
Driving
If the steering lock is engaged
and it
i s diffi-
cult or impossible to turn the key to position 2 , release the lock by turning the steering
wheel s
lightly
in both directions.
Starter button Fig. 173
In the steering column: start-up
p u
sh b
utton for the Keyless Access lock and
start-up system. The layout in right-hand
drive vehicles is symmetrical. Fig. 174
Emergency ignition in vehicles with
Keyl e
ss Access. The start-up button may only be used if there
i
s
a
valid key in the vehicle.
Opening the driver's door when exiting the
vehicle activates the electronic lock on the
steering column if the ignition is disabled.
Switching the ignition on/off
● Briefly push the start-up button ›››
Fig. 173
without touching the brake or clutch ped-
al ››› .
Emer g
ency
starting function
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle,
an emergency start-up will be required. The
relevant message will appear in the dash
panel display. This may happen when, for ex-
ample, the vehicle key battery is very low or
flat: ●
Immediately
after pushing the start-up but-
ton, keep the vehicle key next to the steering
column ››› Fig. 174.
● The ignition connects and the engine starts
automatic
ally.
Emergency disconnection
If the engine does not stop after briefly press-
ing the start-up button, an emergency dis-
connect will be required:
● Press the starter button twice within 1 sec-
ond or pres
s it once for more than 2 seconds
››› .
● The engine turns off automatically.
En gine r
e
start feature
If no valid key is detected inside the vehicle
after the engine stops, you will only have 5
seconds to restart it. A warning will display
on the dash panel screen.
After this interval, it will not be possible to
start the engine without a valid key inside
the vehicle. WARNING
Any accidental movement of the vehicle could
re s
ult in serious injury.
● When pressing the start-up button, do not
pre
ss the brake or clutch pedal, this way the
engine will start immediately. » 155
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
WARNING
If vehicle keys are used negligently or with-
out due c ar
e, this may cause accidents and
serious injury.
● Never leave any key inside the vehicle
when exitin
g. Otherwise, a child or unauthor-
ised person could lock the vehicle, start the
engine or connect the ignition and, in this
way, operate electronic equipment (e.g. the
windows). Note
In diesel vehicles with the Keyless Access
sys t
em, there may be a delay in the engine
starting if it requires preheating. Starting the engine
Vehicles with a
diesel
en
gine are equipped
with a glow plug system. When you switch on
the ignition, the glow plug warning lamp
will light up. The engine can be started
straight away when the lamp switches off.
Do not connect electrical appliances during
preheating so as not the drain the vehicle
battery unnecessarily.
Starting the engine
● Move the gearbox lever into neutral or
move the sel
ector lever to position P or N and
pull firmly on the handbrake. ●
Pres
s the clutch pedal all the way down
and start the engine 3
› ››
Fig. 172
› ›
› page 154, without pressing the accelera-
tor. Keep the clutch pedal pressed down until
the engine starts.
● Release the ignition key as soon as the en-
gine star
ts. The key returns to position 2 .
● If the engine does not start after 10 sec-
ond s, t
urn the k
ey back to position 1 . Re-
pe at
the action af
ter 30 seconds.
● Release the handbrake before moving off.
Switching off the engine with the key Stop the engine by turning the ignition key to
po
s
ition 1
› ›
› Fig. 172
››› page 154.
Brakes and brake servo sys-
tems Introduction WARNING
● The brak e ser
vo only works when the en-
gine is running. Braking when the engine is
switched off requires applying more strength
to the brake pedal. Risk of accident!
● Press down on the clutch pedal when stop-
ping and brak
ing with a manual gearbox, pet- rol engine vehicle at low speed. Otherwise,
the brak
e ser
vo might not work properly. Risk
of accident!
● In the event of damage to the standard
front s
poiler or where a different front spoil-
er, wheel trims, etc. are subsequently fitted,
make sure the air vent to the brakes on the
front wheels is not blocked. Otherwise, brak-
ing operations may be impaired. Risk of acci-
dent!
● Always fully release the handbrake. If it is
only p
artially released, this will cause over-
heating of the rear brakes, which can impair
the function of the brake system. Risk of acci-
dent!
● Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicl
e. They could release the handbrake or
move the gear lever. The vehicle could start
moving. Risk of accident!
● Insufficient fuel can cause the engine to run
irregu
larly or to switch off. Brake assist sys-
tems could be impaired. Risk of accident!
● Always adjust your driving style to suit visi-
bility
, the weather and road and traffic condi-
tions. The best vehicle safety offered by
brake assist systems must never encourage
you to run greater risks. Risk of accident! CAUTION
● Ob ser
ve the information concerning new
brake pads ››› page 163.156

Operation
Handbrake Fig. 175
Centre console: handbrake. Applying the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up all the way.
R el
e
asing the handbrake
– Pull the handbrake lever up slightly and
pres
s the unlock button at the same time
››› Fig. 175.
– Keep the button pressed down and push
the lever al
l the way down.
The handbrake warning lamp lights up when
the handbrake is applied and the ignition
switched on . Manual gearbox
Changin
g gears Fig. 176
Gear shift diagram of a 5- or 6-speed
m anual
g
earbox Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 34
When changing gear, always depress the
clutch pedal fully and keep it pressed down
to avoid excessive clutch wear.
In order to drive at an optimum RPM, follow
the gear change indications ›››
page 24.
Engage reverse gear only when the vehicle is
stopped. On engaging reverse gear while the
engine is running, first wait a moment with
the clutch pedal pressed down fully to limit
gear shift noise.
The reverse lights switch on when the reverse
gear is selected and the ignition is on. WARNING
Never engage reverse gear when moving for-
war d. Ri
sk of accident! Note
Do not rest your hand on the gear lever while
drivin g.
The pressure of your hand could lead
to premature wear of the gear system. Automatic gearbox
Ba s
ic information The gearbox changes up and down automati-
c
al
ly
. The gearbox can be set to Tiptronic
mode. The gears can be changed manually in
this mode ›››
page 161.
The engine can only be started in positions P
or N. If, on engaging the steering lock,
switching the ignition on/off or starting the
engine, the selector lever is not in these posi-
tions, the informative display will show Move
the selector lever to position
P/N! , or
P/N is shown on the general
dash panel display.
At temperatures below -10°C (14°F), the en-
gine can only be started in position P.
Move the selector lever to position P when
parking the vehicle on a flat surface. On a
158

Driving
slope, the handbrake should be firmly ap-
p lied bef
or
e moving the selector lever to the
park position. This reduces the load on the
lock mechanism while making it easier to
move the selector lever from position P.
If, while the vehicle is moving, the selector
lever is accidentally moved to position N, re-
lease the accelerator and wait for the engine
to idle before moving it back into position. WARNING
● Never pr e
ss the accelerator when selecting
the automatic gearbox operating mode when
the vehicle is stationary. Risk of accident!
● Never move the selector lever to positions
R or P when driving. Ri
sk of accident!
● If the vehicle is to be stopped with a gear
selected and the en
gine idling (e.g. waiting
or moving slowly at traffic lights), press down
on the brake pedal because the transmission
is not entirely interrupted when the engine is
idling and the vehicle will tend to start mov-
ing.
● Apply the handbrake firmly and put the se-
lector l
ever in position P before opening the
bonnet and working on the vehicle with the
engine running. Risk of accident! Strictly fol-
low the safety instructions ››› page 203, En-
gine compartment.
● When stopping on a slope (hill), try not to
stop the
vehicle from moving by pressing the
“accelerator” with a gear selected. This could
overheat the clutch. If the clutch risks being burnt due to this force, it would switch off
and the v
ehic
le could move backwards. Risk
of accident!
● If you have to stop on a hill, press down on
the brake ped
al to stop the vehicle from mov-
ing.
● The drive wheels could lose traction on a
slipper
y road surface when the kick-down
function is activated. Risk of sliding! CAUTION
● In D SG aut om
atic gearboxes, the double
clutch is protected from overloads. If the hill
hold control is used, the clutches are subjec-
ted to greater force if the vehicle is at a
standstill on a slope or suddenly accelerating
on a slope.
● Should the clutches overheat, the sym-
bol i
s shown on the informative display with
a warning message Gear overheated.
Stop! Instruction Manual! An audible
warning is also heard. Stop the vehicle in this
case, stop the engine and wait until the sym-
bol has switched off. Danger of damage to
the gearbox! You can continue driving once
the symbol is switched off. Starting and driving
Starting
– Press and hold the brake pedal. –
Pr e
s
s and hold the interlock button on the
selector lever knob and move the selector
lever to position ››› page 160 before releas-
ing the interlock button.
– Release the brake and press the accelera-
tor.
St
opping
– The selector lever does not have to be
moved t
o position N if the vehicle is stop-
ped for a short period, e.g. at intersections.
Applying the brake is enough. However, the
engine must remain idling.
Parking
– Press the brake pedal.
– Apply the handbrake.
– Press the interlock button, move the selec-
tor lev
er to position P and release the but-
ton.
Kick-down feature
The kick-down feature allows maximum ac-
celeration to be reached.
In any gear programme, press down fully on
the accelerator for the automatic gearbox to
activate the kick-down feature. This function
takes priority over the gear programmes with-
out taking into account the position of the se-
lector lever (D, S or Tiptronic) and is used to
reach maximum acceleration, using full »
159
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
engine power. Depending on the road speed
and en gine s
peed, the aut
omatic gearbox
shifts down and the vehicle accelerates. It
only shifts up after the maximum engine
speed has been reached.
Selector lever positions Fig. 177
Gear selector lever Fig. 178
Informative display: selector lever
po sition
s. Read the additional information carefully
› ›
›
page 35
The current position of the selector lever is
shown on the general instrument panel dis-
play 1
› ››
Fig. 178
.
P – Parking position
In thi s
po
sition, the driven wheels are me-
chanically locked.
The parking position can only be selected
when the vehicle is stationary.
If you want to move the selector lever from
this position, press the interlock button on
the selector lever knob while pressing down
on the brake pedal.
If the battery is drained, the selector lever
cannot be moved from position P.
R – Reverse gear
R ev
er
se gear must be engaged only when the
vehicle is stationary and the engine is idling.
To move the selector lever to position R from
positions P or N, press the interlock button
on the selector lever knob and press down on
the brake pedal.
The reverse lights come on when the selector
lever is in position R and the ignition is on.
N – Neutral (idling)
Neutr al
(idlin
g) is engaged in this position. To move the selector lever from position N (if
the lever h
as remained in this position for
more than 2 seconds) to position D or R at
speeds of less than 5 km/h (3 mph) and
when the vehicle is stationary, press down on
the brake pedal.
D – Drive (forwards)
In thi s
po
sition, the gearbox automatically
changes to a lower or higher gear, depending
on engine requirements, the driving speed
and the gear shift programme.
To move the selector lever to position D from
position N at speeds of less than 5 km/h (3
mph) and when the vehicle is stationary,
press down on the brake pedal.
In some situations (e.g. on mountain roads or
when towing a trailer or caravan), it can be
advantageous to switch temporarily to the
manual shift programme ››› page 161 so that
the gear ratios can be selected manually to
suit driving conditions.
S – Sports driving position
Shif tin
g up l
ater than usual makes full use of
the engine power. This shifts down earlier in
relation to position D.
To move the selector lever to position S from
position D, press the interlock button on the
selector lever knob.
160

Driving
Tiptronic Fig. 179
Selector lever: Tiptronic. The Tiptronic gearbox allows the driver to
c
h
an
ge gears manually using the selector
lever.
Activating the manual gearbox
– From position D, push the sel
ector lever to
the right. The selected position of the se-
lector lever is shown on the general instru-
ment panel display together with the gear
engaged 1
› ›
› Fig. 178
.
Shifting up – Push the selector lever gently forwards +›››
Fig. 179. Shifting down
– Push the selector lever gently backwards
-
› ››
Fig. 179
.
The m
anual gearbox can be activated when
the vehicle is either moving or stationary.
When accelerating, the gearbox automatical-
ly shifts up shortly before the maximum en-
gine speed is reached.
On shifting up, the gear is only engaged
when there is no risk of engine damage.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed down
to the kick-down zone, the gearbox will shift
down in line with the road speed and engine
speed. Note
The kick-down function is also available in
manua l
shift mode. Selector lever lock
Automatic selector lever lock
The sel ect
or l
ever is locked in the positions P
and N when the ignition is on. Press down on
the brake to unlock it. Remember, if the se-
lector lever is in positions P and N then thewarning lamp will light up on the general in-
strument p
anel ››› page 104.
When the selector lever merely moves
through position N (e.g. when moved from R
to D), the lever lock is not applied. This
makes it possible, for example, to rock a
stuck vehicle backwards and forwards. The
lock is only applied if the brake is not press-
ed and the selector lever is moved to position
N for more than 2 seconds.
The selector lever only locks when the is vehi-
cle stationary or driving at a speed lower
than 5 km/h (3 mph). At a higher speed, it
automatically disconnects in the N position.
Interlock button
The interlock button on the selector lever
knob prevents the driver from inadvertently
engaging a gear. Press the button to unlock
the selector lever.
Safety interlock for ignition key 1)
After switching off the ignition, you can only
remove the ignition key if the selector lever is
in position P. When the ignition key is re-
moved, the selector lever is locked in posi-
tion P. 1)
Valid only for certain countries.
161
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Driver assistance systems
Note
After driving through water we recommend
that
you contact a specialised service for an
inspection. Preventing damage to the vehicle
In order to prevent damage to the vehicle,
tak
e s
pecial care:
● on roads that are in poor condition,
● when mounting kerbs,
● when approaching very steep ramps, etc.,
● with the parts of the vehicle situated on the
low er p
art of the vehicle, i.e. the spoiler, the
exhaust pipe.
This applies especially to vehicles with a very
low suspension (sport) and when the vehicle
is fully loaded. Driver assistance systems
Br ak
in
g and stability systems
Electronic stability control (ESC) The ESC system increases control of the vehi-
cl
e in emer
gency situations, e.g. during a
sudden change in direction. Depending on
the driving conditions, it reduces the risk of
skidding and increases driving stability.
The system uses the steering wheel angle
and road speed to calculate the changes of
direction desired by the driver, and constant-
ly compares them with the actual behaviour
of the vehicle. When irregularities occur, for
example, if the vehicle begins to skid, the
ESC brakes the appropriate wheel automati-
cally.
The warning lamp on the general instru-
ment panel starts flashing when the system
is working.
The stability (ESC) system includes the fol-
lowing systems:
● Anti-lock brake system (ABS),
● Traction control system (TCS),
● Electronic differential lock (EDL),
● Hydraulic brake assist system (HBA),
● Hill hold control (HHC). The ASR should be switched on at all times.
Only
u
nder certain circumstances should the
system be switched off, e.g.
● driving with chains,
● driving in deep snow or on very soft surfa-
ces,
● D
uring the “swinging movement” required
to remo
ve a stuck vehicle
Switch the ASR back on as soon as possible.
Brake assist system (HBA)*
The HBA system is activated when you press
down on the brake pedal suddenly. It increa-
ses braking power, helping to reduce braking
distances. To reduce braking distance as
much as possible, keep the brake pedal
pressed down firmly until the vehicle comes
to a standstill.
With the help of this system, the ABS is acti-
vated more quickly and more efficiently.
The brake assist function is deactivated auto-
matically when the brake pedal is released.
Hill hold control (HHC)*
The HHC system makes it easier to start the
vehicle on hills. The system maintains the
brake pressure created by pressing down on
the brake pedal for 2 seconds after it has
been released. Your foot can be removed
from the brake pedal and you can use the ac-
celerator pedal and move away on a hill »
167
Technical data
Advice
Operation
Emergencies
Safety

Operation
without having to use the handbrake. The
br ak
e pr
essure drops as the accelerator ped-
al is pressed. If the vehicle cannot be started,
it will start to move backwards after 2 sec-
onds.
The HHC is activated on gradients of over
5%, if the driver door is closed. It only works
for starting on hills, moving both forward and
in reverse. It is not activated during start-up
down hill.
Anti-lock system (ABS) The ABS system prevents the wheels locking
durin
g br
ak
ing. This helps the driver keep
control of the vehicle.
The driver is made aware of ABS assistance
by the pulsating of the brake pedal and a
characteristic noise.
Keep the brake pedal pressed down while the
ABS is working. The ABS will switch off when
the brake pedal is released. Never brake in-
termittently while the ABS is working!
Traction control system (ASR) If the wheels start to slip, the TCS adapts the
en
gine s
peed t
o the driving conditions. Par-
ticularly in unfavourable conditions, the TCS
helps starting, accelerating and hill starts. The TCS
warning l
amp on the general dash
panel flashes when the system is working.
Electronic differential lock If one of the wheels starts to skid, the EDL
brak
e
s that wheel, transmitting the driving
force to the other wheels. This increases ve-
hicle stability and improves driving stability.
To prevent the disc brake of the braking
wheel from overheating, the EDL cuts out au-
tomatically if subjected to excessive loads.
The vehicle will continue to function normally
without EDL. The EDL will switch on again au-
tomatically when the brake has cooled down.
Parking aid Genera l
information Various systems are available to help you
when p
ark
in
g or manoeuvring in tight
spaces, depending on the equipment fitted
on your vehicle.
The rear parking aid is an audible assistant
that warns about obstacles located behind
the vehicle ›››
page 169.
During parking, Parking System Plus assists
the driver by visually and audibly warning them about obstacles detected
in front
and
behind the vehicle ››› page 170. WARNING
● Alw a
ys pay attention, also when looking
straight ahead, to traffic and the vehicle sur-
roundings. The assistance systems are not a
replacement for driver awareness. When in-
serting or removing the vehicle from a park-
ing space, or when performing similar ma-
noeuvres the driver always assumes the re-
sponsibility.
● Adapt your speed and driving style at all
times t
o suit visibility, weather, road and traf-
fic conditions.
● The ultrasound sensors have blind spots in
which ob
stacles and people are not regis-
tered. Pay special attention to children and
animals.
● Always keep visual control of the vehicle
surrou
ndings: use the rear vision mirrors for
additional help. CAUTION
Parking Aid functions may be negatively af-
fect ed b
y different factors that may lead to
damage to the vehicle or its immediate sur-
rounds:
● Under certain circumstances, the system
does not
detect or display certain objects:
– Objects such as chains, trailer draw bars,
fences, posts and thin trees. 168