2017 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV steering

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

Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from a standstill. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface is required; the tyres and vehicle
must also be in good condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public roads.
Observe the safety notes on driving safety sys-
tems (Y page 68).
Be sure to read the safety notes and information on ESP ®
(Y page 72).
Activating start-off assist X
Deactivate ESP ®
(Y page 227).
X Turn the steering wheel to the straight-ahead
position.
X Depress the brake pedal hard with your left
foot and keep it depressed.
X Shift the transmission to position D.
X Use the DYNAMIC SELECT button to select
the Sdrive program (Y page 151).
X Quickly depress the accelerator pedal fully.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
i Activate ESP ®
as soon as the acceleration
process has ended. ESP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilise the vehicle if the vehicle
starts to skid or a wheel starts to spin.
Cancelling start-off assist
X Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
X Reactivate ESP ®
. RACE START (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Important safety notes i
RACE START must not be used on normal
roads. RACE START must be activated and
used only on dedicated race circuits, not on
public roads.
i RACE START is only available in
Mercedes‑AMG vehicles. G
WARNING
If you use RACE START, individual tyres may
get into a spin and the vehicle could skid.
Depending on the selected ESP ®
mode, there is an increased risk of skidding and having an
accident. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the vehicle.
RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. For this, a suitably high-
grip surface is required; the tyres and vehicle
must also be in good condition.
i Observe the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Y page 68).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa- tion on ESP ®
(Y page 72).
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors, the bonnet and the boot lid are
closed
R the engine is running and the transmission,
traction control and engine are at operating
temperature
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position h
R drive program S,S+ orRACE is selected
(Y page 152)
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is cancelled. The RACE RACE
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
START not possible See Owner's Man‐
ual ual message appears in the multifunction
display. 188
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
To cancel: pull the left steering wheel gear-
shift paddle (Y page 161).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
gearshift paddle (Y page 161).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the multi-
function display.
i If you do not depress the accelerator pedal
within a few seconds, RACE START is cancel-
led. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START cancelled RACE START cancelled message.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed increases.
The RACE
RACE START START Release
Release brake
braketo
tostart
start
message appears in the multifunction display.
i If the brake pedal is not released after a
short while, RACE START is cancelled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE
RACE START START
cancelled
cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE RACE START
START active
active message appears in
the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release the accelerator pedal during RACE
START or if any of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START not pos‐
RACE START not pos‐
sible See Owner’s Manual sible See Owner’s Manual orRACE START
RACE START
cancelled
cancelled message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i After using it several times in short succes-
sion, RACE START will be unavailable until a
certain distance has been driven. AMG RIDE CONTROL
General notes The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort. The damping is adjusted individually to each
wheel and depends on:
R your driving style, e.g. sporty
R the road surface condition, e.g. bumps
R your individual selection of SportorComfort
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button on the centre console.
i The mode can also be set using the AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Y page 152).
If the ignition is switched off for less than four
hours, the previously selected drive program is
activated when the engine is next started. If the
ignition is switched off for more than four hours,
Comfort mode is activated when the engine is
next started.
Sport mode The firmer setting of the suspension tuning in
Sport
mode ensures even better contact with
the road. Select this mode when employing a
sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
X Press button :once.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selected
Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT AMG Ride Control SPORT message
appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode In
Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you prefer a more comfortable driving
style, but also when driving at speed on straight
roads, e.g. motorways.
X Press button :again to switch off indicator
lamp ;.
You have selected Comfortmode. Driving systems
189Driving and parking Z

Selecting Comfort mode
In the
Comfort drive program, the driving char-
acteristics of your vehicle are more comforta-
ble. Select this drive program if you prefer a
more comfortable driving style. Also select the
Comfort drive program when driving fast on
straight roads, e.g. on straight stretches of
motorway.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button (Y page 151)
as many times as necessary until the Com-
fort drive program is selected.
Selecting Sport mode The firmer suspension setting in the
Sportdrive
program ensures even better contact with the
road. Select this drive program when employing
a sporty driving style, e.g. on winding country
roads.
DSR is not available in the Sportdrive program.
Further information on DSR (Y page 190).
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button (Y page 151)
as many times as necessary until the Sport
drive program is selected.
Selecting Off-road mode i
The Off-road program is only available on
vehicles with the ON&OFFROAD package.
The engine’s performance characteristics and
the gearshifting characteristics of the automatic
transmission are adapted for the Off-roaddrive
program. ABS, ESP ®
and ETS programs espe-
cially adapted to off-road driving are also acti-
vated. Select this drive program when driving in easily negotiable off-road terrain, e. g. dirt
tracks.
Do not use the Off-road program on roads that
are snow-covered or icy or if you have fitted your
vehicle with snow chains.
X Press DYNAMIC SELECT button (Y page 151)
as many times as necessary until the Off-
road drive program is selected.
Status icon :of the Off-road program is
shown in the multifunction display. Showing the assistance graphic
X Select the Assistance graphic Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 226).
When the Off-road program is activated, sym- bol :appears in the assistance graphic dis-
play. Driving dynamics display (vehicles
with the ON&OFFROAD package)
General notes Using the driving dynamics display in the multi-
media system display, you can see the drive
program you have selected as well as additional
information on the vehicle's operating status. :
Drive program selected
; Accelerator pedal position shown in %
= Brake pedal position shown in %
? DSR status indicator
A Angle of inclination
B Steering angle
C Uphill or downhill gradient in percentage
The accelerator and brake pedal position is only available in vehicles with the multimedia system
(COMAND Online). 192
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Pilot
General notes Parking Pilot is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasound. It measures the road on both sides
of the vehicle. A parking symbol indicates a suit-
able parking space. Active steering intervention
and brake application can assist you during
parking and when exiting a parking space. Park- ing Assist PARKTRONIC is also available
(Y page 193).
i The active braking application is only avail-
able on vehicles with automatic transmission.
Important safety notes Parking Pilot is only an aid. It is not a substitute
for your attention to the immediate surround-
ings. The responsibility for safe manoeuvring
and parking remains with you. Make sure that no
persons, animals or objects are in the manoeu-
vring range.
When Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactiva-
ted, Parking Pilot is also unavailable. G
WARNING
While parking or pulling out of a parking
space, the vehicle swings out and can drive
onto areas of the oncoming lane. This could
cause you to collide with other road users.
There is a risk of an accident.
Pay attention to other road users. Stop the
vehicle if necessary or cancel the Parking Pilot parking procedure.
! If unavoidable, you should drive over obsta-
cles such as kerbs slowly and not at a sharp
angle. Otherwise, you may damage the
wheels or tyres.
Parking Pilot may also display spaces not suita- ble for parking, e.g.:
R in a zone where parking or stopping is pro-
hibited
R in front of driveways or entrances and exits
R on unsuitable surfaces
Parking tips:
R on narrow roads, drive as closely as possible
past the parking space
R parking spaces that are littered or overgrown
might be identified or measured incorrectly R
parking spaces that are partially occupied by
trailer drawbars might not be identified as
such or be measured incorrectly
R snowfall or heavy rain may lead to a parking
space being measured inaccurately
R pay attention to the Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC warning messages
(Y page 194) during the parking procedure
R you can intervene in the steering procedure to
correct it at any time. Parking Pilot will then be cancelled
R when transporting a load that protrudes from
your vehicle, you should not use Parking Pilot
R never use Parking Pilot when snow chains are
fitted
R make sure that the tyre pressures are always
correct. This has a direct influence on the
parking characteristics of the vehicle
Use Parking Pilot for parking spaces that are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R on straight roads, not bends
R on the same level as the road, e.g. not on the
pavement
For vehicles with the trailer tow hitch folded out,
the minimum length for parking spaces is
slightly longer.
If you have attached a trailer to your vehicle, you
should not use Parking Pilot. Once the electrical connection is established between your vehicle
and the trailer, Parking Pilot is no longer availa-
ble. Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated
for the rear area.
Detecting parking spaces Objects located above the detection range of
Parking Pilot will not be detected when the park-
ing space is measured. These are not taken into
account when the parking procedure is calcula- ted, e.g. overhanging loads, tail sections or load-
ing ramps of goods vehicles. Parking Pilot may
therefore guide you into the parking space too
early.
Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in
spaces at right angles to the direction of travel if:
R two parking spaces are located directly next
to one another
R the parking space is directly next to a low
obstacle such as a low kerb
R you forward-park 196
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Parking Pilot does not assist you parking in
spaces parallel or at right angles to the direction of travel if:
R the parking space is on a kerb
R the system reads the parking space as being
blocked, such as by foliage or grass paving
blocks
R the area is too small for the vehicle to
manoeuvre into
R the parking space is bordered by an obstacle,
e.g. a tree, a post or a trailer
Further information on the detection range
(Y page 193). G
WARNING
If there are objects above the detection range:
R Parking Pilot may steer in too early
R the vehicle may not stop in front of these
objects
This could cause a collision. There is a risk of
an accident.
If objects are located above the detection
range, stop and deactivate Parking Pilot. :
Detected parking space on the left
; Parking symbol
= Detected parking space on the right
Parking Pilot is activated automatically when
driving forwards. The system is operational at
speeds of up to approximately 35 km/h. While
in operation, the system independently locates
and measures parking spaces on both sides of
the vehicle.
Parking Pilot will detect only parking spaces
which are:
R parallel or at right angles to the direction of
travel
R parallel to the direction of travel and are at
least 1.5 m wide R
parallel to the direction of travel and at least
1.0 m longer than your vehicle
R at right angles to the direction of travel and at
least 1.0 m wider than your vehicle
i Note that Parking Pilot cannot measure the
length of a parking space if it is at right angles to the direction of travel. You will need to
judge whether your vehicle will fit in the park-
ing space.
When driving at speeds below 30 km/h, you will
see parking symbol ;as a status indicator on
the instrument cluster. When a parking space
has been detected, an arrow towards the right or the left also appears. Parking Pilot displays only
parking spaces on the front-passenger side as
standard. Parking spaces on the driver's side
are displayed as soon as the turn signal on the
driver's side is activated. When parking on the
driver's side, this must remain activated until
you confirm the use of Parking Pilot by pressing the a button on the multifunction steering
wheel. The system automatically determines
whether the parking space is parallel or at right
angles to the direction of travel.
A parking space is displayed while you are driv- ing past it, and until you are approximately 15 m
away from it.
Parking G
WARNING
If you leave the vehicle when it is only being
braked by Parking Pilot, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with.
R the battery is disconnected
R the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehicle
occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always secure it
against rolling away.
i Vehicles with automatic transmission:
If Parking Assist PARKTRONIC detects obsta- cles, Parking Pilot brakes automatically whilst Driving systems
197Driving and parking Z

the vehicle is parking. You are responsible for
braking in good time.
X Stop the vehicle when the parking symbol
shows the desired parking space in the instru-
ment cluster.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position k.
Vehicles with manual transmission: shift
to reverse gear.
The Start Parking Pilot? Start Parking Pilot? Yes: OK Yes: OKNo:
No:
% message appears in the multifunction
display.
X To cancel the procedure: press the%
button on the multifunction steering wheel or
pull away.
or X To park using Parking Pilot: press thea
button on the multifunction steering wheel.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate
Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake
and brake Observe surroundings
Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
X Release the multifunction steering wheel.
X Reverse the vehicle, being ready to brake at
all times. When reversing, drive at a speed
below approximately 10 km/h. Otherwise,
Parking Pilot is cancelled.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill when the vehicle approaches the rear border
of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
sounds the continuous warning tone, if not
before.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking
spaces.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Park Pilot
Pilot active
active Select D
Select D Observe
Observesur‐
sur‐
roundings
roundings message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Pilot active Engage forward gear Park Pilot active Engage forward gear
Observe surroundings Observe surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
X Vehicles with automatic transmission:
shift the transmission to position
hwhile the
vehicle is stationary. Vehicles with manual transmission:
shift
to first gear while the vehicle is stationary.
Parking Pilot steers immediately in the other
direction.
The Parking Pilot active Accelerate
Parking Pilot active Accelerate
and brake and brake Observe surroundings
Observe surroundings mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
i You will achieve the best results by waiting
for the steering procedure to complete before
pulling away.
X Drive forwards and be ready to brake at all
times.
Vehicles with automatic transmission:
Parking Pilot brakes the vehicle to a standstill
when the vehicle approaches the front border
of the parking space.
Manoeuvring may be required in tight parking spaces.
X Vehicles with manual transmission: stop
as soon as Parking Assist PARKTRONIC
sounds the continuous warning tone, if not
before.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
Park Park Pilot
Pilot active
active Select R
Select R Observe
Observesur‐
sur‐
roundings
roundings message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
Vehicles with manual transmission: the
Park Pilot active Engage reverse gear Park Pilot active Engage reverse gear
Observe surroundings Observe surroundings message appears in
the multifunction display.
As soon as the parking procedure is complete,
the Park
Park Pilot Pilot ended
endedmessage appears and a
warning tone sounds. The vehicle is now parked.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: the
vehicle is kept stationary without the driver hav- ing to depress the brake pedal. The braking
effect is cancelled when you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
Parking Pilot no longer supports you with steer- ing interventions and brake applications. When
Parking Pilot is finished, you must steer and
brake again yourself. Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is still available.
Parking tips:
R The way your vehicle is positioned in the park-
ing space after parking is dependent on vari-
ous factors. These include the position and
shape of the vehicles parked in front of and
behind it and the conditions of the location. It
is possible that Parking Pilot could guide you
too far or not far enough into a parking space. In some cases, it may also lead you across or 198
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking