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255
Transmission – general information The transmission automatically shifts between the various forward gears, based on the level ofacceleration and speed.
G021351
Shiftgate positions
Depress the button on the front of the gear selector knob to move the gear selector between the R, N , D , and P positions.
The gear selector can be moved freely betweenthe Geartronic (manual shifting) and Drive ( D)
positions while driving.
CAUTION
The transmission
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Shiftlock
When P has been selected, the transmission is
mechanically blocked in this position. The brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition must be in at least mode II (see Ignition modes
(p. 74)) before the gear lever can be moved fromthe P position.
WARNING
Always apply the parking brake when the vehicle is parked, particularly when parking on a hill. The transmission's P mode may not be
able to keep the vehicle stationary if it is parked on an incline.
Press the control to apply the parking brake, see Parking brake – general information (p. 271).
CAUTION
The vehicle must be stationary when position P is selected.
Gear indicatorThe gear currently being used is displayed on the right side ofthe instrument panel. The " S" symbol turns orange if
Sport mode is being used.
Reverse: position RThe vehicle must be stationary when position R is
selected.
Neutral: position NNo gear is engaged and the engine can be started with the gear selector in this position.Apply the parking brake if the vehicle is stationary with the gear selector in position N. In order to
move the gear selector from the N position, the
brake pedal must be depressed and the ignitionmust be in at least mode II.
Drive: position DD is the normal driving position. The car automat-
ically shifts between the various forward gears, based on the level of acceleration and speed.The car must be at a standstill when shifting from position R to position D.
Related information
• Transmission – general information (p. 255)
• Transmission – Geartronic (p. 257)
• Transmission – shiftlock override (p. 259)
• Fuel tank volume – specification and volume (p. 377)
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* Option/accessory.257
Transmission – Geartronic
Geartronic allows you to manually shift among your vehicle's forward gears. The manual posi-tion ( +S–) can be selected at any time.
Geartronic: manual shifting (+S–)To shift gears manually, move the gear selector to the side from D toward
+S– . The +S– symbol in the instrument
panel will change from white to
orange and the number of the gear currently
being used (
1, 2, 3, etc.) will be displayed (see
the following illustration) 5
.
• To return to automatic shifting mode from +S–
, move the gear selector to the side
toward D.
Gear shift indicator *
Gear shift indicator in a digital instrument panel *6
This option indicates when to shift up or down to help conserve fuel. A white arrow will appearabove or below the number of the current gear toprompt the driver to shift up or down.
While driving
•
If you select the manual shifting position while driving, the gear that was being used inthe Drive position will also initially beselected in the manual shifting position.
• Move the gear selector forward (toward
+) to
shift to a higher gear or rearward (toward –)
to shift to a lower gear.
• If you hold the gear selector toward "
–", the
transmission will downshift one gear at atime and will utilize the braking power of the engine. If the current speed is too high forusing a lower gear, the downshift will notoccur until the speed has decreased enoughto allow the lower gear to be used.
• If you slow to a very low speed, the transmis-sion will automatically shift down.
Shiftlock: Neutral (N)
If the gear selector is in the
N position and the
vehicle has been stationary for at least 3 seconds (irrespective of whether the engine is running)then the gear selector is locked. In order to move the gear selector from N to
another gear position, the brake pedal must be depressed and the ignition must be in at least position II, see Ignition modes (p. 74).
5
If Sport mode is being used, the symbol will change to "S".
6 Analog instrument panel: the gear shift indicator is displayed in the center of the speedometer.
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258
Geartronic : steering wheel paddles *
In addition to the manual gearshift function using the gear selector, this option makes it possible tomanually shift gears from the steering wheel.
Steering-wheel mounted gear shift paddles
"– ": Shift down to a lower gear.
"+ ": Shift up to a higher gear.
In order to shift gears with the paddles, they have to first be activated. The gear selector can be
in either the D or S position. Activating the paddles:
• Pull either paddle toward the steering wheel and release it; the
D in the instrument panel
will change to the number of the gear cur- rently being used. Shifting gears:
• Pull the paddle toward the steering wheeland release it.
Deactivating the paddles:
• Hold the "
+" paddle for approximately
3 seconds.
NOTE
If the gear selector was in D when paddle
shifting was activated ( D changed to the
number of the gear being used), the transmis- sion will automatically revert to D after
approximately 5 seconds if the paddles are not used to shift gears. This will not occur:
• during active driving (e.g., on a winding road, while accelerating, etc)
• if the gear selector was in
S when the
paddles were activated
If the transmission reverts to D, the paddles
will have to be reactivated (pull either paddletoward the steering wheel and release it)before they can be used to shift gears again. The paddles can also be manually deactivated by pulling both paddles toward the steeringwheel and holding them until the gear num-ber shown in the instrument panel changes to D .
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Geartronic: Sport mode ( S)7
This transmission mode provides sportier shifting characteristics and enables a more active drivingstyle by making it possible to drive at higher rpmin each gear before shifting up. The engine alsoresponds faster when the accelerator pedal ispressed. To access Sport mode from Drive (
D), move the
gear selector to the left. The transmission will not switch to manual shifting mode until the gearselector is moved forward or rearward toward +or –. Sport mode can be selected any time.
NOTE
• On vehicles equipped with Sport mode, the transmission symbol in the main instrument panel will change from
D to S
when the gear selector is moved to the manual shifting mode. If the gear selectoris moved toward "+" or "-", the number ofthe gear currently being used will be dis-played, see Information displays – intro-duction (p. 63).
• Please be aware that using Sport modemay result in a slight decrease in fuel economy. Driving in
D can help improve
fuel economy.
Geartronic : starting on slippery surfaces
Selecting 3rd gear in Geartronic
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Move the gear selector from the P position.
For information on the key blade, see Detachable key blade – general information(p. 149).
Related information
• Transmission – general information (p. 255)
• Transmission – positions (p. 255)
• Transmission – Geartronic (p. 257)
• Fuel tank volume – specification and volume(p. 377)
Start/Stop – Hill Start Assist (HSA)
When starting on steep hills, HSA (see Transmis- sion – general information (p. 255)) retains pres-sure on the brake pedal for several seconds afterthe pedal has been released in order to keep thevehicle at a standstill. The brakes will be releasedafter several seconds or when the driver pressesthe accelerator pedal. The pedal will return to itsnormal position somewhat slower than normal.
Related information
•
Start/Stop – introduction (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – function (p. 261)
• Start/Stop – settings (p. 263)
• Start/Stop – Auto-stop exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Auto-start exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – symbols and messages(p. 264)
Start/Stop – introduction
Start/Stop is a function that temporarily switches off the engine when the vehicle is not moving,for instance in heavy traffic or at a traffic light tohelp reduce fuel consumption.
Start/Stop is available with certain engines/ transmissions.
Related information
• Start/Stop – function (p. 261)
• Start/Stop – settings (p. 263)
• Start/Stop – Auto-stop exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Auto-start exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Hill Start Assist (HSA) (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – symbols and messages(p. 264)
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Start/Stop – function
Function and use
Start/Stop symbol in the instrument panel
Start/Stop button on the center console
Start/Stop is activated automatically each time the engine is started 9
. The symbol in the instru-
ment panel will be displayed for several seconds when the engine starts and the indicator light inthe On/Off button will remain illuminated whilethe function is activated. All of the vehicle's systems will function while the engine is auto-stopped, although the function ofcertain systems may be reduced at this time. Forexample, blower speed and high infotainmentsystem volume may be reduced to help conservethe battery's capacity.
Auto-stopping the engine
Normally, when Start/Stop is activated and the brakes are applied until the vehicle comes to a standstill, the engine will auto-stop automatically if the driver keeps the brake pedal depressed
.
To remind the driver that the enginehas been auto-stopped, the Start/Stopsymbol will illuminate in the instrumentpanel and remain on until the engine
restarts.
If the ECO function * is acti-
vated, the engine may auto- stop before the vehicle comesto a complete standstill.
Auto-starting the engine
The engine restarts as soon as the driver relea- ses the brake pedal.
Deactivating Start/Stop
In certain situations (e.g., driv- ing in heavy, stop-and-go traf-fic), it may be preferable todeactivate Start/Stop. This is done by pressing the button in the center console.
The indicator light in the button will go out. Start/Stop will remain deactivated until the but- ton is pressed again or until the engine isswitched off and restarted by the driver.
Related information
• Start/Stop – introduction (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – settings (p. 263)
• Start/Stop – Auto-stop exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Auto-start exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Hill Start Assist (HSA) (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – symbols and messages (p. 264)
9
Not when the engine is started using the optional Engine Remote Start feature, Starting the engine (p. 250)
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Start/Stop – Auto-stop exceptions
In certain situations or conditions, the engine may not auto-stop when the vehicle comes to a
standstill, such as if:
Condition/situation The vehicle's speed has not reached a speed of approx. 6 mph (10 km/h) after the mostrecent auto-start or after the driver has startedthe engine. The driver unbuckles his/her seat belt.The main battery's charge is below the mini- mum level. The engine has not reached its normal operat- ing temperature. The ambient temperature is below approx. 25°F (-4°C) or above approx. 85°F (30°C). The windshield's heating function * is activated.
The climate system cannot keep the desired settings in the passenger compartment; theblower will operate at high speed. The vehicle is backing up.The main battery's temperature is below freez- ing or too high. The driver is turning the steering wheel hard.
Condition/situation The road's incline is very steep. A trailer's electrical system is connected to the vehicle. The hood has been opened A
.
The transmission has not reached its normal operating temperature. Atmospheric pressure is below a level equiva- lent to an altitude of approx. 4,900–8,200 ft
(1500–2500 m) above sea level. The actualpressure is also affected by current weatherconditions. The Adaptive Cruise Control's * Queue Assist
feature is activated. The gear selector is in the SB
or " +/–" posi-
tion.
A Certain engines only
B Sport mode (where applicable)
Related information
• Start/Stop – introduction (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – function (p. 261)
• Start/Stop – settings (p. 263)
• Start/Stop – Auto-start exceptions (p. 262)
• Start/Stop – Hill Start Assist (HSA) (p. 260)
• Start/Stop – symbols and messages (p. 264)
Start/Stop – Auto-start exceptions
In certain situations or conditions, the engine may auto-start
even though the driver is still
pressing the brake pedal, such as if:
Condition/situation Condensation forms on the windows. The climate system cannot keep the desired settings in the passenger compartment. Electrical current consumption is temporarily high or the main battery's charge is below theminimum level. The brake pedal is pumped repeatedly. The hood has been opened A
.
The vehicle begins to move or increases speed
slightly (if the engine auto-stopped before the vehicle was at a standstill (see ECO *
(p. 265))). The driver unbuckles his/her seat belt while the gear selector is in the D or N positions.
The steering wheel is turned A
.