
of unexpected movement of the seat back‐
rest.◀
On the front passenger seat
Deactivating airbags Deactivating the front-seat passenger
airbags
If a child restraint system is used in the front
passenger seat, deactivate the front-seat pas‐
senger airbags; otherwise, there is an in‐
creased risk of injury to the child when the air‐
bags are activated, even with a child restraint
system.◀
After installing a child restraint system in the
front passenger seat, make sure that the front,
knee and side airbags on the front passenger
side are deactivated.
Deactivate the front-seat passenger airbags automatically, refer to page 115.
Seat position and height
Before installing a child restraint system, move
the front passenger seat as far back as possi‐
ble and bring it up to medium height to obtain
the best possible position for the belt and to
offer optimal protection in the event of an acci‐
dent.
If the upper anchorage of the safety belt is lo‐
cated in front of the belt guide of the child seat,
move the passenger seat carefully forward un‐
til the best possible belt guide position is
reached.
Backrest width Backrest width for the child seat
Before installing a child restraint system
in the front passenger seat, the backrest width
must be opened completely. Do not changethe adjustment after this; otherwise, the stabil‐
ity of the child seat will be reduced.◀
Adjustable backrest width: before installing a
child restraint system in the front passenger
seat, open the backrest width completely. Do
not change the backrest width again and do
not call up a memory position.
Child seat security
The rear safety belts and the front passenger
safety belt can be permanently locked to fas‐
ten child restraint systems.
The front passenger safety belt can be perma‐
nently locked to fasten child restraint systems.
Locking the safety belt
1.Pull out the strap completely.2.Secure the child restraint system with the
belt.3.Allow the strap to be pulled in and pull it
tight against the child restraint system.
The safety belt is locked.
Unlocking the safety belt
1.Unbuckle the belt buckle.2.Remove the child restraint system.3.Allow the strap to be pulled in completely.Seite 73Transporting children safelyControls73
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NoteMounting eyelets
Use the mounting eyes only for the up‐
per retaining strap to secure child restraint
systems; otherwise, the mounting eyes could
be damaged.◀
Retaining strap guide Retaining strap
Make sure the upper retaining strap does
not run over sharp edges and is not twisted as
it passes to the top anchor. Otherwise, the
strap will not properly secure the child restraint
system in the event of an accident.◀1Direction of travel2Head restraint3Hook for upper retaining strap4Mounting point/eye5Rear window shelf6Seat backrest7Upper retaining strap
Attaching the upper retaining strap to
the mounting point
1.Remove the mounting point cover.2.Raise the head restraint.3.Guide the upper retaining strap between
the supports of the head restraint.
Guide it over the head restraint of the mid‐
dle seat.4.Attach the hook of the retaining strap to
the mounting eye.5.Tighten the retaining strap by pulling it
down.6.Lower and lock head restraints as needed.
Locking the doors and
windows
Rear doors
Push the locking lever on the rear doors down.
The door can now be opened from the outside
only.
Safety switch for the rear Press button on the driver's door if
children are being transported in the
rear.
This locks various functions so that they can‐
not be operated from the rear: safety switch,
refer to page 53.
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▷When locking the vehicle, and when the
low beams are activated.▷Shortly before the battery is discharged
completely, so that the engine can still be
started. This function is only available
when the low beams are turned off.▷When opening and closing the driver door,
if the driver's safety belt is unbuckled and
the low beams are turned off.▷While the driver's safety belt is unbuckled
with driver's door open and low beams off.
The low beams switch to parking lights after
approx. 15 minutes of no use.
When the ignition is switched off automatically
by opening or closing the driver's door, un‐
buckling the driver's safety belt or by the auto‐
matic switching of the low beams to parking
lights, the radio-ready state remains active.
Drive readiness
When drive readiness is activated, the vehicle
is operational. Activated drive readiness is the
equivalent of a running engine in conventional
vehicles. Deactivated engine readiness is
equivalent to switching the ignition off.
Drive readiness in detail
The concept
The following are the different drive readiness
variants:
▷Electric drive readiness, Silent Start, refer
to page 77
The vehicle is powered by the electric mo‐
tor.▷Starting the combustion engine, refer to
page 78
The vehicle is powered by the combustion
engine.Hints
Awareness of vehicle reduced when
driven in electric mode
When driving in electric mode, note that due to
the lack of engine noise pedestrians and other traffic might pay less attention to the vehicle
due to missing engine noises. Please take spe‐
cial care when parking or leaving a parking
space.◀
Do not leave the vehicle unattended
Do not leave the vehicle unattended with
drive readiness active; otherwise, it may pose a
risk.◀
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not start the engine.◀
Apply parking brake and further secure
the vehicle if needed.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, e.g., by turning the steering wheel in the
direction of the curb.◀
Activating drive readiness1.Close the driver's door.2.Depress the brake pedal.3.Press the Start/Stop button.
Drive readiness is activated:
▷Electric drive readiness, Silent Start or▷Starting the combustion engine.
Electric drive readiness, Silent Start The vehicle is ready for driving without starting
the combustion engine.
Silent Start is possible if the requirements for
Electric driving, refer to page 79, are met.
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At a glance
SettingApply parking brake and further secure
the vehicle if needed.
Set the parking brake firmly when parking; oth‐
erwise, the vehicle could roll. On steep upward
and downward inclines, further secure the ve‐
hicle, e.g., by turning the steering wheel in the
direction of the curb.◀
Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not release the parking brake.◀
Pull the reel.
The LED lights up.
The indicator lamp lights up red. The
parking brake is set.
While driving
Use as emergency brake while driving:
Pull the reel and hold it. The vehicle brakes
hard while the reel is being pulled.
The indicator lamp lights up red, a sig‐
nal sounds and the brake lights light
up.
A Check Control message is displayed.
If the vehicle is slowed down down to a speed of approx. 2 mph/3 km/h the parking brake is
set.
Releasing
With the ignition switched on:
Press the reel while stepping on the
brake pedal or transmission position P is
set.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is released. Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not release the parking brake.◀
Automatic release For automatic release, step on the accelerator
pedal.
The LED and indicator lamp go out.
The parking brake is automatically released
when you step on the accelerator:▷Drive readiness on.▷Drive mode engaged.▷Driver buckled in and doors closed.
Inadvertent operation of the accelerator
pedal
Make sure that the accelerator pedal is not op‐
erated unintentionally; otherwise, the vehicle is
set in motion and there is a risk of an acci‐
dent.◀
Automatic Hold
The concept This system assists the driver by automatically
setting and releasing the brake, such as when
moving in stop-and-go traffic.
The vehicle is automatically held in place when
it is stationary.
On inclines, the system prevents the vehicle
from rolling backward when driving off.
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Overview
Automatic Hold
Safety information Secure the vehicle against rolling
Before leaving the vehicle with activated
drive readiness, engage position P of the Step‐
tronic transmission and ensure that the park‐
ing brake is set. Otherwise, the vehicle may
begin to move.◀
Under the following conditions, Automatic
Hold is automatically deactivated and the park‐
ing brake is set:
▷Drive readiness is deactivated.▷A door is opened and driver's safety belt is
unbuckled while the vehicle is stationary.▷The moving vehicle is brought to a stand‐
still using the parking brake.
The indicator lamp switches from
green to red and the letters AUTO H go out.
Activating
This function can be activated when the driv‐
er's door is closed, the safety belt is fastened,
and drive readiness is activated and the engine
is running.
Press button.
The LED and the letters AUTO H light
up.
The indicator lamp lights up.
Automatic Hold is activated.
Deactivating Press button again.
The LED and the letters AUTO H go
out.
Automatic Hold is deactivated.
If the vehicle is being held by Automatic Hold,
press on the brake pedal to deactivate it.
When the parking brake is set manually, Auto‐
matic Hold is deactivated automatically.
Driving Automatic Hold is activated: the vehicle is au‐
tomatically secured against rolling when it
stops.
The indicator lamp lights up green.
Step on the accelerator pedal to drive
off.
The brake is released automatically.
The indicator lamp goes out.
Before driving into a car wash
Before driving into the car wash, deacti‐
vate Automatic Hold; otherwise, the parking
brake will be set when the vehicle is stationary
and the vehicle will no longer be able to roll.◀
Parking
The parking brake is automatically set if drive
readiness is deactivated while the vehicle is
being held by Automatic Hold.
The indicator lamp changes from green
to red.
The parking brake is not set if drive readiness
is deactivated while the vehicle is coasting to a
halt. Automatic Hold is deactivated.Seite 82ControlsDriving82
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Take the remote control with you
Take the remote control with you when
leaving the vehicle so that children, e.g., can‐
not release the parking brake.◀
Malfunction
In the event of a failure or malfunction of the
parking brake, secure the vehicle against roll‐
ing using a wheel chock, e.g., when leaving it.
Manual release Before releasing, secure the vehicle
against rolling
Before releasing the parking brake manually,
and whenever you park the vehicle with the
parking brake released, ensure that position P
of the Steptronic transmission is set.
Secure the vehicle in a manner appropriate to
the inclination of the road, e.g., with a wheel
chock; otherwise, there is a danger of an acci‐
dent and injuries if the vehicle rolls uninten‐
tionally.◀
The parking brake can be released manually in
the event of a power failure or electrical fault.
Unlocking Have the malfunction corrected
If the parking brake has been released
manually in response to a malfunction, only
technicians can return it to operation.
Have the malfunction corrected by your serv‐
ice center.◀1.Remove the screwdriver from the onboard
vehicle tool kit.2.Fold up the cargo floor panel.3.Take out the floor trim in the cargo area,
removing the screws with the screwdriver,
arrows.Seite 83DrivingControls83
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Steptronic transmission
Selector lever positions
D Drive Selector lever position for normal vehicle oper‐
ation. All gears for forward travel are activated
automatically.
R is Reverse
Select only when the vehicle is stationary.
N Neutral: The vehicle may roll. Use in automatic car
washes, e.g.
When the ignition is switched off, refer to
page 76, selector lever position P is engaged
automatically.
P Park Select only when the vehicle is stationary. The
drive wheels are blocked.
P is engaged automatically:▷After deactivating drive readiness with
radio-ready state, refer to page 76, or igni‐
tion off, refer to page 76, and the selector
lever in position R or D.▷With the ignition off, if selector lever posi‐
tion N is set.▷If the driver's safety belt is released, the
driver's door is opened, and the brake
pedal is not pressed while the vehicle is
stationary and selector lever position D or
R is set.
Before exiting the vehicle, make sure that se‐
lector lever position P is set. Otherwise, the ve‐
hicle may begin to move.
Kickdown Kickdown is used to achieve maximum driving
performance. Step on the accelerator pedal
beyond the resistance point at the full throttle
position.
Engaging selector lever positions
Press on the brake pedal until you start
driving
To prevent the vehicle from creeping after you
select a gear, maintain pressure on the brake
pedal until you are ready to start.◀▷Selector lever position P can only be disen‐
gaged when the vehicle drive readiness is
engaged and the brake pedal is depressed.▷With the vehicle is stationary, press on the
brake pedal before shifting out of P or N;
otherwise, the shift command will not be
executed: shift lock.
Engaging D, R and N
Briefly push the selector lever in the desired di‐
rection, beyond a resistance point if needed.
After releasing the selector lever, it returns to
its center position.
Press unlock button, in order to:
▷Engage R.▷Shift out of P.Seite 88ControlsDriving88
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The selected gear is briefly displayed in the in‐
strument cluster, followed by the current gear.
If the shift paddles on the steering wheel are
used to shift gears in automatic mode, the
transmission temporarily switches to manual
mode.
In the manual mode, after conservative driving
for a certain amount of time or if there has
been no acceleration or shifting of the shift
paddles within a certain amount of time, the
transmission switches back to automatic
mode.
Displays in the instrument cluster The selector lever position is dis‐
played, e.g.: P.
Electronic unlocking of the
transmission lock
General information
Electronically unlock the transmission lock to
maneuver vehicle from the danger area.
Unlocking is possible, if the started can spin
the engine.
Engaging selector lever position N1.Depress the brake pedal.2.Press the Start/Stop button. The starter
must audibly start.3.Press and hold the selector lever into posi‐
tion N.
A corresponding Check Control message
is displayed.4.Press the selector lever again into posi‐
tion N within approx. 6 seconds.
Position N is displayed in the instrument
cluster.5.Release brake, as soon as the starter
stops.6.Maneuver the vehicle from the danger area
and secure it against moving on its own.Seite 90ControlsDriving90
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