2015 MERCEDES-BENZ M-Class sport

we strongly recommend that children be
placed in the rear seat whenever possible.
Regardless of seating position, children 12
years old and under must be seated and prop- erly secured in an appropriately sized child
restraint system or booster seat recommen-
ded for the size and weight of the child. For
additional information, see the "Children in
the vehicle" section.
A child's risk of serious or fatal injuries is sig- nificantly increased if the child restraints are
not properly secured in the vehicle and/or thechild is not properly secured in the child
restraint.
! To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
R keep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as soon as possible.
R if the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
R clean the seat covers as recommended;
see "Interior care".
R do not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools. The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
R when the seat heating is in operation, do
not cover the seats with insulating mate-
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov- ers, child seats or booster seats.
! Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when
moving the seats back. There is a risk that
the seats and/or the objects could be dam- aged.
i It is not possible to remove the head
restraints from the front seats. The rear-
compartment head restraints, however,
can be removed (Y page 108). For more information, contact a qualified
specialist workshop.
i Further related subjects:
R Important safety notes on air bags
(Y page 50)
R Cargo compartment enlargement (fold-
ing down the rear bench seat)
(Y page 337)
R Securing children in the vehicle
(Y page 62) Adjusting the seats electrically
0043
Head restraint height
0044 Seat cushion angle
0087 Seat height
0085 Seat fore-and-aft adjustment
0083 Backrest angle
i Vehicles with memory function: if PRE-
SAFE ®
has been triggered, the front-
passenger seat will be moved to a better
position if it was previously in an unfavora- ble position.
i You can store the seat settings using the
memory function (Y page 116). Adjusting the head restraints
General notes Pay attention to the important safety notes
(Y
page 105). 106
SeatsSeats, steering wheel and mirrors

Program selector button
General notes Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package
X Press program selector button 0043.
The letter Mappears in the multifunction
display. The manual drive program Mis
activated. AMG vehicles
X
Press program selector button 0043repeat-
edly until the letter for the desired gearshift program appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving character-
istics.
In AMG vehicles, drive program Eis called
drive program C.
i The permanent drive program Mis avail-
able on the following vehicles:
R Vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package
R AMG vehicles Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 174).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(Y page 173).
i AMG vehicles:
the automatic transmis-
sion switches to automatic drive program C
each time the engine is started.
Drive program on vehicles with the
ON&OFFROAD package M
Manual Permanent manual gear-
shifting
Drive programs on AMG vehicles
C
Controlled
Efficiency Comfortable, economical
driving
S
Sport Sporty driving style
M
Manual Permanent manual gear-
shifting
i
For further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Y page 173). Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters 0043and 0044.
Further information about permanent drive
program M(Y page 174). 172
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Further information about temporary drive
program M(Y page 173).
i You can only change gear with the steer-
ing wheel paddle shifters when the trans-
mission is in position D.Automatic drive program
Automatic drive programs E and S Drive program
E(drive program Con MAG
vehicles) is characterized by the following:
R comfort-oriented engine and transmission
settings
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner
R the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully
R increased sensitivity. This improves driving
stability on slippery road surfaces, for
example
R the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin
Drive program Sis characterized by the fol-
lowing:
R sporty engine and transmission settings
R the automatic transmission shifting up
later
R the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points
Manual drive program M General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel pad- dle shifters. The transmission must be in posi-
tion D. All vehicles (except AMG vehicles):
you
can activate manual drive program Musing
the steering wheel paddle shifters.
AMG vehicles: you can activate manual drive
program Min automatic drive programs Cand
S.
Vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package:
if manual drive program Mis deactivated
using the program selector button, you can
activate manual drive program Musing the
steering wheel paddle shifters.
i As well as temporary drive program
M,
you can also activate permanent drive pro- gram M(Y page 172).
Further information about permanent drive program M(Y page 174).
Activating
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Pull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Y page 172).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in
the multifunction display.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a
limited amount of time. Depending on which
paddle shifter is pulled, the automatic trans-
mission immediately shifts into the next gear down or up, if permitted.
X To shift up: pull the right-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Y page 172).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
i If the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you
continue to accelerate, the automatic Automatic transmission
173Driving and parking Z

These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with
the manufacturer's specifications. For this
reason, all work on the engine must be carried out by qualified and authorized Mercedes-
Benz technicians.
The engine settings must not be changed
under any circumstances. Furthermore, all
specific service work must be carried out at
regular intervals and in accordance with the
Mercedes-Benz service requirements. Details
can be found in the Maintenance Booklet. ECO display
Example: ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how
economical your driving characteristics are.
The ECO display assists you in achieving the
most economical driving style for the selec-
ted settings and prevailing conditions. Your
driving style can significantly influence the
vehicle's consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
R Acceleration
Acceleration
R Constant Constant
R Coasting
Coasting
The percent value is the average value of the three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percent-
age indicates a more economical driving
style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel consumption. A fixed percentage count
in the ECO display does not indicate a fixed
consumption. Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
R load
R tire pressure
R cold start
R choice of route
R electrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried
out using the following three categories:
R Acceleration
Acceleration (evaluation of all accelera-
tion processes):
- The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
- The bar empties: sporty acceleration
R Constant Constant (assessment of driving behavior
at all times):
- The bar fills up: constant speed and
avoidance of unnecessary acceleration
and deceleration
- The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
R Coasting Coasting (assessment of all deceleration
processes):
- The bar fills up: anticipatory driving,
keeping your distance and early release
of the accelerator. The vehicle can coast
without use of the brakes.
- The bar empties: frequent braking
i An economical driving style specially
requires driving at moderate engine
speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
Acceleration andConstant Constant, observe the
gearshift recommendations.
i On long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the highway, only the bar for Constant
Constant
will change.
i The ECO display summarizes the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey
to its completion. For this reason, the bars
change dynamically at the beginning of the
journey. On longer journeys, there are Driving tips
187Driving and parking Z

ADS (Adaptive Damping System)
General notes
ADS adapts the damping characteristics to
the current operating and driving situation.
This depends on:
R your driving style
R the road surface conditions
R the ADS setting
R the vehicle level setting
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning Example: vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package
0043 Suspension tuning button
0044 Indicator lamp for sports tuning
0087 Indicator lamp for comfort tuning
X Start the engine.
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected. The vehicle is low-
ered by 0.6 in (15 mm).
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty
driving style, e.g. on winding country roads. Comfort tuning Example: vehicles without the ON&OFFROAD
package
0043 Suspension tuning button
0044 Indicator lamp for sports tuning
0087 Indicator lamp for comfort tuning
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0087lights up. Comfort tuning
is selected. The vehicle is raised by 0.6 in
(15 mm).
In comfort mode, the dr iving characteristics
of your vehicle are more comfortable. There-
fore, select this mode if you favor a more
comfortable driving style. Select comfort
mode also when driving fast on straight roads,
e.g. on straight stretches of highway.
Active Curve System The Active Curve System uses active stabil-
izers to optimize both driving comfort and
vehicle agility. Depending on the ADS mode
selected (Y page 212), the Active Curve Sys-
tem also changes the setting.
If you select ADS comfort mode:
R rolling movement is reduced in the event of
changing surface undulations
R the roll angle when cornering is reduced
R the driving style is agile
If you select ADS sport mode:
R the roll angle is reduced significantly
R the driving style is even more agile 212
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Level control
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi- cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style. G
WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver 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
clearance. You will otherwise damage the
vehicle. !
When you raise the vehicle in such a way
that not all wheels have contact with the
ground, remove the SmartKey from the
ignition lock.
R Utility vehicles have a significantly higher
rollover rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle, and severe or fatal injury.
R In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is
significantly more likely to die than a per-
son wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should
always wear your seat belts.
General notes
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 191).
Level control adapts the vehicle level auto-
matically to the current operating and driving situation. This results in reduced fuel con-
sumption and improved handling.
If you select ADS comfort mode (Y page 212),
the vehicle is lowered to high-speed level as
the speed increases. As the vehicle speed
decreases, the vehicle is raised back up to
highway level.
If you select ADS sport mode (Y page 212),
the vehicle skips highway level and lowers
directly to high-speed level depending on the
basic setting (Y page 214).
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 pos-
sible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you
park the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehi-
cle level is lower; with an increase in temper- ature, the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load dis-
crepancies while still parked. However, for
significant level changes, such as after the
vehicle has been stationary for a long period,
the engine must be on. For safety reasons, Driving systems
213Driving and parking Z

the vehicle is only lowered when the doors are
closed. Lowering is interrupted if a door is
opened, and it continues once the door has
been closed.
Basic settings (excluding AMG vehicles)
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the basic setting selec-
ted. Select raised level for off-road driving or
highway/high-speed level for normal roads.
The individual vehicle levels differ from high-
way level as follows:
R highway level: +/–0 in (+/–0 mm)
R high-speed level: –0.6 in (–15 mm)
R raised level: +2.3 in (+60 mm)
Basic settings for AMG vehicles
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or
lowered depends on the AMG adaptive sport
suspension setting selected. Select the
raised level for off-road driving or highway/
high-speed level for normal roads.
The raised level corresponds to a vehicle level
raised by 50 mm when compared with high-
way level in comfort mode.
Raised level Only select raised level if this is appropriate
for the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption may increase and handling may be
affected.
X Start the engine. If indicator lamp
0044is not lit:
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044flashes. The vehicle rises
to raised level. During the adjustment, the
Vehicle Rising Vehicle Rising
message, for example, appears in the multi-
function display.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once the vehicle has reached raised level,
indicator lamp 0044remains lit. The Vehicle
Vehicle
Rising Rising message disappears from the multi-
function display.
If you try to select raised level at a speed
above 40 mph (64 km/h), the Drive More Drive More
Slowly Slowly message appears in the multifunction
display.
Highway/high-speed level
! Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being low-
ered. It could otherwise hit the ground,
damaging the underbody. 214
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

0043
Level control button
0044 Level control indicator lamp
X Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0044is lit:
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044flashes. The vehicle is
adjusting to highway/high-speed level. During the adjustment, the
Lowering
Loweringmes-
sage, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message
will disappear.
Once highway level has been reached, indi-
cator lamp 0044goes out. The Lowering
Lowering mes-
sage disappears from the multifunction dis-
play.
The vehicle automatically adjusts to highway
level when you:
R drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h).
R drive between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
50 mph (80 km/h) for approximately
20 seconds. Depending on the ADS mode selected
(Y
page 212), the vehicle is lowered to high-
speed level at high speeds. AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
The vehicle is lowered if:
R you have selected the Comfort or Sport
suspension tuning and
R lock the vehicle after switching off the
engine
Persons in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the
underbody may thus become trapped. There
is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the wheel arch or the underbody when you switch
off the engine.
! The vehicle is lowered by approximately
10 mm if:
R you have selected the Sport or Comfort
suspension tuning and
R you switch off the engine and then
R lock the vehicle
When parking, position your vehicle so that it does not make contact with the curb as
the vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could
otherwise be damaged. Driving systems
215Driving and parking Z