If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a faster-
moving vehicle in front, it increases the driving
speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated
up to the speed you have stored.
i Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
when you depress the brake, except when the
vehicle is stationary.
Selecting the drive program Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style when you select the S+ drive pro-
gram (Mercedes-AMG vehicles only), S
( Y
page 133) or the manual drive program
( Y
page 135). Acceleration behind the vehicle in
front or to the set speed is then noticeably more
dynamic. If you have selected the E (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles: C ) drive program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is recom-
mended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
change to the overtaking lane, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC supports you if: R
you are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h) R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front R
you switch on the appropriate turn signal R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
Stopping
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary 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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated,
the transmission is shifted automatically to
position 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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated when the vehicle is stationary and: R
a system malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is insufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, the transmission may
also shift into position P automatically.
Setting a 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 in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C or down D to
the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments. X
To adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up C or down D to
the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
i Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is not deactivated
if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function you can set the minimum distance that
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi-
cle in front, dependent on vehicle speed. You
can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play ( Y
page 154).Driving systems 153
Driving and parking Z
HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away
despite being braked by the HOLD function if: R
there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply. R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant. R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with. R
the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
page 156). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if: R
the vehicle is stationary R
the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function R
the driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened R
the electric parking brake is released R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated R
the transmission position D , R or N is engaged
while driving a vehicle with an automatic
transmission
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission is in
position D or R . R
the transmission is in position P on vehicles
with automatic transmission. R
you depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until C disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC. R
you secure the vehicle using the electric park-
ing brake.156
Driving systems
Driving and parking
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position 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 the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and: R
a system malfunction occurs. R
the power supply is insufficient.
Start-off assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If you use start-off assist, individual wheels
may start to spin and the vehicle may skid. If
ESP ®
is deactivated, there is a greater danger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure
that no persons or obstacles are in the vicinity
of the vehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from a standstill. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface is required, along with the tires and
vehicle being in proper operating condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public roads.
Observe the safety notes on driving safety sys-
tems ( Y
page 60).
Be sure to read the safety notes and information
on ESP ®
( Y
page 63).
Activating start-off assist X
Deactivate ESP ®
( Y
page 182).X
Turn the steering wheel to the straight-ahead
position. X
Depress the brake pedal hard with your left
foot and keep it depressed. X
Shift the transmission to position D .X
Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the S drive program ( Y
page 127). 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 acceler-
ation.
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 (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
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, outside
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 60).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP ®
( Y
page 63).
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.Driving systems 157
Driving an d parking Z
(200 km/h) range. If ATTENTION ASSIST
detects typical indicators of fatigue or increas-
ing lapses in concentration on the part of the
driver, it suggests taking a break.
Important safety notes ATTENTION ASSIST is only an aid to the driver. It
might not always recognize fatigue or increasing
inattentiveness in time or fail to recognize them
at all. The system is not a substitute for a well-
rested and attentive driver.
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or not
occur at all: R
if the length of the journey is less than approx-
imately 30 minutes R
if the road condition is poor, e.g. if the surface
is uneven or if there are potholes R
if there is a strong side wind R
if you have adopted a sporty driving style with
high cornering speeds or high rates of accel-
eration R
if you are predominantly driving slower than
37 mph (60 km/h) or faster than 125 mph
(200 km/ h)R
if the time has been set incorrectly R
in active driving situations, such as when you
change lanes or change your speed
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you continue
your journey and starts assessing your tiredness
again if: R
you switch off the engine R
you take off your seat belt and open the driv-
er's door, e.g. for a change of drivers or to
take a break
Displaying the attention level You can have current status information dis-
played in the assistance menu ( Y
page 182) of
the on-board computer. X
Select the Assistance display for Attention
Assist using the on-board computer
( Y
page 182).
The following information is displayed: R
Length of the journey since the last break. R
The Attention Level determined by ATTEN-
TION ASSIST, displayed in a bar display in five
levels from high to low R
If ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate
the attention level and cannot output a warn-
ing, the System Passive message appears.
The bar display then changes the display,
such as when you are driving at a speed below
37 mph (60 km/h) or above 124 mph
(200 km/h).
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST X
Activate ATTENTION ASSIST using the on-
board computer ( Y
page 183).
The system determines the attention level of
the driver depending on the setting selected:
Standard selected: the sensitivity with which
the system determines the attention level is set
to normal.
Sensitive selected: the sensitivity is set
higher. The attention level detected by Attention
Assist is adapted accordingly and the driver is
warned earlier.
When ATTENTION ASSIST is deactivated, the