2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV towing

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 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

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

with a visual and acoustic warning. There is a
risk of an accident.
Apply the brakes yourself in these situations
and try to take evasive action.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC can neither reduce the risk of
an accident nor override the laws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot take into
account road, weather or traffic conditions. Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC 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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
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 smooth or slippery roads. Braking or accel-
erating can cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid.
R in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may not detect nar-
row vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired in the following situations:
R dirt on the sensors or obscured sensors
R snow or heavy rain
R interference by other radar sources
R strong radar reflections, e.g. in multi-storey
car parks
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a vehicle in front, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
unexpectedly accelerate to the speed stored. This speed can:
R be too high for a filter lane or a slip road
R be so high on the right lane that you pass
vehicles driving in the left lane
R be so high in the left lane that you pass vehi-
cles driving in the right lane
If a new driver takes over, advise the new driver
of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever :
To store the current speed or a higher speed
; To set the specified minimum distance
= LIM indicator lamp
? To store the current speed or re-call the last
stored speed
A To store the current speed or a lower speed
B To switch between Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC and the variable limiter
C To deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
With the cruise control lever, you can operate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the variable lim-
iter.
LIM indicator lamp =on the cruise control lever
indicates which system you have selected:
R LIM indicator lamp = =off: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is selected.
R LIM indicator lamp = =on: variable limiter is
selected.
Selecting Distance Pilot DISTRONIC X
Check whether LIM indicator lamp =is off. Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z

If it is off, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is already
selected.
X If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow B.
LIM indicator lamp =in the cruise control
lever goes out. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
selected.
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC Activation conditions
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be running. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
R the electric parking brake must be released.
R ESP ®
must be switched on, but not interven-
ing.
R Parking Pilot must not be activated.
R the transmission must be in position h.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from jtoh or your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door must be closed.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the vehicle must not be skidding.
Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down A.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
X Keep the cruise control lever pressed up :or
down Auntil the desired speed is set.
X Remove 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.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the Distance Pilot passive
Distance Pilot passive mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The
set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front will then not be maintained. The position
of the accelerator pedal will determine the
speed.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 30 km/h.
Driving with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC Activating at the current speed/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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated, it stores the current speed or reg-
ulates the speed of the vehicle to the previ-
ously stored speed.
Pulling away and driving
X If you want to pull away with Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or X If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated:
accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
to that of the vehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
The vehicle can also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a differ-
ent line from another vehicle. The vehicle then
brakes automatically. Be ready to brake at all
times. 182
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R Cornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to detect
vehicles when cornering is limited. Your vehi-
cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
R Driving on a different line: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may not detect vehicles driving in
a different lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
R Other vehicles changing lane: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC has not detected the vehicle cut-
ting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
R Narrow vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
does not detect the vehicle in front on the
edge of the carriageway because of its narrow
width. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
R Obstacles and stationary vehicles: Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and an obsta-
cle or stationary vehicle is revealed, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for them.
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may mistakenly
detect vehicles that are crossing your lane. If
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC under the following conditions, the vehicle could
pull away unintentionally:
- at traffic lights with crossing traffic, for
example
- if there is a vehicle in front after a crossing
with the HOLD function activated
In such situations, brake if necessary. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is then switched off. HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
R when towing away
R in a car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (Y page 187).
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat belt
is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
R the transmission is in position h,kori
on vehicles with automatic transmission 186
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

The
AMG Ride Control COMFORT
AMG Ride Control COMFORT message
appears in the multifunction display. 4MATIC
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. Damage of
this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
implied warranty. All wheels must remain
either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
4MATIC, together with ESP ®
, improves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC 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 drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the acceler-
ator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. DSR
General notes i
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) is only
available for vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD
package.
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected on the on-board computer. The steeper
the downhill gradient, the greater the DSR brak-
ing effect on the vehicle. When driving on flat
stretches of road or on an uphill gradient, the
DSR braking effect is minimal or non-existent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is acti- vated and the transmission is in position h,k
or i. By accelerating or braking, you can always drive at a higher or a lower speed than
that set on the on-board computer.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. This
increases the risk of skidding and having an
accident.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ-
ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor override the laws of physics. DSR cannot take account ofroad, weather and traffic conditions. DSR is only
an aid. You are responsible for the distance to
the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for brak-
ing in good time and for staying in lane.
You are always responsible for keeping control
of the vehicle and for assessing whether the
downhill gradient can be managed. DSR may not
always be able to keep to the set speed, depend-
ing on road surface and tyre conditions. Select a set speed suitable for the prevailing conditions
and when necessary, apply the brakes manually.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(Y page 173).
Activating/deactivating DSR If you activate DSR and no speed has been set,
the vehicle decelerates to 6 km/h.
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 30 km/h.190
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Due to the nature of the system:
R warnings may be issued in error when driving
close to crash barriers or similar solid boun-
daries
R warnings may be interrupted when you are
driving alongside particularly long vehicles,
such as lorries, for a prolonged time
Warning display :
Warning display
Blind Spot Assist is not active at speeds below
approximately 30 km/h. Vehicles in the moni-
toring range are then not indicated.
If Blind Spot Assist is activated, indicator
lamp :in the exterior mirrors lights up yellow
up to a speed of 30 km/h. At speeds above
30 km/h, the indicator lamp goes out and Blind
Spot Assist is operational.
If a vehicle is detected within the monitoring
range of Blind Spot Assist at speeds above
30 km/h, warning lamp :on the correspond-
ing side lights up red. This warning always
occurs when a vehicle enters the blind spot
monitoring range from behind or from the side.
When you overtake a vehicle, the warning only
occurs if the difference in speed is less than
12 km/h.
The yellow indicator lamp goes out if reverse
gear is engaged. Blind Spot Assist is then deac- tivated.
The brightness of the indicator/warning lamps
is adjusted automatically according to the ambi-
ent light.
Collision warning
If a vehicle is detected in the blind spot moni-
toring range and you switch on the correspond-
ing turn signal, a double warning tone sounds.
Red warning lamp :flashes. If the turn signal
remains on, detected vehicles are indicated by the flashing of red warning lamp
:. There are
no further warning tones.
Activating Blind Spot Assist X Make sure that Blind Spot Assist is activated
in the on-board computer (Y page 227).
X Turn the key to position 2in the ignition
lock.
Warning lamps :in the exterior mirrors light
up red for approximately 1.5 second s and
then turn yellow.
Towing a trailer
If you couple up a trailer, make sure that you
have correctly established the electrical con-
nection. This can be accomplished by checking
the trailer lighting. Blind Spot Assist is then
deactivated. The indicator lamps in the exterior
mirrors light up yellow and the Blind Spot
Blind Spot
Assist not available when towing a Assist not available when towing a
trailer See Owner's Manual trailer See Owner's Manual message
appears in the multifunction display.
i You can deactivate the indicator lamps in
the exterior mirrors.
To do so, you will need to deactivate Blind
Spot Assist if:
R the key is in position 2in the ignition lock
R the engine is not running
R the electrical connection to the trailer has
been established
Lane Keeping Assist General notes
Lane Keeping Assist monitors the area in front of
your vehicle by means of multifunction cam-
era :attached at the top of the windscreen.
Lane Keeping Assist detects lane markings on 210
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking