2018 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA ESP

Transmission positions E Park position
Thi sp revents the vehicl ef ro mr olling
away when stopped.
Onl ys hift the transmission to posi-
tion ] when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. The parkin gl oc ks houl dn ot be
used as ab rake when parking.
Alway sa pply the electronic parking
brake in additio ntot he parkin gl oc k
in order to secur et he vehicle.
In the event of am al functio noft he
vehicle's electronics ,t he transmis-
sion ma yl oc kinp osit ion ] .H ave
the vehicl ee le ctronics checked
immediatel yataq uali fied specialist
workshop.
Park position ] is automatically
engaged if: R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe ya nd remove the Smart-
Key R
yo us wi tch off the engine using the
SmartKe yoru si ng the Start/Stop
button and open the driver's door
or front-passenge rd oo rR
yo uo pe nt he driver's door when
the vehicl eiss tationar yorw he n
drivin gatav er yl ow spee da nd the
transmission is in position [ or
^
F Revers eg ea r
Onl ys hift the transmission into posi-
tion ^ when the vehicl eiss tation-
ary. D Neutral
Do not shift the transmission to \\
whil ed riving. The automatic trans-
mission could otherwis ebed am -
aged.
No powe rist ransmitted fro mt he
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allo wy ou to
mov et he vehicl ef reely, e.g .top us h
it or tow it.
If ESP ®
is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission to position \\ if the
vehicl eisind an ge rofs kidding ,e .g.
on icy roads.
If yo us wi tch the engine off with the
transmission in position ^ or [ ,
the automatic transmission shifts to
\\ automatically.
! Coasting in neutral \\ may
cause damage to the drive train.
: Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
ar ea vailable.
Driving tips
Changin gg ea rThe automatic transmission shifts throug ht he
individual gear sa ut omaticall yw he nitisint rans-
mission position [ .T hi sa ut omatic gear shift-
ing behavio risd et ermine db y:R
the selecte dd rive program R
the positio noft he accelerator pedal R
the roa ds peed
Accelerator peda lp ositionYour style of drivin gi nfluences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear: R
little throttle :e ar ly upshifts R
mor et hrottle :l at eu ps hiftsAutomati ct ransmission 133
Driving an dp arking Z

If you leave the engine or the auxiliary heating
running, make sure the exhaust pipe and area
around the vehicle are clear of snow. To
ensure an adequate supply of fresh air, open a
window on the side of the vehicle that is not
facing into the wind.
Have you rv ehicle winter-proofed at aq ualified
specialist workshop at the onset of winter.
Drive particularly carefully on slippery road sur-
faces. Avoid sudden acceleration, steering and
braking maneuvers. Do not use cruise control or
Distance Pilo tD ISTRONIC.
If the vehicle threatens to skid or cannot be
stopped when moving at low speed: X
Shift the transmission to position N .X
Try to bring the vehicle under control using
corrective steering.
The outsid et emperature indicator is not
designed to serve as an ice-warning device and
is therefore unsuitable for that purpose.
Changes in the outsid et emperature are dis-
played after as hort delay.
Indicated temperature sj ust above the freezing
point do not guarantee that the road surface is
free of ice. The road may still be icy, especially in
woode da rea soronb ridges.
You shoul dp ay specia la ttention to road condi-
tions when temperature sa re around freezing
point.
For more information on driving with snow
chains, see ( Y
page 290).
For more information on driving with summer
tires, see ( Y
page 289).
Observe the notes in the "Winter operation" sec-
tion ( Y
page 289).
Drivin gs ystems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains ac onstant road speed
for you .Itb rakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed .Onl ong and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select al ow gear in good time.
You need to shift manually using the steering
wheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,
you wil lm ake 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 limi tt he speed to any
speed betwee n20m ph (30 km/h )a nd the tech-
nicall yp ermitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain as teady
speed for ap rolonge dp eriod.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt you rd riving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the law sofp hysics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control is only an
aid .Y ou are responsible for the distance to the
vehicle in front, for vehicle speed ,f or braking in
good time and for staying in you rl ane.
Do not use cruise control: R
in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain ac onstant speed ,e .g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads R
on slippery road surfaces .B raking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheel stol ose
traction and the vehicle could then skid R
in poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or
snow
If there is ac hange of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever
C
Activates or increases speed
D
Activates or reduces speedDriving systems 149
Driving and parking Z

i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
General notes Distance Pilot DISTRONIC regulates the speed
and automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tanc etot he vehicle detected in front. Vehicles
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes auto-
matically to avoid exceedin gt he set speed or to
maintain the designated distanc ef rom the vehi-
cle in front.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detect st hat there is
ar isk of ac ollision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tanc eP ilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent ac olli-
sion. An intermittent warning ton ew ill then
sound and the distanc ew arning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately
in order to increase the distanc etot he vehicle in
fron tort ake evasive action provided it is safe to
do so.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC operates in the range
between 0m ph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Change into al ower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients .T his is especially
importan tift he vehicle is laden. By doing so, you
will make use of the braking effect of the engine.
This relieves the load on the brake system and
prevent st he brakes from overheatin ga nd wear-
ing too quickly.
Do not use Distance Pilot DISTRONIC on roads
with steep gradients.
For Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Sinc eD istance Pilot DISTRONIC transmits radar
waves, it can resemble the radar detectors of
the responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator' sM anual if
questions are asked about this.
i USA only: This device has been approved by
the FCC as a" Vehicular Radar System". The
radar sensor is intended for use in an auto-
motive radar system only. Removal, tamper-
ing, or altering of the device will void any war-
ranties, and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
i Canada only: This device complies with
RSS-210 of Industry Canada. Operation is
subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause interference,
and
2. This device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
An yu nauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
Important safety notes
G WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC does not react to: R
people or animals R
stationary object sont he road, e.g. stopped
or parked vehicles R
oncoming vehicles and crossin gt raffic
As ar esult, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may
neither give warnings nor intervene in such
situations. There is ar isk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit-
uation and be ready to brake.
G WARNING
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot always
clearly identif yo ther road users and complex
traffic situations.
In such cases, Distance Pilot DISTRONIC may: R
give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle R
neither give aw arning nor intervene R
accelerat eorb rake unexpectedly
There is ar isk of an accident.Driving systems 151
Driving and parking Z

Continue to driv ec arefull ya nd be read yt o
brake, especiall yifD is tance Pilot DI ST RONIC
warn sy ou.
G WAR NING
Distance Pilot DI ST RONI Cb rakes your veh icle
wit hupt o5 0% of th em aximum poss ible
deceleration. If th is deceleratio nisn ot suff i-
cient ,D is tance Pilot DI ST RONI Ca lert sy ou
wit hav is ual and acoust ic warning .T her eisa
ris kofana cc iden t.
Ap ply th eb rakes yourself in these situations
and tr yt ot ak ee vasive action.
! When Distance Pilot DI ST RONI Co rt he
HOLD function is activated, th ev eh icle
brakes automaticall yinc ertain situations.
To avoid damag etot he veh icle ,d eactivate
Distance Pilot DI ST RONI Ca nd th eH OL D
function in th ef oll owin gors imilar situations:R
when to wing th ev eh icleR
in th ec ar wash
If you fail to adapt your driv ing style, Distance
Pilot DI ST RONI Cc an neither reduce th er is ko f
an acc iden tn or overr ide th el aws of physics.
Distance Pilot DISTRONI Cc anno tt ak ei nto
accoun tr oad ,w eather or traff ic conditions .D is -
tance Pilot DI ST RONI Ci so nl yana id. You are
respon sible for th ed istanc etot he veh icle in
front, for veh icle spee d, for braking in good time
and for staying in your lane.
Do no tu se Distance Pilot DI ST RONI C:R
in road and traff ic conditions whic hdon ot
allow you to maintain ac onstant spee d, e.g .i n
heav yt ra ff ic or on wind ing roadsR
on slipp ery road surfaces .B ra kin gora ccel-
erating could caus et he driv ew heel stol ose
t r action and th ev eh icle could then sk idR
when there is poor vis ibilit y, e.g .d ue to fog,
heav yr ain or snow
Distance Pilot DI ST RONI Cm ay no td etect nar-
row veh icle sd riving in front, e.g .m otorcycles, or
veh icle sd riving on ad ifferent lin e.
In particular ,t he detection of obstacle sc an be
impaired if: R
there is dirt on th es ensor sora nythin ge lse
covering th es ensorsR
there is snow or heav yr ain R
there is interferenc ebyo th er radar sourcesR
there are stron gr adar reflections ,f or exam-
ple, in parking garages
If Distance Pilot DI ST RONI Cn ol onger detect sa
vehicle in front, it may unexpect edly accelerate
to th es pee ds to re d.
This spee dm ay: R
be to oh igh if you are driving in af ilter lane or
an ex it lane R
be so high when driving in th er ight-han dl ane
that you overtake vehicle sint he left-hand
lane R
be so high in th el eft lane that you pass vehi-
cle sd riving in th er igh tl ane
If there is ac ha ng eofd rivers ,a dvis et he new
driv er of th es pee ds to re d.
Cruise control lever
C
St ore st he curren ts pee dorah igher speedD
Store st he curren ts pee doral ower speed

To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled: R
the engine must be started. 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 active, but not intervening.R
Parking Pilot must not be activated. R
the transmission must be in position [ .R
the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from ] to [ or your seat belt must be
fastened. R
the front-passenger door must be closed. R
the vehicle must not skid.
Activating X
Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you

HOLD function
General notes The HOLD function can assist the drive rint he
following situations: R
when pulling away, especially on steep slopes R
when maneuvering on steep slopes R
when waiting in traffic
The vehicl eisk ept stationary without the driver
having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancele da nd the HOLD
function deactivated when you depress the
accelerator peda ltop ul la way.
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 am alfunction in the system or in
the voltag es upply.R
the HOLD function has been deactivated by
pressing the accelerator peda lort he brake
pedal, e.g. by av ehicl eo ccupant.R
the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuse sh ave
been tampere dw ith.R
the battery is disconnected
There is ar isk of an accident.
If you wis htoe xit the vehicle, alway st urn off
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
! When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoi dd amage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations: R
when towing the vehicle R
in the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function ( Y
pag e1 57). Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if: R
the vehicl eiss tationary 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 you rs eat bel ti s
fastened R
the electric parking brake is released R
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated R
the transmission is in position [ , ^ or \\
on vehicles with automatic transmission
Activating the HOLD function X
Make sure that the activation conditions are
met. X
Depress the brake pedal. X
Quickly depress the brake peda lf urther
until C appears in the multifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake peda lt he first time
does not activate the HOLD function, wait
briefly and then try again.
Deactivatin gt he HOLD functionThe HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if: R
you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission is in
position [ or ^ . R
the transmission is in position ] on vehicles
with automatic transmission. R
you depress the brake peda la gain with ac er-
tain amount of pressure until C disappears
from the multifunction display. R
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC. R
you secure the vehicl eu sing the electric park-
ing brake.Driving systems 157
Driving and parking Z

i After at ime ,t he electri cp ar king brake
secures the vehicl ea nd relieves the service
brake.
Whe nt he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated ,t he trans-
mission is automaticall ys hifted to position ]
if: R
the driver's sea tb el tisn ot fastene da nd the
driver's door is open. R
the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
maticall ys wi tched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
The electri cp ar king brake secures the vehicle
automaticall yift he HOLD functio ni sa ctivated
when the vehicl eiss tationar ya nd:R
as ys tem malfunctio no ccurs.R
the powe rs uppl yisi nsufficient.
Start-off Assist (except Mercedes-
AM Gv eh icles)
Important safety notes
G WARNING
If yo uu se start-off assist, individual wheels
ma ys tart to spi na nd the vehicl em ay skid. If
ESP ®
is deactivated ,t her eisag reate rd an ger
of skidding and having an accident. Make sure
tha tnop er sons or obstacle sa re in the vicinity
of the vehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimu ma cceleration
from as tandstill .F or this, as ui tabl yh ig h-grip
roa ds ur face is required ,a lo ng with the tire sa nd
vehicl eb ei ng in prope ro pe rating condition.
Do not activate start-off assist on public roads.
Observ et he safety notes on driving safety sys-
tems ( Y
page 61).
Be sure to rea dt he safety notes and information
on ESP ®
( Y
page 64).
Activatin gs tart-off assistX
Deactivate ESP ®
( Y
page 185).X
Turn the steering whee ltot he straight-ahead
position. X
Depres st he brake peda lh ar dw it hy ou rl ef t
foo ta nd kee pitd ep ressed.X
Shift the transmission to position D . X
Use the DYNAMIC SELEC Tb ut ton to select
the S drive progra m( Y
page 128).X
Quickly depress the accelerator peda lf ully.X
Take your foo to ff the brake, bu tk ee pt he
accelerator peda ld ep ressed.
The vehicl ep ulls away at maximu ma cceler-
ation.
i Activate ESP ®
as soo na st he acceleration
proces sh as ended .E SP ®
will otherwise not
be able to stabilize the vehicl eift he vehicle
starts to ski doraw heel starts to spin.
Canceling start-off assist X
Remove your foo tf rom the accelerator pedal.X
Reactivate ESP ®
.
RAC ES TART (Mercedes-AM Gv eh i-
cles)
Important safety notes
i RAC ES TAR Tm us tn ot be used on normal
roads. RAC ES TAR Tm us to nl ybea ctivated
and used on dedicate dr oa dc ircuits, outside
of public roa du se .
i RAC ES TAR Tiso nl ya vailable in
Mercedes ‑ AM Gv ehicles.
G WARNING
If yo uu se RAC ES TART, individual tire sm ay
start to spi na nd the vehicl ec ould skid.
Depending on the selecte dE SP ®
mode, there
is an increased ris kofs kidding and having an
accident. Make sure tha tnop er sons, animals
or obstacle sa re withi nr an ge of the vehicle.
RAC ES TAR Te nables optima la cceleratio nf rom
as tanding start. For this, as ui tabl yh ig h-grip
roa ds ur face is required and the vehicl ea nd tires
must be in goo dw or king order.
i Observ et he safety notes on driving safety
system s( Y
page 61).
Be sure to rea dt he safety notes and informa-
tio nonE SP ®
( Y
page 64).158
Driving systems
Driving an dp arking

Conditions for activation You can activat eR ACE START if:R
th ed oors, hood and th et ru nk lid are closed.R
th ee ng in eisr unnin ga nd th et ra nsmission,
all-wheel driv ec lutch and th ee ng in ea re at
operatin gt em perature.R
th es te ering wheel is in th es tr aight-ahead
position. R
th ev ehicle is stationar ya nd th eb rak ep edal is
depressed (lef tf oot).R
th et ra nsmission is in position [ .R
driv ep rogram S , S+ or RACE is selected
( Y
page 129)
Activating RACE START X
Depres st he brak ep edal wit hy our left foot
and keep it depressed. X
Pull and hold bot hs te ering wheel paddle shift-
ers. X
The RAC ES TART Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel :P addle DOWN message appear si n
th em ultifunction display.X
Release bot hs te ering wheel paddle shifters.
i If th ea ctivation condition sa re no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Not Possible See Operator's
Manual message appear sint he multifunction
display. X
To cancel: pull th el eft steering wheel paddle
shifte r( Y
page 136).
or X
To confirm: pull th er igh ts te ering wheel pad-
dle shifte r( Y
page 136).
The RACE START Available Depress gas
pedal message appear sint he multifunction
display.
i If you do no td epress th ea ccelerato rp edal
within af ew seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The multifunction display shows the
RAC ES TART Canceled message.X
Fully depress th ea ccelerato rp edal.
The engin es pee disi ncreased.
The RACE START Release brake to start
message appear sint he multifunction display.
i If you do no tr elease th eb rak ep edal within
as hort time, RACE START will be canceled. The multifunction display shows the RACE
START Canceled message.X
Tak ey our foo to ff th eb rake, but keep the
accelerato rp edal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE START Active message appear si n
th em ultifunction display.
RACE START is deactivate dw hen th ev ehicle
reaches as pee dofa pproximately 50 km/h.
RACE START is deactivate di mmediately if you
release th ea ccelerato rp edal durin gR ACE
START or if any of th ea ctivation condition sa re
no longer fulfilled. The RAC ES TART Not Pos‐
sible See Operator' sM anual or RACE
START Canceled message appear sint he mul-
tifunctio nd isplay.
i If RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th ev ehicle has been driven ac ertain
distance.
AMG adaptiv es port suspension sys-
tem
General notes The electronicall yc ontrolled damping system
work sc ontinuously. This improve sd riving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on: R
your driving style, e.g .s portyR
th er oad surface condition ,e .g .b umpsR
your individua ls electio no f Sport or Comfort
The suspension settin gisa djusted usin gt he
correspondin gb utto nint he cente rc onsole.
i The mod ec an also be set usin gt he AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller ( Y
page 129).
Eac ht im ey ou start th ee ng in ew it ht he Smart-
Key or th eS ta rt/Sto pb utton, Comfort mod ei s
activated. For further informatio na bout starting
th ee ng ine, see ( Y
page 125).Driving systems 159
Driving and parking Z