
High and low outside temperatures
Low outside temperatures
At very low outside temperatures the maximum
power output of the high-voltage battery may be
reduced. The high-voltage battery is then no
longer able to provide the normal electrical
power output.
High outside temperatures
To prevent damage to the high-voltage battery
due to very high outside temperatures, the max-
imum power output of the high-voltage battery
is reduced by the vehicle.
Energy consumption and electrical
range
The maximum electrical range is generally
reduced by:
Rhigh and low outside temperatures
Roperating the climate control system
Rswitching on consumers
The battery's physical characteristics are such
that leaving the vehicle parked for long periods
at low outdoor temperatures without charging it
can lead to:
Ra reduction in battery performance
Rlonger charge times
Notes on battery care
Avoid storing or transporting the vehicle at
excessively high or low temperatures over a long
period.
If you park the vehicle and leave it stationary for
long periods:
Rcheck the condition of charge of the high-
voltage battery more often
Rconnect the vehicle to a power supply
This prevents self-discharge and damage to the
high-voltage battery.
Terms of use
Please note the information on exceptions and
limitations in warranty documentation and in
the Maintenance Booklet.
Handling the charging cable and charg- ing cable controls
Do not leave the charging cable controls
(Ypage 183) hanging loose from an electrical
outlet. Otherwise, this could result in a poor
contact with the electrical outlet and malfunc-
tions when charging the vehicle.
To ensure that the brackets within the charging
cable controls are not subjected to incorrect
loads, observe the following:
RNever lift or carry the controls by the charging
cable connector or the mains plug.
RTo transport the charging cable, the charging cable can be:
-wrapped around the controls or
-secured to the housing of the controls
Heat generated by the charging cable
and charging cable connector
Pay attention to the "Important safety notes"
(Ypage 180).
During the charging process, the charging cable
and charging cable connector may heat up.
The charging cable and the charging cable con-
nector will only heat up within the permissible
limiting values, provided that:
Rthe power supply and the charging cable are
not damaged
Rthe instructions for handling the charging
cable and controls on the charging cable are
observed
If the charging cable or charging cable connec-
tor become too hot, have the mains power sup-
ply checked.
Protection device against overvoltage
!Overvoltage in the mains supply may dam-
age the vehicle. For this reason, the vehicle is
equipped with a protection device against
overvoltage in the mains supply. This device
may be triggered during severe thunder-
storms, for example, and may lead to the buil-
ding's fuse being tripped and an interruption
in the power supply. These functions protect
the vehicle. After the building fuse is switched on again, the charging process resumes auto-
matically. Following an interruption in the
power supply or tripping of the building's fuse,
it may take up to 10 minutes for charging to
resume automatically.
182Charging the high-voltage battery (PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles)
Driving and parking 

Switch on the building protection system again
after it has been triggered. Otherwise, the
charging process cannot be continued.
General information about the charging
procedure
Pay attention to the "Important safety notes"
(Ypage 180).
The vehicle socket is located in the rear bumper on the right below the tail lamp.
The charge socket flap and the vehicle are cen-
trally locked or unlocked simultaneously.
Charging the high-voltage battery via
the electrical outlet
Charging cable for electrical outlets
Important safety notes
!Only use the charging cable to charge the
high-voltage battery. Do not use the charging
cable for other purposes. It may otherwise be damaged.
The vehicle is supplied with a country-specific
charging cable for connection to a mains socket.
Only use the charging cable supplied with the
vehicle or a charging cable approved for the
vehicle.
iIf you use the supplied 12 A charging cable
to charge a high-voltage battery:
Rthe charge time increases considerably
Relectrical consumption increases consider-
ably
Where possible, charge the high-voltage bat-
tery at a charging station (
Ypage 186). Only
then can certified electrical energy consump-
tion levels be reached.
iThe charging process can vary depending on
the power supply. Therefore, always observe
the local information.
Information about charging from a wallbox can
be found at (
Ypage 185).
Information about charging at a charging station
can be found at (
Ypage 186).
Stowing the charging cable
The charging cable can be stowed and held in
place in the bag provided in the trunk of the
vehicle.
Controls on the charging cable
:On-board voltage indicator
;Protective and indicator system display
=Charge current indicator
?Charge current setting button
When displays :and ;on the charging cable
light up, this means the following:
Display :
Lights up
greenThe on-board voltage is con-
nected. The high-voltage bat-
tery can be charged.
Flashes redThe power supply from the
building is faulty.
Display;
Lights up
greenThere are no malfunctions.
The high-voltage battery can
be charged.
Flashes redThe protective and indicator
system has detected a mal-
function due to an internal
malfunction. The high-voltage
battery cannot be charged.
If the control detects residual current or a mal-
function, the charging process is halted. Once
the malfunction has been rectified the charging
process is resumed automatically.
For information on problems relating to the
charging process, see (
Ypage 187).
Charging the high-voltage battery (PLUG-IN HYBRID vehicles)183
Driving and parking
Z 

tenance Booklet or by the service interval dis-
play.
Fuel consumption also increases when driving in cold weather, in stop-start traffic and in hilly ter-
rain.
Drinking and driving
GWARNING
Drinking and driving and/or taking drugs and driving are very dangerous combinations.
Even a small amount of alcohol or drugs can
affect your reflexes, perceptions and judg-
ment.
The possibility of a serious or even fatal acci-
dent is greatly increased when you drink or
take drugs and drive.
Do not drink or take drugs and drive or allow
anyone to drive who has been drinking or tak-
ing drugs.
Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop . Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not be changed under any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. Details can be found in the Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how eco-
nomical your driving characteristics are. The
ECO display assists you in achieving the most
economical driving style for the selected set-
tings and prevailing conditions. Your driving
style can significantly influence the vehicle's
consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAccel.
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percentage
indicates a more economical driving style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuelconsumption. A fixed percentage count in the
ECO display does not indicate a fixed consump-
tion.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried out
using the following three categories:
Driving tips193
Driving an d parking
Z 

Rsections of the route have a very small radius
of curvature
Ryou accelerate hard or brake sharply
AIRMATIC
General notes
AIRMATIC is an air suspension with variable
damping for improved driving comfort. All-round
level control ensures the best possible suspen-
sion and constant ground clearance, even with a
laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle is
lowered automatically to improve driving safety
and to reduce fuel consumption. There is also
the option to manually adjust the vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of level setting, level control and the Adaptive Damping System ADS PLUS.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
Vehicle level
Setting the raised vehicle level
It is possible to choose between the "Normal"
and "Raised" vehicle levels. Select the "Normal"
setting for normal road surfaces and "Raised"
for driving with snow chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. Your selection remains
stored even if you remove the SmartKey from
the ignition lock.
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle is
raised by 1.0 in (25 mm) compared to the
normal level.
The Vehicle
Risingmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
iThe message disappears after ten seconds,
irrespective of the level reached. If necessary,
the vehicle is raised further.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at a speed above approximately 75 mph
(120 km/h)
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed above 50 mph (80 km/h)
Setting the normal vehicle level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The Adaptive Damping System ADS PLUS auto-
matically controls the calibration of the damp-
ers.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
iYou can choose between the sporty and
comfortable mode. One of the two modes is
always active.
212Driving systems
Driving and parking 

The electric motor supports the combustion
engine by providing additional torque when:
Rthe needle has exceeded areaA
Ryou press the haptic accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point and want to obtain
more power
Operating the on-board computer
You can display the current operating condition
of the hybrid drive system in the multifunction
display and the multimedia system display
(
Ypage 245).
In the multimedia system display, you can also
call up a graphic display of the fuel consumption
and generated electricity (
Ypage 249).
Menus and submenus
Selecting displays in the display of the
multimedia system
XPress button Øon the controller.
The vehicle menu is displayed.
XTo select Energy Flow: turn and press the
controller.
The energy flow is displayed.
or
XTo select Consumption: turn and press the
controller.
Fuel consumption and the generated electric
energy are displayed.
XTo exit the display: press the %button on
the controller.
Selecting the energy flow display in the
multifunction display
XUse Ñ on the steering wheel to call up the
list of menus.
XPress the :or9 button on the steering
wheel to select the Tripmenu.
XConfirm by pressing aon the steering
wheel.
XSelect Energy Flowwith: or9 .
The active hybrid components are highlighted
in the energy flow display.
Energy flow display
Overview
:Internal combustion engine
;Electric motor
=High-voltage battery condition of charge
?High-voltage battery
AEnergy flow
The active hybrid components are highlighted.
The energy flow is indicated by arrows. The
arrows have a different color depending on the
operating state.
Automatic engine switch-off
The engine and electric motor are switched off.
The arrows for the energy flow are not shown.
The condition of charge of the high-voltage bat-
tery is shown when the SmartKey is in position 2
in the ignition lock.
PLUG‑IN HYBRID operation245
Driving and parking
Z 

Displaying fuel consumption andgenerated electricit y
:Fuelconsumption
;Electrical energ ygenerate d
Every bar of th egraph displays th eaverag evalu efo ron eminute.
Fue lconsumption indicator :may diffe rfrom th eindicator in th eFro m
Starttrip compute rin th e
Tri pmenu.
To reset th evalues: thevalues are reset alon gwit hth eFro mStart
trip compute r (Ypage 262).
XTo selectConsumption:turn and press th econtroller .
Fue lconsumption :and electrical energ y; generate dfo rth elast 15 minutes are shown in th e
COMAN Ddisplay.
Starting th eengin e
The vehicle start sin electric mode without th e
internal combustion engin e(noiseles sstart).
The internal combustion engin estart sonly after
th epowe rdemanded by th edriver exceeds th e
available powe rthat th eelectric moto rcan cur -
rentl yprovide.
Noiseless start operation is dependen ton th e
outsid etemperature and th eoperatin gtemper-
ature of th einternal combustion engine. If no tall
condition sfo rnoiseles sstart operation are ful-
filled, th evehicle start swit hth einternal com-
bustion engine.
XSwitc hon th eignition .
XDepress th ebrake pedal.
XObserv eth enote son startin gth eengin e
(Ypage 164).
XStart th evehicle (Ypage 164).
The vehicle is operational when READY indi-
cator :lights up.
PLUG‑ IN HYBRID operation249
Driving an d parking
Z 

Activating when driving with the electric motor:
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 174).
The combustion engine is switched on. Man-
ual drive program Mis temporarily activated.
The selected gear and Mappear in the multi-
function display.
Activating when driving with the combustion
engine:
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 174).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The selected gear and Mappear in the
multifunction display.
The ECO start/stop function is not available in
manual drive program M.
Haptic accelerator pedal
General notes
The haptic accelerator pedal helps you to
reduce the fuel consumption and emissions of
your vehicle.
There are two different functions available for
this purpose:
Ran additional point of resistance in E-MODE
operating mode (Ypage 243)
Ra double impulse in E+operating mode
(Ypage 250)
Additional point of resistance in the hap-
tic accelerator pedal
The maximum available electric performance is
indicated by a tangible point of resistance in the
haptic accelerator pedal.
The additional point of resistance is available in
E-MODE operating mode (
Ypage 243).
If you depress the haptic accelerator pedal
beyond the pressure point, the combustion
engine is switched on.
Double pulses in the haptic accelerator
pedal
A tangible double pulse in the haptic accelerator
pedal gives you a recommendation to release
the accelerator pedal. The combustion engine
can switch off and be disconnected from the
drive train (overrun mode).
The double pulse is available in drive program E+
(
Ypage 250). After the accelerator pedal has been released,
the coasting characteristics of the vehicle are
adapted to the traffic conditions.
To
avo
id getting too close to the vehicle in front,
you must apply the brakes manually when nec-
essary.
Driving tips
General driving tips
Drive carefully and maintain a safe distance
from the vehicle in front. Avoid frequent and
sudden acceleration as well as abrupt braking.
During partial electric driving, pulling away and
acceleration, the electric motor supports the
internal combustion engine.
During overrun in transmission position Dand
braking, the electric motor will operate as a gen-
erator.
Further information on the ECO start/stop func-
tion (
Ypage 252).
Additional driving tips (
Ypage 192).
Stationary vehicle
If the vehicle is stopped, the combustion engine
is, for the most part, switched off. Automatic
climate control continues to function. The elec-
tromechanically assisted steering gear allows
you to use the power steering without reduced
comfort.
Acceleration
Depending on the operating mode, pulling away
and driving under low load conditions are per-
formed:
Rentirely by electric propulsion
Rin combination with the internal combustion
engine
When accelerating at an increased or full load,
boost mode is utilized. The electric motor sup-
ports the internal combustion engine by provid-
ing additional torque when the accelerator is
depressed rapidly.
Overrun mode or braking
There are three possible operating modes when
the hybrid vehicle is decelerating:
Renergy recovery takes place even when the
vehicle is decelerating purely in overrun mode
(
Ypage 240). The electric motor operates as
PLUG‑IN HYBRID operation251
Driving an d parking
Z 

a generator and stores the recovered energy
in the high-voltage battery
Rwhen the brakes are applied lightly, the vehi-
cle is slowed down further by the electric
motor. This increases the energy recovery
taking place (
Ypage 240). The electric motor
operates as a generator and stores the recov-
ered energy in the high-voltage battery
Rwhen the brakes are applied with greater
force, the service brakes are also used to slow
the vehicle down. The two systems work
together
Urban driving
Energy is recuperated during frequent deceler-
ation and stopping in city traffic.
The vehicle can be driven by the electric motor
alone up to a speed of approximately 81 mph
(130 km/h).
The vehicle is driven by the electric motor alone
only when all conditions for the automatic
engine switch-off are fulfilled.
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off (
Ypage 252).
Driving on inter-urban roads
The following phases are possible when driving
on inter-urban roads:
Rrapid acceleration (boost mode)
Rconstant energy consumption
Renergy recuperation
Relectric operation mode
A great deal of recovered energy may be avail-
able, depending on the route profile. This
reduces consumption and emissions.
Highway driving
During highway driving, fuel consumption and
emissions are favorably influenced in particular
by reduced power losses.
The internal combustion engine will be switched
off automatically, if:
Rthe driver removes his or her foot from the
accelerator pedal in drive program Eand a
speed of 81 mph (130 km/h) is not exceeded
Rthe driver removes his or her foot from the
accelerator pedal in drive program E+and a
speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) is not excee-
ded
Further information on the automatic engine
switch-off (
Ypage 252).
ECO start/stop function
General notes
The ECO start/stop function switches the inter- nal combustion engine off automatically when
the vehicle stops moving and at high speeds
(
Ypage 253).
All vehicle systems remain active, e.g. the auto-
matic climate control.
The ECO start/stop function is only available in
drive programs Eand E+. Electric-only operation
is only possible in drive programs Eand E+.
Additional information for drive programs Eand
E+ (
Ypage 250).
Automatic engine switch-off
The engine is switched off automatically, includ-
ing when:
Rthe driver removes his or her foot from the
accelerator pedal in drive program Eand a
speed of 81 mph (130km/ h)is not exceeded
(
Ypage 253)
Rthe driver removes his or her foot from the
accelerator pedal in drive program E+and a
speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) is not excee-
ded (
Ypage 253)
Rthe engine has reached its operating temper- ature
Rthe driver’s seat belt is fastened and the
driver’s door is closed
Rthe driver only slightly depresses the accel-
erator pedal in order to, for example, maintain
the current speed for a limited distance
Rthe hood is closed and engaged properly
Rthe high-voltage battery is charged suffi-
ciently
Rno malfunctions are present in the hybrid
drive system
The internal combustion engine will not be
switched off automatically, if:
Rthe self-diagnosis function of the engine con-
trol unit is still active
Rthere is a malfunction in the hybrid drive sys-
tem
Rthe climate control of the vehicle requires it
Rthe high-voltage battery is being charged
(Ypage 246)
Rautomatic emissions tests are running
252PLUG‑IN HYBRID operation
Driving and parking