sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-
vent engine damage.
XTo shift down:pull on the left-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Ypage 135).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The mul-
tifunction display shows you the recommended
gear.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain conditions the minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deactiva-
ted, the automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last selected,
i.e. E,Cor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place (Ypage 135).
or
XSwitch the transmission position.
RAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: use the DIRECT SELECT lever
(
Ypage 130)
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: use the lever
(Ypage 129)
or
XChange the drive program.
RAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: use the drive program selector button
(
Ypage 133)
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: use the drive
program selector (Ypage 134)
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles and vehicles with the
AMG sports package)
General notes
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
As well as this permanent drive program M, you
can also activate temporary drive program M
(
Ypage 135).
Switching on the manual drive program
XAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: press the program selector button
repeatedly until drive program Mappears in
the multifunction display (
Ypage 133).
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: turn the drive pro-
gram selector until drive program Mappears
in the multifunction display (
Ypage 134).
The indicator Mon the drive program selector
lights up in red.
Manual drive program Mis different from drive
programs Sand S+with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
using the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D. The multifunction
display shows the selected and engaged gear.
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking
stored speed on downhill gradients by auto-
matically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up
the last stored speed
GWARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it is lower
than the current speed, the vehicle deceler-
ates. If you do not know the stored speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpectedly. There
is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you
do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously stored
speed.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
Ryou depress the parking brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position Nwhile
driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
iWhen you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes
DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and auto-
matically helps you maintain the distance from
the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles are detec-
ted with the aid of the radar sensor system.
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes automatically so that
the set speed is not exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
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 wear-
ing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of
a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot prevent a
collision without your intervention. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound and the dis-
tance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment 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 the speed range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Driving systems149
Driving and parking
Z
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, DISTRONIC PLUS
monitors the left lane on left-hand-drive vehi-
cles or the right lane on right-hand-drive vehi-
cles.
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe 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 (
Ypage 155).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has stopped, it will cause your vehicle to
brake and come to a halt.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient 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 trans-
mission is shifted automatically to position Pif:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
Setting a speed
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly move
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly move
the cruise control lever up :or down ;
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iIf you accelerate to overtake, DISTRONIC
PLUS adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func-
tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in front,
dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this
distance in the multifunction display
(
Ypage 154).
iMake sure that you maintain a sufficient
distance to the vehicle in front and comply
with the minimum distance as required by
law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front
if necessary.
Driving systems153
Driving and parking
Z
Deactivating DISTRONICPLUS
There are severa lways to deactivat e
DISTRONIC PLUS:
XBriefly push th ecruise contro llever for-
ward s:.
or
XBrake, unless th evehicle is stationary
If you deactivat eDISTRONIC PLUS, th e
DISTRONIC PLU SOff
messag eappears in th e
multifunction display fo rapproximately fiv esec -
onds.
iThe last speed stored remain sstored until
you switch of fth eengine.
iDISTRONIC PLU Sis no tdeactivated if you
depress th eaccelerator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis automatically deactivated
if:
Ryou engage th eparking brake
RES P®intervenes or you deactivat eES P®
Rthetransmissio nis in th eP, Ror Nposition
Ryou pull th ecruise contro llever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ror on eof th erea rdoors is ope n
Rthevehicle is skidding
Ryou activat eActive Parking Assis t
If DISTRONIC PLU Sis deactivated, you will hear
a tone .The DISTRONIC PLU SOff
messag e
appears in th emultifunction display fo rapprox -
imately fiv eseconds.
Tips for drivin gwit hDISTRONI CPLUS
General notes
Pay particular attention in th efollowin gtraffic
situations:
RCornering, enterin gand exitin g abend: th e
ability of DISTRONIC PLU Sto detec tvehicles
when cornering is limited. Your vehicle may
brake unexpectedly or late.
RDriving on adifferen tline: DISTRONIC PLU S
may no tdetec tvehicles whic hare no tdrivin g
in th emiddle of their lane. The distanc eto th e
vehicle in fron twill be to oshort .
ROther vehicles changin glane: DISTRONIC
PLU Shas no tdetecte dth evehicle cutting in
yet .The distanc eto this vehicle will be to o
short .
RNarro wvehicles :DISTRONIC PLU Sdoe sno t
detec tth evehicle in fron ton th eedg eof th e
road because of it snarro wwidth. The dis -
tanc eto th evehicle in fron twill be to oshort .
RObstacles and stationary vehicles :
DISTRONIC PLU Sdoe sno tbrake fo robsta -
cles or stationary vehicles .If ,fo rexample, th e
detecte dvehicle turn s acorner and reveals an
obstacl eor stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC
PLU Swill no tbrake fo rthese .
RCrossing vehicles :DISTRONIC PLU Smay mis -
takenl ydet ectvehicles that are crossin gyour
lane. Activatin gDISTRONIC PLU Sat traffic
lights wit hcrossin gtraffic ,fo rexample, could
cause your vehicle to pull away unintention -
ally.
In suc hsituations, brake if necessary.
DISTRONIC PLU Sis then deactivated.
DISTRONI CPLUS wit hSteering Assis t
an dStop&Go Pilo t
General notes
Driving systems155
Driving an d parking
Z
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Assist
and Stop&Go Pilot are switched to passive.
DISTRONIC PLUS remains active.
Activating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XActivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering
Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using the
on-board computer (
Ypage 196).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Onmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are active.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are activa-
ted but not ready for a steering intervention,
steering wheel symbol :appears in gray. If the
system provides you with support by means of
steering interventions, symbol :is shown in
green.
Deactivating Steering Assist and Stop&Go
Pilot
XDeactivate the DISTRONIC PLUS with Steer-
ing Assist and Stop&Go Pilot function using
the on-board computer (
Ypage 196).
The DTR+: Steering Assistant Offmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deac-
tivated.
When DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated or not
available, Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot are deactivated automatically.
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen 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
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe 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 DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Driving systems157
Driving and parking
Z
Activationconditions
You can activat eth eHOLD function if:
Rth evehicl eis stationary
Rth eengin eis runnin gor if it has been auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function
Rth edriver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastene d
Rtheparking brak eis release d
Rthetransmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONI CPLU Sis deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMak esur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further until
ë :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
If depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time does
no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait briefl yand
then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil ë disap-
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS. When th
eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is shifte dautomatically to position Pif:
Rth edriver's door is open and th edriver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function .
Rthehoo dis opened.
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
RACE START
Imp ortant safety notes
Observ eth esafet ynote sfor th eSPORT han -
dlin gmod e (Ypage 71).
RACE START is only available for Mercedes-AM G
vehicles.
RACE START is intended solely for activation on
dedicate drac ecircuits.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start .The precondition for this is a
suitable high-grip road surface.
Conditions for activati on
You can activateRACE START if:
Rth edoor sare closed.
Rth eengin eis runnin gand it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
17 6 ‡ (80 †). This is th ecas ewhen th eoil
temperature gauge in th emultifunction dis-
play is shown in white.
RSPORT handlin gmod eis switched on .
(Ypage 71)
Rth esteering whee lis in th estraight-ahead
position .
Rthevehicl eis stationary and th ebrak epedal is
depressed (lef tfoot) .
Rthetransmission is in position D.
158Driving systems
Driving and parking
Activating RACE START
XDepress thebrak epedal wit hyour lef tfoo t
and keep it depressed.
XTurn th edrive program selector clockwise
(Ypage 134) until th eRS lamp lights up.
The RACESTART Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel :Paddle DOW Nmessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
iIf th eactivation condition sare no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Canceledmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XTo cancel: pull th elef tsteering whee lpaddl e
shifte r (Ypage 135).
or
XTo confirm :pull th eright steering whee lpad-
dle shifte r (Ypage 135).
The RACESTART available Depres s
acceleratormessage appearsin th emulti-
function display.
iIf you do no tdepress th eaccelerato rpedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can -
celed. The RACE
STARTNotPossibleSeeOperator' sManualmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XFull ydepress th eaccelerato rpedal .
The engin espee drises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RACE
STARTReleas ebraketostartmessage appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf you do no trelease th ebrak epedal within
fiv eseconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RAC ESTART Canceled
message appear sin
th emultifunction display.
XTak eyour foo toff th ebrake, but keep th e
accelerato rpedal depressed.
The vehicl epulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
The RACE
STARTactivemessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when th evehicl e
reaches aspee dof approximately 30 mph (Can -
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+is activated.
SPORT handlin gmod eremain sswitched on .
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release th eaccelerato rpedal during RACE
START or if any of th eactivation condition sare
no longer fulfilled .The RACESTART Not Pos ‐
sible See Operator' sManualmessage
appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th evehicl ehas been driven acertain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
When th evehicl eis bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limb sare
between th evehicl ebody and th ewheels or
underneat hth evehicle. There is aris kof
injury.
Mak esur eno on eis underneat hth evehicl eor
in th eimmediat evicinity of th ewhee larches
when th evehicl eis bein glowered.
Your vehicl eregulates it sheight automatically.
All-roun dlevel control ensures th ebest possibl e
suspension and constan tground clearance ,
eve nwit h a laden vehicle. When you drive fast,
th evehicl eis lowered automatically to improve
drivin gsafet yand to reduce fuel consumption .
The followin gvehicl elevels are possible:
RNormal
RRaised :th evehicl eis raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm ) when compared with the nor-
mal level
RLowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with
the normal level
iThese changes in level are so slight that you
are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be
set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically:
Rat speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
Rif you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Ypage 160)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road sur-
faces and "Raised" for driving with snow chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. Your
Driving systems159
Driving and parking
Z
This indicates that you have now reached the
minimum distance.
Deactivating/activating PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates/activates PARKTRONICIf indicator lamp
;lights up, PARKTRONIC is
deactivated. Active Parking Assist is then also
deactivated.
iPARKTRONIC is automatically activated
when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in
the ignition lock.
Problems with PARKTRONIC
ProblemPossible causes/consequences and MSolutions
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit. You
also hear a warning tone
for approximately two
seconds.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated and the indi-
cator lamp on the
PARKTRONIC button
lights up.PARKTRONIC has malfunctioned and has switched off.
XIf problems persist, have PARKTRONIC checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Only the red segments in
the PARKTRONIC warn-
ing displays are lit.
PARKTRONIC is then
deactivated.The PARKTRONIC sensors are dirty or there is interference.
XClean the PARKTRONIC sensors (Ypage 274).
XSwitch the ignition back on.
The problem may be caused by an external source of radio or ultra-
sound waves.
XSee if PARKTRONIC functions in a different location.
Active Parking Assist
General notes
Active Parking Assist is an electronic parking aid
with ultrasound. It measures the road on both
sides of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suitable parking space. Active steering inter-
vention and brake application can assist you during parking. You may also use PARKTRONIC
(
Ypage 163).
Important safety notes
Active Parking Assist is merely an aid. It is not a
replacement for your attention to your immedi-
ate surroundings. You are always responsible
Driving systems165
Driving and parking
Z