
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-uation and be ready to brake.
GWARNING
The distance warning function cannot always
clearly identify objects and complex traffic
situations.
In such cases, the distance warning function
may:
Rgive an unnecessary warning
Rnot give a warning
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and do not rely solely on the distance
warning function.
Function
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
the distance warning function warns you if you
rapidly approach a vehicle in front. An intermit-
tent warning tone will then sound, and the ·
distance warning lamp will light up in the instru-
ment cluster.
XBrake immediately in order to increase the
distance from the vehicle in front.
or
XTake evasive action, provided it is safe to do
so.
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the system to display a warning.
With the help of the radar sensor system, the
distance warning function can detect obstacles
that are in the path of your vehicle for an exten-
ded period of time.
Up to a speed of around 44 mph (70 km/h), the
distance warning function can also react to sta-
tionary obstacles, such as stopped or parked
vehicles.
Autonomous braking function
If the driver does not react to the distance warn- ing signal in a critical situation, Active Brake
Assist can assist the driver with the autonomous
braking function. Vehicles without Distance Pilot DISTRONIC:
the autonomous braking function is available in
the following speed ranges:
R4 - 65 mph (7 - 105 km/h) for moving objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Vehicles with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC: the
autonomous braking function is available in the
following speed ranges:
R4 - 124 mph (7 - 200 km/h) for moving
objects
R4 - 31 mph (7 - 50 km/h) for stationary
objects
Due to the nature of the system, particularly
complicated but non-critical driving conditions
may also cause the Autonomous Braking Func-
tion to intervene.
If the autonomous braking function requires a
particularly high braking force, preventative
passenger protection measures (PRE-SAFE
®)
are activated simultaneously (Ypage 55).
Adaptive Brake Assist
General information
iObserve the "Important safety notes" sec-
tion (Ypage 62).
With the help of adaptive Brake Assist, the dis-
tance warning signal can detect obstacles that
are in the path of your vehicle for an extended
period of time.
If adaptive Brake Assist detects a risk of colli-
sion with the vehicle in front, it calculates the
braking force necessary to avoid a collision. If
you apply the brakes forcefully, adaptive Brake
Assist will automatically increase the braking
force to a level suitable for the traffic conditions.
Adaptive Brake Assist provides braking assis-
tance in hazardous situations at speeds above
4 mph (7 km/h). It uses radar sensor technology
to assess the traffic situation.
Up to a speed of approximately 155 mph
(250 km/h), Adaptive Brake Assist is capable of
reacting to moving objects that have already
been detected as such at least once over the
period of observation.
Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Adaptive Brake Assist reacts to sta-
tionary obstacles.
If adaptive Brake Assist demands particularly
high braking force, preventative passenger pro-
Driving safety systems65
Safety
Z

Important safety notes
GWARNING
If ES P
®is malfunctioning ,ES P®is unable to
stabiliz eth evehicle. Additionally, further driv -
ing safet ysystems are deactivated. This
increases th eris kof skiddin gand an accident.
Drive on carefully. Hav eES P
®checke dat a
qualified specialist workshop.
!Vehicles wit h4MATIC: only operate th e
vehicl efor amaximum of te nseconds on a
brak etest dynamometer. Switc hoff th eigni-
tion .
Application of th ebrakes by ES P
®may oth-
erwise destroy th ebrak esystem.
!Vehicles wit h4MATIC: function or perform-
anc etest smay only be carried out on a2-axl e
dynamometer. Before you operate th evehicl e
on suc h adynamometer, pleas econsult a
qualified workshop. You could otherwise
damag eth edriv etrain or th ebrak esystem.
ES P
®is only deactivated if th eå warning
lamp is lit continuously.
If th e÷ warning lamp and th eå warning
lamp are lit continuously, ES P
®is notavailable
due to amalfunction .
Observ eth einformation on warning lamp s
(
Ypage 273) and display message swhic hmay
be shown in th einstrumen tcluste r
(
Ypage 239).
iOnly use wheels wit hth erecommended tire
sizes. Only then will ES P®function properly.
Characteristics of ESP®
General inform ation
If the÷ ESPwarning lamp goes out before
beginning th ejourney, ES P®is automatically
active .
If ES P
®intervenes, th e÷ ESP®warning lamp
flashes in th einstrumen tcluster. If ES
P
®intervenes:
XDo no tdeactivat eES P®under any circum -
stances.
XOnly depress th eaccelerato rpedal as far as
necessar ywhen pullin gaway.
XAdapt your driving style to suit th eprevailing
road and weather conditions.
ECO start/stop function
The ECO start/sto pfunction switches th e
engin eoff automatically when th evehicl estops
moving .The engin estart sautomatically when
th edriver want sto pull away again .ES P
®
remain sin it spreviously selected status ,e.g. if
ES P®was deactivated before th eengin ewas
automatically switched off .
Deactivating/activating ESP®
Important safety notes
iObserveth e"Importan tsafet ynotes" sec -
tion (Ypage 62).
You can select between th efollowin gstate sof
ES P
®:
RESP®is activated.
RESP®is deactivated.
GWARNIN G
If you deactivat eES P
®,ES P®no longer sta-
bilizes th evehicle. Ther eis an increased ris k
of skiddin gand an accident.
Only deactivat eES P
®in th esituation sdescri-
bed in th efollowing.
It may be best to deactivat eES P
®in th efollow-
ing situations:
Rwhen usin gsnow chain s
Rin deep snow
Ron sandor gravel
Spinning th ewheels result sin acutting action
whic hprovide sbette rgrip.
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th esituation s
describe dabov eno longer apply. ES P®will
otherwise no tbe able to stabiliz eth evehicl eif
th evehicl estart sto skid or awhee lstart sto
spin .
Driving safety systems67
Safety
Z

!Avoid spinning the driven wheels for an
extended period with ESP®deactivated. You
could otherwise damage the drivetrain.
Deactivating/activating ESP®
XTo deactivate: press button:.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster lights up.
XTo activate: press button :.
The å ESP®OFF warning lamp in the
instrument cluster goes out.
Characteristics when ESP®is deactivated
If ESP®is deactivated and one or more wheels
start to spin, the ÷ESP®warning lamp in the
instrument cluster flashes. In such situations,
ESP
®will not stabilize the vehicle.
If you deactivate ESP®:
RESP®no longer improves driving stability.
REngine torque is no longer limited and the
drive wheels are able to spin.
RTraction control is still activated.
RActive Brake Assist is no longer available; nor
is it activated if you brake firmly with assis-
tance from ESP
®
RPRE-SAFE®is no longer available, nor is it
activated if you brake firmly and ESP®inter-
venes.
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
is no longer available; it is not activated even
if you brake firmly with assistance from ESP
®
RESP®still provides support when you brake
firmly.
Offroad ESP®(vehicles with Offroad
Engineering package)
An ESP®system specifically suited to off-road
terrain is activated automatically once the off-
road program is activated on:
RVehicles without the Offroad Engineering
package (Ypage 211)
RVehicles with the Off-Road Engineering pack-
age (Ypage 212)
Offroad ESP®intervenes with a delay if there is
oversteering or understeering, thus improving
traction.
ESP®trailer stabilization
General information
ESP®trailer stabilization is not available in
Mercedes-AMG vehicles.
If your vehicle/trailer combination begins to
swerve, ESP
®assists you in this situation. ESP®
slows the vehicle down by braking and limiting
the engine output until the vehicle/trailer com-
bination has stabilized.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If road and weather conditions are poor,
trailer stabilization will not be able to prevent
the vehicle/trailer combination from swerv-
ing. Trailers with a high center of gravity can
tip over before ESP
®can detect this. There is
a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your driving style to the prevail-
ing road and weather conditions.
If your vehicle with trailer (vehicle/trailer com-
bination) begins to lurch, you can only stabilize
the vehicle/trailer combination by depressing
the brake firmly.
Trailer stabilization is active above speeds of
about 37 mph (60 km/h).
ESP
®trailer stabilization does not work if ESP®
is deactivated or disabled because of a malfunc-
tion.
68Driving safety systems
Safety

Rdarkness
Ror if:
-pedestrians move quickly, e.g. into the path
of the vehicle
-the camera system no longer recognizes a
pedestrian as a person due to special cloth-
ing or other objects
-a pedestrian is concealed by other objects
-the typical outline of a person is not distin-
guishable from the background
Following damage to the front end of the vehicle,
have the configuration and operation of the
radar sensors checked at a qualified specialist
workshop. This also applies to collisions at slow
speeds where there is no visible damage to the
front of the vehicle.
Following damage to the windshield, have the
configuration and operation of the camera sys-
tem checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Function
XTo activate or deactivate: activate or deac-
tivate Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 231).
If the Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function is deactivated, the æsymbol
appears in the multifunction display.
If you have activated DSR (
Ypage 210), the
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function is
deactivated.
Starting at a speed of around 4 mph (7 km/h),
this function warns you if you rapidly approach a
vehicle in front. An intermittent warning tone
will then sound and the ·distance warning
lamp will light up in the instrument cluster.
XBrake immediately to defuse the situation.
or
XTake evasive action provided it is safe to do
so.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
can also brake the vehicle automatically under
the following conditions:
Rthe driver and front-passenger have their seat
belts fastened
and
Rthe vehicle speed is between approximately
4 mph (7 km/h) and 124 mph (200 km/h) Up to a speed of approximately 44 mph
(70 km/h), Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic
function may react to:
Rstationary objects in the path of your vehicle,
e.g. stopped or parked vehicles
Rpedestrians in the path of your vehicle
iIf there is an increased risk of a collision,
preventive passenger protection measures
(PRE-SAFE
®) are triggered (Ypage 55).
If the risk of collision with the vehicle in front
remains and you do not brake, take evasive
action or accelerate significantly, the vehicle
may perform automatic emergency braking, up
to the point of full brake application. Automatic
emergency braking is not performed until imme-
diately prior to an imminent accident.
If you apply the brake yourself in a critical sit-
uation or during autonomous braking, braking
assistance is provided according to the situa-
tion. If necessary, this increases the brak
e pres-
sure up to full brake application.
To avoid a collision, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function calculates the brake force necessary if:
Ryou approach an obstacle, and
RActive Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
has detected a risk of a collision
When driving at a speed
under20 mph(30 km/h): if you depress the
brake pedal, Active Brake Assist with cross-traf-
fic function is activated. The increase in brake
pressure from Active Brake Assist with cross-
traffic function is carried out at the last possible
moment.
When driving at a speed
above20 mph(30 km/h): if you depress the
brake pedal sharply, Active Brake Assist with
cross-traffic function automatically increases
the brake pressure to a degree suited to the
traffic situation.
Active Brake Assist with cross-traffic function
provides braking assistance in hazardous situa- tions with vehicles in front within a speed range
between 4 mph (7 km/h) and 155 mph
(250 km/h).
Driving safety systems71
Safety
Z

Correct driver's seat position
GWARNING
You could lose control of your vehicle if you do the following while driving:
Radjust the driver's seat, head restraint,
steering wheel or mirrors
Rfasten the seat belt
There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the driver's seat, head restraint, steer-
ing wheel and mirror and fasten your seat belt before starting the engine.
Observe the following when adjusting steering
wheel :, seat belt ;and driver's seat =:
Ryou are as far away from the driver's air bag as
possible.
Ryou are sitting in a normal upright position.
Ryour thighs are slightly supported by the seat
cushion.
Ryour legs are not entirely stretched and you
can depress the pedals properly.
Rthe back of your head is supported at eye level
by the center of the head restraint.
Ryou can hold the steering wheel with your
arms slightly bent.
Ryou can move your legs freely.
Ryou can see all the displays in the instrument
cluster clearly.
Ryou should have a good overview of traffic
conditions.
Rthe seat belt is pulled snugly against the bodyand is routed across the center of your shoul-
der and across your hips in the pelvic area.
Further related subjects:
RElectrical seat adjustment (Ypage 96)
RAdjusting the steering wheel mechanically
(Ypage 100) or electrically (Ypage 101)
RFastening the seat belt correctly (Ypage 44).
RAdjusting the rear-view mirror and exterior
mirrors (Ypage 102).
RVehicles with memory function: storing the
seat, steering wheel, exterior mirror and
Head-up Display settings with the memory
function (
Ypage 105)
Seats
Important safety notes
GWARNING
Children could become trapped if they adjust
the seats, particularly when unattended.
There is a risk of injury.
When leaving the vehicle, always take the
SmartKey with you and lock the vehicle. Never
leave children unsupervised in the vehicle.
The seats can still be adjusted when there is no
SmartKey in the ignition lock.
GWARNING
When you adjust a seat, you or other vehicle
occupants could become trapped, e.g. on the seat guide rail. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure when adjusting a seat that no one
has any body parts in the sweep of the seat.
Observe the safety notes on "Air bags"
(
Ypage 46) and "Children in the Vehicle"
(Ypage 57).
94Seats
Seats, steering wheel and mirrors

Exterior lighting
General notes
For reasons of safety, Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you drive with the lights switched on
even during the daytime. In some countries,
operation of the headlamps varies due to legal
requirements and self-imposed obligations.
Setting the exterior lighting
Setting options
Exterior lighting can be set using:
Rthe light switch
Rthe combination switch (Ypage 108)
Rthe on-board computer (Ypage 233)
Light switch
Operation
1 WLeft-hand standing lamps
2XRight-hand standing lamps
3TParking lamps, license plate and
instrument cluster lighting
4cAutomatic headlamp mode, controlled
by the light sensor
5 LLow-beam/high-beam headlamps
BRRear fog lamp
If you hear a warning tone when you leave the
vehicle, the lights may still be switched on.
XTurn the light switch to c.
The exterior lighting (except the parking/stand-
ing lamps) switches off automatically if you:
Rremove the SmartKey from the ignition lock
Ropen the driver's door with the SmartKey in
position 0in the ignition lock
Automatic headlamp mode
c is the favored light switch position. The
light setting is automatically selected according
to the brightness of the ambient light (excep-
tion: poor visibility due to weather conditions
such as fog, snow or spray):
RSmartKey in position 1in the ignition lock: the
parking lamps are switched on/off automat-
ically depending on the brightness of the
ambient light.
RWith the engine running (USA only): if you
have switched on the Daytime Running
Lightsfunction in the on-board computer,
the daytime running lamps or the parking
lamps and low-beam headlamps are switched
on or off automatically depending on the
brightness of the ambient light.
XTo switch on automatic headlamp mode:
turn the light switch to c.
GWARNING
When the light switch is set to Ã, the low-
beam headlamps may not be switched on
automatically if there is fog, snow or other
causes of poor visibility due to the weather
conditions such as spray. There is a risk of an
accident.
In such situations, turn the light switch to
L.
The automatic headlamp feature is only an aid.
The driver is responsible for the vehicle's light-
ing at all times.
Canada only:
The daytime running lamps improve the visibility
of your vehicle during the day. The daytime run-
ning lamps function is required by law in Can-
ada. It cannot therefore be deactivated.
When the engine is running and the vehicle is
stationary: if you move the selector lever from a
drive position to P, the daytime running lamps/
low-beam headlamps go out after three
minutes.
When the engine is running, the vehicle is sta-
tionary and in bright ambient light: if you turn the
light switch to the Tposition, the daytime
running lamps and parking lamps switch on.
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to L, the manual settings take prec-
edence over the daytime running lamps.
USA only:
Exterior lighting107
Lights and windshield wipers
Z

The daytime running lamps improve the visibility
of your vehicle during the day. To do this, the
daytime running lamps function must be
switched on using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 233).
If the engine is running and you turn the light
switch to TorL, the manual settings
take precedence over the daytime running
lamps.
Low-beam headlamps
Even if the light sensor does not detect that it is
dark, the parking lamps and low-beam head-
lamps switch on when the ignition is switched on and the light switch is set to the Lposition.
This is a particularly useful function in the event
of rain and fog.
XTo switch on the low-beam headlamps:
turn the SmartKey in the ignition lock to posi-
tion 2or start the engine.
XTurn the light switch to L.
The green Lindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Rear fog lamp
The rear fog lamp improves visibility of your
vehicle for the traffic behind in the event of thick
fog. Please take note of the country-specific
regulations for the use of rear fog lamps.
XTo switch on the rear fog lamp: turn the
SmartKey in the ignition lock to position 2or
start the engine.
XTurn the light switch to Lorc .
XPress the Rbutton.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
XTo switch off the rear fog lamp: press the
R button.
The yellow Rindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Parking lamps
!If the battery charge is very low, the parking
lamps or standing lamps are automatically
switched off to enable the next engine start.
Always park your vehicle safely and in a well lit
area, in accordance with the relevant legal
stipulations. Avoid using the Tparking
lamps over a period of several hours. If pos-
sible, switch on the right-hand Xor left-
hand W standing lamps.
XTo switch on: turn the light switch to T.
The green Tindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up.
Standing lamps
Switching on the standing lamps ensures the
corresponding side of the vehicle is illuminated.
XTo switch on the standing lamps: the
SmartKey should not be in the ignition lock or
it should be in position 0.
XTurn the light switch toW(left-hand side of
the vehicle) or X(right-hand side of the
vehicle).
Vehicles towing a trailer: both the right-hand
and left-hand standing lamps (tail lamps) are
always illuminated on the trailer.
Combination switch
:High-beam headlamps
;Turn signal, right
=High-beam flasher
?Turn signal, left
XTo indicate briefly: press the combination
switch briefly to the pressure point in the
direction of arrow ;or?.
The corresponding turn signal flashes three
times.
XTo indicate: press the combination switch
beyond the pressure point in the direction of
arrow ;or?.
XTo switch on the high-beam headlamps:
turn the light switch to LorÃ.
XPress the combination switch beyond the
pressure point in the direction of arrow :.
In the Ãposition, the high-beam head-
lamps are only switched on when it is dark and
the engine is running.
108Exterior lighting
Lights and windshield wipers

The blueKindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster lights up when the high-beam
headlamps are switched on.
XTo switch off the high-beam head-
lamps: move the combination switch back to
its normal position.
The blue Kindicator lamp in the instru-
ment cluster goes out.
Vehicles with Adaptive Highbeam Assist: if
Adaptive Highbeam Assist is activated, it auto-
matically controls activation and deactivation of
the high-beam headlamps (
Ypage 110).
Hazard warning lamps
XTo switch on the hazard warning
lamps: press button :.
All turn signals flash. If you now switch on a
turn signal using the combination switch, only
the turn signal lamp on the corresponding
side of the vehicle will flash.
XTo switch off the hazard warning lamps:
press button :.
The hazard warning lamps automatically switch
on if:
Ran air bag is deployed or
Rthe vehicle decelerates rapidly from a speed
of above 45 mph (70 km/h) and comes to a
standstill
The hazard warning lamps switch off automati-
cally if the vehicle reaches a speed of above
6 mph (10 km/h) again after a full brake appli-
cation.
iThe hazard warning lamps still operate if the
ignition is switched off.
Intelligent Light System
General notes
The Intelligent Light System is a system that
adjusts the headlamps automatically to suit the
prevailing driving and weather conditions. It
offers advanced functions for improved illumi-
nation of the road surface, e.g. depending on the
vehicle speed or weather conditions. The sys-
tem includes the active light function, cornering
light function, highway mode and extended
range fog lamps. The system is only active when
it is dark.
You can activate or deactivate the "Intelligent
Light System" using the on-board computer
(
Ypage 233).
Active light function
The active light function is a system that moves
the headlamps according to the steering move-
ments of the front wheels. In this way, relevant
areas remain illuminated while driving. This
allows you to identify pedestrians, cyclists and
animals.
Active: when the lights are switched on.
Vehicles with Lane Keeping Assist: the active
light function evaluates the course of the lane in
which you are driving and pre-emptively con-
trols the active light function.
Cornering light function
The cornering light function improves the illu-
mination of the road over a wide angle in the
direction you are turning, enabling better visi-
bility in tight bends, for example. It can only be
activated when the low-beam headlamps are
switched on.
Active:
Rif you are driving at speeds below 25 mph
(40 km/h) and switch on the turn signal or
turn the steering wheel
Rif you are driving at speeds between 25 mph
(40 km/h) and 45 mph (70 km/h) and turn
the steering wheel
The cornering lamp may remain lit for a short
time, but is automatically switched off after no
more than three minutes.
Cornering light function with traffic circle
function:
Exterior lighting109
Lights and windshield wipers
Z