
The full screen option is only available in the fol-
lowing views:
RTop view with picture from the rear view cam-
era
RTop view with picture from the front camera
Multimedia display
Important safety notes
The camera system may show a distorted view
of obstacles, show them incorrectly or not at all.
Obstacles are not shown by the system in the
following locations:
Runder the front and rear bumpers
Rvery close to the front and rear bumpers
Rin the area immediately above the tailgate
handle
Rvery close to the exterior mirrors
Rin the transitional areas between the various
cameras in the virtual top view
!Objects not at ground level may appear to
be further away than they actually are, e.g.:
Rthe bumper of a parked vehicle
Rthe drawbar of a trailer
Rthe ball coupling of a trailer tow hitch
Rthe rear section of an HGV
Ra slanted post
Use the guidelines only for orientation.
Approach objects no further than the bottom-
most guideline.
Top view with picture from the rear view
camera
:Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the rear of the
vehicle
;Symbol for the split screen setting with top
view and rear view camera image
=Guide lines for the maximum steering input
?Yellow lanes marking the course the tires
will take at the current steering wheel angle
(dynamic)
AYellow guide lines for vehicle width including
the exterior mirrors – dynamic for current
steering input
BVehicle center axis (locating aids)
CYellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 3 ft (1.0 m) from the rear of the vehi-
cle
DBumper
ERed guide line at a distance of approximately
12 in (0.30 m) from the rear of the vehicle
When reverse gear is selected, guide lines
appear on the camera image.
The distance specifications only apply to
objects that are at ground level.
Top view with picture from the front cam-
era
:Symbol for the split screen setting with top
view and front camera image
;Yellow guide line at a distance of approx-
imately 13 ft (4.0 m) from the front of the
vehicle
Driving systems187
Driving and parking
Z 

XSwitch off the engine.
XClose the doors and tailgate.
XCouple up the trailer.
XEstablish the electrical connection between
the vehicle and the trailer.
XCheck that the trailer lighting system is work-
ing.
XPush the combination switch upwards/down-wards and check whether the corresponding
turn signal on the trailer flashes.
A trailer that is connected is recognized only
when the electrical connection is established
correctly and when the lighting system is work-
ing properly. The function of other systems also
depends on this, for example:
RESP®
RPARKTRONIC
RActive Parking Assist
RActive Blind Spot Assist
RActive Lane Keeping Assist
Vehicles with AIR BODY CONTROL: if you couple
up a trailer, the vehicle always remains at high-
way level. Observe the following note when cou-
pling up a trailer:
RUnless highway level has been set manually,
the vehicle is automatically lowered to high-
way level. If a speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) has
been reached, this may be the case.
These restrictions apply to accessories that are
supplied with power via the trailer socket in your
vehicle, e.g. a rear bicycle rack.
Observe the maximum permissible trailer
dimensions (width and length).
Most U.S. states and all Canadian provinces
require by law:
RSafety chains between the towing vehicle and
the trailer. The chains should be cross-wound
under the trailer drawbar. They must be fas-
tened to the vehicle's trailer coupling, not to
the bumper or the axle.
Leave enough play in the chains to make tight
cornering possible.
RA separate brake system for certain types of
trailer.
RSafety switch for braked trailers. Check the
specific legal requirements applicable to your state.
If the trailer becomes detached from the tow-
ing vehicle, the safety feature applies the
trailer brakes.
Towing a trailer
There are several legal requirements for towing
a trailer, e.g. the maximum permissible speed.
Make sure that your car/trailer combination
complies with the local regulations:
Rin your place of residence
Rat your destination
The police and local authorities can provide reli- able information.
To accumulate driving experience and accustom
yourself to the new handling characteristics,
practice the following at a location where there
is no traffic:
RCornering
RStopping
RBacking up
Check the following before the journey:
RTrailer tow hitch
RSafety switch for braked trailers
RSafety chains
RElectrical connections
RLighting system
RWheels and tires
RLoad securing
Adjust the exterior mirrors so that you have a
clear view of the rear section of the trailer.
If the trailer is equipped with electronically con-
trolled brakes, pull away carefully in the car/
trailer combination. Brake manually using the
brake controller and check whether the brakes
function correctly.
Regularly check that the load is secure.
When towing a trailer, your vehicle's handling
characteristics will be different in comparison
with when driving without a trailer.
The vehicle/trailer combination:
Ris heavier
Ris restricted in its acceleration and gradient-
climbing capability
Rhas an increased braking distance
Ris affected more by strong crosswinds
Rdemands more sensitive steering
Rhas a larger turning circle
Avoid sudden steering movements.
Avoid braking abruptly. If possible, brake gently
at first to allow the trailer to run on. Then,
increase the braking force rapidly.
Towing a trailer203
Driving and parking
Z 

When overtaking, pay particular attention to the
extended length of your vehicle/trailer combi-
nation.
Due to the length of the vehicle/trailer combi-
nation, you require additional road space when
overtaking before you can change back to the
original lane.
If the automatic transmission repeatedly shifts
between gears on uphill or downhill gradients,
shift to a lower gear.
Driving in a lower gear and at a reduced speed
decreases the risk of engine damage.
If the coolant temperature increases signifi-
cantly when climate control is switched on,
switch climate control off.
Coolant heat can also be dissipated by opening
the windows and switching the ventilation
blower and the interior temperature to the high-
est level.
Decoupling a trailer
GWARNING
If you uncouple a trailer with the overrun
brake engaged, you could trap your hand
between the vehicle and the trailer drawbar.
There is a risk of injury.
Do not uncouple a trailer if the overrun brake
is engaged.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is lowered as soon as you discon-
nect the trailer cable. This could result in your
limbs or those of other people that are
between the vehicle body and tires or under-
neath the vehicle being trapped. There is a
risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the immediate
vicinity of the wheel housings or under the
vehicle when you disconnect the trailer cable.
!Do not disconnect a trailer with an engaged
overrun brake. Otherwise, your vehicle could
be damaged by the rebounding of the overrun
brake.
XApply the vehicle's parking brake manually.
XShift the transmission to position j.
XClose all doors and the tailgate.
XSwitch off the engine.
XSecure the vehicle and trailer against rolling
away.
XRemove the trailer cable.
XRemove the safety chains, if there are any.
XUncouple the trailer.
Removing the ball coupling
XObserve the manufacturer's installation
instructions.
XPress the protective cap into the ball coupling
recess.
XMake sure that the protective cap is firmly in
place.
Observe the loading guidelines (
Ypage 276)
and the safety notes regarding stowage spaces
(
Ypage 276).
Information on cleaning and care of the trailer
tow hitch (
Ypage 313).
Trailer power supply
!
Accessories with a maximum power con-
sumption of 180 W can be connected to the
permanent power supply.
You must not charge a trailer battery using the
power supply.
The trailer socket of your vehicle is equipped at
the factory with a permanent power supply.
The permanent power supply is supplied via
trailer socket pin 4.
The trailer's permanent power supply is
switched off in the event of low vehicle supply
voltage and after six hours at the latest.
A qualified specialist workshop can provide
more information about installing the trailer
electrics.
Permissible trailer loads and trailer
drawbar noseweights
Weight specifications
The gross trailer weight is calculated as the
weight of the trailer plus the weight of the load
and the trailer's equipment.
204Towing a trailer
Driving and parking 

Display messagesPossible causes/consequences andMSolutions
StopVehicl eLeaveEngineRunnin gWaitTransmission Cool‐ing
The transmission has overheated. Pullin gaway can be temporarily
impaire dor no tpossible.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions. Do no tcontinu edrivin g
under any circumstances.
XLeav eth eengin erunning.
XWait until th edisplay message disappear sbefore pullin gaway.
AThe tailgat eis open
GWARNIN G
Whe nth eengin eis running, exhaust gase scan ente rth evehicl einte-
rio rif th etailgat eis open .
There is aris kof poisoning .
XCloseth etailgate.
?The hoo dis open . Awarning tone also sounds.
GWARNIN G
The open hoo dmay bloc kyour vie wwhen th evehicl eis in motion .
There is aris kof an accident.
XPull ove rand stop th evehicl esafely as soo nas possible, payin g
attention to roa dand traffic conditions.
XSecur eth evehicl eagainst rollin gaway (Ypage 151).
XCloseth ehood.
CAt least on edoor is open . Awarning tone also sounds.
XClos eall th edoors.
_
Rea rLef tBackrestNot Latche dorRea rRight Backrest NotLatche d
Vehiclewit hthrough-loading feature in th erear bench seat :
The backrest in th erear is no tengage don th eleft-han dand/o rright -
han dside .
XPush th ebackrest bac kuntil it engages.
_
Rea rCenter Back‐res tNot Engage d
Vehiclewit hthrough-loading facilit yin th erear compartment:
The center rear seat backrest is no tengaged.
XPush th ebackrest bac kuntil it engages.
252Display messages
On-board computer and displays 

Stowage areas
Loading guidelines
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. If the tailgate
is open when the engine is running, particu-
larly if the vehicle is moving, exhaust fumes
could enter the passenger compartment.
There is a risk of poisoning.
Turn off the engine before opening the tail-
gate. Never drive with the tailgate open.
GWARNING
If objects, luggage or loads are not secured or
not secured sufficiently, they could slip, tip
over or be flung around and thereby hit vehicle
occupants. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sudden braking or a sud-
den change in direction.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping before the
journey.
GWARNING
The exhaust tail pipe and tail pipe trim can
become very hot. If you come into contact
with these parts of the vehicle, you could burn
yourself. There is a risk of injury.
Always be particularly careful around the
exhaust tail pipe and the tail pipe trim. Allow
these components to cool down before touch-
ing them.
The handling characteristics of a laden vehicle
are dependent on the distribution of the load
within the vehicle. For this reason, you should
observe the following notes when transporting a
load:
RNever exceed the maximum permissible
gross vehicle mass or the gross axle weight
rating for the vehicle (including occupants).
The values are specified on the vehicle iden-
tification plate on the B-pillar of the driver's
door.
RThe cargo compartment is the preferred place
to carry objects.
RPosition heavy loads as far forwards as pos-
sible and as low down in the cargo compart-
ment as possible.
RThe load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
RAlways place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
RHook in the cargo net when loading.
RSecure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant tie-downs. Pad sharp edges for protection.
Stowage spaces
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you transport objects in the vehicle interior
and these are not adequately secured, they
could slip or be flung around and thereby
strike vehicle occupants. In addition, cup
holders, open stowage spaces and mobile
phone brackets may not always be able to
hold the objects placed in them in the event of
an accident. There is a risk of injury, particu-
larly in the event of sharp braking or sudden
changes of direction.
RAlways stow objects in such a way that they cannot be tossed about in these or similar
situations.
RAlways make sure that objects do not pro-
trude out of the stowage spaces, luggage
nets or stowage nets.
REnsure that closable stowage spaces are
shut before beginning your journey.
RAlways stow and secure heavy, hard, poin-
ted, sharp-edged, fragile or large objects in
the cargo compartment.
Observe the loading guidelines (
Ypage 276).
276Stowage areas
Stowage and features 

Both outside seat backrests in the rear com-
partment are electrically unlocked with the
release handles either in the cargo compart-
ment or beside the seat backrests in the rear
compartment (vehicles with EASY-PACK tailgate
only). The corresponding rear seat backrests
then fold forward automatically.
Folding the rear seat backrests forward
Preparation
XVehicles without memory function: if neces-
sary, move the driver's or front-passenger
seat forward.
XVehicles with memory function: when one or
both parts of the rear seat backrest are folded
forward, the respective front seat moves
forward slightly, when necessary, in order to
avoid contact.
When the engine is running, the driver's seat
does not move forward.
XFully insert the rear seat backrest head
restraints.
XHook seat belt buckle tongue:through seat
belt retainer ;.
Release handle in the cargo compartment
XPull the left or right release handle :.
The corresponding backrest folds forward.
XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Release handle next to the seat backrest
The release handle beside the seat backrest is
only present in vehicles with an EASY-PACK tail- gate.
XPull the left or right release handle :beside
the seat backrests.
The corresponding backrest folds forward.
XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Middle rear seat backrest
XPull release lever ;forward.
Rear seat backrest :is released.
XFold rear seat backrest :forward.
XMove the driver's or front-passenger seat
back if necessary.
Folding the rear seat backrest back
!Make sure that the seat belt does not
become trapped when folding the rear seat
backrest back. Otherwise, it could be dam-
aged.
280Stowage areas
Stowage and features 

Coat hooks on the tailgate
:Coat hook
Cargo compartment plug-in module
(telescope bars)
General notes
The cargo compartment plug-in module allows
you to use your cargo compartment for a variety
of purposes.
The following accessory parts are located under
the cargo compartment floor:
Ra telescopic rod
Rtwo mounting elements
Rtwo brackets
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive when the cargo compartment floor is open, objects could be flung around, thus
striking vehicle occupants. There is a risk of
injury, particularly in the event of sudden
braking or a sudden change in direction.
Always close the cargo compartment floor
before a journey.
Installation
XOpen cargo compartment floor ;
(Ypage 285).
XAttach brackets :in the desired position on
the side of cargo compartment floor ;.
XClose cargo compartment floor;.
XTurn mounting elements=to=.
XInsert mounting elements =into brack-
ets :.
XPull telescopic rod ?apart.
XInsert telescopic rod ?into mounting ele-
ments =.
XTurn both mounting elements =to& until
you feel them engage.
Stowage well under the cargo com-
partment floor
Important safety notes
GWARNING
If you drive when the cargo compartment floor is open, objects could be flung around, thus
striking vehicle occupants. There is a risk of
Stowage areas285
Stowage and features
Z 

injury, particularly in the event of sudden
braking or a sudden change in direction.
Always close the cargo compartment floor
before a journey.
The following items are located beneath the
cargo compartment floor:
Rthe folding box
Rtire-change tool kit
RTIREFIT kit
Rthe EASY-PACK load-securing kit
Opening/closing the cargo compart-
ment floor
XTo open: open the tailgate.
XPress handle :on ribbing ;down.
Handle :folds up.
XPull handle :and fold the cargo compart-
ment floor forward.
XFold out hook ?on the underside of the
cargo compartment floor and attach it to head restraint guide A.
XTo close:unclip the hook ?from the head
restraint guide A.
XHold tab=and fold the cargo compartment
floor back.
XPress the cargo compartment floor down until
it engages.
Locking/unlocking the cargo compart-
ment floor
1Cargo compartment floor unlocked
2Cargo compartment floor locked
The cargo compartment floor can be locked and
unlocked using the mechanical key.
Roof carrier
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When you load the roof, the center of gravity
of the vehicle rises and the driving character-
istics change. If you exceed the maximum roof
load, the driving characteristics, as well as
steering and braking, will be greatly impaired.
There is a risk of an accident.
286Stowage areas
Stowage and features