In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The vehicle is only designed for easily nego-
tiable off-road terrain and poor road surfaces.
When driving off-road, substances such as
sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil
may get into the brakes. This could result in a
reduced braking effect or in total brake failure and also in increased wear and tear. The brak-
ing characteristics change depending on the
material ingressing the brakes. Clean the
brakes after driving off-road. If you detect a
reduced braking effect or grinding noises,
have the brake system checked in a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible.
Adapt your driving style to the different brak-
ing characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Off-road driving is only possible with the Off-
Road Engineering package (
Ypage 199).
The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
ROff-road program (Ypage 199)
ROff-road ABS (Ypage 66)
ROff-road 4ETS (Ypage 69)
ROff-road ESP®(Ypage 72)
RDSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(
Ypage 197)
Observe the following notes:
RStop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route. If necessary, acti-
vate the off-road program (
Ypage 157).
RTo avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
RCheck that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 285).
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (
Ypage 197).
RDrive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
RCheck the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
RWatch out for obstacles.
RTake care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slope or when driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
RAlways keep the side windows and the pan-
orama roof with power tilt/sliding panel
closed during the journey.
RDo not deviate from marked routes.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
Driving tips181
Driving and parking
Z
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
Checklist before driving off-road
XEngine oil level:check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the
engine oil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure a correct oil supply in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure.
XCheck for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
XReplace dented or damaged wheels.
XRims: dented or bent rims can result in a
loss of tire pressure and damage the tire
bead. Before driving off-road, check the
wheels and replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road
!If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
XDeactivate off-road program (Ypage 157).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 197).
XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the wheels and tires with a water jet and remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
XCheck whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
XAfter the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
XAfter driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
Rbrake discs
Rwheels
Rbrake pads
Raxle joints
XIf you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places
greater demands on your vehicle than driving
on normal roads. After driving off-road, check
the vehicle. This allows you to detect damage promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to
yourself and other road users.
Driving on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
RActivate the off-road program
(
Ypage 157).
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
RDrive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
RDrive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that:
-the tire ruts are not too deep.
-the sand is sufficiently firm.
-the ground clearance of the vehicle is
sufficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads
!Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
182Driving tips
Driving and parking
Filling capacities
Missing values were not availableat time of
going to print.
Mercedes ‑AMG
vehiclesCapacity
Ref rigerant23.6 ± 0.4 oz
(670 ± 10 g)
PAG oil4.2 oz
(12 0g)
Al lot her modelsCapacity
Refrigerant22.9 ± 0.4 oz
(650 ± 10 g)
PAG oil4.2 oz
(120 g)
Vehicle data
General notes
Please note that for the specified vehicle
data:
Rthe heights specified may vary as a result
of:
-tires
-load
-condition of the suspension
-optional equipment
Roptional equipment reduces the maximum
payload.
Dimensions and weights
Model:
Maximum
headroom
;
Opening height
Mercedes-
AMG vehicles73.5 in
(1866 mm)79.5 in
(2019 mm)
All other mod-
els75.4 in
(1914 mm)82.0 in
(2083 mm)
Mercedes ‑AMG
vehicles
Vehicle length175.0 in
(4445 mm)
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors79.6 in
(2022 mm)
Vehicle height58.2 in
(1479 mm)
Wheelbase106.3 in
(2699 mm)
Minimum ground
clearance6.1 in
(155 mm)
Turning radius38.7 ft
(11.8 m)
Vehicle data383
Technical data
Z
Mercedes‑AMG
vehicles
Maximum roof
load220.5 lb
(100 kg)
Maximum trunk
load220.5 lb
(100 kg)
All other models
Vehicle length173.9 in
(4417 mm)
Vehicle width
including exterior
mirrors79.6 in
(2022 mm)
Vehicle height60.3 in
(1532 mm)
Minimum ground
clearance8.0 in
(204 mm)
Wheelbase106.3 in
(2699 mm)
Turning radius38.7 ft
(11.8 m)
Maximum roof
load165.3 lb (75 kg)
Maximum trunk
load220.5 lb
(100 kg)
Vehicle data for off-road driving
Approach/departure angle
:;
Approach
and depar-
ture angles
when the
vehicle is
loaded and
ready to
drive19°29°
When the vehicle is loaded and ready to drive,
it has a full tank, all fluids have been refilled
and the driver is in the vehicle.
For further information about approach/
departure angles, see (
Ypage 183).
Maximum gradient-climbing capabil-
ity
Note that the vehicle's gradient-climbing
capability depends on the off-road conditions
and the road surface conditions.
GLA 250 4MATIC: the maximum gradient
climbing ability is 65%.
Missing values for the GLA 250 and
Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 4MATIC models were
unavailable at time of going to print.
Accelerate carefully and make sure that the
wheels do not spin when driving on steep ter-
rain.
384Vehicle data for off-road driving
Technical data