
Function Page
:
Overhead control panel 40
;
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
warning display
194
=
Combination switch 118
?
Instrument cluster 34
A
Horn
B
DIRECT SELECT lever 155
C
Steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles 161 Function Page
D
Light switch 116
E
Opens the bonnet 303
F
Diagnostics connection 29
G
Electric parking brake 167
H
Ignition lock 144
I
Adjusts the steering wheel 111
J
Cruise control lever 176
K
Climate control systems 128Cockpit
33At a glance

For further information on kickdown in manual
drive program M(Y page 163).
Gliding mode (diesel engines only) Gliding mode is characterised by the following:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
the drive train
R the engine is running at idling speed
R the gear indicated after the transmission
position hdisappears in the multifunction
display (Y page 157)
Gliding mode can be activated and transmission
position hshown in green under the following
conditions:
R you select the "ECO" setting for the drive sys-
tem within the Individualdrive program. You
can find information about this in the Digital
Owner's Manual
R the speed is within a suitable range
R the type of road is suitable, e.g. no steep uphill
or downhill gradients
R the distance to the vehicle in front is sufficient
R you are no longer depressing the accelerator
pedal
Gliding mode is deactivated under the following
conditions:
R you depress the accelerator pedal
R you depress the brake pedal
R you use the DIRECT SELECT lever to switch
the transmission position (Y page 155)
R you use the DYNAMIC SELECT controller to
change the drive program (Y page 152)
R you activate manual gearshifting
(Y page 161)
R the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
R you leave the suitable speed range
Towing a trailer Not all models can tow a trailer. For further
information, see (Y page 213).
X Drive in the middle of the engine speed range
on uphill gradients.
X Depending on the uphill or downhill gradient,
select a lower gear (Y page 171), even if
cruise control, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or
the speed limiter are activated. Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG
vehicles) Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving 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, e.g.
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 Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R sporty engine settings.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine and transmission manage-
ment)
R the suspension (vehicles with adjustable
damping)
R the steering
R the availability of the ECO start/stop function
R the climate control
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
i To permanently shift the gears manually in
drive program Iusing the steering wheel gear-
shift paddles, select the M(Manual) setting
for the drive. Automatic transmission
159Driving and parking Z

Offroad drive program
The Offroad drive program is characterised by
the following:
R the vehicle exhibits optimised driving charac-
teristics for easily negotiable off-road terrain.
Drive program E (Economy)
Drive program Eis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R comfort-oriented engine settings.
R optimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
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, e.g.
on slippery road surfaces.
R the automatic transmission shifts up sooner.
This results in the vehicle being driven at
lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
R gliding mode is activated automatically when
engine-internal conditions are fulfilled and
the accelerator is not depressed. At the same
time the transmission’s clutch opens and the
vehicle rolls freely using its kinetic energy. As a result great distances can be completed
without the engine brake and fuel consump-
tion reduced.
i The availability of gliding mode depends on
various factors, including the following:
R the engine and transmission temperature
R the downhill gradient
R the vehicle speed
R performing regular adaptation functions
When you depress the brake pedal, gliding
mode is deactivated, depending on pedal
pressure.
When you activate cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, gliding mode is not availa-
ble.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I, the following properties of
the drive program can be selected:
R the drive (engine management)
R the transmission management R
the suspension (vehicles with AMG RIDE
CONTROL)
R ESP ®
Information on configuring drive program Iwith
the multimedia system can be found in the Dig-
ital Owner's Manual.
Drive program C (Comfort)Drive program Cis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits comfortable, economical
driving 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, e.g.
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.
R gliding mode is available.
R the ECO start/stop function is available.
Drive program S (Sport) Drive program Sis characterised by the follow-
ing:
R the vehicle exhibits sporty driving character-
istics.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
Fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits stiff springing and
damping settings (vehicles with AIR RIDE
CONTROL).
R gliding mode is not available.
R the ECO start/stop function is not available.
Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+is characterised by the fol-
lowing:
R the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving
characteristics.
R the automatic transmission shifts up later.
R fuel consumption may be higher as a result of
the later automatic transmission shift points.
R the suspension exhibits particularly stiff
springing and damping settings (vehicles with
AIR RIDE CONTROL). 160
Automatic transmissionDriving and parking

This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface.
Downhill gradients Shift to a lower gear in good time on long and
steep downhill gradients. For vehicles with auto-
matic transmission, you need to activate manual
gearshifting beforehand (Y page 161). Take par-
ticular note of this when driving a laden vehicle
and when towing a trailer.
This also applies if you have activated cruise
control, the speed limiter or Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC.
This will use the braking effect of the engine, so
less braking will be required to maintain the
vehicle speed. This relieves the load on the
brake system and prevents the brakes from
overheating and wearing too quickly.
Briefly depressing the accelerator pedal on
downhill gradients while the manual drive pro-
gram Mis temporarily activated (vehicles with
automatic transmission): the automatic trans-
mission may switch back to the last active auto- matic drive program Eor S. The automatic trans-
mission may shift to a higher gear. This can
reduce the engine's braking effect.
Heavy and light loads G
WARNING
The braking system can overheat if you leave your foot on the brake pedal while driving.
This increases the braking distance and could
even cause the braking system to fail. There is
a risk of an accident.
Never use the brake pedal as a footrest. Do
not simultaneously depress both the brake
pedal and the accelerator pedal while driving.
! Depressing the brake pedal constantly
results in excessive and premature wear to
the brake pads.
If heavy demands are made on the brakes, do
not park the vehicle immediately. Drive on for a
short while. This allows the airflow to cool the
brakes more quickly.
If the brakes have been used only moderately,
you should occasionally test their effectiveness. To do this, brake more firmly from a higher
speed, paying attention to traffic conditions.
This improves the grip of the brakes.
Wet road surfaces If you have driven for a long time in heavy rain
without braking, there may be a delayed reac-
tion from the brakes when braking for the first
time. This may also occur after a car wash or
after driving through deep water.
You will have to depress the brake pedal more
firmly. Maintain a greater distance to the vehicle
in front.
After driving on a wet road or having the vehicle washed, brake firmly while paying attention to
the traffic conditions. This will warm up the
brake discs, thereby drying them more quickly
and protecting them against corrosion.
Limited braking performance on salt-
treated roads If you drive on salt-treated roads, a layer of salt
may form on the brake discs and pads. This can increase the braking distance considerably.
R In order to prevent any salt build-up, apply the
brakes occasionally while paying attention to the traffic conditions.
R Carefully depress the brake pedal at the end
of the journey and when starting the next
journey.
R Maintain a much greater distance to the vehi-
cle in front.
New brake pads/linings Brake pads/linings and discs that are either new
or have been replaced only achieve optimum
braking effect after several hundred kilometres
of driving. Compensate for the reduced braking effect by applying greater force to the brake
pedal.
For safety reasons, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you only have brake pads/linings
fitted to your vehicle which have been approved
for Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which corre-
spond to an equivalent quality standard. Brake
pads/linings which have not been approved for
Mercedes-Benz vehicles or which are not of an
equivalent quality could affect your vehicle's
operating safety. Driving tips
171Driving and parking Z

Driving on wet roads
Aquaplaning If water has accumulated to a certain depth on
the road surface, there is a danger of aquaplan- ing occurring, even if:
R you are driving at low speeds
R the tyres have adequate tread depth
For this reason, drive in the following manner in the event of heavy rain or in conditions in which
aquaplaning can occur:
R lower your speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering movements
R brake carefully
Driving on flooded roads !
Bear in mind that vehicles travelling in front
or in the opposite direction create waves. This may cause the maximum permissible water
depth to be exceeded.
These notes must be observed under all cir-
cumstances. You could otherwise damage
the engine, the electronics or the transmis-
sion.
If you must drive on stretches of road on which
water has collected, please bear in mind that:
R in the case of standing water, the water level
must be no higher than the lower edge of the
vehicle body
R you should drive no faster than walking pace Winter driving
G
WARNING
If you shift down on a slippery road surface in an attempt to increase the engine's braking
effect, the drive wheels could lose their grip.
This increases the risk of skidding and having
an accident.
Do not shift down for additional engine brak-
ing on a slippery road surface. G
DANGER
If the exhaust pipe is blocked or adequate
ventilation is not possible, poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) may enter the
vehicle. This is the case, e.g. if the vehicle
becomes trapped in snow. There is a risk of
fatal injury.
If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have your vehicle winterproofed at a qualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
You should drive particularly carefully on slip-
pery road surfaces. Avoid sudden acceleration,
steering and braking manoeuvres. Do not use
cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed:
X Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to neutral.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position N.
X Try to bring the vehicle under control by using
corrective steering.
The outside temperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outside temperature are dis-
played after a short delay.
Indicated temperatures just above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in wooded areas or on bridges.
You should pay special attention to road condi-
tions when temperatures are around freezing
point.
Further information on driving with snow chains
(Y page 337).
Further information on driving with summer
tyres (Y page 336).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion (Y page 336). 172
Driving tipsDriving and pa
rking

Driving downhill
R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight forwards. Oth-
erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and overturn.
R Before tackling steep downhill gradients, use
the left-hand steering wheel gearshift paddle
to shift to a lower gear.
R Activate 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.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road pro- gram is selected.
At speeds below 30 km/h the front wheels lock
cyclically during braking. The digging-in effect
achieved in the process reduces the stopping
distance during off-road driving. 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. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehicles with automatic
transmission, you need to shift manually using
the steering wheel gearshift paddles. By doing
so, you will make use of the braking effect of the engine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
When the engine is running, you can use the
cruise control lever to limit the speed to any
speed between 30 km/h and the maximum
design speed of the vehicle. If the set value of
the permanent limiter is lower, then this value
applies (Y page 180).
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions are appropriate for maintaining a steady speed for a prolonged period. 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 con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account road, weather or traffic conditions. Cruise control 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 lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions that do not allow
you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads.
R on icy or slippery roads. Braking or acceler-
ating can cause the drive wheels to lose trac-
tion and the vehicle could then skid.
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed
? To activate or reduce speed
A To switch between cruise control and the
variable speed limiter
B To deactivate cruise control
You can operate cruise control and the variable
speed limiter with the cruise control lever. 176
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

The LIM indicator lamp on the cruise control
lever indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp off: cruise control is
selected
R LIM indicator lamp on: variable limiter is
selected
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display for
five seconds.
Selecting cruise control X
To select cruise control: check whether LIM
indicator lamp ;is on or off.
If it is off, cruise control is already selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control
lever goes out. Cruise control is selected.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be released
R you are driving faster than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing
R cruise control must be selected
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are driv-
ing faster than 30 km/h. X Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient
evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by auto-
matically braking the vehicle. i
Vehicles with manual transmission:
R always drive at adequate, but not exces-
sive, engine speeds.
R change gear in good time.
R if possible, do not change down several
gears at a time.
Storing the current speed or re-calling the last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up a stored speed and this is dif-
ferent from the current speed, the vehicle
accelerates or brakes. If you do not know
what the stored speed is, the vehicle may
accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a
risk of an accident.
Take the traffic conditions into account
before calling up the stored speed. If you do
not know what the stored speed is, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
X Remove 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 Bear in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the set speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 10 km/h incre-
ments: briefly press the cruise control lever
up : beyond the pressure point for a higher
speed, or down ;for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed beyond
the pressure point until the desired speed is
set. Press the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 km/h incre-
ments:
briefly press the cruise control lever
up : to the pressure point for a higher speed
or down ;for a lower speed.
or
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed to the
pressure point until the desired speed is set. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

Press the cruise control lever up
:for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
i Cruise 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:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards
B.
or X Brake.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow A.
The variable limiter is selected. LIM indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever lights up.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if:
R the vehicle is secured with the electric park-
ing brake
R you are driving at less than 30 km/h
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R while driving a vehicle with manual transmis-
sion, you shift into neutral or depress the
clutch pedal for longer than six seconds
R on vehicles with manual transmission, you
shift to a gear that is too high, and as a result
the engine speed is too low
R on vehicles with automatic transmission, you
shift to position iwhile driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise con‐
Cruise con‐
trol off trol off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored is cleared when you
switch off the engine. Speed limiter
General notes The speed limiter restricts the vehicle speed.
The speed limiter brakes automatically to
quickly regulate the stored speed. You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. For vehi-
cles with automatic transmission, you need to
shift manually using the steering wheel gearshiftpaddles. 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.
You can set a variable or permanent limit speed:
R Variable for a maximum permissible speed,
e.g. in built-up areas
R Permanent for restriction of the maximum
speed for technical reasons, such as when
driving on winter tyres (Y page 180)
i The speed indicated in the speedometer
may differ slightly from the maximum permis- sible speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, the speed
limiter can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. The limiter can-
not take into account road, weather or traffic
conditions. The limiter 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 lane.
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Variable speed limiter General notes
:
To activate or increase speed
; LIM indicator lamp
= To activate at the current speed/last stored
speed 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking