In such situations, have the vehicle
checked and repaired immediately at a
qualified specialist workshop. If on con-
tinuing your journey you notice that driving
safety is impaired, pull over and stop the
vehicle immediately, paying attention to
road and traffic conditions. In such cases,
consult a qualified specialist workshop.
The vehicle is only designed for easily nego-
tiable off-road terrain and poor road surfaces.
When driving off-road, substances such as
sand, mud and water or water mixed with oil
may get into the brakes. This could result in a
reduced braking effect or in total brake failure and also in increased wear and tear. The brak-
ing characteristics change depending on the
material ingressing the brakes. Clean the
brakes after driving off-road. If you detect a
reduced braking effect or grinding noises,
have the brake system checked in a qualified
specialist workshop as soon as possible.
Adapt your driving style to the different brak-
ing characteristics.
Driving off-road increases the likelihood of
damage to the vehicle, which, in turn, can lead
to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter-
rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali-
fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
General notes
HEnvironmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road. Off-road driving is only possible with the Off-
Road Engineering package (
Ypage 199).
The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
ROff-road program (Ypage 199)
ROff-road ABS (Ypage 66)
ROff-road 4ETS (Ypage 69)
ROff-road ESP®(Ypage 72)
RDSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(
Ypage 197)
Observe the following notes:
RStop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route. If necessary, acti-
vate the off-road program (
Ypage 157).
RTo avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
RCheck that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 285).
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (
Ypage 197).
RDrive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
REnsure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
RCheck the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
RWatch out for obstacles.
RTake care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slope or when driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
RAlways keep the side windows and the pan-
orama roof with power tilt/sliding panel
closed during the journey.
RDo not deviate from marked routes.
Do not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
Driving tips181
Driving and parking
Z
RActivate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
RCheck that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road
program is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces the stopping distance on off-road terrain. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise Control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. You need to have previously selec-
ted manual gearshifting M(
Ypage 166). 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 wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You can
store any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed,
for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate cruise control
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions
To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
184Driving systems
Driving an d parking
trol Offmessage in the multifunction dis-
play 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
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically to avoid exceeding the set
speed or to maintain the designated distance
from the vehicle in front.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially 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 wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk
of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and the distance warning lamp will light up in the
instrument 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 range between
0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving on
roads with steep gradients.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop- ped or parked vehicles
Roncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden-
tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
Rneither give a warning nor intervene
Raccelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS.
GWARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC
PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There isa risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
!If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations.
186Driving systems
Driving and parking
To prevent damage to the vehicle, deacti-
vate DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD func-tion in the following or other similar situa-
tions:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style,
DISTRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk
of accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions.
DISTRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
Rin road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
Ron slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
Rwhen there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
Rthere is dirt on the sensors or anything else covering the sensors
Rthere is snow or heavy rain
Rthere is interference by other radar sources
Rthere are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect-
edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed. This speed may:
Rbe too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
Rbe so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
Rbe so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
:To activate or increase speed
;To activate or reduce speed
=To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
?To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
ATo set the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS
Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
Rthe electric parking brake must be
released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RActive Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Driving systems187
Driving and parking
Z
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromPto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down A.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
XKeep the cruise control lever pressed up :
or down Auntil the desired speed is set.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC
PLUSPassivemes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle
in front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine by
the position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set is
20 mph (30 km/h).
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling away and driving
The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a different line from another vehicle. The vehi-
cle then brakes automatically. Be ready to
brake at all times.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
XIf you want to pull away with
DISTRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from
the brake pedal.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your vehi-
cle accelerates to the set speed.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in
front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is
maintained.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style whe
n you select the S+(Mercedes-AMG
vehicles only) or S(
Ypage 164 )drive program
or the manual gearshift (
Ypage 166). Accel-
eration 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 recommended in
stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC
PLUS supports you when:
Ryou are driving faster than 43 mph
(70 km/h)
RDISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
188Driving systems
Driving and parking
Otherwise Active Parking Assist will be can-
celed.
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to
a standstill when the vehicle approaches
the rear border of the parking space.
Maneuvering may be required in tight park-ing spaces.
The Park Assist Active Select D
ObserveSurroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XShift the transmission to position Dwhile
the vehicle is stationary.
Active Parking Assist immediately steers in
the other direction.
The Park Assist Active Accelerate
and BrakeObserve Surroundingsmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
iYou will achieve the best results by wait-
ing for the steering procedure to complete
before pulling away.
XDrive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Active Parking Assist brakes the vehicle to
a standstill when the vehicle approaches
the front border of the parking space.
Maneuvering may be required in tight park-
ing spaces.
The Park Assist Active Select R
ObserveSurroundingsmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is com-
plete, the Park
AssistSwitchedOffmes-
sage appears and a warning tone sounds. The
vehicle is now parked.
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal. The
braking effect is canceled when you depress
the accelerator pedal.
Active Parking Assist no longer supports you
with steering interventions and brake appli-
cations. When Active Parking Assist is fin-
ished, you must steer and brake again your-
self. PARKTRONIC is still available. Parking tips:
RThe way your vehicle is positioned in the
parking space after parking is dependent
on various factors. These include the posi-
tion and shape of the vehicles parked in
front and behind it and the conditions of the
location. It may be the case that Active
Parking Assist guides you too far into a
parking space, or not far enough into it. In
some cases, it may also lead you across or
onto the curb. If necessary, you should can-
cel the parking procedure with Active Park-
ing Assist.
RYou can also select preselect transmission
position
D. The vehicle redirects and does
not drive as far into the parking space.
Should the transmission change take place
too early, the parking procedure will be
canceled. A sensible parking position can
no longer be achieved from this position.
Exiting a parking space
In order that Active Parking Assist can sup-
port you when you exit the parking space:
Ryou need to have parked using Active Park-
ing Assist.
Rthe border of the parking space must be
high enough at the front and the rear. A
curb is too small, for example.
Rthe border of the parking space must not be
too wide, as the position of the vehicle must
not exceed an angle of 45° to the starting
position as it is maneuvering into the park- ing space.
Ra maneuvering distance of at least 3.3 ft
(1.0 m) must be available.
Active Parking Assist can only assist you with
exiting a parking space if you have parked the
vehicle parallel to the direction of travel using
Active Parking Assist.
iIf PARKTRONIC detects obstacles, Active
Parking Assist brakes automatically whilst
the vehicle exits the parking space. You are
responsible for braking in good time.
206Driving systems
Driving and parking
The functionality of ATTENTION ASSIST is
restricted and warnings may be delayed or
not occur at all:
Rif the length of the journey is less than
approximately 30 minutes
Rif the road condition is poor, e.g. if the sur-
face is uneven or if there are potholes
Rif there is a strong side wind
Rif you have adopted a sporty driving style
with high cornering speeds or high rates ofacceleration
Rif you are predominantly driving slower
than 37 mph (60 km/h) or faster than
125 mph (200 km/h)
Rif the time has been set incorrectly
Rin active driving situations, such as when
you change lanes or change your speed
ATTENTION ASSIST is reset when you con-
tinue your journey and starts assessing your
tiredness again if:
Ryou switch off the engine
Ryou take off your seat belt and open the
driver'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 (
Ypage 227)
of the on-board computer.
XSelect the Assistance display for Attention
Assist using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 227). The following information is displayed:
Rlength of the journey since the last break.
Rthe attention level determined by ATTEN-
TION ASSIST (
Attention Level
), dis-
played in a bar display in five levels from
high to low
Rif ATTENTION ASSIST is unable to calculate the attention level and cannot issue a warn-
ing, the System Suspended
message
appears. The bar display then changes the
display, e.g. if you are driving at a speed
below 37 mph (60 km/h) or above 124 mph
(200 km/h) .
Activating ATTENTION ASSIST
XActivateATTENTION ASSIST usin gth eon -
boar dcomputer (
Ypage 228).
The system determine sth eattention level
of th edriver depending on th e setting
selected:
If Standard
is selected: th esensitivit ywit h
whic hth esystem determine sth eattention
level is set to normal.
If Sensitive
is selected: th esensitivit yis set
higher. The attention level detecte dby Atten-
tion Assis tis adapted accordingly and th e
driver is warned earlier .
When ATTENTI ONASSIST is deactivated, th e
é symbol appear sin th emultifunction
display in th e assistancegraphic display.
When ATTENTION ASSIST has been deactiva-
ted, it is automatically reactivated after th e
engin ehas been stopped. The sensitivity
selected correspond sto th elast selection
activated (standard/ sensitive).
Warning in the multifunction display
If fatigue or increasing lapse sin concentra-
tion are detected, awarning appear sin th e
multifunction display: ATTENTION ASSIST
Take a Break!.
In addition to th emessage shown in th emul-
tifunction display, you will then hear awarn -
ing tone .
212Driving systems
Driving and parking
XIf necessary, take a break.
XConfirm the message by pressing thea
button on the steering wheel.
On long journeys, take regular breaks in good
time to allow yourself to rest properly. If you
do not take a break and ATTENTION ASSIST
still detects increasing lapses in concentra-
tion, you will be warned again after
15 minutes at the earliest. This will only hap-
pen if ATTENTION ASSIST still detects typical
indicators of fatigue or increasing lapses in
concentration.
If a warning is output in the multifunction dis-
play, a service station search is performed in
COMAND. You can select a service station
and navigation to this service station will then
begin. This function can be activated and
deactivated in COMAND.
Lane Tracking package
General notes
The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist (
Ypage 213) and Lane Keeping
Assist (
Ypage 215).
Blind Spot Assist
General notes
Blind Spot Assist monitors the areas on either
side of the vehicle that are not visible to the
driver with two lateral, rear-facing radar sen-
sors. A warning display in the exterior mirrors
draws your attention to vehicles detected in
the monitored area. If you then switch on the
corresponding turn signal to change lane, you
will also receive an optical and audible warn-
ing.
Blind Spot Assist supports you from a speed
of approximately 20 mph (30 km/h). Important safety notes
GWARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
Rvehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
Rvehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of
an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for
attentive driving. Always ensure that there is
sufficient distance to the side for other road
users and obstacles.
iUSA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC
as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar
sensor is intended for use in an automotive
radar system only. Removing, tampering
with, or altering the device will void any
warranties, and is not permitted by the
FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in
any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Radar sensors
The radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist are
integrated into the rear bumper. Make sure
that the bumpers are free from dirt, ice or
slush. The sensors must not be covered, for
example by cycle racks or overhanging loads.
Following a severe impact or in the event of
damage to the bumpers, have the function of
the radar sensors checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop. Blind Spot Assist may no
longer work properly.
Driving systems213
Driving and parking
Z