2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA COUPE Owners Manual

X
Turn DYNAMIC SELECT controller :as many
times as necessary until the desired drive
program is selected.
The selected drive program appears in the
multifunction display. After five seconds the
display goes out and the status icon of the
selected drive program appears.
The drive program indicator on DYNAMIC
SELECT controller :lights up in red.
Available drive programs: I
Individual Individual settings
C
Comfort Comfort-orientated, engine
and transmission settings
optimised for economy
S
Sport Sporty engine and trans-
mission settings
S+
Sport Plus Particularly sporty trans-
mission settings
RACE
Maximum sportiness and
engine and transmission
settings suitable for the
racetrack
Additional information on drive programs
(Y page 148).
You can also change gear yourself using the
steering wheel gearshift paddles. Further infor-
mation on manual gearshifting (Y page 150).Manual transmission
Gear lever
! Only engage gear when the clutch pedal is
depressed.
! When shifting to
5thand 6thgear, you must
press the shift lever to the right. Otherwise,
you could shift unintentionally into 3rdor4th
gear and damage the engine or transmission.
If you shift down at too high a speed (trans-
mission braking), this can cause the engine to
overrev, leading to engine damage.
Do not use the clutch bite point to keep the
vehicle stationary on uphill gradients. There is otherwise a risk of damaging the clutch.
! On long and steep downhill gradients, espe-
cially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer, you must shift into gear
1, 2or3in good time.
This uses the engine's braking effect. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly. k
Reverse gear
1 -6
Forward gears Shifting to neutral N
X
Depress the clutch pedal fully.
X Shift the gear lever to position N:. Engaging reverse gear
! Only shift into reverse gear
Rwhen the vehi-
cle is stationary. Otherwise, you could dam-
age the transmission.
X Pull the gear lever up, push it to the left and
then pull it back.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. For further infor- mation on the ECO start/stop function, see
(Y page 137). 142
Manual transmissionDriving and parking

Gearshift recommendation
The gearshift recommendation assists you in
adopting a fuel-efficient driving style. The rec-
ommended gear is shown on the multifunction
display.
X Shift gear according to gearshift recommen-
dation :when shown in the multifunction
display of the instrument cluster. Drive programs
Drive program C (Comfort) Drive program
Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
Drive program S (Sport) Drive program
Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
Drive program I (Individual) In drive program
I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
R the suspension (vehicles with adjustable
damping)
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop function
R the climate control
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual. Drive program E (Economy) Drive program
Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R the performance of the air-conditioning and
heating systems is reduced. Automatic transmission
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
If the engine speed is above the idling speed
and you engage transmission position Dor R,
the vehicle could pull away suddenly. There is a risk of an accident.
When engaging transmission position Dor R,
always firmly depress the brake pedal and do not simultaneously accelerate. G
WARNING
The automatic transmission switches to neu-
tral position Nwhen you switch off the engine.
The vehicle may roll away. There is a risk of an
accident.
After switching off the engine, always switch
to parking position P. Prevent the parked vehi-
cle from rolling away by applying the parking
brake. Automatic transmission
143Driving and parking Z

DIRECT SELECT lever
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the DIRECT SELECT lever is on the right of
the steering column.
For information on the selector lever in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles (Y page 146).
The DIRECT SELECT lever always returns to its
original position. The current transmission posi-
tion P,R, Nor Dappears on the transmission
position readout on the multifunction display
(Y page 144).
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear on the multifunction display. :
Transmission position
; Gear
= Drive program display
The arrows in the transmission position display
show how and into which transmission positions
you can shift using the DIRECT SELECT lever.
If the transmission position display on the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position
Dand drive
program Eor S.
Engaging park position P !
If the engine speed is too high, do not shift
the automatic transmission directly from Dto
R, from Rto Dor directly to P. Otherwise, the
automatic transmission could be damaged.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever in the direction
of arrow P.
Transmission position display Pis shown in
the multifunction display.
When you have engaged park position P, make
sure that the transmission position display
shows Pin the multifunction display.
You can only engage park position Pwhen the
vehicle is stationary.
Depressing the brake and pushing the DIRECT
SELECT lever up or down disengages the park-
ing lock. The transmission is in neutral N.
At transmission fluid temperatures below
Ò20 †, you can only shift out of park position P
into another transmission position when the
engine is running.
In order to shift from park position Pdirectly into
R or D:
R depress the brake pedal and
R push the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down
past the first point of resistance
Engaging park position P automatically Park position
Pis automatically engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the key and
remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the key or
using the Start/Stop button and open the
driver's door or front-passenger door
R you open the driver's door when the vehicle is
stationary or when driving at a very low speed and the transmission is in position Dor R
Under certain conditions, the automatic trans-
mission shifts automatically to transmission
position Pif the HOLD function or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is activated. Observe the informa-
tion on the HOLD function (Y page 173) and on
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC (Y page 170).144
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

Engaging reverse gear R
!
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Push the DIRECT SELECT lever up past the
first point of resistance.
The ECO start/stop function is not available
when reverse gear is engaged. Further informa-
tion on the ECO start/stop function
(Y page 137).
Shifting to neutral N G
WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle, they can:
R open doors and endanger other persons or
road users
R climb out and be injured by the traffic
R operate vehicle equipment and, for exam-
ple, trap themselves.
Children could also set the vehicle in motion, for example by:
R releasing the parking brake
R shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position P
R starting the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the key
with you and lock the vehicle. Never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Always
keep the key out of reach of children.
X If the transmission is in position Dor R: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever up or down to the
first point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT
lever up or down to the first point of resist-
ance.
If you switch the engine off with the transmis-
sion in position Ror D, the automatic transmis-
sion shifts to Nautomatically.
With the key: if you then open the driver's door
or the front-passenger door or remove the key from the ignition, the automatic transmission
shifts to
Pautomatically.
With the Start/Stop button: if you then open
the driver's door or the front-passenger door,
the automatic transmission shifts to Pautomat-
ically.
If you want the automatic transmission to
remain in neutral N, e.g. when having the vehicle
cleaned in an automatic car wash with a towing
system:
X Vehicles with the Start-Stop button:
remove the Start-Stop button from the igni-
tion lock.
X Insert the key into the ignition lock.
X All vehicles: switch the ignition on.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Engage neutral N.
X Release the brake pedal.
X Release the electric parking brake.
X Switch off the ignition and leave the key in the
ignition lock.
Engaging drive position D X
If the transmission is in position Ror N: push
the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first
point of resistance.
X If the transmission is in position P: depress
the brake pedal and push the DIRECT SELECT lever down past the first point of resistance. Automatic transmission
145Driving and parking Z

Selector lever (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Overview of transmission positions j
Park position with parking lock
k Reverse gear
i Neutral
h Drive
Transmission position and drive pro-
gram display The current transmission position and drive pro-
gram appear on the multifunction display. :
Transmission position display
; Drive program display
If the transmission position display on the mul-
tifunction display is not working, you should pull away carefully to check whether the desired
transmission position is engaged. Ideally, you
should select transmission position Dand drive
program Cor S. Engaging park position P X
When the vehicle is stationary, press but-
ton :.
Engaging reverse gear R !
Only shift the automatic transmission to
R
when the vehicle is stationary.
X Depress the brake pedal and keep it
depressed.
X Push the selector lever forwards past the first
point of resistance. 146
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

Transmission positions
B Park position
This safeguards the vehicle against
rolling away when stopped.
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Pwhen the vehicle is stationary.
The parking lock should not be used
as a brake when parking. In order to
secure the vehicle, always apply the
electric parking brake in addition to
the parking lock.
In the event of a malfunction of the
vehicle's electronics, the transmis-
sion may lock in position P. Have the
vehicle electronics checked immedi-
ately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Park position Pis automatically
engaged if:
R you switch off the engine using the
key and remove the key
R you switch off the engine using the
key or using the Start/Stop button
and open the driver's door or front- passenger door
R you open the driver's door when
the vehicle is stationary or when
driving at a very low speed and the
transmission is in position Dor R C Reverse gear
Only shift the transmission into posi-
tion Rwhen the vehicle is stationary. A Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to
N
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position Nif the
vehicle is in danger of skidding, e.g.
on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral
Ncan lead to
damage to the transmission. 7 Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available. Driving tips
Changing gear The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position
D. Gearshifting is determined
by:
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelerator pedal
R the road speed
Accelerator pedal position Your driving style influences how the automatic
transmission shifts gear:
R little throttle: early upshifts
R more throttle: late upshifts Automatic transmission
147Driving and parking Z

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients G
WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a
warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): theStop
Stop vehicle vehicle Shift
Shiftto
toP
PLeave
Leave
engine running
engine running display message appears in
the multifunction display. You will only be able to
continue your journey once the clutch has
cooled down and the display message in the
multifunction display has disappeared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: theTrans. oil Trans. oil
overheated Drive on with care
overheated Drive on with care display
message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra- dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on
uphill gradients by:
R depressing the brake pedal
R activating the HOLD function
R applying the electric parking brake
Kickdown Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
X Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
X Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive programs
and in temporary manual drive program M.
When manual drive program Mis selected per-
manently, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program
M(Y page 152).
Towing a trailer Towing a trailer is not possible with all models.
For further information, see (Y page 196).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradient,
select a lower gear (Y page 160), even if
cruise control, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or
the speed limiter are activated. Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
Drive program S (Sport) Drive program Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
R the suspension (vehicles with adjustable
damping or AMG RIDE CONTROL)
R the steering 148
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

R
the availability of the ECO start/stop function
R the climate control
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
i To permanently shift the gears manually in
drive program Iusing the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles, select the M(Manual) setting
for the drive.
Drive program E (Economy)
Drive program Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R the automatic transmission shifts up sooner.
This results in the vehicle being driven at
lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is activated automatically when
engine-internal conditions are fulfilled and
the accelerator is not depressed. At the same
time the transmission’s clutch opens and the
vehicle rolls freely using its kinetic energy. As a result great distances can be completed
without the engine brake and fuel consump-
tion reduced.
i The availability of gliding mode depends on
various factors, including the following:
R the engine and transmission temperature
R the downhill gradient
R the vehicle speed
R performing regular adaptation functions
When you depress the brake pedal, gliding
mode is deactivated, depending on pedal
pressure.
When you activate cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, gliding mode is not availa-
ble. Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine management)
R the transmission management
R the suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL)
R ESP ®
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving characteristics.
R the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
R the vehicle has improved driving stability, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed
range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is available.
R the ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-
istics.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available. Automatic transmission
149Driving and parking Z