
How the air bag system works is deter-
mined by the severity of the accident detec-
ted, especially the vehicle deceleration or
acceleration and the apparent type of acci-
dent: R
frontal collision R
side impact R
rollover
Automatic measures after an acci-
dentImmediately after an accident, the following
measures are implemented, depending on
the type and severity of the impact: R
the hazard warning lamps are activated R
the emergency lighting is activated R
the vehicle doors are unlocked R
the front side windows are lowered R
the engine is switched off and the fuel sup-
ply is cut off R
vehicles with mbrace: automatic emer-
gency call
Children in the vehicle
Important safety notes
Accident statistics show that children
secured in the rear seats are safer than chil-
dren secured in the front-passenger seat. For
this reason, Mercedes-Benz strongly advises
that you install a child restraint system on a
rear seat. Children are generally better pro-
tected there.
If a child younger than twelve years old and
under 5 ft (1.50 m) in height is traveling in the
vehicle: R
always secure the child in a child restraint
system suitable for Mercedes-Benz vehi-
cles. The child restraint system must be appropriate to the age, weight and size of
the child R
be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes in this section in addition to
the child restraint system manufacturer's
installation instructions R
be sure to observe the instructions and
safety notes on the "Occupant Classifica-
tion System (OCS)" ( Y
page 51)
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.
G WARNING
If the child restraint system is subjected to
direct sunlight, parts may get very hot. Chil-
dren may burn themselves on these parts,
particularly on the metal parts of the child
restraint system. There is a risk of injury.
If you leave the vehicle, taking the child with
you, always ensure that the child restraint
system is not exposed to direct sunlight. Pro-
tect it with a blanket, for example. If the child
restraint system has been exposed to direct
sunlight, let it cool down before securing the
child in it. Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle.58
Children in the vehicle
Safety

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

R
COLL IS ION PREVENTION AS SIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly wit h assistance from ESP ®
.R
ESP ®
st ill provides support when you brake
firmly.
ESP ®
trailer stabilizationGeneral info rm ation
If your veh icle/t railer combination begins to
swerve, ESP ®
assists you in this situation.
ESP ®
slows the vehicle down by braking and
limit ing the engine output unt il the vehicle/
trailer co mbin ation has stabilized.
Import ant safety notes
G WARNIN G
If road and weather condition s are poor ,
trailer stabilization will no t be able to preven t
th e vehicle/traile r combination from swerv-
ing . Trailers wit h a high cente r of gravity can
tip ove r before ES P ®
can detect this. Ther e is
a ris k of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to th e prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your veh icle wit h trailer (vehicle/trailer
co mbin ation) begins to lurch, you can only
st abiliz e the vehicle /t railer combination by
depr essing the brake firmly.
ESP ®
trailer st abiliz ation is active above
spee ds of about 65 km/h.
ESP ®
trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP ®
is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD mon it ors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
st abilit y while braking. Important safety notes
i Observe the "Im portant safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).
G WARNIN G
If EB D is malfunctioning, th e rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking . This increases th e
ris k of skiddin g and an accident.
You should therefor e adapt your driving style
to th e different handlin g characteristics. Hav e
th e brak e system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps ( Y
page 261) as well as dis-
play messages ( Y
page 230).
ADAPTIVE BRAKE ADAPTIVE BRAKE enhances braking safety
and offers increased braking comfort. In addi-
tion to the braking function, ADAPTIVE BRAKE
also has the HOLD function ( Y
page 187) and
hill start assist ( Y
page 151).
STEER CONTROL
General information
ST EER CONTROL helps you by transmitting a
noticea ble steering force to the steering
wheel in the direction required for vehicle
st abiliz ation.
This steering assistance is pro vide d in partic-
ular if: R
both right wheels or both left wheels are on
a wet or slippery road surface when you
brake. R
the veh icle starts to skid.
Important safety notes
i Observe the "Im portant safety notes" sec-
tion ( Y
page 65).72
Driving safety systems
Safety

No steering assistance is provided from
STEER CONTROL, if: R
ESP ®
is malfunctioning.R
the lighting is faulty.
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assisted
further by the electrical power steering.
Protection against theft
Immobilizer The immobilizer prevents your vehicle from
being started without the correct SmartKey. X
To activate with the SmartKey: remove
the SmartKey from the ignition lock. X
To activate with KEYLESS-GO start-
function or KEYLESS-GO: switch the igni-
tion off and open the driver's door. X
To deactivate: switch on the ignition.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Any-
one can start the engine if a valid SmartKey
has been left inside the vehicle.
i The immobilizer is always deactivated
when you start the engine.
In the event that the engine cannot be star-
ted (yet the vehicle's battery is charged),
the system is not operational. Contact an
authorized Mercedes-Benz Center or call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in the USA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft alarm system) X
To arm: lock the vehicle with the SmartKey
or KEYLESS-GO.
Indicator lamp C flashes. The alarm sys-
tem is armed after approximately
15 seconds. X
To disarm: unlock the vehicle with the
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO.
or X
Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
A visual and audible alarm is triggered if the
alarm system is armed and you open: R
a door R
the vehicle with the mechanical key R
the trunk lid R
the hood X
To turn the alarm off with the SmartKey:
press the 6 or 7 button on the
SmartKey.
The alarm is switched off.
or X
Vehicles with KEYLESS-GO start-func-
tion or KEYLESS-GO: remove the Start/
Stop button from the ignition lock
( Y
page 147). X
Insert the SmartKey into the ignition lock.
The alarm is switched off. X
To stop the alarm using KEYLESS-GO:
grasp the outside door handle. The Smart-
Key must be outside the vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
or X
Press the Start/Stop button on the dash-
board. The SmartKey must be inside the
vehicle.
The alarm is switched off.
The alarm is not switched off, even if you
close the open door that triggered it, for
example.
i If the alarm continues for more than
30 seconds, the mbrace emergency call
system automatically notifies the Cus-
tomer Assistance Center. This is done
either by text message or data connection.Protection against theft 73
Safety Z

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

The SmartKey centrally locks/unlocks: R
the doors R
the trunk lid R
the fuel filler flap
The turn signals flash once when unlocking
and three times when locking.
When the locator lighting is activated in Audio
20/COMAND, it lights up when it is dark after
the vehicle is unlocked with the remote con-
trol (see separate operating instructions).
You can also set an audible signal to confirm
that the vehicle has been locked. The audible
signal can be activated and deactivated using
the on-board computer ( Y
page 222).X
To open the trunk lid automatically:
press and hold the T button until the
trunk lid opens ( Y
page 86).
KEYLESS-GO
General notes
Bear in mind that the engine can be started by
any of the vehicle occupants if there is a
SmartKey in the vehicle.
Locking and unlocking
You can start, lock or unlock the vehicle using
KEYLESS-GO. To do this, you only need carry
the SmartKey with you. You can combine the
functions of KEYLESS-GO with those of a con-
ventional SmartKey. Unlock the vehicle by
using KEYLESS-GO, for instance, and lock it
using the 7 button on the SmartKey.
The driver's door and the door at which the
handle is used, must both be closed. The
SmartKey must be outside the vehicle. When
locking or unlocking with KEYLESS-GO, the
distance between the SmartKey and the cor-
responding door handle must not be greater
than 3 ft (1 m). A check which periodically establishes a radio
connection between the vehicle and the
SmartKey determines whether a valid Smart-
Key is in the vehicle. This occurs, for example: R
when starting the engine R
whilst driving R
when the external door handles are
touched R
during convenience closing
X
To unlock the vehicle: touch the inner
surface of the door handle. X
To lock the vehicle: touch sensor sur-
face C or D .
Make sure that you do not touch the inner
surface of the door handle. X
Convenience closing feature: touch
recessed sensor surface D for an exten-
ded period.
Further information on the convenience
closing feature ( Y
page 90).
X
To unlock the trunk lid: pull trunk lid han-
dle C . SmartKey 77
Opening and closing Z