2016 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA clutch

D 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 N
if the vehicle is in danger of skid-
ding, e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position R or D , the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
! Rolling in neutral N can damage
the drive train.
: 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 . This automatic gear shift-
ing behavior is determined by: R
the selected drive program R
the position of the accelerator pedal R
the road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle: early upshifts R
more throttle: late upshifts Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients
G WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic man-
agement system is automatically deactivated.
This interrupts the power transmission. The
vehicle may, for example, roll backwards on
gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator.
The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehi-
cle stationary on uphill gradients by depress-
ing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch over-
heats, a warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the Stop Vehicle Shift to P
Leave Engine Running display message
appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the
clutch has cooled down and the display mes-
sage in the multifunction display has disap-
peared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the Trans. Oil
Overheated Drive on with Care display
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill
gradients by depressing the accelerator
pedal. Instead, only ever hold the vehicle sta-
tionary on uphill gradients by: R
depressing the brake pedal R
activating the HOLD function R
engaging the electric parking brake
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration. X
Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a
lower gear depending on the engine speed. X
Ease off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.Automatic transmission 163
Driving an d parking Z

R
the vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces. R
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being
driven at lower engine speeds and the
wheels being less likely to spin. R
gliding mode is activated automatically
when engine-internal conditions are fulfil-
led and the accelerator is not depressed. At
the same time the transmission’s clutch
opens and the vehicle rolls freely using its
kinetic energy. As a result great distances
can be completed without the engine brake
and fuel consumption reduced.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I the following properties of
the drive program can be selected: R
the drive (engine management) R
the transmission management R
the suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL) R
ESP ®
Information about the configuration of drive
program I with COMAND or Audio 20 can be
found in the Digital Operator's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program C is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicle delivers comfortable, economi-
cal handling characteristics. R
the vehicle pulling away more gently in
forward and reverse gears, unless the
accelerator pedal is depressed fully. R
the vehicle having improved driving stabil-
ity, for example on slippery road surfaces. R
optimal fuel consumption resulting from
the automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. The vehicle is driven in the low
engine speed range and the wheels are less
likely to spin. R
gliding mode is available. R
the ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicle exhibits sporty driving charac-
teristics. R
the automatic transmission shifting up
l ater. the fuel consumption possibly being
higher as a result of the later automatic
transmission shift points. R
the suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL). R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+ is characterized by the fol-
lowing: R
the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driv-
ing characteristics. R
the automatic transmission shifting up
later. R
the fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmis-
sion shift points. R
the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles
with AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem). R
gliding mode is not available. R
the ECO start/stop function is not availa-
ble.
Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG
RIDE CONTROL)
The RACE drive program is characterized by
the following: R
the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics
suitable for the racetrack. R
all vehicle systems are set for maximum
sportiness.Automatic transmission 165
Driving an d parking Z

X
Depress the brake pedal firmly with your
left foot and keep the brake pedal
depressed. X
Shift the transmission to position D .X
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the S drive program ( Y
page 157).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 accel-
eration.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the acceleration
process has ended. ESP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilize the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
Canceling start-off assist X
Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal. X
Reactivate ESP.
RACE START (AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
i RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, out-
side of public road use.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes ‑ AMG vehicles.
G WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tires may
start to spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an
accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip road surface is required, along with the
tires and vehicle being in proper operating
condition. i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems ( Y
page 65).
Be sure to read the safety notes and infor-
mation on ESP ®
( Y
page 69).
Conditions for activation You can activate RACE START if: R
the doors, hood and the trunk lid are
closed. R
the engine is running and the transmission,
all-wheel drive clutch and the engine are at
operating temperature. R
the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position. R
the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot). R
the transmission is in position D .R
drive program S , S+ or RACE is selected
( Y
page 158).
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed. X
Pull and hold both steering wheel paddle
shifters. X
The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display. X
Release both steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is canceled. The
RACE START Not Possible See Opera‐
tor's Manual message appears in the
multifunction display. X
To cancel: pull the left steering wheel pad-
dle shifter ( Y
page 166).
or X
To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
paddle shifter ( Y
page 166).
The RACE START Available Depress
gas pedal message appears in the multi-
function display. Driving system s 195
Dr ivi ng an d parking Z