
RStarting the engine.
In addition, they may operate vehicle equip‐
ment and become trapped.
#Ne ver lea vechildren unatte nded inthe
ve hicle.
#When leaving theve hicle, alw aysta ke
th e SmartK eywith you and lock the
ve hicle.
The electric parking brake is applied if the trans‐
mission is in position jand one of thefo llow‐
ing conditions is fulfilled:
RThe engine is switched off.
RThe seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
% Toprev ent application: pull the handle of the
electric parking brake.
In thefo llowing situations, the electric parking
brake is also engaged:
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is bringing
th eve hicle toast andstill.
RThe HOLD function is keeping theve hicle sta‐
tionar y.
RActive Parking Assist is keeping theve hicle
st ationar y.
This is only the case if one of thefo llowing con‐
ditions is also fulfilled:
RThe engine is switched off.
RThe seat belt tongue is not inser ted in the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat and the
driver's door is opened.
RThere is a sy stem malfunction.
RThe po wer supply is insuf ficient.
RThe vehicle is stationary for a lengt hyperiod.
When the electric parking brake is applied, the
re dF (USA) or !(Canada) indicator lamp
appears in the instrument clus ter.
The electric parking brake is not automatically
applied if the engine is switched off bythe ECO
st art/ stop function. Electric parking brake function (releasing
automatically)
The electric parking brake is
released when the
fo llowin
g conditions are fulfilled:
RThe engine is running.
RThe seat belt tongue is inser ted into the seat
belt buckle of the driver's seat.
RThe transmission is in position hork and
yo u depress the accelera tor pedal or you
shift from transmission position jtoh or
k.
RIf th e transmission is in position k,the
trunk lid must be closed.
If th e seat belt tongue is not inser ted into the
seat belt buckle of the driver's seat, thefo llow‐
ing conditions must be fulfilled:
RThe driver's door is closed.
RYo u mo vethe transmission out of transmis‐
sion position joryou ha veprev iously
driven faster than 2 mph (3 km/h).
RIfth e transmission is in position k,the
trunk lid must be closed.
148
Driving and pa rking

Changeinto a lowerge ar in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. Take particular
no te ofthis when driving a laden vehicle. By
doing so, youwill make use of the braking ef fect
of the engine. 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:
RIn traf fic situations whi chrequ ire frequent
ch anges of speed, e.g. in heavy traf fic, on
winding roads.
ROn slippery roads. Accelerating can cause
th e drive wheels tolose traction and the
ve hicle could then skid.
RIfyo u are driving when vis ibilityis poor.
Ope rating cruise control
&
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.
#Ta ke into account the tra ffic situation
before calling up thestored speed.
Re quirements:RESP®must be activated, but not inter vening.
RThe driving speed is at least 15mp h
(20 km/h).
RThe transmission is in position h.
#Toactivate cruise control: pressrock er
switch 1up.
#Toactivate cruise control: pressrock er
switch 2up (SET/+) or down (SET/-).
#Remo veyour foot from the accelerator pedal.
The cur rent speed is stored and maintained
by theve hicle.
#To increase/reduce speed: pressrock er
switch 2up/down tothe pressure point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
1 mp h(1 km/h).
or
#Press rocker switch 2beyond the pressure
point.
The stored speed is increased or reduced by
5 mp h(1 0 km/h).
or
#Ac celerate theve hicle tothe desired speed.
#Press rocker switch 2up.
If cruise control is activated and Traf fic Sign
Assist has detected a speed restriction sign wi th
a maximum permissible speed and this is dis‐
pla yed in the instrument clus ter:
Driving and pa rking 16
1

RTopedestrians, animals, bicycles or
mo tor bikes, stationary vehicles or unex‐
pected obs tacles.
RTo complex traffic situations.
RTo oncoming vehicles and crossing traf‐
fi c.
Ac tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC can nei‐
th er give warnings nor inter vene in such sit‐
uations.
#Alw ays obser vethe tra ffic conditions
carefully and react accordingl y.
OperatingActive Di stance Assist DI STRO NIC
Re quirements:
RThe vehicle has been star ted.
RThe elect ric park ing brake is released.
RESP®is activated and is not inter vening.
RThe transmission is in position h.
RAllthe doors are closed.
RCheck of thera dar sensor sy stem success‐
fully comple ted (vehicle tra veling fasterthan
12 mp h (20 km/h)).
#Toactivate/deacti vate Active Di stance
Assist DI STRO NIC: press button 1.
#Toactivate Active Di stance Assist
DI STRO NIC:press rock er switch 3up (SET
+) or down (SET-), or press rocker switch 4
up. Remo veyour foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The cur rent speed is stored and maintained
by theve hicle. or
#To
activate Active Di stance Assist
DI STRO NIC with a stored speed: press
rock er switch 4up. Remo veyour foot from
th e accelerator pedal.
% Ifrock er switch 4is pressed up twice while
driving, Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is
acti vated with the speed restriction dis‐
play ed in the instrument clus ter.
#To accept the displa yed speed restriction
when Active Di stance Assist DI STRONIC
is active: pressrocker switch 4(RES) up.
The speed limit displa yed in the instrument
clus ter is ado pted as thestored speed. The
ve hicle adapts its speed tothat of theve hicle
in front, but only up tothestored speed.
#To pull away wit hDistance Assis t
DISTRONIC activated: remo veyour foot
from the brake pedal.
#Press rocker switch 4(RES) up.
or
16 4
Driving and pa rking

3Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC acti ve,
speed stored, no vehicle de tected (gr ayvehi‐
cle symbol)
4Ac tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC acti ve,
speed stored, vehicle de tected (green vehi‐
cle symbol)
5Ac tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC and route-
based speed adap tation acti ve, speed stored
% On highw ays or high-speed major roads, the
green çvehicle symbol is displa yed cycli‐
cally when theve hicle is ready topull away.
Speedome ter
The stored speed is highlighted on the speedom‐
et er. If the speed of theve hicle ahead or the
speed adjustment is less than thestored speed
due tothero ute event ahead, the segments in
th e speedome ter light up. Activation or deacti va‐
tion of Active Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC, as
we ll as alterations in thestored speed and the
dis tance tobe maintained, are displa yed in the
individual control feedback of the multifunction
displa y. Ac
tive Steering Assist status display
1Gr ay steering wheel: Active Steering Assist
switched on and passive
2Green steering wheel: Active Steering Assist
switched on and active
3Ye llow steering wheel flashing: transition
from active topassive status (sy stem limita‐
tion de tected or prom pttothe driver to
actively con firm )
During the transition from the active topassive
st atus, symbol 3is shown as enlar ged and
fl ashes yello w. Once the sy stem is passive, sym‐
bol 1is shown as gr ayinthe multifunction dis‐
pla y.
Information on Hill Start Assist
Hill Start Assist holds theve hicle for a short
time when pulling away on a hill under thefo l‐
lowing conditions:
RThe transmission is in position hork.
RThe elect ric park ing brake is released.
This gives you enough time tomo veyour foot
from the brake pedal tothe accelera tor pedal
and depress it before theve hicle begins toroll.
&
WARNING Risk of accident and injury
caused bytheve hicle rolling away
Af ter a short time, Hill Start Assist no longe r
holds theve hicle and it can rollaw ay.
#Therefore, swiftly mo veyour foot from
th e brake pedal tothe accelerator
pedal. Ne ver attem pttolea vetheve hi‐
cle if it is being held byHill Start Assist.
Driving and parking 17
3

HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holdstheve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. when pulling away uphill.
Sy stem limitations
The HOLD function is only intended toprov ide
assis tance when driving and is not a suff icient
means of safeguarding theve hicle against rolling
aw ay when stationar y.
RThe incline must not be greater than 30%.
Ac tivating/deactivating the HOLD function
&
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being activated when you
lea vetheve hicle
If yo u lea vetheve hicle while only the HOLD
function is braking theve hicle, theve hicle
can rollaw ay inthefo llowing situations:
RIf th ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supply.
RIfth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or the
brake pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant.
RIfth e electrics in the engine compart‐
ment, the battery or the fuses are tam‐
pered with or if the battery is disconnec‐
te d.
#Alw ays deactivate the HOLD function
and secure theve hicle against rolling
aw ay before leaving theve hicle.
* NO
TEDama gefrom au tomatic braking
When Active Brake Assi st,Ac tive Dis tance
Assist DISTRONIC or the HOLD function are
activated, theve hicle brakes autonomously
in cer tain situations.
To avo id damage totheve hicle, deactivate
th ese sy stems in thefo llowing or similar sit‐
uations:
#During towing
#In a car wash
Requirements:RThe vehicle is stationar y.
RThe driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
RThe engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function.
RThe electric parking brake is released.
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is deacti‐
va ted.
RThe transmission is in position h,kori.
Ac tivating the HOLD function
#Dep ress the brake pedal and af ter a short
time quickly depress fur ther until theë
display appears in the multifunction displa y.
#Release the brake pedal.
Deactivating the HOLD function
#Depress the accelerator pedal topull away.
or
#Depress the brake pedal until theë dis‐
play disappears from the multifunction dis‐
pla y.
174
Driving and pa rking

The HOLD function is deactivated inthefo llow‐
ing situations:
RAc tive Dis tance Assist DISTRONIC is acti va‐
te d.
RThe transmission is switched toposition j.
RThevehicle 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:
RThe seat belt is unfas tened and the driver's
door is opened.
RThe engine is switched off.
RThere is a malfunction in the sy stem or the
po we r supply is insuf ficient.
AIR BODY CONT ROL
AIR BODY CONT ROL function
AIR BODY CONTROL is an air suspension sy stem
with variable damping for impr oved driving com‐
fo rt. The all-round le vel control sy stem ensures
th e best possible suspension and const ant
ground clearance, even wi tha laden vehicle.
When driving at speed, theve hicle is lo wered
automatically toimpr ovedriving saf etyand to re
duce fuel consum ption. The option of manually
adjusting theve hicle le vel is also available.
AIR BODY CONTROL comprises:
RAir suspension with automatic all-round le vel
control
RSpeed-dependent lo wering toreduce fuel
consum ption
RManually selecta ble high-level setting for
greater ground clearance
RADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sy stem with
const ant damping forc e adjustment)
RDY NA MIC SELECT switch and le vel button
Driving and parking 17
5

RYouappl yth e parking brake.
RYo u enga getransmission position j.
RESP®intervenes.
RYo u open the trunk lid.
Sy stem limitations
Objects located abo veor below the de tection
ra nge of Active Parking Assist are not de tected
when the parking space is being measured.
These are also not take n into account when the
parking maneuver is calculated, e.g. overhanging
loads, overhangs or loading ramp s of truc ksor
th e boundaries of parking spaces. In some cir‐
cums tances, Active Parking Assist may therefore
guide you into the parking space prematurely.
&
WARNING Risk of accident due to
objects located abo veor below the
de tection range of Active Parking Assist
If th ere are objects abo veor below the
de tection range, thefo llowing situations may
arise:
RAc tive Parking Assist may steer too early.
RVe hicles with automatic transmis‐
sion: Thevehicle may not stop in front of
th ese objects.
This could cause a collision.
#In these situations, do not use Active
Pa rking Assist.
Sn owfa ll or heavy rain may lead toa parking
space being measured inaccuratel y.Pa rking
spaces that are partial lyoccupied bytrailer
dr aw bars might not be identified as such or be
measured incor rectly. Only use Active Parking
Assist on le vel, high-grip ground.
Do no t useActive Parking Assist in thefo llowing
situations:
RIn extreme weather conditions such as ice,
pac ked snow or in heavy rain.
RIfyo u are transporting a load that pr otru des
be yond theve hicle.
RIfth e parking space is on a steep downhill or
uphill gradient.
RIf yo u ha veinstalled snow chains. Ac
tive Parking Assist may also display parking
spaces that are not suitable for parking, e.g.:
RPa rking spaces where parking is prohibited.
RPa rking spaces on unsuitable sur faces.
Ac tive Parking Assist will not assist youwit h
parking spaces at right angles tothe direction of
tr ave l in thefo llowing situations:
RIf two parking spaces are located immedi‐
ately next toeach other.
RIfth e parking space is directly next toa low
obs tacle such as a low curb.
Ac tive Parking Assist will not assist you with
parking spaces at right angles tothe direction of
tr ave l in thefo llowing situat ions:
RIf
th e parking space is on a curb.
RIfth e parking space is bordered byan obs ta‐
cle, e.g. a tree, a post or a traile r.
Driving and parking 18
7

On completion ofthe parking procedure, the
Parking Assist Finished, Take Control of Vehicle
display message appears. Further maneuvering
may still be necessar y.
#After completion of the parking procedure,
safeguard theve hicle against rolling away.
When requ ired bylegal requirements or local
conditions: turn the wheels towa rdsth e curb.
% You can stop theve hicle and change the
transmission position du ring the parking pro‐
cedure. The sy stem then calculates a new
ve hicle path. The parking procedure can
th en be continued. If no new vehicle path is
av ailable, the transmission position will be
ch anged again. If theve hicle has not yet
re ached the parking space, the parking pro‐
cedure will be canceled, should a gear be
ch anged.
Exiting a pa rking space with Active Parking
Assist
Re quirements:
Yo u can only exit a parking space with Active
Pa rking Assist if you ha veprev iously par kedth e
ve hicle with Active Parking Assist. Please no
tethat you are responsible forth eve hi‐
cle and sur roundings during the entire parking
procedure.
#St art theve hicle.
#Press button 1.
The Active Parking Assist view appears on
th e multimedia sy stem displa y.
#Ifth eve hicle has been par ked at right angles
to the direction of tra vel: in area 2, select
direction of tra vel3.
% The vehicle path shown on the multimedia
sy stem display may dif fer from the actual
ve hicle path.
#Confirm direction of exit3 todrive out of
th e parking space.
Driving and parking 18
9