2018 MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV automatic transmission

RAccelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
RAvoid high engine speeds, except when driv-
ing on sandy and muddy routes with high driv-
ing resistance.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the gradient.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift into a lower gear in good time
on long and steep downhill gradients.
Hill start assist will aid you when pulling away on a hill. For further information about hill start
assist, see (
Ypage 127).
Do not shift into transmission position iwhen
driving off-road. You could lose control of the
vehicle if you attempt to brake the vehicle using
the service brake. If the gradient is too steep for
your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure angle
values (
Ypage 334).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability
Always observe the maximum gradient climbing
ability values (Ypage 334).
Hilltops
When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immediately
before reaching the brow of the hill. Make use of
the vehicle's own impetus to travel over the
brow.
This style of driving prevents:
Rthe vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
Rthe vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill
RDrive slowly.
RDo not drive at an angle down steep inclines.
Steer into the line of fall and drive with the
front wheels aligned straight. Otherwise, the
vehicle could slip sideways, tip and rollover.
RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter before tackling steep
downhill gradients.
RActivate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the vehicle is facing in the direction of the line of
fall.
RCheck that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
Off-road ABS is activated when the off-road pro-
gram is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the front
wheels lock cyclically during braking. The dig-
ging-in effect achieved in the process reduces
the stopping distance on off-road terrain. The
steerability of the vehicle is considerably
reduced if the wheels lock.
Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes
Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. On long and steep
downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is
laden, you must select a low gear in good time.
You need to shift manually using the steering
wheel paddle shifters beforehand. By doing so,
you will make 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 limit the speed to any
speed between 20 mph (30 km/h) and the tech-
nically permitted maximum speed of the vehicle.
Use cruise control if road and traffic conditions
make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed
for a prolonged period.
The speed indicated in the speedometer may
differ slightly from the speed stored.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise con-
trol can neither reduce the risk of an accident
nor override the laws of physics. Cruise control
cannot take into account the road, traffic and
weather conditions. Cruise control 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.
154Driving systems
Driving an d parking

iCruise controlisnot deactivated ifyou
depr ess the accelerator pedal.For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the veh icle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
XBriefly press the cruise control lever forwards
=.
or
XBrake.
Cruise control isautomatically deactivated if:
Rthe veh icle issecured with the electr icpark-
ing brake
Ryou are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
RESP®intervenes or you deactivate ESP®
Ryou shift the transmission to position i
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
trol Offmessage in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
iWhen 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-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehicles
are detected with the aid of the radar sensor
system. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC brakes auto-
matically to avoid exceeding the set speed or to
maintain the designated distance from the vehi-
cle in front.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually
and acoustically. Without your intervention, Dis-
tance Pilot DISTRONIC cannot prevent a colli-
sion. An intermittent warning tone will then
sound and the distance warning lamp will light
up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in order to increase the distance to the vehicle in
front or take evasive action provided it is safe to
do so. Distance Pilot DISTRONIC operates in the range
between 0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph
(200 km/h).
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is especially
important if the 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
prevents the brakes from overheating and wear-
ing too qu ickly
.
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.
Since Distance 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's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
iUSA 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.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
iCanada 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 al tering o
f the device
will void any warranties, and is not permitted.
Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-
approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this device
could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
156Driving system s
Driving an d parking

Cruise control lever
:Stores the current speed or a higher speed
;Stores the current speed or a lower speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Stores the current speed or calls up the last
stored speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activation conditions
!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
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up to
two minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
RParking Pilot must not be activated.
Rthe transmission must be in position h.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromjtoh or your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door must be closed.
RDSR must be deactivated.
Rthe vehicle must not skid.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?, up :or down ;.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XKeep the cruise control lever pressed up :or
down ;until the desired speed is set.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored spee d.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DistancePilotSuspendedmes-
sage appears in the multifunction display. The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in
front will then not be maintained. You will be
driving at the speed you determine by the
position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 20 mph (30 km/h).
Drivin gwit hDistance Pilo tDISTRONI C
Activating at th ecurrent speed/last
stored speed
GWARNING
If you cal lup th estored speed and it differs
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicle acceler -
ates or decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
stored speed, th evehicle could accelerat eor
brake unexpectedly. There is aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to th eroad and traffic condi-
tion sbefor ecallin gup th estored speed. If you
do no tknow th estored speed, stor eth e
desire dspeed again .
XBriefly pull th ecruise contro llever toward s
you ?.
XRemov eyour foot from th eaccelerator pedal.
The first time Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC is
activated, it stores th ecurren tspeed or reg -
ulates th espeed of th evehicle to th eprevi-
ousl ystored speed.
158Driving systems
Driving an d parking

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
Driving systems159
Driving and parking
Z

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
160Driving systems
Driving and parking

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
162Driving system s
Driving an d parking

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 .
Driving systems163
Driving and parking
Z

Warning displays
:Segments on the left-hand side of the vehi-
cle
;Segments on the right-hand side of the vehi-cle
=Segments showing operational readiness
The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located on
the dashboard above the center air vents. The
warning display for the rear area is located on
the headliner in the rear compartment.
The warning display for each side of the vehicle
is divided into five yellow and two red segments.
Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is operational if yel-
low segments showing operational readiness =
light up.
The gear lever position or the transmission posi-
tion of the automatic transmission and the
direction in which the vehicle is rolling deter-
mine which warning display is active when the
engine is running.
Transmission posi-
tionWarning display
hFront area activated
k, ior the vehicle
is rolling backwardsRear and front areas
activated
jNo areas activated
One or more segments light up as the vehicle
approaches an obstacle, depending on the vehi-
cle's distance from the obstacle. In addition,
warning tones are issued.
When the distance to the obstacle is sufficient,
you will hear an intermittent warning tone. The
shorter the distance to the obstacle, the shorter
the frequency of the intermittent warning tones
becomes. When the minimum distance is
reached, you hear a continuous warning tone.
Deactivating or activating Parking
Assist PARKTRONIC
:Indicator lamp
;Deactivates or activates Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC
If indicator lamp :is lit, Parking Assist
PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
iParking Assist PARKTRONIC is automati-
cally activated when you turn the SmartKey to position 2in the ignition lock.
170Driving systems
Driving and parking