
Cargo area
Cargo cover
Information WARNING
Loose objects in the car's interior can be
thrown into the car's interior while driving, e.g.
in the event of an accident or during braking
and evasive maneuvers. There is risk of inju‐
ries. Secure loose objects in the car's inte‐
rior.◀
General information The cargo cover is in two parts.
This can be removed to load bulky luggage.
RemovingCargo cover in rear window1.Pull the cargo cover with both hands by the
outer edges towards the rear, arrows 1, to
disengage it from the catches.2.Push the cargo cover upwards, arrow 2,
and remove it.Cargo cover in the trunk
Push the cargo cover upwards, arrow 1, until it
disengages from the catches and then pull it
towards the front, arrow 2.
Installing Proceed in the reverse order to reinstall. The
cargo covers must snap audibly into place on
their respective holders.
Enlarging the trunk
General information
The trunk can be enlarged by folding down the
rear seat backrest.
The rear seat backrest is divided at a ratio of
40–20–40. The sides and the middle section
can be folded down separately.
Information WARNING
Danger of jamming with folding down the
backrests. There is risk of injuries or risk of
property damage. Make sure that the area of
movement of the rear backrest is clear prior to
folding down.◀
WARNING
The stability of the child restraint system
is limited or compromised with incorrect seat
adjustment or improper installation of the child
seat. There is risk of injuries or danger to life.
Make sure that the child restraint system fits
securely against the backrest. If possible, ad‐
just the backrest tilt for all affected backrests
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Storage compartmentsVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Information WARNING
Loose objects in the car's interior can be
thrown into the car's interior while driving, e.g.
in the event of an accident or during braking
and evasive maneuvers. There is risk of inju‐
ries. Secure loose objects in the car's inte‐
rior.◀
CAUTION
Anti-slip pads such as anti-slip mats can
damage the dashboard. There is risk of prop‐
erty damage. Do not use anti-slip pads.◀
Storage compartments The following storage compartments are avail‐
able in the vehicle interior:▷Glove compartment on the front passenger
side, refer to page 170.▷Storage compartment in the front center
armrest, refer to page 171.▷Compartments in the doors, refer to
page 171.▷Pockets on the backrests of the front
seats.▷Net in the front passenger footwell.Glove compartment
Front passenger side
Information WARNING
Folded open, the glove compartment
protrudes in the car's interior. Objects in the glove compartment can be thrown into the
car's interior while driving, e.g. in the event of
an accident or during braking and evasive ma‐
neuvers. There is risk of injuries. Always close
the glove compartment immediately after us‐ ing it.◀
Opening
Pull the handle.
The light in the glove compartment switches
on.
ClosingFold cover closed.
Locking
The glove compartment can be locked with an
integrated key. This prevents access to the
glove compartment.
After the glove compartment is locked, the re‐
mote control can be handed over, such as at a
hotel, without the integrated key.
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CAUTION
With an open cup holder, the center arm‐
rest cannot be folded back up. There is risk of
property damage. Press back the covers be‐
fore the center armrest is folded up.◀
Clothes hooks WARNING
Clothing articles on the clothes hooks
can obstruct the view while driving. There is
risk of an accident. When suspending clothing
articles from the hooks, ensure that they will
not obstruct the driver's view.◀
WARNING
Improper use of the clothes hooks can
lead to a danger of objects flying about during
braking and evasive maneuvers. There is risk
of injuries and risk of property damage. Only
hang lightweight objects, e.g. clothing articles,
from the clothes hooks.◀
The clothes hooks are located in the rear.
Storage compartments in the
trunk
Storage space under cargo floor panel
Fold up the cargo floor panel. The storage
space under the cargo floor panel is subdi‐
vided.
Two additional subdividers can be inserted to
partition it further.
Storage compartment on the right
side
A waterproof storage compartment is available
on the right side of the trunk.
Multi-function hook WARNING
Improper use of the multifunction hooks
can lead to a danger of objects flying about
during braking and evasive maneuvers. There
is risk of injuries and risk of property damage.
Only hang lightweight objects, e.g. shopping
bags, from the multifunction hooks. Only
transport heavy luggage in the trunk if it has
been appropriately secured.◀
Depending on the installed equipment version,
there are one or two multi-function hooks in
the cargo area.
Retaining strap A retaining strap is available on the right side
trim for fastening small objects.
Net
Smaller objects can be stored in the net on the
left side of the trunk.
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Driving tips
This chapter provides you with information useful in dealing with specific driving and operating modes.Online Edition for Part no. 01 40 2 964 144 - VI/15

Things to remember when drivingVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems. The respectively applicable country
provisions must be observed when using the
respective features and systems.
Breaking-in period General information
Moving parts need time to adjust to one an‐
other (break-in time).
The following instructions will help accomplish
a long vehicle life and good efficiency.
During break-in, do not use the Launch Con‐
trol, refer to page 80.
Engine, transmission, and axle drive
Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km
Do not exceed the maximum engine and road
speed:▷For gasoline engine 4,500 rpm and
100 mph/160 km/h.
Avoid full load or kickdown under all circum‐
stances.
From 1,200 miles/2,000 km The engine and vehicle speed can gradually be
increased.
Tires
Tire traction is not optimal due to manufactur‐
ing circumstances when tires are brand-new;
they achieve their full traction potential after a
break-in time.
Drive conservatively for the first
200 miles/300 km.
Brake system
Brakes require an initial break-in period of ap‐
prox. 300 miles/500 km to achieve optimal per‐
formance between brake discs and brake
pads. Drive moderately during this break-in pe‐
riod.
Following part replacement
The same break-in procedures should be ob‐
served if any of the components above-men‐
tioned have to be renewed in the course of the
vehicle's operating life.
Driving on poor roads
The vehicle combines all-wheel drive with the
advantages of a normal automobile.
CAUTION
Objects in unpaved areas, e.g. stones or
branches, can damage the vehicle. There is
risk of property damage. Do not drive on un‐
paved terrain.◀
For your own safety, for the safety of passen‐
gers and of the vehicle, heed the following
points:▷Become familiar with the vehicle before
starting a trip; do not take risks in driving.▷Adjust the speed to the road surface con‐
ditions. The steeper and more uneven the
road surface, the slower the speed should
be.▷When driving on steep uphill or downhill
grades: add engine oil and coolant up to
near the MAX mark. Uphill and downhillSeite 176Driving tipsThings to remember when driving176
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grades can be traveled up to no more than
50 %.▷On steep downhill grades, use Hill Descent
Control HDC, refer to page 128.
Starting out is possible on uphill grades up
to 30 %. The permissible side tilt is 30 %.▷Avoid that the chassis bottom coming in
contact with the ground.
The ground clearance is no more than 7.8
inches/20 cm and can vary according to
the vehicle's load.▷When wheels continue to spin, depress the
accelerator so that driving stability control
systems can distribute the driving force to
the wheels. Activate DTC Dynamic Trac‐
tion Control if available.
After a trip on poor roads
After a trip on poor roads, check wheels and
tires for damage to maintain driving safety.
Clear heavy soiling from the body.
General driving notes
Closing the tailgate WARNING
An open tailgate protrudes from the vehi‐
cle and can endanger occupants and other
traffic participants or damage the vehicle in the
event of an accident, braking or evasive ma‐
neuvers. In addition, exhaust fumes may enter
the vehicle interior. There is risk of injuries or
risk of property damage. Do not drive with the
tailgate open.◀
If driving with the tailgate open cannot be
avoided:
▷Close all windows and the glass sunroof.▷Greatly increase the air flow from the vents.▷Drive moderately.Hot exhaust system
WARNING
During driving operation, high tempera‐
tures can occur underneath the body, e.g.
caused by the exhaust gas system. If combus‐
tible materials, such as leaves or grass, come
in contact with hot parts of the exhaust gas
system, these materials can ignite. There is
risk of injuries or risk of property damage.
Do not remove the heat shields installed and
never apply undercoating to them. Make sure
that no combustible materials can come in
contact with hot vehicle parts in driving opera‐
tion, idle or during parking. Do not touch the
hot exhaust system.◀
Mobile communication devices in the
vehicle
WARNING
Vehicle electronics and mobile phones
can influence one another. There is radiation
due to the send operations of mobile phones.
There is risk of injuries or risk of property dam‐
age. If possible, in the car's interior use only
mobile phones with direct connections to an
exterior antenna in order to exclude mutual
disturbance and deflect the radiation from the
car's interior.◀
Hydroplaning
On wet or slushy roads, a wedge of water can
form between the tires and road surface.
This phenomenon is referred to as hydroplan‐
ing. It is characterized by a partial or complete
loss of contact between the tires and the road
surface, ultimately undermining your ability to
steer and brake the vehicle.
Driving through water CAUTION
When driving too quickly through too
deep water, water can enter into the engine
compartment, the electrical system or theSeite 177Things to remember when drivingDriving tips177
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transmission. There is risk of property damage.
When driving through water, do not exceed the
maximum indicated water level and the maxi‐
mum speed for driving through water.◀
Drive though calm water only and only if it is
not deeper than 19.6 inches/50 cm and at this
height, no faster than walking speed, up to
3 mph/5 km/h.
Braking safely Your vehicle is equipped with ABS as a stand‐
ard feature.
Applying the brakes fully is the most effective
way of braking in situations needed.
Steering is still responsive. You can still avoid
any obstacles with a minimum of steering ef‐
fort.
Pulsation of the brake pedal and sounds from
the hydraulic circuits indicate that ABS is in its
active mode.
In certain braking situations, the perforated
brake discs can cause functional problems.
However, this has no effect on the perform‐
ance and operational reliability of the brake.
Objects in the movement area around
pedals and floor area
WARNING
Objects in the driver's floor area can limit
the pedal distance or block a depressed pedal.
There is risk of an accident. Stow objects in
the vehicle such that they are secured and
cannot enter into the driver's floor area. Use
floor mats that are suitable for the vehicle and
can be safely attached to the floor. Do not use
loose floor mats and do not layer several floor
mats. Make sure that there is sufficient clear‐
ance for the pedals. Ensure that the floor mats
are securely fastened again after they were re‐
moved, e.g. for cleaning.◀Driving in wet conditions
When roads are wet, salted, or in heavy rain,
press brake pedal ever so gently every few
miles.
Ensure that this action does not endanger
other traffic.
The heat generated in this process helps dry
the brake discs and pads.
In this way braking efficiency will be available
when you need it.
Hills WARNING
Light but consistent brake pressure can
lead to high temperatures, brakes wearing out
and possibly even brake failure. There is risk of
an accident. Avoid placing excessive stress on
the brake system.◀
WARNING
In idle or with the engine switched off,
safety-relevant functions are restricted or not
available anymore, e.g. braking effect of the
engine or braking force and steering support.
There is risk of an accident. Do not drive in idle
or with the engine switched off.◀
Drive long or steep downhill gradients in the
gear that requires least braking efforts. Other‐
wise the brakes may overheat and reduce
brake efficiency.
You can increase the engine's braking effect
by shifting down, going all the way to first gear,
if needed.
Brake disc corrosion
Corrosion on the brake discs and contamina‐
tion on the brake pads are furthered by the fol‐
lowing circumstances:▷Low mileage.▷Extended periods when the vehicle is not
used at all.▷Infrequent use of the brakes.Seite 178Driving tipsThings to remember when driving178
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Corrosion will built up when the maximum
pressure applied to the brake pads during
braking is not reached - thus discs don't get
cleaned.
Corrosion buildup on the brake discs will cause
a pulsating effect on the brakes in their re‐
sponse - generally that cannot be corrected.
Condensation under the parked
vehicle
When using the automatic climate control,
condensation water develops collecting under‐
neath the vehicle.
These traces of water under the vehicle are
normal.Seite 179Things to remember when drivingDriving tips179
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