2015 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SUV steering

Observe the following rules when driving over
tree stumps, large stones and other obstacles:
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select LOW RANGE offroad gear (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 255)
R Raise the vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel gearshift paddle.
R Drive very slowly.
R Drive straight over the centre of obstacles. Travelling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on 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 on 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 199).
R Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(Y page 254).
R Before driving on extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, select the LOW RANGE offroad
gear (vehicles with Off-Road Engineering
package) (Y page 255).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping. R
Avoid high engine speeds, except when driv-
ing on sandy and muddy routes with high driv-
ing 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 gradi-
ents.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on
a hill. Further information on hill start assist
(Y page 161).
Do not shift into transmission position Nwhen
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 445).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Y page 445).
Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
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. Otherwise, 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 202
Driving tipsDriving and parking

Other vehicles changing lane
DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehicle
cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the vehi-
cle in front on the edge of the carriageway,
because of its narrow width. The distance to thevehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the detec-
ted vehicle turns a corner and reveals an obsta- cle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS will
not brake for these.
Crossing vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS may mistakenly detect vehi-
cles that are crossing your lane. Activating
DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with crossing
traffic, for example, could cause your vehicle to pull away unintentionally.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot aids you in keeping the vehicle in
the centre of the driving lane by means of mod-
erate steering interventions in a speed range
from 0 - 200 km/h.
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of camera system :at the top of the
windscreen.
In a speed range from 0 - 60 km/h, Stop&Go
Pilot focuses on the vehicle in front, taking into
account lane markings, e.g. when following vehi- cles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 60 km/h, Steering
Assist focuses on detected lane markings (left 214
Driving systemsDriving and parking

and right), only focusing on the vehicle in front if
detected lane markings are not present.
If these conditions are not present, Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot provide assis-
tance.
DISTRONIC PLUS must be active in order for the
function to be available.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor
override the laws of physics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for vehi- cle speed, for braking in good time and for stay-
ing in lane.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot does not detect road and traffic
conditions and does not detect all road users. If you are following a vehicle which is driving
towards the edge of the carriageway, your vehi-cle could come into contact with the kerb or
other road boundaries. Be particularly aware of
other road users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly
next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and
Stop&Go Pilot cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such cases, you must steer
the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support offered by the system may be
impaired if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,fog or spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windscreen is dirty, misted up, damaged
or covered, for instance by a sticker, in the
vicinity of the camera R
no or several, unclear lane markings are pres-
ent for one lane, e.g. in a construction area
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lane
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i After you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are auto-
matically active again.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot cannot pro-
vide assistance:
R on very sharp corners
R when towing a trailer
R a loss of tyre pressure or a defective tyre has
been detected and displayed
Pay attention also to the important safety notes
for DISTRONIC PLUS (Y page 207).
The steering interventions are carried out with a limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot switch to passive mode.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z

Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
X Activate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using the
on-board computer (Y page 290).
The DTR+: steering assistant On
DTR+: steering assistant On mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are active.
Information in the multifunction display If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears in grey. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
X Deactivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steer-
ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using
the on-board computer (Y page 290).
The DTR+: steering assistant Off
DTR+: steering assistant Off mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deac-
tivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated automatically. Level control (vehicles with the Off-
road Engineering package)
Important safety notes Level control adapts the vehicle level automati-
cally to the current operating and driving situa-
tion. This results in reduced fuel consumption
and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level lowers; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, e.g. after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be running. For safety reasons, the vehicle
is only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened; it con-
tinues once the door has been closed.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 199). G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches. G
WARNING
When driving at a raised vehicle level, the driv- ing characteristics may be significantly affec-ted by the vehicle's raised centre of gravity.
The vehicle may be more liable to tip when
cornering, for example. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style accordingly. G
WARNING
When driving with a lowered or raised chassis frame, the driving and braking characteristics
may be seriously affected. A raised chassis
frame may also exceed the permissible vehi-
cle height. There is a risk of an accident.
Set the driving level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high centre of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and overturn in the event of abrupt steering manoeuvres and/or when the 216
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
R SUVs overturn considerably more often than
other vehicle types.
If this vehicle is not driven in a safe manner, it can lead to an accident, to the vehicle over-
turning as well as serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
R In the event of an accident with the vehicle
overturning, passengers who are not wearing
their seat belt are considerably more likely to die than passengers wearing their seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Basic settings The extent to which the vehicle is raised or low-
ered depends on the basic setting selected.
Select:
R the Comfort orSport drive program for driv-
ing on normal roads
R the Offroad drive program for driving on eas-
ily negotiable off-road terrain
R the Offroad Plus drive program for off-road
driving
R Offroad level 1 for driving on easily negotiable
off-road terrain
R Offroad level 2 for driving on normal off-road
terrain
R Offroad level 3 for freeing the vehicle from
especially difficult off-road terrain at low
speeds
The individual vehicle levels differ from the nor- mal level as follows:
R –15 mm in the Sportdrive program
R +/–0 mm in the Comfortdrive program
R + 30 mm in the Offroaddrive program
R + 60 mm in the Offroad Plusdrive program
R + 30 mm in offroad level 1 R
+ 60 mm in offroad level 2
R + 90 mm in offroad level 3
Setting the vehicle level !
Make sure there is enough ground clear-
ance when the vehicle is being lowered. It
could otherwise hit the ground, damaging the
underbody. Setting the vehicle level using the selector
wheel
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
anti-clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
During the adjustment, the Lowering LoweringorVehi‐
Vehi‐
cle
cle rising
rising message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear. Once normal level has been reached, all indicator lamps =go out.
The vehicle automatically selects normal level if
you:
R drive at speeds above 115 km/h or
R drive at speeds between 100 km/h and
115 km/h for approximately 20 seconds
The vehicle is lowered to low level if you are
travelling at higher speeds. Driving systems
217Driving and parking Z

Normal level
Setting the vehicle to normal level
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
anti-clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
If one or more indicator lamps =are on:
X Turn selector wheel :anti-clockwise ?
until all indicator lamps =that are lit start to
flash.
The vehicle is lowered to normal level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached, the
indicator lamp stops flashing and goes out.
Offroad levels General notes
Only select an offroad level if this is appropriate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling performance
may be affected.
You can select the following:
R Offroad level 1 at speeds up to 100 km/h
R Offroad level 2 at speeds up to 65 km/h
R Offroad level 3 at speeds up to 20 km/h
If you select an offroad level when driving at too
high a speed, the Please reduce speed
Please reduce speed mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic- ularly rough conditions.
R Adjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
R Do not drive faster than 20 km/h. Indicator lamps
=for the desired offroad level
flash:
R the lower indicator lamp flashes, offroad
level 1 is selected
R the lower and centre indicator lamps flash,
offroad level 2 is selected
R all three indicator lamps flash, offroad level 3
is selected
The vehicle is being adjusted to the offroad level
selected. As soon as an offroad level is reached,
the corresponding indicator lamp stops flashing and lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
Setting the vehicle level using the selector
wheel
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised to offroad level 1 by
30 mm compared to the normal level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle rising Vehicle rising
message, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
i Up to offroad level 2, you can hide the mes-
sages using the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
While the adjustment from offroad level 2 to off-
road level 3 is taking place, you will see a mes-
sage such as the following in the multifunction
display: Vehicle rising Max. speed
Vehicle rising Max. speed
20 km/h 20 km/h.
The Max. Max. speed
speed 20
20km/h
km/h message draws your
attention to the maximum speed permitted for
offroad level 3.
If you drive above 20 km/h at offroad level 3,
you will see the following message shown in red 218
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

Selecting Sport Plus tuning (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) The very firm setting of the suspension setting in
the Sport Plus drive program ensures the best
possible contact with the road. Select this mode
when employing a sporty driving style, e.g. on
winding country roads or, ideally, when driving
on closed race circuits.
DSR is not available in the Sport Plusdrive pro-
gram. Further information on DSR
(Y page 252).
X Select the Sport Plus drive program using
DYNAMIC SELECT controller :.
The vehicle is lowered by 10 mm compared to
the normal level.
ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM The ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM uses active stabil-
isers to optimise both driving comfort and vehi- cle dynamics. Depending on the drive program
selected (Y page 221), the ACTIVE CURVE SYS-
TEM also changes the setting.
If you have selected the Comfortdrive program:
R rolling movement is reduced in the event of
changing surface undulations
R the roll angle when cornering is reduced
R the driving is dynamic
If you have selected the Sportdrive program:
R the roll angle is reduced significantly
R the driving is even more dynamic
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: if you have selected
the Sport Plus drive program:
R the roll angle is again reduced significantly
R the driving is designed for maximum dyna-
mism Vehicle level Important safety notes
G
WARNING
People's limbs may become trapped if they
are located underneath the vehicle or
between the vehicle body and the tyres when the vehicle is lowering. There is a danger of
injury.
When lowering the vehicle, make sure no one
is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches. G
WARNING
When driving at a raised vehicle level, the driv- ing characteristics may be significantly affec-ted by the vehicle's raised centre of gravity.
The vehicle may be more liable to tip when
cornering, for example. There is a risk of an
accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style accordingly. G
WARNING
When driving with a lowered or raised chassis frame, the driving and braking characteristics
may be seriously affected. A raised chassis
frame may also exceed the permissible vehi-
cle height. There is a risk of an accident.
Set the driving level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high centre of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and overturn in the event of abrupt steering manoeuvres and/or when the
vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
R SUVs overturn considerably more often than
other vehicle types. 222
Driving systemsDriving and parking

If this vehicle is not driven in a safe manner, it
can lead to an accident, to the vehicle over-
turning as well as serious or even fatal inju-
ries.
R In the event of an accident with the vehicle
overturning, passengers who are not wearing
their seat belt are considerably more likely to die than passengers wearing their seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
General notes
Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to
adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level lowers; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, e.g. after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be running. For safety reasons, the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened; it con-
tinues once the door has been closed.
Vehicles without a trailer coupled: below a
speed of 65 km/h, you can select between the
normal and raised vehicle level. Select the nor-
mal vehicle level for normal road conditions and
the raised vehicle level when using snow chains or if the road conditions are very poor. Your
selection remains stored even if you remove the
key from the ignition lock. If you try to select
raised level at a speed above 65 km/h, the
Please
Please reduce reducespeed
speedmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 30 km/h, you can select between the normal
and raised vehicle level. Setting the raised vehicle level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;flashes while the vehicle is
being raised, and lights up continuously as
soon as the vehicle reaches the desired level.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the vehicle is lowered by 60 mm com-
pared to the normal level.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the vehicle is
raised by 50 mm compared to the normal
level (Mercedes-AMG vehicles).
The Vehicle rising Vehicle rising message appears in the
multifunction display.
The message remains until the raised level is
reached.
If you press the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised vehicle level setting is cancelled if
you:
R drive at speeds above 80 km/h (all vehicles
except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 70 km/h (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds between 65 km/h and
80 km/h for approximately 20 seconds (all
vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds between 65 km/h and
70 km/h for approximately 20 seconds
(Mercedes-AMG vehicles)
R drive at speeds above 30 km/h with a trailer.
The raised level remains saved when you are not driving within these speed ranges. Driving systems
223Driving and parking Z