
Rearward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a rear-
ward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always make sure that
the front-passenger front air bag is deactiva-
ted. Only if the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
indicator lamp is permanently lit ( Y
page 43)
is the front-passenger front air bag deactiva-
ted.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions.
Forward-facing child restraint system If it is absolutely necessary to install a
forward-facing child restraint system on the
front-passenger seat, always move the front-
passenger seat as far back as possible. Fully
retract the seat cushion length. The entire
base of the child restraint system must
always rest on the seat cushion of the front-
passenger seat. The backrest of the child
restraint system must lie as flat as possible
against the backrest of the front-passenger
seat. The child restraint system must not
touch the roof or be subjected to a load by the
head restraint. Adjust the angle of the seat
backrest and the head restraint position
accordingly. Always make sure that the shoul-
der belt strap is correctly routed from the
vehicle belt outlet to the shoulder belt guide
on the child restraint system. The shoulder
belt strap must be routed forwards and down-
wards from the vehicle belt outlet. If neces-
sary, adjust the vehicle belt outlet and the
front-passenger seat accordingly.
Always observe the child restraint system
manufacturer's installation and operating
instructions. Child-proof locks
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If children are traveling in the vehicle, they
could: R
open doors, thus endangering other people
or road users R
exit the vehicle and be caught by oncoming
traffic R
operate vehicle equipment and become
trapped
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
Always activate the child-proof locks and
override feature if children are traveling in the
vehicle. When leaving the vehicle, always take
the key with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
Override feature for: R
the rear doors ( Y
page 64) R
the rear side windows ( Y
page 64)
G WARNING
If you leave children unsupervised in the vehi-
cle, they could set it in motion by, for example: R
release the parking brake. R
shift the automatic transmission out of the
parking position P . 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
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
G WARNING
If persons, particularly children are subjected
to prolonged exposure to extreme heat or
cold, there is a risk of injury, possibly even
fatal. Never leave children unattended in the
vehicle.Children in the vehicle 63
Safety Z

ESP ®
(Electronic Stability Program)
General notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
ESP ®
monitors driving stability and traction,
i.e. power transmission between the tires and
the road surface.
If ESP ®
detects that the vehicle is deviating
from the direction desired by the driver, one
or more wheels are braked to stabilize the
vehicle. The engine output is also modified to
keep the vehicle on the desired course within
physical limits. ESP ®
assists the driver when
pulling away on wet or slippery roads. ESP ®
can also stabilize the vehicle during braking.
ETS/4ETS (Electronic Traction System)
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
ETS traction control is part of ESP ®
. On vehi-
cles with 4MATIC, 4ETS is part of ESP ®
.
Traction control brakes the drive wheels indi-
vidually if they spin. This enables you to pull
away and accelerate on slippery surfaces, for
example if the road surface is slippery on one
side. In addition, more drive torque is trans-
ferred to the wheel or wheels with traction.
Traction control remains active, even if you
deactivate ESP ®
.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
G WARNING
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, ESP ®
is unable to
stabilize the vehicle. Additionally, further driv-
ing safety systems are deactivated. This
increases the risk of skidding and an accident.
Drive on carefully. Have ESP ®
checked at a
qualified specialist workshop. Vehicles without 4MATIC: when towing
your vehicle with the front axle raised, it is
important that you observe the notes on ESP ®
( Y
page 323).
If the

Useful information
i This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
i Read the information on qualified special-
ist workshops ( Y
page 25).
SmartKey
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If children are left unsupervised in the vehicle,
they could: R
open the doors, thus endangering other
people or road users. R
get out and disrupt traffic. R
operate the vehicle's equipment.
Additionally, children could set the vehicle in
motion if, for example, they: R
release the parking brake. R
shifting the automatic transmission out of
park position PR
Start the engine.
There is a risk of an accident and injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children or animals unattended in the
vehicle. Always keep the SmartKey out of
reach of children.
G WARNING
If you attach heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey, the SmartKey could be uninten-
tionally turned in the ignition lock. This could
cause the engine to be switched off. There is a
risk of an accident. Do not attach any heavy or large objects to the
SmartKey. Remove any bulky key rings before
inserting the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
! Keep the SmartKey away from strong
magnetic fields. Otherwise, the remote
control function could be affected.
Strong magnetic fields can occur in the
vicinity of powerful electrical installations.
Do not keep the SmartKey: R
with electronic devices, e.g. a mobile
phone or another SmartKey. R
with metallic objects, e.g. coins or metal
foil. R
inside metallic objects, e.g. a metal case.
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start function:
do not keep the SmartKey in the cargo com-
partment. Otherwise, the SmartKey may not
be detected, e.g. when starting the engine
using the Start/Stop button.
SmartKey functions
C
7 To lock the vehicle D
T To open the trunk lid