2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV Owner's Manual

Pulling away and driving
XIf you want to pull away with Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC:remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
XIf Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated:
accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
to that of the vehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
The vehicle can also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a differ-
ent line from another vehicle. The vehicle then
brakes automatically. Be ready to brake at all
times.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a slower-
moving vehicle in front, it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, the distance you have selected is main-
tained.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a faster-
moving vehicle in front, it increases the driving
speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated
up to the speed you have stored.
iDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
when you depress the brake, except when the vehicle is stationary.
Selecting the drive program
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style when you select the S+drive pro-
gram (
Ypage 136) or the manual drive program
(Ypage 138). Acceleration behind the vehicle in
front or to the set speed is then noticeably more
dynamic. If you have selected the E(Mercedes-
AMG vehicles: C) drive program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is recom-
mended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If when driving on multilane roads you wish to
change to the overtaking lane, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is maintaining the
distance to a vehicle in front
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.
Stopping
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that the
vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle
until it is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains sta-
tionary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
iAfter a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service
brake.
iDepending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in
front. The specified minimum distance is set
using the control on the cruise control lever.
When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated,
the transmission is shifted automatically to
position jif:
Rthe driver's seat belt is not fastened and the
driver's door is open.
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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs.
Rthe power supply is insufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, the transmission may
also shift to position jautomatically.
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 ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
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the cruise control lever up:or down ;to
the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases
in 1 mph (1 km/h) increments.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;
beyond the pressure point.
The last stored speed increases or decreases in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
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.
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 168).
The specified minimum distance can be
changed while Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
switched on or off.
iMake sure that you maintain the minimum
distance to the vehicle in front as required by
law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front
if necessary.
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.
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
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. Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is not deactivated if you depress
the accelerator pedal.
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 position j,kori
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Ryou pull thecruise control lever toward syou
in order to pull away and th efront-passenger
doo ror on eof th erear doors is open
Rth evehicl eis skiddin g
Ryou switch on Parking Pilo t
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis automatically
deactivated, you will hear awarnin gtone .The
Distance Pilot Off
message appears in th e
multifunction display for approximately fiv esec -
onds.
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis also automatically
deactivated when you activat eDSR. The Ã
DS Rsymbol appears in th emultifunction dis-
play.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC displays in
the instrume nt cluster
Displaysin th espeedomete r
WhenDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI CPLU Sis activa-
te dand there are no vehicles detecte din front,
on eor tw osegments ;in th eset speed range
ligh tup.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects avehicl ein
front, segments ;between speed of th evehi-
cle in fron t= and store dspeed :ligh tup.
iFo rdesign reasons, th espeed displayed in
th espeedometer may differ slightly from th e
speed set for Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC.
Display when Distanc ePilot DISTRONIC is
deactivated
In th eAssistance men u (Ypage 193) of theon -
boar dcomputer, you can select th eassistanc e
display.
:Vehicl ein front, if detecte d
;Distanceindicator, curren tdistanc eto th e
vehicl ein fron t
=Specifie dminimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
?Your vehicl e
XSelectth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcomputer (Ypage 194).
Display when Distanc ePilot DISTRONIC is
activated
You will initially see th estore dspeed for about
fiv eseconds when you activat eDistanc ePilo t
DISTRONIC.
:Vehicl ein front, if detecte d
;Specifiedminimum distanc eto th evehicl e
in front; adjustable
=Your vehicl e
?DistancePilo tDISTRONI Cactive (tex tonly
appears when th ecruise control lever is
actuated)
XSelec tth eAssistanc eGraphi cfunction
usin gth eon-boar dcomputer (Ypage 194).
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Tips for driving with Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC
General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
RCornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Distance Pilot DISTRONIC to detect
vehicles during cornering is limited. Your vehi-
cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
RDriving on a different line: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC may not detect vehicles which are
not driving in the middle of their lane. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
ROther vehicles changing lanes: Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC has not detected the vehicle cut-
ting in yet. The distance to this vehicle will be
too short.
RNarrow vehicles: Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
has not yet detected the vehicle in front on
the edge of the road because of its narrow
width. The distance to the vehicle in front willbe too short.
RObstacles and stationary vehicles: Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles
or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and an obsta-cle or stationary vehicle is then revealed, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC will not brake for
them.
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC may mistakenly
detect vehicles that are crossing your lane. If
you activate Distance Pilot DISTRO
NIC in the
following situations, the vehicle could pull
away unintentionally:
-At traffic lights with crossing traffic, for
example.
-With a vehicle ahead on the other side of an
intersection and the HOLD function active.
In such situations, brake if necessary. Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC will then be deactivated.
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.
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If the vehicle is only braked using the HOLD
function, the vehicle may roll away in the fol-
lowing situations when you leave the vehicle:
Rif there is a malfunction in the system or in the voltage supply
Rif the HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. by a vehicle occupant
Rif the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with or the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Always deactivate the HOLD function and
secure the vehicle against rolling away before
you leave it.
!When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC or the
HOLD function is activated, the vehicle
brakes automatically in certain situations.
To avoid damage to the vehicle, deactivate
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC and the HOLD
function in the following or similar situations:
Rwhen towing the vehicle
Rin the car wash
Deactivating the HOLD function (
Ypage 163).
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
RDistance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
Rthe transmission is in position h,kori
on vehicles with automatic transmission
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Activating the HOLD function
XMakesur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further
until :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
iIf depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time
does no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait
briefl yand then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate .On vehicles wit hautomatic
transmission :only when th etransmission is in
position hork.
Rthetransmission is in position jon vehicles
wit hautomatic transmission .
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil :disappear s
from th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDistanc ePilo tDISTRONIC.
Ryou secure th evehicl eusin gth eelectric park -
ing brake.
iAfte r atime, th eelectric parking brak e
secures th evehicl eand relieves th eservic e
brake.
When th eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is automatically shifte dto position j
if:
Rth edriver's seat belt is no tfastene dand th e
driver's door is open
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function The electric parking brak
esecures th evehicl e
automatically if th eHOLD function is activated
when th evehicl eis stationary and :
Rasystem malfunction occur s
Rthepowe rsupply is insufficien t
Start-off Assist (except Mercedes-
AMG vehicles)
Import ant safety notes
GWARNIN G
If you use start-off assist ,individual wheels
may start to spin and th evehicl emay skid. If
ES P
®is deactivated, there is agreate rdanger
of skiddin gand having an accident. Mak esur e
that no person sor obstacles are in th evicinity
of th evehicle.
Start-off assist enables optimum acceleration
from astandstill. Fo rthis, asuitably high-grip
road surfac eis require dand th evehicl eand tires
mus tbe in goo dworking order.
Do no tactivat estart-off assist on public roads.
Observ eth esafet ynote son drivin gsafet ysys-
tems (
Ypage 60) .
Be sur eto read th esafet ynote sand information
on ES P
®(Ypage 63).
Activating start-off assist
XDeactivat eES P®(Ypage 194).
XTurn th esteering whee lto th estraight-ahead
position .
XFirmly depress th ebrak epedal wit hyour lef t
foo tand keep it depressed.
XShift th etransmission to position h.
XUse theDYNAMIC SELECT butto nto select
th eS drive program (Ypage 130).
XQuicklydepress th eaccelerato rpedal fully.
XTak eyour foo toff th ebrake, but keep th e
accelerato rpedal depressed.
The vehicl epulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
iActivat eES P®as soo nas th eacceleration
process has ended. ES P®will otherwise not
be able to stabiliz eth evehicl eif th evehicl e
start sto skid or awhee lstart sto spin .
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Canceling start-off assist
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
XReactivate ESP®.
RACE START (Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles)
Important safety notes
iRACE ST ART must not beused on normal
roads. RACE ST ART must only be activated
and used on dedicated road circuits, outside
of public road use.
iRACE ST ARTisonly availab le in
Mercedes‑AMG veh icles.
GWAR NING
If you use RACE ST ART, individual tires may
start to spinand the veh iclecould skid.
Dependin g on the selected ESP
®mode, there
is an increased risk of skiddin g and having an
acc iden t. Make sure that no persons, animals
or obstacles are within range of the veh icle.
RACE ST ART enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start. For this, a suitably high-grip
road surface isrequired and the veh icleand tires
must be ingood working order.
iObserve the safety notes on driving safety
systems (Ypage 60).
Be sure to read the safety notes and informa-
tion on ESP
®(Ypage 63).
Conditions for activation
You can activate RACE START if:
Rthe doors, hood and the trunk lidare closed.
Rthe engine isrunning and the transmission,
all- wheel drive clutch and the engine are at
operating temperature.
Rthe steering wheel is inthe straight-ahead
position.
Rthe veh icle isstationary and the brake pedal is
depr essed (left foot).
Rthe transmission is inposition h.
Rdrive program S,S+ orRACE isselected
(Ypage 131)
Activating RACE START
XDepress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
XPull and hold both steering wheel paddle shift-
ers.
XThe RACE START Confirm: Paddle UPCancel: Paddle DOWNmessage appears in
the multifunction display.
XRelease both steering wheel paddle shifters.
iIf the activation conditions are no longer ful-
fille d,RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Not Possible See Operator'sManualmessage appears in the multifunction
display.
XTo cancel: pull the left steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 138).
or
XTo confi rm:pull the right steering wheel pad-
dle shifter (Ypage 138).
The RACESTARTAvailableDepressgaspedalmessage appears inthe multifunction
display.
iIf you donot depress the accelerator pedal
wit hin a few seconds, RACE START is can-
celed. The multifunction display shows the
RACE START Canceled
message.
XFully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed is increased.
The RACE
STARTReleasebraketostartmessage appears in the multifunction display.
iIfyou do not release the brake pedal within
a short time, RACE START willbe canceled.
The multifunction display shows theRACE
START Canceledmessage.
XTake your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum acceler-
ation.
The RACE
STARTActivemessage 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
ST ART or ifany of the activation conditions are
no longer fulfilled. The RACE START Not Pos‐
sible See Operator's ManualorRACESTART Canceledmessage appears inthe mul-
tifunction display.
164Driving systems
Driving and parking

iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after the vehicle has been driven a certain
distance.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection of SportorComfort
The suspension setting is adjusted using the
corresponding button in the center console.
iThe mode can also be set using the AMG
DYNAMIC SELECT controller (Ypage 131).
Each time you start the engine with the Smart-
Key or the Start/Stop button, Comfortmode is
activated. For further information about starting
the engine, see (
Ypage 124).
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.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. You have selected
Sport mode. The
AMG Suspension System SPORT
mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
Comfort mode
In Comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Select this
mode if you favor a more comfortable driving
style, but also when driving fast on straight
roads, e.g. highways.
XPress button :again so that indicator
lamp ;goes out.
You have selected Comfortmode.
The AMG
SuspensionSystemCOMFORTmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
4MATIC
!
Never tow the vehicle with one axle raised.
This may damage the differential. Damage of
this sort is not covered by the Mercedes-Benz
Limited Warranty. All wheels must remain
either on the ground or be fully raised.
Observe the instructions for towing the vehi-
cle with all wheels in full contact with the
ground.
4MATIC, together with ESP
®, improves the trac-
tion of your vehicle whenever a drive wheel
spins due to insufficient grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC can neither reduce the risk of accident nor override
the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot take
account of road, weather and traffic conditions.
4MATIC 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.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
ROnly depress the accelerator pedal as far as
necessary when pulling away.
RAccelerate less when driving.
iIn wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if you
use winter tires (M+S tires), with snow chains
if necessary.
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DSR
General notes
iDS R(Downhill Speed Regulation )is only
available fo rvehicles wit hth eON&OFFROA D
package.
DS Ris an aid to assist you when drivin gdown -
hill .It keeps th espeed of trave lat th espeed
selecte don th eon-boar dcomputer. The steeper
th edownhill gradient ,th egreater th eDS Rbrak-
in g effect on th evehicle. Whe ndrivin gon fla t
stretches of road or on an uphill gradient ,th e
DS Rbraking effect is minimal or nonexistent.
DS Rcontrols th evehicle’s speed when it is acti-
vated and th etransmissio nis in position h,k
or i .You can drive at ahigher or alowe rspeed
than that set on th eon-boar dcompute rat any
time by acceleratin gor braking .
Important safet ynotes
GWARNING
If th espeed driven and th eset speed deviat e
and you activat eDS Ron aslipper yroad sur -
face, th ewheels may los etraction .There is an
increase ddanger of skidding and accidents .
Before switchin gDS Ron ,please take into
consideration th eroad surfac eand th ediffer-
ence between drivin gspeed and th eset
speed.
If you fail to adapt your drivin gstyle, DS Rcan
neither reduce th eris kof acciden tno roverride
th elaws of physics. DS Rcanno ttake accoun tof
road, weather and traffic conditions. DS Ris only
an aid. You are responsible fo rth edistanc eto
th evehicle in front, fo rvehicle speed, fo rbrak-
in g in goo dtime and fo rstayin gin your lane.
You are always responsible fo rkeepin gcontro l
of th evehicle and fo rassessin gwhether th e
downhill gradient can be managed .DS Rmay no t
always be able to keep to th eset speed, depend -
in gon road surfac eand tire conditions. Selec t a
set speed suitable fo rth eprevailin gcondition s
and when necessary, apply th ebrake smanually.
Further information about "Drivin goff-road"
(
Ypage 151).
Activating/deactivating DSR
If you activat eDS Rand no speed has bee nset ,
th evehicle decelerates to 4mph (Canada:
6 km/h).
You can only activat eDS Rwhen drivin gat
speeds belo w19 mph (Canada: 30 km/h).
Activatin gDS R
XPress butto n:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The status indicator in th emultifunction dis -
play shows, e.g. DSR6km/ h
.
If th ecurren tvehicle speed is to ohigh, th eDS R
symbol appears on th emultifunction display.
You will also see th emessage: Max.Speed
30 km/ h.
If you ente ror exit aparking spac eusin gActive
Parking Assist, and press butto n:, indicator
lamp ;flashes .DS Rcan then no tbe switched
on .
Deactivatin gDS R
XPress butto n:.
Indicator lamp ;goe sout .
The DS Rsymbol appears in th emultifunction
display wit hth eOff
message.
DS Ris deactivated automatically if you drive
faste rthan 22 mph (Canada: 35 km/h). The DS R
symbol appears in th emultifunction display
alon gwit hth eOff
message. You also hear a
warnin gtone .
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Driving an d parking