode,
after hitching up the trailer or after adjust
ing the tongue weight.
- If the vehicle is at
normal level, and you se
lect offroad mode while traveling at speeds
higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the vehicle
will not be raised. Offroad mode will appear as the active mode in the MMI Display.
- If the vehicle is in offroad mode at
high level
1 ,
it automatically lowers to normal level
when the vehicle is traveling at speeds ex
ceeding approximately 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The vehicle is automatically raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
below approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating with a trailer, the lift mode
can only be selected up to about 12 mph (20
km/h). Lift mode is automatically canceled
again when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/
h) is exceeded.
If the vehicle is in automatic, comfort, offroad
or lift mode before the trailer towing mode is
activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti
vated .
If the vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow-
ing operation is activated, it can be driven in
IJI,-

1 7 0 Dr iving Safel y
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com
partment.
Fig . 195 Safe load position ing: place heavy objects as
low a nd as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the r isk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment .
,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible
¢fig. 195.
,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid
ed
¢ page Bl.
,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
l atched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle caus ing serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury :
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com
partment.
- Always secu re objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
-Heavy loads wi ll influence the way your ve-
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
in jury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per
missible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv
ing
r=;,page 164.
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting comp letely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the Panoramic sliding sunroof *,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
pane l,
- Switch off the air recirculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the doors, all win
dows, the Panoramic sliding sunroof * and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked
-

to reduce the risk of inj ury when the vehi
cle is not be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury .
- Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Veh icle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window
fogging . Sta le air escapes to the outside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-The t ire pressure must correspond to the
load. The t ire pressure is shown on the
tire p ress ure label. The tire pressure la
bel is located on the d river's s ide B-pi llar.
The t ire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflat ion pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured .
For recommended t ire pressures for nor
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:> page277 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop
erly
c:> page 1 70, Loading the luggage com
partment.
In a coll is ion, the l aws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
Dr iving S afel y 171
serious injury. Items in the veh icle possess en
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and th e
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
For example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means th at
the weigh t of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
i njur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely th rough the passenger compartment
could cause in a co llision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use s uitable mount ing straps and
properly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to he lp pre
vent items from shift ing or f lying fo r
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help p revent items from fly ing for
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas
senger compartment .
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat tether
strap to a t ie-down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If yo u b elieve that your vehicle
ha s a defec t w hi ch could cau se
a c rash or co uld cause i njur y or
d ea th, you sh ould imm ediat ely
inform th e National Hi ghwa y
Tr affi c Sa fet y Admini strati on ..,.
•
•

,&_ WARNING
-Sa fety belts are the sing le most effective
means availab le to reduce the risk of se
rious injury and death in automobile acci
dents. For your protection and that of
your passengers, always correctly wear safety belts when the vehicle is mov ing .
- Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles.
F ig . 197 Unbe lted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 198 The vehicle cras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
veh icle and the passengers possess energy
which varies with vehicle speed and body weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en
e rgy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
g reate r the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Safety belts 175
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doub les from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Beca use the passenge rs of this vehicle are not
using safety belts¢
fig. 197, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
moving just before the crash, until someth ing
stops them -here, the wall¢
fig. 198.
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision.
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs. or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these fo rces are even
higher.
Peop le who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli
s ion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the crash . Of co urse, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of acc idents and col
lisions.

Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
.. Be sure to read the important informat ion
and heed the WARNINGS for important de
tai ls about chi ldren and Advanced Airbags
c> page 204.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag System, make certain that
a ll chi ldren, especially those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly
restra ined for their age and size. The airbag
on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to r ide .
The front seat is not the safest place fo r a
chi ld in a fo rward-facing chi ld safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for an infan t or
a child in a rea rward -facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System i n your veh icle
h as been cert ified to comp ly with the require
men ts of Uni ted States Federa l Mo to r Veh icle
Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufactured.
The Standard requires the fron t air bag on the
passenger side to be turne d off ("sup
p ressed") if a chi ld up to about one year of
age restrained in one of the rear -facing or for
ward -facing infant restraints listed i n Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with wh ich
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified has been installed o n the front
passenger seat. For a listing of the child re
straints that we re used to certify compliance
with the US Safety Sta ndard
c> page 206.
The PASS ENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the in
strument panel te lls you when the front Ad
vanced A irbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by the e lectronic control u nit.
Each t ime you tur n on the ignition, the
PAS
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
l ight w ill come on for a
few seconds a nd:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occup ied
- will stay on if there is a small child or child
restraint on the front passenger seat
A irbag sys tem 185
- will go off if the front passenger seat is oc
cupied by an adult as registered by the
weight -sensing mat
c> page 194, Monitor
ing the Advanced Airbag System.
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
whe n the contro l unit detects a tota l weight
on the front passenger seat that req uires the
front a irbag to be turned off.
If the total weight on the front passenge r
seat is more than that of a typical 1 year-o ld
c h ild but less than the weight of a small
adult, the front airbag on the passenger side
can deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not come on). If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on, the
front a irbag on t he passeng er side has not
been turned off by the elec troni c con trol unit
and can deploy if the control unit senses an
impact that meets the cond it ions stored i n its
memory .
For example, th e airb ag may deploy if :
-a small ch ild that is heav ie r than a typical 1
year-old ch ild is o n the front passenger seat
(regard less of whether the child is in one of
the ch ild safety seats listed
c> page 206), or
- a child who has outgrown chi ld restraints is
on the front passenge r seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on in
the instr ument cluster and stays on .
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
l ight does not illum inate and stay lit) even if a
small ad ult o r teenager, or a passenger who is
not sitti ng uprig ht w ith their back against a
non -recli ned back rest w it h thei r feet on t he
vehicle floor i n front of the sea t is on t he front
passenger seat
c> page 165, Proper seating
position for the driver.
If the fron t passenger ai rbag dep loy s, the
Feder al Standard req uires the airbag to meet
the "low risk" dep loyment criteria to reduce
the ris k of injury t hro ugh interact ion w ith the
airbag. "Low risk" dep loyment occ urs in those
crashes that take place at lower dece lerat ions ..,_ •
•

prevent them from providing any
protection.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child -even with an Advanced Airbag
System.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
Front airbags
Description of front airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig. 207 Location of driver ai rb ag : in stee ring whee l
Fig. 208 Location of front passenger 's a irbag: in the in
strume nt panel
Your vehicle is equipped with an "Advanced
Airbag System " in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
(FMVSS) 208 as applicable at the time your
ve hicle was manufactured. The safety belts
Airbag system 187
for the seats have "pret ens ioners " that help
to take slack out of the belt system. The pre
tensioners are also activated by the electronic
control unit for the airbag system.
Th e front safety belts also have load limiters
to help reduce the forces applied to the body
in a crash .
Th e airbag for the driver is in the steering
wheel hub
q fig. 207 and the airbag for the
front passenger is in the instrument panel
~ fig. 208. The general location of the airbags
is marked "AIRBAG" .
There is a lot you need to know about the air
bags in your vehicle. We urge you to read the
detailed information about airbags, safety
belts and child safety in this and the other
chapters that make up the owner's literature.
Please be sure to heed the WARNINGS -they
are extremely important for your safety and
the safety of your passengers, especially in
fants and small children.
_&. WARNING
Never rely on airbags alone for protection.
- Even when they deploy, airbags provide
only supplemental protection.
-Airbag work most effectively when used
with properly worn safety belts.
- Therefore, always wear your safety belts
and make sure that everybody in your ve
hicle is properly restrained.
_&. WARNING
A person on the front passenger seat, es
pecially infants and small children, will re
ceive serious injuries and can even be kil
led by being too close to the airbag when
it inflates.
- Although the Advanced Airbag System in
your vehicle is designed to turn off the
front passenger airbag if an infant or a
small child is on the front passenger
seat, nobody can absolutely guarantee
that deployment under these special
11>-

188 Airbag system
conditions is impossible in all conceiva
ble situations that may happen during
the useful life of your vehicle.
- The Advanced Airbag System can deploy
in accordance with the "low risk" option
under the U.S. Federal Standard if a child
that is heavier than the typical one-year
old child is on the front passenger seat
and the other conditions for airbag de
ployment are met.
-Accident statistics have shown that chil
dren are generally safer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
- For their own safety, all children, espe
cially 12 years and younger, should al
ways ride in the back properly restrained
for their age and size.
Advanced front airbag system
Your vehicle is equipped with a front Advanced
Airbag System in compliance with United
States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
208 as applicable at the time your vehicle was
manufactured.
The front Advanced Airbag System supple ments the safety belts to provide additional
protection for the driver's and front passeng
er's heads and upper bodies in frontal crashes .
The airbags inflate only in frontal impacts
when the vehicle deceleration is high enough.
The front Advanced Airbag System for the
front seat occupants is not a substitute for
your safety belts. Rather, it is part of the over
all occupant restraint system in your vehicle.
Always remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you, if you are sitting up
right , wearing your safety belt and wearing it
properly. This is why you and your passengers
must always be properly restrained, not just
because the law requires you to be.
The Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle has been certified to meet the "low risk" re
quirements for 3 and 6 year-old children on
the passenger side and very small adults on
the driver side. The low risk deployment crite
ria are intended to help reduce the risk of in- jury through interaction with the front airbag
that can occur, for example, by being too close to the steering wheel and instrument
panel when the airbag inflates.
In addition, the system has been certified to
comply with the "suppression" requirements
of the Safety Standard, to turn off the front
airbag for infants 12 months old and younger
who are restrained on the front passenger
seat in child restraints that are listed in the Standard
~ page 206, Child restraints and
Advanced Airbags .
"Suppression" requires the front airbag on the
passenger side to be turned off if:
- a child up to about one year of age is re
strained on the front passenger seat in one
of the rear-facing or forward-facing infant
restraints listed in Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard 208 with which the Ad
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle was
certified. For a listing of the child restraints
that were used to certify your vehicle's com
pliance with the US Safety Standard
~page 206,
-weight less than a threshold level stored in
the control unit is detected on the front pas
senger seat.
When a person is detected on the front pas senger seat, weighing more than the total
weight of a child that is about 1 year old re
strained in one of the rear-facing or forward
facing infant restraints (listed in Federal Mo
tor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle
was certified), the front airbag on the passen ger side may or may not deploy.
The
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the electronic control unit detects a to
tal weight on the front passenger seat that re quires the front airbag to be turned off. If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not
come on, the front airbag on the passenger
side has not been turned off by the control
unit and can deploy if the control unit senses
an impact that meets the conditions stored in
its memory.
ll-