
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

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

Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
R fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits particularly 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.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
RIDE CONTROL)
Drive program RACEis characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack.
R all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
R fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits particularly rigid
springing and damping settings.
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available. Manual gearshifting
General notes You can shift gears yourself using the steering
wheel gearshift paddles. The transmission must
be in position Dto do this.
Depending on which steering wheel gearshift
paddle is pulled, the automatic transmission
immediately shifts into the next gear up or
down, if permitted.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: to use manual shift-
ing, you have two options:
R temporary setting
R permanent setting
If you activate manual gearshifting, the multi-
function display will show the current gear
instead of transmission position D.If manual gearshifting is deactivated, the gears
will be selected automatically.
Temporary setting X
To activate: shift the DIRECT SELECT lever to
position D.
X Pull steering wheel gearshift paddle :or;.
The temporary setting will remain active for a
certain amount of time. Under certain condi-
tions, the minimum amount of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral acceleration, during an
overrun phase or when driving on steep terrain.
X To deactivate: pull steering wheel gearshift
paddle ;and hold it in place.
or X Use the DIRECT SELECT lever to shift the
transmission position.
or X All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles):
use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to change
the drive program.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: use the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller to change the drive pro-
gram. 150
Automatic transmissionDriving and pa
rking

G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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 secure the vehicle correctly against
rolling away. Otherwise, the vehicle or its driv-
etrain could be damaged.
To ensure that the vehicle is safeguarded
against rolling away unintentionally:
R the electric parking brake must be applied
R on vehicles with manual transmission, engage
1st gear or reverse gear
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, the
transmission must be in position Pand the
transmission position display must show Pin
the multifunction display.
R the key must be removed from the ignition
lock.
R on uphill or downhill gradients, the front
wheels must be turned towards the kerb. Switching off the engine
Important safety notes 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. Manual transmission X
Shift to either 1st gear or reverse gear R.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 133).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps
on the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to key position 1. When the driver's
door is open, this corresponds to key position
0: "key removed".
X Apply the electric parking brake.
Automatic transmission X
Apply the electric parking brake.
X All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles):
shift the transmission to position P. X
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: press button:.
X With the key: turn the key to position 0in the
ignition lock and remove it.
The immobiliser is activated.
X With the Start/Stop button: press the
Start/Stop button (Y page 133).
The engine stops and all the indicator lamps
on the instrument cluster go out.
When the driver's door is closed, this corre-
sponds to key position 1. When the driver's
door is open, this corresponds to key position
0: "key removed".
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 156
ParkingDriving and parking

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 Shift to 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. Electric parking brake
General notes G
WARNING
If you leave children unattended in the vehi-
cle, they may be able to set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they:
R release the parking brake
R shift the automatic transmission out of park
position Por shift manual transmission into
neutral
R start the engine
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip-
ment and become trapped. 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. The function of the electric parking brake is
dependent on the on-board voltage. If the on-
board voltage is low or if there is a malfunction
in the system, it may not be possible to apply the
released parking brake.
X If this is the case, park the vehicle only on
level ground and secure it to prevent it from
rolling away.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the automatic transmission to position
P.
X Vehicles with manual transmission:
engage first gear.
It may not be possible to release an applied
parking brake if the on-board voltage is low or if
there is a malfunction in the system. Contact a
qualified specialist workshop.
The electric parking brake carries out a function check at regular intervals when the engine is
switched off. Noises that occur are normal.
Applying or releasing manually X
To apply: push handle :.
When the electric parking brake is applied,
the red !indicator lamp lights up in the
instrument cluster.
The electric parking brake can also be applied when the key is removed.
X To release: pull handle:.
The red !indicator lamp in the instrument
cluster goes out.
The electric parking brake can be released
only:
R when the key is in position 1or 2in the
ignition lock (Y page 133) or
R if the ignition was switched on using the
Start/Stop button Parking
157Driving and parking Z

The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated,
the vehicle is stationary and:
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
Vehicles with manual transmission The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
and:
R the driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is insufficient
The Brake immediately
Brake immediately message may also
appear on the multifunction display.
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message on the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
A horn will sound at regular intervals if you turn
off the engine, take off your seat belt or open the
driver's door when the HOLD function is activa- ted. The horn alerts you to the fact that the
HOLD function is still activated. If you attempt to
lock the vehicle, the tone becomes louder. The
vehicle cannot be locked until you have deacti-
vated the HOLD function.
i Once you have switched off the engine, you
cannot restart it until you have deactivated
the HOLD function. Start-off assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If you use start-off assist, individual wheels
may start to spin and the vehicle may skid. If
ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a greater danger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure that no persons or obstacles are in the area
around the vehicle. Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from a standstill. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface is required; the tyres and vehicle
must also be in good condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public roads.
Observe the safety notes on driving safety sys-
tems (Y page 66).
Be sure to read the safety notes and information
on ESP ®
(Y page 69).
Activating start-off assist X
Deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 209).
X Turn the steering wheel to the straight-ahead
position.
X Depress the brake pedal hard with your left
foot and keep it depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the Sdrive program (Y page 141).
X Quickly depress the accelerator pedal fully.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the acceleration
process has ended. ESP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilise the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
Cancelling start-off assist
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
X Reactivate ESP ®
. RACE START (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must be activated and
used only on dedicated race circuits, not on
public roads.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑ AMG vehicles. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Pilot will detect only parking spaces
which are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R that are parallel to the direction of travel and
are at least 1.5 m wide
R that are parallel to the direction of travel and
at least 1.0 m longer than your vehicle
R that are at right angles to the direction of
travel and at least 1.0 mwider than your vehi-
cle
i Note that Parking Pilot cannot measure the
length of a parking space if it is at right angles to the direction of travel. You will need to
judge whether your vehicle will fit in the park-
ing space.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will
see parking symbol ;as a status indicator in
the instrument cluster. When a parking space
has been detected, an arrow towards the right or the left also appears. Parking Pilot displays only
parking spaces on the front-passenger side as
standard. Parking spaces on the driver's side
are displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the
driver's side, this must remain activated until
you confirm the use of Parking Pilot by pressing the a button on the multifunction steering
wheel. The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv- ing past it, and until you are approximately 15 m
away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Parking Pilot, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident. Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
If Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects obsta-
cles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically whilst
the vehicle is parking. You are responsible for
braking in good time.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the instru-
ment cluster.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
R.
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to reverse gear.
The Start Parking Pilot?
Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK Yes: OKNo:
No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X To park using Parking Pilot: press thea
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake
and brake Observe surroundings
Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When reversing, drive at a speed
below 10 km/h. Otherwise Parking Pilot is
cancelled.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill
when the vehicle approaches the rear border
of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
when Parking Assist PARKTRONIC sounds the continuous warning tone, if not before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Parking Pilot active Select D Parking Pilot active Select D Observe
Observe
surroundings
surroundings message appears in the multi-
function display.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Parking Pilot active Engage forward Parking Pilot active Engage forward
gear gear Observe surroundings
Observe surroundings message
appears in the multifunction display. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking