2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA Owners Manual

Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with
loose gravel: R
Activate the off-road program
( Y
page 157). R
Avoid high engine speeds. R
Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter. R
Drive slowly. R
Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible.
Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle
G WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle
could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle. R
Observe the warnings for off-road driving
( Y
page 180). R
Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines. R
Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, select the off-road program
( Y
page 157). R
Drive slowly. R
Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping. R
Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance. R
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the gradient. R
Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away
on a hill. For further information about hill
start assist, see ( Y
page 153).
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.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values ( Y
page 384).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climb-
ing ability values ( Y
page 384).
Hilltops
When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immedi-
ately before reaching the brow of the hill.
Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to
travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents: R
the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill R
the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly. R
Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and rollover. R
Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter before tack-
ling steep downhill gradients. Driving tips 183
Driving and parking Z

R
Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall. R
Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise Control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order
to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. You need to have previously selec-
ted manual gearshifting M ( Y
page 166). By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
To activate or increase speed D
To activate or reduce speed

Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h). X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed. X
Briefly press the cruise control lever up C
or down

trol Off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically to avoid exceeding the set
speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients. Important safety notes
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to: R
people or animals R
stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles R
oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neither give a warning nor intervene R
accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
G WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up
to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is
a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.186
Driving systems
Driving and parking

To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-
tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if: R
there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors R
there is snow or heavy rain R
there is interference by other radar sources R
there are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi-
cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed. This speed may: R
be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane R
be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane R
be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
To activate or increase speed D
To activate or reduce speed

R
the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from P to D or your seat belt must be
fastened. R
the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
Activating X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you

If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in
front becomes too small.
Stopping
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if: R
there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply. R
DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with. R
the battery is disconnected. R
the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating
DISTRONIC PLUS ( Y
page 190).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever. When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, the
transmission is shifted automatically to posi-
tion P if: 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.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if DISTRONIC PLUS is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and: R
a system malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction in the electric parking brake
occurs, then the transmission may also be
shifted into position P automatically.
Setting a speed
C
To store the current speed or a higher
speed D
To store the current speed or a lower
speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set. X
Press the cruise control lever up C for a
higher speed or down D for a lower speed.X
To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): brieflyDriving systems 189
Driving and parking Z

press the cruise control lever up C or
down