Depending on
the drive prog ram selected, the
fo llowing vehicle characteristics will change:
R drive
- engine and transmission management
- Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R AMG Dynamics
- thefo ur agility functions Basic, Advanced,
Pro and Ma ster are automatically selec‐
te d depending on the drive prog ram.
- thesteering, shift timing point and stabili‐
sation functions are adap tedto the selec‐
te d drive prog ram.
- when ESP ®
is activated, agility function
Pro is selected in drive program I
RACE. The Mas ter function is auto mati‐
cally selected when ESP ®
is deactivated.
R position of theex haust gasflaps
R Suspension
R steering
R availability of the ECO start/ stop function
R availability of Glide mode R
The I(R ACE)driving prog ram has thefo l‐
lowing properties:
- theve hicle exhibits driving characteristics
suited forra ce circuits.
- allvehicle sy stems are designed for maxi‐
mum sportiness.
- thech assis has a particular lytight sus‐
pension and da mping sy stem.
- Glide mode is not available.
- ECO start/ stop function is not available.
- the sporty sound characteristic of the
ex haust sy stem is activated.
% You can call up vehicle characteristics via
th ePe rformance menu in the on-board com‐
puter (/ page171).
Yo u can also change thefo llowing vehicle char‐
acteristics using the buttons in the cent recon‐
sole:
R position of theex haust gasflaps
R ECO start/ stop function
R Suspension
R Manual gearshifting Selecting
the drive prog ram #
Press DYNA MIC SELECT switch 1forw ards
or backwards.
The selec ted drive program appears in the
display 2and in the multifunction display in
th e instrument clus ter. 12 0
Driving and pa rking
Manual
gearshifting #
Toactivate/deacti vate: press display but‐
to n1.
The displ aybutton displa ys the cur rently
selected gear setting 2:
R M(red): manual gearshifting
R D(blue): automatic transmission %
Topermanently shift thege ars manually in
drive prog ram = using thesteering wheel
ge arshift paddles, select theM (Manual) set‐
ting forth e transmission.
* NO
TEDama getothe engine due toshift‐
ing up too late The automatic transmission does not shift up
in manual mode even when the engine's lim‐
iting speed is reached.
The fuel supply is inter rupte d in order topre‐
ve nt the engine from overrev ving. #
Shift up before the engine speed rea‐
ch es there d area in there v counter. #
Toshift up: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2. #
Toshift down: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1. If
th e engine speed is too high or too lo w,you
cannot change gear using thesteering wheel
ge arshift paddles. In this case, segments 1
light up red. Gearshift
recommendation The
gearshift recommendation assists you in
adopting an economical driving style. 124
Driving and pa rking
#
Ifge arshift recommendation message 1is
shown on the multifunction displa y,shift to
th ere commended gear.
% Gearshift recommendation is acti veonly if
yo u ha veactivated manual gearshifting with
th e button on the cent reconsole. Using kickdown
#
Maximum acceleration: depress the accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point.
% Ifyo u ha veactivated manual gearshifting
with the button in the cent reconsole, the
transmission does not react tothe kick‐
down. During kickdown,
you cannot change gears using
th esteering wheel gearshift paddles. The auto‐
matic transmission shifts up tothe next gear
when the maximum engine speed is reached to
pr otect the engine from overrev ving. Glide mode function
Wi
th an anticipatory driving style, Glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
th e driv etra in.
R the engine speed cor responds tothe idle
speed.
R theJ symbol appears in the multifunc‐
tion displa y.
Glide mode is activated if thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
R the ECO start/ stop function is activated.
R drive program =is selected with the drive
setting "Moderate" or "Reduced".
R the speed is within a suitable range. R
thero ad's course is suitable, e.g. no steep
uphill or downhill inclines or tight bends.
R you are no lon ger depressing the accelera tor
or brake pedal.
Glide mode is deactivated again if one of the
conditions is no longer met. Re
fuelling Re
fuelling theve hicle &
WARNING Risk offire or explosion from
fuel
Fu els are highly flammable. #
Fire, naked flames, smoking and crea‐
tion of spar ksmust be avoided. #
Swit choff the ignition and, if available,
th est ationary heater, before and while
re fuelling theve hicle. &
WARNING Risk of inju ryfrom fuels
Fu els are poisonous and hazardous to your
health. Driving and parking
12 5
handling mode or
was deactivated before the
engine was switched off.
ESP ®
is inter vening if the ESP ®
÷ warning
lamp flashes in the instrument clus ter:
R Do not deacti vate ESP ®
.
R Only depress the accelera tor pedal as far as
is necessar y.
R Adapt your driving style to suit the cur rent
ro ad and weather conditions.
Cha racteristics of activated SPORT handling
mode &
WARNING Risk of skidding due toincor‐
re ct application of SPORT handling mode
When you activate SPORT handling mode,
th ere is an increased risk of skidding and
having an accident. #
Only activate SPORT handling mode in
the circums tances described as follo ws. Select SPORT handling mode when
theve hicle's
ow nov ersteering and under steering characteris‐ tics are desired,
forex ample when driving on
specially designated roads.
On lya high ly qualified and experienced driver
should drive in SPORT handling mode or with
ESP ®
deactivated.
If SPORT handling mode is activated and one or
more wheels start tospin, the÷ ESP®
wa rn‐
ing lamp in the instrument clus terflashes. ESP ®
th en only stabilises theve hicle toa limited
deg ree.
If SPORT handling mode is activated:
R ESP ®
only impr oves driving stability toa limi‐
te d deg ree.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
R The engine's torque is on lyrestricted to a
limited degree and the drive wheels can spin.
The spinning of the wheels results in a cut‐
ting action for better traction on loose sur fa‐
ces.
R ESP ®
continues toprov ide assis tance when
th e brakes are firm lyapplied. Cha
racteristics when ESP ®
is deactivated &
WARNING Risk of skidding if ESP ®
is
deactivated
If yo u deactivate ESP ®
, ESP ®
cannot car ry
out vehicle stabilisation. #
ESP ®
should on lybe deactivated in the
fo llowing situations. ESP
®
is deactivated if theå ESP®
OFF warn‐
ing lamp lights up continuously in the instrument
clus ter:
R Driving stability will no lon ger be impr oved.
R Crosswind Assist is no longer active.
R The drive wheels could spin.
R ETS/4ETS traction control is still active.
% Even when ESP ®
is deactivated, you are still
assis tedby ESP ®
when braking ha rd.
In thefo llowing situations, it may be better to
activate SPO RThandling mode or deactivate
ESP ®
:
R When using snow chains. 13 8
Driving and pa rking
This pr
ovides traf fic tr ave lling behind you with an
eve n more noticeable warning.
If th eve hicle is tr avelling at speeds of more than
70 km/h at the beginning of the brake applica‐
tion, the hazard warning lights switch on once
th eve hicle is stationar y.When you pull away
again, the hazard warning lights will switch off
automatically at appr oximately 10km/h. Yo u
can also switch off the hazard warning lights
using the hazard warning button. Cruise control and limiter
Fu
nction of cruise control
Cruise cont rolre gulates the speed totheva lue
selec tedby the driver.
If yo u accelerate toove rtake, forex ample, the
st ored speed is not dele ted. If youre mo veyour
fo ot from the accelerator pedal af terove rtaking,
cruise control will resume speed regulation back
to thestored speed.
Cruise contro l is operated using the cor respond‐
ing steering wheel buttons. You can store any
speed abo ve30 km/h up tothe maximum speed
or up tothe set winter tyre limit. If
yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, cruise con‐
trol can neither reduce therisk of an accident
nor override the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traf fic conditions.
Cruise control is only an aid. You are responsible
fo r maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane.
Displa yson the multifunction display
The status of cruise control and thestored
speed are shown in the multifunction displa y. 1
Cruise cont rol is selec ted
2 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is deactivated
3 Speed is sa ved, cruise control is activated %
The segments extending from the cur rent
st ored speed tothe end of the scale, or to
th e set winter tyre limit, light up in the
speedome ter.
Sy stem limitations
Cruise control may be unable tomaintain the
st ored speed on uphill gradients. The stored
speed is resumed when the gradient evens out.
Change into a lo werge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, you will make use of the engine's brak‐
ing ef fect. This relie vesth e load on the brake
sy stem and pr events the brakes from overheat‐
ing and wearing tooqu ickl y.
Do not use cruise control in thefo llowing situa‐
tions:
R In traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads.
R On slippe ryroads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
R Ifyo u are driving when visibility is poor. Driving and parking
14 3
Fu
nction of the limiter
The limiter restricts the speed of theve hicle. To
re duce the speed tothe set speed, the limiter
applies the brakes automaticall y.
Yo u can limit the speed as follo ws:
R Variable: for speed limits, e.g. in built-up
areas.
R Perm anen t:for long-term speed restrictions,
e.g. when driving in winter tyre mode.
The variable limiter is operated using the cor re‐
sponding steering wheel buttons. You can store
any speed from 30 km/h to250 km/h or up to
th e set winter tyre limit. You can also per form
settings while theve hicle is stationary if the
ve hicle has been star ted.
If yo ufa ilto adapt your driving style, the limiter
can neither reduce therisk of an accident nor
ove rride the la wsof ph ysics. It cannot take into
account road, weather or traf fic conditions. The
limiter is only an aid. You are responsible for
maintaining a safe dis tance totheve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed, for braking in good time
and forst ay ing in lane. Displa
ysinthe instrument display
The status of the limiter and thestored speed
are shown in the multifunction displa y. 1
Limiter is selected
2 Speed is stored, limiter is deactivated
3 Speed is stored, limiter is activated
% The segments in the speedome ter light up,
up tothe cur rently stored speed.
% When the driving speed is greater than the
st ored speed, display 3flashes.
Kickd own
If yo u depress the accelerator pedal be yond the
pressure point (kickdown), the limiter switches to
passive mode. The Limiter passivemessage
appears on the multifunction displa y.
Af ter completion of kickdown, theva riable lim‐
iter is activated again in thefo llowing situations:
R Ifth e driven speed drops below thestored
speed.
R Ifth estored speed is called up.
R Ifyo ustore a new speed.
Operating cruise control or theva riable lim‐
iter &
WARNING Risk of accident due tostored
speed
If yo u call up thestored speed and this is
lo we rth an your cur rent speed, theve hicle
decelerates. #
Take into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed. Re
quirements:
Cruise control
R Cruise control is selected. 14 4
Driving and pa rking
Ac
tive Di stance Assist DISTRO NICFu
nction of Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC Ac
tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC maintains the
set speed on free-flowing roads. If vehicles in
front are de tected, the set dis tance is main‐
ta ined, if necessar y,until theve hicle comes to a
halt. The vehicle accelerates or brakes depend‐
ing on the dis tance totheve hicle in front and
th e set speed. The speed (in thera nge between
30 km/h and 200 km/h) and the dis tance tothe
ve hicle in front are set and sa ved on thesteering
wheel. Other
features of Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC:
R Adjusts the driving style depending on the
selected drive program (fuel-saving, comfort‐
able or dynamic) (/ page119)
R Initiates ac celerationtothestored speed if
th e turn signal indicator is switched on to
ch ange totheove rtaking lane.
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC is only an aid.
The driver is responsible forke eping a safe dis‐
ta nce totheve hicle in front, forve hicle speed
and for braking in good time.
Sy stem limitations
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing ins tances:
R In sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is
gl are, in direct sunlight or in greatlyvarying
light conditions.
R The windsc reen in the area of the camera is
dirty, mis ted up, damaged or co vered.
R Ifth era dar sensors are dirty or co vered. R
In multi- stor ey car pa rks or on roads with
st eep uphill or downhill gradients.
R Ifth ere are nar rowvehicles in front, such as
bicycles or mo torcyc les.
In addition, on slippery roads, braking or accel‐
erating can cause one or se veral wheels tolose
traction and theve hicle could then skid.
Do not use Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC in
th ese situations. &
WARNING Risk of accident from acceler‐
ation or braking byActive Dis tance
Assi stDISTRONIC
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC may accel‐
erate or brake in thefo llowing cases, for
ex ample:
R Ifth eve hicle pulls away using Active Dis‐
ta nce Assi stDISTRONIC.
R Ifth estored speed is called up and is
considerably faster or slo werth an the
cur rently driven speed. Driving and pa
rking 147
R
The vehicle is secured with the electric park‐
ing brake.
In thefo llowing situations, theve hicle is held by
th e transmission position jorby the electric
parking brake:
R The seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
R The drive sy stem is switched off.
R There is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supply is insuf ficient. RACE
START Fu
nction of RACE START
RACE START enables optimal vehicle accelera‐
tion from a standstill. Forth is, a suitably high-
grip road sur face is requ ired, the tyres and vehi‐
cle must also be in good condition.
% RACE START is only available af terth eve hi‐
cle has been run in (/ page 114).
% RACE START may not be used on normal
ro ads. RACE START mu stonly be activated and used on dedicated
race circuits, not on
public roads.
Be sure toread the saf ety no tes and infor‐
mation on ESP ®
(/ page 137). &
WARNING Risk of skidding and having
an accident from wheels spinning
When you use RACE STAR T,individual wheels
could spin and you could lose cont rol of the
ve hicle.
Depending on the ESP ®
mode selected, there
is an increased risk of skidding and having an
accident. #
Make sure that no persons or obstacles
are in the close vicinity of your vehicle. Ac
tivating RACE START
Re quirements:
R the doors, the bonn etand theta ilgate are
closed.
R the engine is running and the transmission
and engine are at normal operating temp era‐
ture. R
thesteering wheel is in thest ra ight-ahead
position.
R theve hicle is on le vel ground.
R theve hicle is stationar y,the brake pedal is
depressed (left foot ) and the parking brake is
re leased.
R the transmission is in position h.
R one of the drive prog rams C, Bor
I is selected (/ page119). #
Rapidly depress the accelerator pedal full y.
The engine speed increases.
% Ifth e activation conditions are not fulfilled,
RACE START cannot be acti vated. The RACE
START not possible See Owner's Manual
message appears in the multifunction dis‐
pla y. #
The RACE START Release brake to start mes‐
sage appears in the multifunction displa y. Driving and pa
rking 15 3