You can select between the following states
of ESP®:
RESP®is activated.
RSPORT handling mode is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNING
When SPORT handling mode is activated,
there is a greater risk of skidding and acci-
dents.
Only activate SPORT handling mode in the sit-
uations described in the following.
GWARNING
If you deactivate ESP
®, ESP®no longer sta-
bilizes the vehicle. There is an increased risk
of skidding and an accident.
Only deactivate ESP
®in the situations descri-
bed in the following.
In the following situations, it may be better to activate SPORT handling mode or deactivate
ESP
®:
Rwhen using snow chains
Rin deep snow
Ron sand or gravel
Ron specially designated roads when the
vehicle's own oversteering and understeer-
ing characteristics are desired
Driving in SPORT handling mode or without
ESP
®requires an extremely qualified and
experienced driver.
iActivate ESP®as soon as the situations
described above no longer apply. ESP®will
otherwise not be able to stabilize the vehi-
cle if the vehicle starts to skid or a wheel
starts to spin.
!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated.
You could otherwise damage the drivetrain. Deactivating/activating ESP
®
XTo activate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button
:.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster lights up.
The SPORT handling mode
message
appears in the multifunction display.
XTo deactivate SPORT handling mode:
briefly press button :.
The M SPORT handling mode warning
lamp in the instrument cluster goes out.
XTo deactivate ESP®: press button :until
the å ESP®OFF warning lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster.
The ÷ OFF
message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
XTo activate ESP®: briefly press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out. The ÷
ESP
®ONmessage appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Characteristics of activated SPORT han-
dling mode
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one
or more wheels start to spin, the ÷ESP
®
warning lamp in the instrument cluster
flashes. ESP®only stabilizes the vehicle to a
limited degree.
When SPORT handling mode is activated:
RESP®only improves driving stability to a
limited degree.
RTraction control is still activated.
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Characteristics when ESP
®is deactivated
If ESP
®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in
the instrument cluster does not flash. In such
situations, ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP
®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut-
ting action for better traction on loose sur-
faces.
RTraction control is still activated.
RCOLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST is no lon-
ger available; nor is it activated if you brake
firmly with assistance from ESP
®.
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Off-road ESP®
An ESP®system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated (
Ypage 199).
Off-road ESP
®intervenes with a delay if there
is oversteering or understeering, thus improv- ing traction.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation.
ESP®slows the vehicle down by braking and
limiting the engine output until the vehicle/
trailer combination has stabilized. Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer
combination) begins to lurch, you can only
stabilize the vehicle/trailer combination by
depressing the brake firmly.
ESP
®trailer stabilization is active above
speeds of about 65 km/h.
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if
ESP®is deactivated or disabled because of a
malfunction.
EBD (electronic brake force distribu-
tion)
General information
EBD monitors and controls the brake pres-
sure on the rear wheels to improve driving
stability while braking.
Important safety notes
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (
Ypage 65).
GWARNING
If EBD is malfunctioning, the rear wheels can
lock, e.g. under full braking. This increases the
risk of skidding and an accident.
You should therefore adapt your driving style
to the different handling characteristics. Have
the brake system checked at a qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
Observe information regarding indicator and
warning lamps (
Ypage 269) as well as dis-
play messages (
Ypage 238).
72Driving safet ysystem s
Safety
ADAPTIVE BRAKE
ADAPTIVEBRAKE enhance sbraking safet y
and offers increased braking comfort .In addi-
tion to th ebraking function ,ADAPTIV EBRAKE
also has th eHOLD function (
Ypage 193) and
hill start assist (
Ypage 153).
STEER CONTROL
Gene ral inform ation
STEERCONT ROLhelpsyou by transmitting a
noticeable steering force to th esteering
whee lin th edirection require dfor vehicl e
stabilization .
This steering assistanc eis provide din partic-
ular if:
Rbot hright wheels or bot hlef twheels are on
a wet or slippery road surfac ewhen you
brake.
Rth evehicl estart sto skid.
Import ant safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (
Ypage 65).
No steering assistanc eis provide dfrom
STEE RCONTROL, if:
RES P®is malfunctioning .
Rthelighting is faulty.
If ES P
®is malfunctioning ,you will be assisted
further by th eelectrical power steering .
Protectionagainst theft
Imm obilizer
The immobilize rprevents your vehicl efrom
bein gstarted without th ecorrec tSmartKey.
XTo act ivate wit hth eSmartKey :remove
th eSmartKey from th eignition lock.
XTo act ivate wit hKEYLESS-GO start-
fu nction or KEYLESS-GO: switch theigni-
tion off and open th edriver' sdoor .
XTo deacti vate:switch on th eignition .
When leaving th evehicle, always tak eth e
SmartKey wit hyou and loc kth evehicle. Any-
on ecan start th eengin eif avalid SmartKey
has been lef tinside th evehicle.
iThe immobilize ris always deactivated
when you start theengine.
In th eevent that th eengin ecanno tbe star-
te d(yet th evehicle's battery is charged),
th esystem is no toperational. Contac tan
authorize dMercedes-Benz Cente ror call
1-800-FOR-MERCedes (in th eUSA) or
1-800-387-0100 (in Canada).
ATA (anti-theft ala rmsystem)
XTo arm: lockth evehicl ewit hth eSmartKey
or KE YLESS-GO .
Indicato rlamp :flashes .The alarm sys-
te m is armed after approximately
15 seconds.
XTo disarm: unlockth evehicl ewit hth e
SmartKey or KEYLESS-GO .
or
XInser tth eSmartKey int oth eignition lock.
Protection against theft73
Safety
Z
Useful information............................102
Correct driver's seat position ..........102
Seats .................................................. 103
Steering wheel .................................. 108
Mirrors ............................................... 109
Memory function ............................... 112
101
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Useful information
i
This Operator's Manual describes all
models and all standard and optional equip-
ment of your vehicle available at the time of
publication of the Operator's Manual.
Country-specific differences are possible.
Please note that your vehicle may not be
equipped with all features described. This
also applies to safety-related systems and
functions.
iRead the information on qualified special-
ist workshops (
Ypage 25).
Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
XObserve the safety guidelines on seat
adjustment (
Ypage 103).
XMake sure that seat =is adjusted prop-
erly.
Manual seat adjustment (
Ypage 104)
Electrical seat adjustment (
Ypage 105)
When adjusting the seat, make sure that:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air
bag as possible
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright posi-
tion
Ryou can fasten the seat belt properly
Ryou have moved the backrest to an
almost vertical position
Ryou have set the seat cushion angle so
that your thighs are gently supported
Ryou can depress the pedals properly
XCheck whether the head restraint is adjus-
ted properly (
Ypage 105).
When doing so, make sure that you have
adjusted the head restraint so that the back
of your head is supported at eye level by the
center of the head restraint.
XObserve the safety notes on steering col-
umn adjustment (
Ypage 108).
XMake sure that steering wheel :is adjus-
ted properly.
Adjusts the steering wheel (
Ypage 108)
When adjusting the steering wheel, make
sure that:
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent
Ryou can move your legs freely
Ryou can see all the displays in the instru-
ment cluster clearly
XObserve the safety guidelines for seat belts
(
Ypage 44).
XCheck whether you have fastened seat
belt ;properly (
Ypage 46).
102Correct driver's seat position
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
The seat belt should:
Rfit snugly across your body
Rbe routed across the middle of your
shoulder
Rbe routed in your pelvic area across the
hip joints
XBefore starting off, adjust the rear-view mir-
ror and the exterior mirrors (
Ypage 109) in
such a way that you have a good view of
road and traffic conditions.
XVehicles with a memory function: save
the seat and exterior mirror settings
(
Ypage 112).
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is
no SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 48) and "Children in the vehicle"
(
Ypage 58).
GWARNING
If the driver's seat is not engaged, it could
move unexpectedly while the vehicle is in
motion. This could cause you to lose control of the vehicle. There is a risk of an accident.
Always make sure that the driver's seat is
engaged before starting the vehicle.
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
GWARNING
If you adjust the seat height carelessly, you or
other vehicle occupants could be trapped and
thereby injured. Children in particular could
accidentally press the electrical seat adjust-
ment buttons and become trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
While moving the seats, make sure that your
hands or other body parts do not get under the
lever assembly of the seat adjustment sys-
tem.
!To avoid damage to the seats and the seat
heating, observe the following information:
Rkeep liquids from spilling on the seats. If
liquid is spilled on the seats, dry them as
soon as possible.
Rif the seat covers are damp or wet, do not
switch on the seat heating. The seat
heating should also not be used to dry
the seats.
Rclean the seat covers as recommended;
see the "Interior care" section.
Rdo not transport heavy loads on the
seats. Do not place sharp objects on the
seat cushions, e.g. knives, nails or tools.
The seats should only be occupied by
passengers, if possible.
Rwhen the seat heating is in operation, do not cover the seats with insulating mate-
Seats103
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z
rials, e.g. blankets, coats, bags, seat cov-
ers, child seats or booster seats.
!Make sure that there are no objects in the
footwell under or behind the seats when
moving the seats back. There is a risk that
the seats and/or the objects could be dam-
aged.
iFurther related subjects:
Rcargo compartment enlargement (fold-
ing down the rear seats) (
Ypage 284)
Adjusting the seats manually
Vehicles without the seating comfort
package
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment:
XLift handle :and slide the seat forwards
or backwards.
XRelease lever :again.
Make sure that you hear the seat engage in
position.
Backrest angle:
XRelieve the pressure on the backrest.
XTurn handwheel =forwards or backwards.
Seat height:
XPull handle ;upwards or push it down
repeatedly until the seat has reached the
desired height.
Vehicles with the seating comfort pack-
age
Seat fore-and-aft adjustment:
XLift handle :and slide the seat forwards
or rearwards.
XRelease lever :again.
Make sure that you hear the seat engage in
position.
Backrest angle:
XRelieve the pressure on the backrest.
XTurn handwheel Aforwards or backwards.
Seat height:
XPull handle ?upwards or push it down
repeatedly until the seat has reached the
desired height.
Seat cushion angle:
XAdjust the angle so that your thighs are
lightly supported.
XTurn handwheel =forwards or backwards.
Seat cushion length:
XLift handle ;and slide the front section of
the seat cushion forwards or backwards.
XRelease lever ;again.
The seat cushion engages.
104Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Adjusting the seats electrically
:Seat height
;Seat cushion angle
=Seat fore-and-aftadjustmen t
?Backrest angle
iYou can store th eseat setting susin gth e
memory function (
Ypage 112).
Adjusting the head restraints
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
You could lose control of your vehicl eif you do
th efollowin gwhile driving:
Radjust th edriver's seat ,head restraint,
steering whee lor mirror s
Rfastenth eseat belt
There is aris kof an accident.
Adjus tth edriver's seat ,head restraint, steer -
ing whee land mirror and faste nyour seat belt
before starting th eengine.
GWARNIN G
If th ehead restraints are no tinstalled or no t
adjusted correctly, they canno tprovid epro -
tection as intended. There is an increased ris k
of injury in th ehead and neck area, e.g. in th e
event of an acciden tor when braking .
Always drive wit hth ehead restraints instal -
led. Befor edrivin goff ,mak esur efor every
vehicl eoccupant that th ecenter of th ehead
restrain tsupport sth ebac kof th ehead at
about eye level.
Using th efore-and-af tadj ustment, adjust th e
head restrain tso that it is as close as possible
to your head.
Gene ral notes
Fo rvehicles wit h sportsseat syou canno t
adjust th efron thead restraints or th eouter
rear head restraints .
Adjusting the head restraints manually
Adjusting th ehea drestrain theight
XTo raise: pull thehead restrain tup to th e
desired position .
XTo lower:press release catch :in th e
direction of th earrow and push th ehead
restrain tdown to th edesired position .
Adjusting th e fore/aftposition of th e
hea drestrain t
Seats105
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors
Z