Ryou activateth eOffroad Plus progra m(vehi-
cle swit hth eOff-Road Engineerin gpackage)
Ryou shift th etransmission to position Nwhile
drivin g
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warnin gtone .You will see th eCruise Con ‐
trolOffmessage in th emultifunction display
for approximately fiv eseconds.
iWhe nyou switch off th eengine, th elast
speed store dis cleared .
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Gene ral notes
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cregulates th espeed
and automatically help syou maintai nth edis-
tance to th evehicl edetecte din front. Vehicles
are detecte dwit hth eaid of th erada rsensor
system. Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cbrakes auto-
matically so that th eset speed is no texceeded .
You mus tselect alower gear in goo dtime on
lon gand steep downhill gradients ,especially if
th evehicl eis laden or towin g atrailer .By doin g
so, you will mak euse of th ebrakin geffec tof th e
engine. This relieves th eload on th ebrak esys-
te m and prevents th ebrakes from overheating
and wearin gto oquickly.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects that there is
a ris kof acollision ,you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention ,Dis-
tance Pilo tDISTRONI Ccanno tpreven t acolli-
sion .An intermittent warnin gtone will then
soun dand th edistanc ewarnin glamp will ligh t
up in th einstrumen tcluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase th edistanc eto th evehicl ein
fron tor tak eevasive action provided it is saf eto
do so.
Fo rDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cto assist you
when driving, th erada rsensor system mus tbe
operational.
Dis
tanc ePilo tDISTRONI Coperate sin th erange
between 0mph (0 km/h) and 12 0mph
(20 0km/h).
Do no tuse Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cwhile driv-
in g on roads wit hsteep gradients .
Since Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Ctransmit srada r
waves, it can resemble th erada rdetectors of
th eresponsibl eauthorities. You can refer to th e
relevan tchapter in th eOperator' sManual if
question sare asked about this.
iUS Aonly:
This device has been approve dby th eFCC as
a "Vehicular Radar System". The rada rsensor
is intended for use in an automotive rada r
system only. Removing, tamperin gwith, or
altering th edevice will voi dany warranties,
and is no tpermitte dby th eFCC. Do no ttam -
per with, alter, or use in any non-approve d
way.
An yunauthorize dmodification to this device
could voi dth euser’s authorit yto operate th e
equipment.
iCanada only: This device complies wit h
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subjec tto th efollowin gtw oconditions:
1. This device may no tcaus eharmful inter-
ference ,and
2. This device mus taccept any interferenc e
received, includin ginterferenc ethat may
caus eundesired operation of th edevice .
Removal, tampering, or altering of th
ed
evice
will voi dany warranties, and is no tpermitted.
Do no ttamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approve dway.
An yunauthorize dmodification to this device
could voi dth euser's authorit yto operate th e
equipment.
Imp ortant safety notes
GWARNIN G
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdoes no treac tto :
Rpeople or animals
Rstationary objects on th eroad, e.g. stoppe d
or parked vehicles
Roncomin gvehicles and crossin gtraffic
As aresult ,Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cmay
neither giv ewarnings no rinterven ein suc h
situations. There is aris kof an accident.
Always pay careful attention to th etraffic sit -
uation and be read yto brake.
GWARNIN G
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Ccanno talways
clearly identify other roa duser sand complex
traffic situations.
168Driving systems
Driving and parking
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC 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, especially if Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
warns you.
GWARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible
deceleration. If this deceleration is not suffi-
cient, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC alerts you
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
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the 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 your lane.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
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 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 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 exam-
ple, in parking garages
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC no longer detects a
vehicle in front, it may unexpectedly accelerate
to the speed stored.
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 lanethat 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
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Driving systems169
Driving and parking
Z
Selecting the drive program
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style if you have selected theSportor
Sport Plus drive program (
Ypage 143). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you
have selected the Comfortdrive program, the
vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on the appropriate turn signal
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC does not currently
detect a danger of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lanes takes too long or if the distance
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
iWhen you change lanes, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC monitors the right lane (in left-
side traffic) or the left lane (in right-side traf-
fic).
Stopping
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
RDISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected.
Rthe accelerator pedal has been depressed, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away. If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
to a stop.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever.
The transmission is shifted automatically to
position P if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if, with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
activated and the vehicle stationary:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is not sufficient.
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position P.
Setting a speed
Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
XPress the cruise control lever up:for a
higher speed or down Afor a lower speed
XTo adjust the set speed in1 mphincre-
ments (1 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in5 mphincre-
ments (10 km/hincrements): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
Driving systems171
Driving and parking
Z
iIf you accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting a specified minimum distance
You can set the specified minimum distance for
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC by varying the time
span between one and two seconds. With this
function you can set the minimum distance that
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC maintains to the vehi-
cle in front, dependent on vehicle speed. You
can see this distance in the multifunction dis-
play (
Ypage 173).
XTo increase: turn control;in direction =.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
greater distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
XTo decrease: turn control;in direction :.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC then maintains a
shorter distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front.
iMake sure that you maintain a sufficiently
safe distance from the vehicle in front. Adjust
the distance to the vehicle in front if neces-
sary.
Deactivating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
There are several ways to deactivate Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
XBrake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC,
the Distance Pilot off
message appears in
the multifunction display for approximately five
seconds.
iThe last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
iDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is not deactivated
if you depress the accelerator pedal. If you
accelerate to overtake, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's speed to the
last speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is automatically deac-
tivated if:
Ryou engage the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec- tric parking brake
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Rthe transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
Ryou pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door or one of the rear doors is open
Ryou activate Parking Pilot
Rthe vehicle has skidded
A warning tone sounds. The Distance Pilot
Offmessage will appear in the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
172Driving systems
Driving and parking
with the curb or other road boundaries. Be par-
ticularly aware of other road users, e.g. cyclists,
that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. afterintentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in theopposite direction.
DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Pilot cannot
continuously keep your vehicle in lane. In some
cases, the steering intervention is not sufficient
to bring the vehicle back to the lane. In such
cases, you must steer the vehicle yourself to
ensure that it does not leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
Rthere is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,
fog or spray
Rthere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflections (e.g. when the road surface is wet)
Rthe windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-
ity of the camera
Rthere are no, several or unclear lane markings
for a lane, e.g. in areas with road construction
work
Rthe lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow
Rthe distance to the vehicle in front is too small
and the lane markings thus cannot be detec-
ted
Rthe lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
Rthe road is narrow and winding
Rthere are strong shadows cast on the road
The system is switched to passive and no longer
assists you by performing steering interventions if:
Ryou actively change lane
Ryou switch on the turn signal
Rtake your hands off the steering wheel or do
not steer for a prolonged period of time
iAfter you have finished changing lanes,
Steering Pilot is automatically active once
more. Steering Pilot cannot provide assistance:
Ron very sharp corners
Rwhen towing a trailer
Rwhen a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Observe the important safety notes on Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC (
Ypage 168).
The steering interventions are carried out with a
limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have
still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Steering Pilot is
then switched to passive. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Steering Pilot
XActivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 231).
The SteeringPilotOnmessage appears in
the multifunction display. Steering Pilot is
activated.
Information in the multifunction display
If Steering Pilot is activated but not ready for a
steering intervention, steering wheel symbol :
appears in gray. If the system provides you with support by means of steering interventions,
symbol :is shown in green.
Deactivating Steering Pilot
XDeactivate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC with
Steering Pilot using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 231).
The Steering Pilot Offmessage appears
in the multifunction display. Steering pilot is
deactivated.
Driving systems175
Driving and parking
Z
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
or not available, Steering Pilot is deactivated
automatically.
Level control (vehicles with the Off-
road Engineering package)
Important safety notes
Level control adapts the vehicle level automati-
cally to the current operating and driving situa-
tion. This results in reduced fuel consumption
and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to
adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level is lower; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 162).
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
GWARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi-
cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style.
GWARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away.
GWARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
!When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
RUtility vehicles have a significantly higher roll- over rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
RIn a rollover crash, an unbelted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Basic settings
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or low-
ered depends on the basic setting selected.
Select:
Rthe Comfort orSport drive program for driv-
ing on normal roads
Rthe Offroad drive program for driving on eas-
ily negotiable off-road terrain
Rthe Offroad Plus drive program for off-road
driving
176Driving systems
Driving and parking
You can select from the following:
ROffroad level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(96 km/h)
ROffroad level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(64 km/h)
ROffroad level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you select an offroad level when driving at too
high a speed, the Drive
MoreSlowlymessage
appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic-
ularly rough conditions.
RAdjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
RDo not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
Indicator lamps =for the desired offroad level
flash:
Rthe lower indicator lamp flashes, offroad
level 1 is selected
Rthe lower and center indicator lamps flash,
offroad level 2 is selected
Rall three indicator lamps flash, offroad level 3
is selected
The vehicle adjusts to the offroad level selected.
As soon as an offroad level is reached, the cor-
responding indicator lamp stops flashing and
lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
XTo raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised to offroad level 1 by 1.2 in
(30 mm) compared to the normal level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle rising
message, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display. If you press the
%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
iUp to offroad level 2, you can hide the mes-
sages using the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
While the adjustment from offroad level 2 to off-
road level 3 is taking place, you will see a mes-
sage such as the following in the multifunction
display: Vehicle rising Max. speed
12 mph (20 km/h).
The Max.
speed12 mph(20 km/h)message
draws your attention to the maximum speed
permitted for offroad level 3.
If you drive above 12 mph (20 km/h) at offroad
level 3, you will see the following message
shown in red in the multifunction display: Low‐
ering Max. speed 12 mph (20 km/h).
iYou cannot clear these messages.
You also hear a warning. The vehicle is lowered
and offroad level 3 is canceled.
If you continue to increase your speed, the red
message continues to be shown in the multi-
function display. The newly set level is not dis-
played until the vehicle has been set to a level
suitable for the current speed.
Lowering the vehicle
If you drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h) while
the vehicle level is being lowered, you will see
the following message shown in white in the
multifunction display: Lowering Max. speed
20 km/h.
The vehicle is lowered to offroad level 2.
You will see a message in the multifunction dis-
play, for example: Lowering
.
Offroad level 2 is canceled and the vehicle is
lowered to offroad level 1 if you:
Rdrive at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) or
Rdrive at speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 50 mph (80 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds
Offroad level 1 is canceled. Depending on the
vehicle's speed and the selected drive program,
the vehicle is automatically lowered to normal
level or low level if you:
Rdrive at speeds above 70 mph (112 km/h) or
Rdrive at speeds between 65 mph (105 km/h)
and 70 mph (112 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds
178Driving systems
Driving and parking
HOLD function
General notes
The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
Rwhen pulling away, especially on steep slopes
Rwhen maneuvering on steep slopes
Rwhen waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is canceled and the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
iDo not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
Rthere is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
Rthe HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator pedal or the brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant.
Rthe electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
Rthe battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
!When DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD func-
tion is activated, the vehicle brakes automat-
ically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
DISTRONIC PLUS and the HOLD function in
the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 179).
Activation conditions
You can activate the HOLD function if:
Rthe vehicle is stationary
Rthe engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
Rthe driver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastened
Rthe electric parking brake is released
Rthe transmission is in position D,R or N
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMake sure that the activation conditions are
met.
XDepress the brake pedal.
XQuickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
iIf depressing the brake pedal the first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and the transmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shift the transmission to position P.
Ryou depress the brake pedal again with a cer-
tain amount of pressure until :disappears
from the multifunction display.
Ryou secure the vehicle using the electric park- ing brake.
Ryou activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z