
the power output of the engine, and conse-
quently the vehicle's gradient-climbing capa-
bility, decrease with increasing altitude. Folding the ball coupling in/out
Folding out the ball coupling G
WARNING
If the ball coupling is not correctly engaged,
the trailer can detach. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always engage the ball coupling as described. G
WARNING
If you release the ball coupling or it does not
engage correctly when folding in, it will swing out. Within pivoting range of the ball coupling,
there is an increased risk of an accident and
injury.
Only release the ball coupling if the pivoting
range is unobstructed. Always make sure that the ball coupling engages when folding in.
Before you can tow a trailer with your vehicle,
you must fold out the ball coupling. The release wheel is located behind the left-
hand side trim panel in the boot.
Opening the cover:
X Turn handle :around anti-clockwise and
fold cover ;down. Unlocking and folding out the ball coupling:
X Pull out release wheel ?.
X Turn release wheel ?anti-clockwise until the
ball coupling releases and folds out from
under the rear bumper. Indicator lamp =
flashes. X
Pull the ball coupling in the direction of the
arrow until it engages in a vertical position.
The trailer power socket is integrated into the
ball coupling and swivels out with it.
The multifunction display shows the
Trailer hitch Check lock mech.
Trailer hitch Check lock mech. mes-
sage until the ball coupling is engaged.
X Remove the protective covering from the ball
coupling and store it in a safe place.
X Make sure that the ball of the ball coupling is
clean and greased.
HYBRID vehicles : make sure that you read the
"HYBRID" Supplement included in the vehicle
literature. Otherwise, you may not recognise
dangers.
Folding in the ball coupling i
Fold the ball coupling back in if you are not
using the trailer tow hitch. Towing a trailer
203Driving and parking Z

the extended range foglamps are unavailable.
These are only deactivated if the setting for driv-
ing on the left/right is set opposite to your vehi- cle's country version.
A qualified specialist workshop can set the
dipped-beam headlamps for driving on the left/
right.
Activating/deactivating the surround
lighting and exterior lighting delayed
switch-off
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Using :or9, select the Surround Surround
lighting
lighting function.
If the Surround
Surround lighting
lightingfunction is activa-
ted, the light cone and the area around the
vehicle are displayed in orange in the multi-
function display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Deactivating delayed switch-off of the exterior
lighting temporarily:
X Before leaving the vehicle, turn the key to
position 0in the ignition lock.
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition lock.
The exterior lighting delayed switch-off is
deactivated.
Delayed switch-off of the exterior lighting is
reactivated the next time you start the engine.
If you have activated the Surround lighting
Surround lighting
function and the light switch is set to the Ã
position, the following functions are activated
when it is dark:
R surround lighting: the exterior lighting
remains lit for 40 second s after unlocking
with the key. If you start the engine, the sur-
round lighting is switched off and automatic
headlamp mode is activated (Y page 106).
R exterior lighting delayed switch-off: the
exterior lighting remains lit for 60 seconds
after the engine is switched off. If you close all
the doors and the boot lid, the exterior lighting
goes off after 15 seconds.
i Depending on your vehicle's equipment,
when the surround lighting and delayed
switch-off exterior lighting are on, the follow- ing light up: R
Side lamps
R Surround lighting in the exterior mirrors
Activating/deactivating the interior light-
ing delayed switch-off
If you activate the Lighting
Lighting delayed delayedsw.-off
sw.-off
function, the interior lighting remains on for
20 seconds after you remove the key from the
ignition lock.
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings Settingsmenu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lights
Lights submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Lighting delayed sw.-off
Lighting delayed sw.-off function.
When the Lighting
Lighting delayed
delayedsw.-off
sw.-offfunc-
tion is activated, the vehicle interior is dis-
played in orange in the multifunction display.
X Press the abutton to save the setting.
Vehicle Setting permanent SPEEDTRONIC
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press :or9 to select the Limit
Limit
speed (winter tyres):
speed (winter tyres): function.
The current setting appears.
X Press ato confirm.
X Press the :or9 button to adjust per-
manent SPEEDTRONIC in increments of ten
(240 km/h 240 km/h to160 km/h
160 km/h). The Off
Offsetting
switches permanent SPEEDTRONIC off.
X Press the abutton to store the entry.
Observe the additional information on perma-
nent SPEEDTRONIC (Y page 161).
Activating/deactivating the automatic
locking feature
X Press the =or; button on the steering
wheel to select the Settings
Settings menu.
X Press the :or9 button to select the
Vehicle Vehicle submenu.
X Press ato confirm. 218
Menus and submenusOn-board computer and displays

Display messages
Possible causes/consequences and
M
MSolutions N The boot lid is open.
X Close the boot lid. M The bonnet is open. A warning tone also sounds.
G WARNING
The open bonnet may then block your view when the vehicle is in
motion.
There is a risk of an accident.
X Pull over and stop the vehicle safely as soon as possible, paying
attention to road and traffic conditions.
X Safeguard the vehicle against rolling away (Y page 150).
X Close the bonnet.
If the active bonnet (pedestrian protection) has been triggered: X Reset the bonnet (Y page 283).
X Close the bonnet. Active bonnet mal‐ Active bonnet mal‐
function See Own‐ function See Own‐
er's Manual er's Manual The active bonnet (pedestrian protection) is not active due to a mal-
function or because it has already been triggered.
X Consult a qualified specialist workshop. C At least one door is open. A warning tone also sounds.
X Close all doors. _
Rear Rear
left
leftseat
seatback‐
back‐
rest not
rest not
locked locked orRear rightRear right
seat backrest not
seat backrest not
locked locked The backrest in the rear is not engaged on the left-hand and/or right-
hand side. A warning tone also sounds.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. _
Front left seat Front left seat
backrest not backrest not
locked locked
orFront rightFront right
seat backrest not
seat backrest not
locked locked The driver's or front-passenger seat backrest is not engaged. A warn-
ing tone also sounds.
X Push the backrest back until it engages. Display
messages
243On-board computer and displays Z

Stowage areas
Loading guidelines
G
WARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, especially when braking or abruptly changing directions.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey. G
WARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the boot
lid is open when the engine is running, espe-
cially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the boot lid. Never drive with the boot lid
open. G
WARNING
The exhaust tail pipe and tail pipe trim can
become very hot. If you come into contact
with these parts of the vehicle, you could burn
yourself. There is a risk of injury.
Always be particularly careful around the
exhaust tail pipe and the tail pipe trim. Allow
these components to cool down before touch-
ing them.
The handling characteristics of a laden vehicle
are dependent on the distribution of the load
within the vehicle. For this reason, you should
observe the following notes when transporting a
load:
R never exceed the maximum permissible gross
vehicle weight or the permissible axle loads
for the vehicle (including occupants).
R the boot is the preferred place to store
objects.
R position heavy loads as far forwards as pos-
sible and as low down in the boot as possible. R
the load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R always place the load against the rear or front
seat backrests. Make sure that the seat
backrests are securely locked into place.
R always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R use the lashing eyelets and the luggage nets
to transport loads and luggage.
R only use lashing eyelets and fastening com-
ponents that are suitable for the weight and
size of the load.
R secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant lashing material. Pad sharp
edges for protection.
i Load restraints are available at any qualified
specialist workshop, e.g. a Mercedes-Benz
Service Centre. Stowage compartments
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If objects in the passenger compartment are
stowed incorrectly, they can slide or be
thrown around and hit vehicle occupants. In
addition, cupholders, open stowage spaces
and mobile phone brackets cannot always
retain all objects they contain. There is a risk of injury, particularly in the event of sudden
braking or a sudden change in direction.
R Always stow objects so that they cannot be
thrown around in such situations.
R Always make sure that objects do not pro-
trude from stowage spaces, parcel nets or
stowage nets.
R Close the lockable stowage spaces before
starting a journey.
R Always stow and secure heavy, hard, poin-
ted, sharp-edged, fragile or bulky objects in
the boot.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 265). Stowage areas
265Stowing and features Z

X
To open: slide cover :back.
Stowage compartment/telephone
compartment under the armrest Vehicles with manual transmission
X To open: press left-hand button ;or right-
hand button :.
The stowage compartment opens. Vehicles with DIRECT SELECT lever
X To open: press left-hand button ;or right-
hand button :.
The stowage compartment opens.
i Coupé: instead of a soft top switch, an addi-
tional stowage compartment can be found in
front of the armrest.
Depending on the vehicle's equipment, the fol-
lowing may be in the stowage space:
R a multimedia connector unit with an SD card
slot and 2 USB ports (Media Interface), e.g. for
use with an iPod ®
, iPhone ®
or MP3 player; see
the separate operating instructions
R a mobile phone bracket (Y page 275)Stowage compartment under the front
seats G
WARNING
If you exceed the maximum permitted load of the stowage compartment, the cover is
unable to restrain the objects. Objects may be
thrown out of the stowage compartment and
hit vehicle occupants as a result. There is a
risk of injury, particularly in the event of sud-
den braking or a sudden change in direction.
Always observe the maximum load of the
stowage compartment. Stow and secure
heavy objects in the boot.
The maximum permissible load of the stowage
compartment is 1.5 kg. X
To open: pull handle :up and fold cover ;
forwards.
i On vehicles with a fire extinguisher instead
of a stowage compartment, the fire extin-
guisher is installed under the driver's seat. Stowage nets
Stowage nets are located in the front-passenger footwell and on the left-hand side of the boot.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 265)
and the safety notes regarding stowage spaces
(Y page 265). Stowage areas
267Stowing an d features Z

Through-loading facility in the rear
bench seat
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear bench seat/rear seat and seat
backrest are not engaged they could fold for- wards, e.g. when braking suddenly or in the
event of an accident.
R The vehicle occupant would thereby be
pushed into the seat belt by the rear bench
seat/rear seat or by the seat backrest. The
seat belt cannot protect as intended and
could result in additional injury.
R Objects or loads in the boot cannot be
restrained by the seat backrest.
This poses an increased risk of injury.
Before every trip, make sure that the seat
backrests and the rear bench seat/rear seat
are engaged before every trip.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 265).
The left-hand and right-hand rear seat backrests can be folded down separately to increase the
boot capacity.
Folding the seat backrest forwards i
Vehicles with memory function: when you
fold one or both parts of the rear seat back-
rest forwards, the respective front seat
moves forward slightly, when necessary, in
order to avoid contact. X
Vehicles without memory function: if neces-
sary, move the driver's or front-passenger
seat forwards.
X Open the boot.
X Pull right-hand or left-hand rear seat backrest
release handle :.
The corresponding rear seat backrest is
released. X
Fold rear seat backrest ;forwards.
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Folding back the seat backrest !
Make sure that the seat belt does not
become trapped when folding the rear seat
backrest back. Otherwise, it could be dam-
aged. X
Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
forward if necessary.
X Fold rear seat backrest :back until it
engages.
If the rear seat backrest is not engaged and
locked, this will be shown in the multifunction 268
Sto
wage areasStowing an d features

display in the instrument cluster. A warning
tone also sounds.
X Move the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
i If you do not need the through-loading fea-
ture, you should always engage the rear seat
backrests. This will prevent unauthorised
access to the boot from the vehicle interior. Securing a load
Lashing eyelets General notes
Observe the following notes on securing loads:
R observe the loading guidelines (Y page 265).
R secure the load using the lashing eyelets.
R distribute the load on the lashing eyelets
evenly.
R do not use elastic straps or nets to secure a
load. These are only intended as an anti-slip
protection for light loads.
R do not route lashing materials across sharp
edges or corners.
R pad sharp edges for protection.
Boot X
Fold up lashing eyelets :next to the rear
seat backrest and put them through the slots
in the carpet.
Bag hook G
WARNING
The bag hooks cannot restrain heavy objects
or items of luggage. Objects or items of lug-
gage could be flung around and thereby hit vehicle occupants when braking or abruptly
changing directions. There is a risk of injury.
Only hang light objects on the bag hooks.
Never hang hard, sharp-edged or fragile
objects on the bag hooks.
! The bag hook can bear a maximum load of
3 kg. Do not use it to secure a load. :
Bag hook Stowage well under the boot floor
! Remove the handle again before closing the
boot lid and snap it in tightly to prevent the
handle flap from protruding. Otherwise, you
could damage the handle. The TIREFIT kit, the vehicle tool kit, etc. are
located in the stowage compartment.
X To open: pull handle :up. Stowage areas
269Stowing and features Z

Roof carrier
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When a load is transported on the roof, the
vehicle's centre of gravity rises and the han-
dling changes. If you exceed the maximum
roof load, the handling as well as steering and braking characteristics are severely affected.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the maximum roof load and
adapt your driving style.
! Mercedes-Benz recommends that you only
use roof carriers that have been tested and
approved for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. This
helps to prevent damage to the vehicle.
Position the load on the roof carrier in such a way that the vehicle will not sustain damage
even when it is in motion.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, ensure
that when the roof carrier is fitted you can:
R open the panorama sliding sunroof fully
R open the boot lid fully
! To avoid damaging or scratching the covers,
do not use metallic or hard objects to open
them.
You will find information on the maximum roof
load in the "Technical data" section
(Y page 335).
An incorrectly secured roof carrier or roof load
may become detached from the vehicle. You
must therefore ensure that you observe the roof
carrier manufacturer's installation instructions. Attaching the roof carrier Vehicles with a steel roof
Vehicles with a panorama sliding sunroof
X Open covers :carefully in the direction of
the arrow.
X Fold covers :upwards.
X Only secure the roof carrier to the anchorage
points under covers :.
X Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions. Features
Cup holders
Important safety notes Vehicles with manual transmission:
G
WARNING
The cup holder cannot secure a drinks con-
tainer in place during a journey. If you use a
cup holder during a journey, the drinks con-
tainer could be flung around and liquid could
be spilt. Vehicle occupants could come into
contact with the liquid and, in particular, be 270
FeaturesStowing and features