
sideways, tip and overturn. There is a risk of
an accident.
When driving up an incline, drive into the line of fall (upwards or downwards in a straight
line) and do not turn. G
WARNING
Flammable material such as leaves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with hot parts of the exhaust system. There is a risk of fire.
When driving off road or on unpaved roads,
check the vehicle's underside regularly. In
particular, remove parts of plants or other
flammable materials which have become
trapped. In the case of damage, contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
! There is a risk of damage to the vehicle if:
R the vehicle becomes stuck, e.g. on a high
kerb or an unpaved road
R you drive too fast over an obstacle, e.g. a
kerb or a pothole in the road
R a heavy object strikes the underbody or
parts of the chassis
In situations like this, the body, the under-
body, chassis parts, wheels or tyres could
be damaged without the damage being visi-
ble. Components damaged in this way can
unexpectedly fail or, in the case of an acci-
dent, no longer withstand the strain they
are designed for.
If the underbody panelling is damaged,
combustible materials such as leaves,
grass or twigs can gather between the
underbody and the underbody panelling. If
these materials come in contact with hot
parts of the exhaust system, they can catch fire.
In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If, upon con-
tinuing your journey, you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The vehicle is only designed for easily nego-
tiable off-road terrain and poor road surfaces. When driving off-road, substances such as
sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil
may get into the brakes. This may lead to a
reduction in braking performance or total
brake failure as a result of increased wear.
The braking characteristics will vary depend-
ing on the substances that get into the
brakes. Clean the brakes after driving off-
road. If you notice grinding noises or a reduc-
tion in braking performance, have the brake
system checked at a qualified specialist work- shop immediately. Adapt your driving style to
the altered braking characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the possibility of
damage to the vehicle, which may cause
assemblies or systems to fail. Adapt your
driving style to the conditions of the terrain.
Drive carefully. Have vehicle damage rectified immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Do not shift into transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake the
vehicle using the service brake. If the gradient
is too steep for your vehicle, back up in
reverse gear.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section before driving your vehicle
off-road.
Off-road driving is only possible with the Off-
Road Engineering package (Y page 250). Driving tips
227Driving and parking Z

The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
R Off-road program (Y page 250)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 79)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 85)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 85)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 248)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before driving off-road. If
necessary, activate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
R Make sure that items of luggage and loads
are stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 396).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 248).
R Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at
walking pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unknown off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R Watch out for obstacles.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slope or when driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pan-
orama sliding sunroof closed during the
journey.
R Do not deviate from marked routes.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces. Checklist before driving off-road X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil and
top it up if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the oil
level must be sufficiently high to ensure a
correct oil supply in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tyres: check the tyre tread
depth and tyre pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tyres.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Wheels: dented or bent wheels can lead to
a loss of tyre pressure and damage to the
tyre bead. Before driving off-road, check
the wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Deactivate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 248).
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear licence plates.
X Clean the wheels/tyres with a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel arches and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tyres, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage. 228
Driving tipsDriving and parking

X
After driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
R brake discs
R wheels
R brake pads
R axle joints
X If you detect strong vibrations after driving
off-road, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places
greater demands on your vehicle than driving
on normal roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and other road users.
Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Select the off-road program (Y page 250).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise, the vehicle could dig itself
into the sand.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is firm enough
- your vehicle has sufficient ground clear-
ance
Tyre ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck. Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loose gravel:
R Activate the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel gearshift paddle.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels on one side on the middle section of
turf if possible. Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive up a steep incline at an angle or
turn on a steep incline, the vehicle could slip
sideways, tip and overturn. There is a risk of
an accident.
When driving up an incline, drive into the line of fall (upwards or downwards in a straight
line) and do not turn.
R Observe the warnings for off-road driving
(Y page 226).
R Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, select the off-road program
(Y page 250).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the gradient.
R Use the left-hand gearshift paddle to shift
to a lower gear on long and steep downhill
gradients. Driving tips
229Driving and parking Z

Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away
on a hill. For further information about hill
start assist, see (Y page 191).
Do not shift into transmission position N
when driving off-road. You could lose control
of the vehicle if you attempt to brake the
vehicle using the service brake. If the gradient
is too steep for your vehicle, back up in
reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values (Y page 489).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climb-
ing ability values (Y page 489).
Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immedi-
ately before reaching the brow of the hill.
Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to
travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from travelling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive with the front wheels aligned straight. Oth-erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and overturn.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients,
use the left-hand steering wheel gearshift
paddle to shift to a lower gear.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch. Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels
lock cyclically during braking. The digging-in
effect achieved in the process reduces the
stopping distance when driving off-road. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for
innovative driver assistance and safety sys-
tems which enhance comfort and support the
driver in critical situations. With these intelli-
gent co-ordinated systems Mercedes-Benz
has set a milestone on the path towards
autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all elements of active and passive safety in one
well thought-out system – for the safety of the vehicle occupants and that of other road
users.
Further information on driving safety systems (Y page 78). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. Change into
a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients. Take particular note of
this when driving a laden vehicle and when
towing a trailer. 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.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions are appropriate for maintaining a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You canstore any road speed above 30 km/h. 230
Driving systemsDriving and parking

i
The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the limit speed
stored.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC General notes
:
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To store the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
? To store the current speed or a lower
speed
A To switch between cruise control or
DISTRONIC PLUS and variable SPEED-
TRONIC
B To deactivate variable SPEEDTRONIC
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
You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/hw hile
the engine is running. Selecting variable SPEEDTRONIC
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the limit speed stored.
X Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is on.
If it is on, variable SPEEDTRONIC is already
selected.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever is on. Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selec-
ted.
Storing the current speed You can use the cruise control lever to limit
the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while
the engine is running.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :
or down ;.
The current speed is stored and shown in
the multifunction display.
Speedometer with segments: the seg-
ments light up from the start of the scale up
to the stored speed limit. 234
Driving systemsDriving and parking

LIM indicator lamp
=on the cruise control
lever indicates which function you have selec- ted:
R LIM indicator lamp =
= off: DISTRONIC
PLUS is selected
R LIM indicator lamp =
=on: variable
SPEEDTRONIC is selected
Selecting DISTRONIC PLUS X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp :is off.
If it is off, DISTRONIC PLUS is already selec-
ted.
If it is not, press the cruise control lever in
the direction of arrow ;.
LIM indicator lamp :in the cruise control
lever goes out. DISTRONIC PLUS is selec-
ted.
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, the following
conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up
to two minutes of driving before
DISTRONIC 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 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 238).
Priming X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ;, up :or down =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up : or down =until 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 suspended DISTRONIC PLUS suspended
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play. The set distance to a slower-moving
vehicle in front will then not be maintained. The position of the accelerator pedal will
determine the speed.
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 =.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. 238
Driving systemsDriving and parking

R
you are driving faster than 10 km/h
R a wheel spins and ESP ®
intervenes or fails.
The ÷ warning lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
A warning tone sounds. The parking symbol
disappears and the multifunction display
shows the Park Assist cancelled Park Assist cancelled mes-
sage.
When Active Parking Assist is cancelled, you
must steer and brake again yourself.
If a system malfunction occurs, the vehicle is braked to a standstill. To drive on, depress the
accelerator pedal again. Reversing camera
General notes Reversing camera
:is an optical parking
and manoeuvring aid. It shows the area
behind your vehicle with guide lines in the
Audio 20 or COMAND Online display.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed as a
mirror image, as in the rear-view mirror.
i The text shown in the Audio 20 or
COMAND Online display depends on the
language setting. The following are exam-
ples of reversing camera messages in the
Audio 20 or COMAND Online display.
Important safety notes The reversing camera is only an aid. It is not a
substitute for your attention to the immediate
surroundings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
Under the following circumstances, the
reversing camera will not function, or will
function in a limited manner:
R if the boot lid or tailgate is open
R in heavy rain, snow or fog
R at night or in very dark places
R if the camera is exposed to very bright light
R if the area is lit by fluorescent bulbs or LED
lighting (the display may flicker)
R if there is a sudden change in temperature,
e.g. when driving into a heated garage in
winter
R if the camera lens is dirty or obstructed.
Observe the notes on cleaning
(Y page 425)
R if the rear of your vehicle is damaged. In this
case, have the camera position and setting checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
The field of vision and other functions of the
reversing camera may be restricted due to
additional accessories on the rear of the vehi-
cle (e.g. licence plate holder, bicycle rack).
i The reversing camera is protected from
raindrops and dust by means of a flap.
When the reversing camera is activated,
this flap opens.
The flap closes again when:
R you have finished the manoeuvring proc-
ess
R you switch off the engine
R you open the boot or luggage compart-
ment
See the notes on cleaning (Y page 425).
For technical reasons, the flap may remain
open briefly after the reversing camera has been deactivated. 262
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

Warning display
:
Warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below approximately 30 km/h. Vehicles in the mon-itoring range are then not indicated.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the corre-
sponding side lights up red. This warning lamp
always lights up when a vehicle enters the
blind spot monitoring range from behind or
from the side. When you overtake a vehicle,
the warning only occurs if the difference in
speed is less than 12 km/h.
If you select the reverse gear, Blind Spot
Assist is not operational.
The brightness of the warning lamps is auto-
matically adapted to the brightness of the
surroundings.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the monitoring range
of Blind Spot Assist and you switch on the
corresponding turn signal, a double warning
tone sounds. Red warning lamp :flashes. If
the turn signal remains on, detected vehicles
are indicated by the flashing of red warning
lamp :. There are no further warning tones. Activating Blind Spot Assist
X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activa-
ted in the on-board computer
(Y page 328).
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors
light up red until the engine is started.
Display in the assistance graphic When Blind Spot Assist is activated, grey
radar waves propagating backwards appear
next to the vehicle in the assistance display in the multifunction display. Above a speed of
30 km/h, the colour of the radar waves in the
assistance display changes to green ;. Blind
Spot Assist is then ready for use.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con- nection. This can be accomplished by check-ing the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is
then deactivated. The Blind Spot Assist Blind Spot Assist
not
not available
available when
whentowing
towing a
atrailer
trailer
See Owner's Manual
See Owner's Manual message appears in
the multifunction display. 278
Driving systemsDriving and parking