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 vehicle
stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the
accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, 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 display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gra-
dients by depressing the accelerator pedal.
Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary 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.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to
use kickdown in the automatic drive program
and the temporary manual drive program M .
When manual drive program M is permanently
activated, kickdown is not possible. For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M ( Y
page 137).
Rocking the vehicle free Shifting the transmission repeatedly between
gears D and R may help to free the vehicle if it
has become stuck in slush or snow. The vehi-
cle's engine management system limits the
speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when
shifting back and forth. To shift back and forth
between transmission positions D and R , move
the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C (Comfort) Drive program C is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
the vehicle delivers comfortable, economical
handling characteristics. R
the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully. R
the vehicle has improved driving stability, 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.
Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the follow-
ing: R
sporty engine settings. R
the automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmission
shift points.Automatic transmission 133
Driving and parking Z
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
