X
Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed is increased.
The RACE START Release brake to RACE START Release brake to
start
start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If you do not release the brake pedal
within a short time, RACE START will be
canceled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START Canceled
RACE START Canceled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE RACE START
START Active Active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 30 mph
(Canada: 50 km/h). Drive program Sis acti-
vated. SPORT handling mode remains activa-
ted.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi-
tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE
RACE START START
Not Possible
Not Possible orRACE START Canceled
RACE START Canceled
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available
again after the vehicle has been driven a
certain distance. 4MATIC
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk of accident nor
override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot
take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC 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 staying in your lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R Only depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
R Accelerate less when driving.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz Limited Warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow
chains if necessary. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a replace-
ment for your attention to your immediate
surroundings. You are always responsible for
safe maneuvering, parking and exiting a park- ing space. When maneuvering, parking or
pulling out of a parking space, make sure that
there are no persons, animals or objects in
the area in which you are maneuvering.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects. 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Removing the towing eye
X
Unscrew and remove the towing eye.
X Position the top of cover 0043in the bumper
and press it in at the bottom until it
engages.
X Place the towing eye in the stowage well
under the trunk floor (Y page 261).
X Vehicles with the TIREFIT kit: put back the
tire inflation compressor. Towing the vehicle with the front axle
raised
Only vehicles without 4MATIC can be
towed with the front axle raised.
! Vehicles with 4MATIC must not be towed
with either the front or the rear axle raised, as doing so will damage the transmission.
Vehicles with 4MATIC may either be towed
away with both axles on the ground or be loa-
ded up and transported.
! The ignition must be switched off if the
vehicle is being towed with the front axle
raised. Otherwise, ESP ®
may intervene and
damage the brake system.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X When the vehicle is stationary, depress the
brake pedal and keep it depressed.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion P.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the automatic locking
(Y page 209).
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 111).
X Turn the SmartKey to position 0in the igni-
tion lock and leave the SmartKey in the
ignition lock. Observe the important safety notes when
towing your vehicle with the front axle raised
(Y page 307). Towing a vehicle with both axles on
the ground
i In order to signal a change of direction
when towing with the hazard warning lamps
switched on, use the combination switch as usual. In this case, only the indicator lamps
for the direction of travel flash. After reset- ting the combination switch, the hazard
warning lamp starts flashing again.
The automatic transmission automatically
shifts to position Pwhen you open the driver's
or front-passenger door or when you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock. In order
to ensure that the automatic transmission
stays in position Nwhen towing the vehicle,
you must observe the following points:
X Make sure that the vehicle is stationary.
X Turn the SmartKey to position 2in the igni-
tion lock.
X Depress and hold the brake pedal.
X Shift the automatic transmission to posi-
tion N.
X Leave the SmartKey in position 2in the
ignition lock.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch on the hazard warning lamps
(Y page 111).
It is important that you observe the safety
instructions when towing away your vehicle
(Y page 307). Transporting the vehicle
! You may only secure the vehicle by the
wheels, not by parts of the vehicle such as
axle or steering components. Otherwise,
the vehicle could be damaged. Towing and tow-starting
309Breakdown assistance Z
