Before driving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
Checklist after driving off-road !
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users.
X If the Offroad orOffroad Plus drive program
is selected: select the Individual,Sport,
Comfort orSlippery drive program
(Y page 142).
X Deactivate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Y page 217).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 214).
X Lower the vehicle level again to a level suita-
ble to the road conditions, e.g. to the normal
level.
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear license plates.
X Clean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of plants
have become trapped. These increase the risk of fire and can damage fuel pipes, brake
hoses or the rubber bellows of the axle joints
and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-
work structure, steering, chassis and exhaust system for damage.
X After driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
X If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the wheels
and drive train and remove them if necessary.
Foreign objects can disturb the balance and
cause vibrations. Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Select a higher vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
- the tire ruts are not too deep
- the sand is sufficiently firm
- the ground clearance of the vehicle is suf-
ficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving along
ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose
gravel: R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 216).
R Select the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-road Engineering Package)
(Y page 215).
R Select a higher vehicle level.
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy area,
if possible. Driving tips
167Driving and parking Z
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:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do 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.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand pad-
dle shifter before tackling steep downhill gra-
dients.
R Activate 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.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i The special off-road ABS setting enables a
precise, brief and repeated locking of the
front wheels. This causes them to dig into
loose earth. Be aware that the front wheels
easily skid across the ground surface if com-
pletely braked and therefore lose their ability
to steer. Driving systems
Intelligent Drive
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive stands for inno-
vative driver assistance and safety systems
which enhance comfort and support the driver in critical situations. With these intelligent co-ordi-
nated systems Mercedes-Benz has set a mile-
stone on the path towards autonomous driving.
Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive embraces all
elements of active and passive safety in one well
thought out system – for the safety of the vehi-
cle occupants and that of other road users. Further information on driving safety systems
(Y
page 66). Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road speed
for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid
exceeding the set speed. You must select a
lower gear in good time on long and steep down-
hill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. 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 wearing too
quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con-
ditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store anyroad speed above 20 mph (30 km/h).
i Cruise control should not be activated when
driving off-road.
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.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed, e.g. in
heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Driving systems
169Driving and parking Z
Deactivating cruise control
There are several ways to deactivate cruise con-
trol:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R you engage the electric parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph (30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you activate DSR
R you activate the Offroad Plus program (vehi-
cles with the Off-road Engineering Package)
R you shift the transmission to position 005C
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a
warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐ Cruise Con‐
trol Off
trol Off message in the multifunction display
for approximately five seconds.
i When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
General notes Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC regulates the
speed and automatically helps you maintain the
distance from the vehicle detected in front.
Vehicles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC brakes automatically so that the set
speed is not exceeded.
You must select a lower gear in good time on
long and steep downhill gradients, especially if
the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. By doing so, you will make use of the braking effect of theengine. This relieves the load on the brake sys-
tem and prevents the brakes from overheating
and wearing too quickly.
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC detects
that there is a risk of a collision with the vehicle
in front, you will be warned visually and audibly.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. 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.
For Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC to assist you when driving, the radar sensor system must
be operational.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC operates in
the speed range between 0 mph (0 km/h) and
120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
while driving on roads with steep gradients.
As Active Distance Assist 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 ifquestions are asked about this.
i USA only:
This device has been approved by the FCC as a "Vehicular Radar System". The radar sensor
is intended for use in an automotive radar
system only. Removing, tampering with, or
altering the device will void any warranties,
and is not permitted by the FCC. Do not tam-
per 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.
i Canada 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.
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. Driving systems
171Driving and parking Z
There are several ways to deactivate Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0043.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary
When you deactivate Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC, the Active Distance Assist
Active Distance Assist
Off
Off message will appear on the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine.
i Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is not
deactivated if you depress the accelerator
pedal. If you accelerate to overtake, Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC adjusts the vehi-
cle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is automati-
cally deactivated if:
R you engage the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the elec-
tric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in position 005D,005Eor005C
R you pull the cruise control lever towards you
in order to pull away and the front-passenger
door or one of the rear doors is open
R you switch on Active Parking Assist or the
Parking Package with rear view camera
R the vehicle is skidding
A warning tone sounds. The Active
Active Distance Distance
Assist Off
Assist Off will appear on the multifunction
display for approximately five seconds.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC will automat- ically be deactivated if:
R you activate DSR
R you activate the OFFROAD Program+ (vehi-
cles with the Off-road Engineering Package)
The 00C6 DSR symbol appears in the multifunc-
tion display. Displays in the instrument cluster Displays in the speedometer
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC displays on the
speedometer (example)
When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated, one or two segments 0044in the set speed
range light up.
If Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC detects a
vehicle in front, segments 0044from speed of the
vehicle in front 0087to stored speed 0043light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed on
the speedometer may differ slightly from the
speed set for Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC.
Assistant display when Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC is deactivated 0043
Vehicle in front, if detected
0044 Distance indicator, current distance to the
vehicle in front
0087 Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
0085 Your vehicle
X Select the Assistance Graphic Assistance Graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 237).176
Driving systemsDriving and parking
Assistant display when Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC is activated 0043
Vehicle in front, if detected
0044 Specified minimum distance to the vehicle
in front; adjustable
0087 Your vehicle
0085 Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC active
X Select the Assistance Graphic
Assistance Graphic function
using the on-board computer (Y page 237).
You will see the stored speed for approximately five seconds when you activate Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC.
Tips for driving with Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC General notes
Pay particular attention in the following traffic
situations:
R Cornering, entering and exiting a bend: the
ability of Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC to detect vehicles on bends is limited. Your vehi-cle may brake unexpectedly or late.
R Vehicles driving in a staggered formation:
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC may not
detect vehicles that are not driving in the mid- dle of their lanes. The distance to the vehiclein front will be too short.
R Other vehicles changing lane: Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
R Narrow vehicles: Active Distance Assist
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 will be too short.
R Obstacles and stationary vehicles: Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC does not brake for obstacles or stationary vehicles. If, for exam-
ple, the detected vehicle turns a corner and
an obstacle or stationary vehicle is revealed,
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC will not
brake for them.
R Crossing vehicles: Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC may mistakenly detect vehicles
that are crossing your lane. Activating Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC at, for example, a
traffic light with crossing traffic could cause
your vehicle to pull away at the wrong time.
In such situations, brake if necessary. Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC will then be deacti-
vated.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with
Active Steering Assist General notes
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist aids you in keeping the vehicle in
the center of the driving lane by means of mod-
erate steering interventions in a speed range
from 0 - 125 mph (0 - 200 km/h).
It monitors the area in front of your vehicle by
means of camera system 0043at the top of the
windshield.
In a speed range from 0 - 37 mph (0 - 60 km/h),
the advanced automatic pulling away function
focuses on the vehicle in front, taking into
account lane markings, e.g. when following vehi-
cles in a traffic jam.
At speeds of more than 37 mph (60 km/h),
Active Steering Assist focuses on clear lane
markings (left and right), focusing on the vehicle
in front only if clear lane markings are not pres-
ent.
If these conditions are not present, Active Steer-
ing Assist cannot provide assistance. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC must be
active in order for the function to be available.
Important safety notes
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist can neither reduce the risk of an accident if you fail to adapt your driving style,
nor override the laws of physics. It cannot take
into account road, weather or traffic conditions.Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist is only an aid. You are responsi-
ble for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for
staying in your lane.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist does not detect road and traffic conditions and does not detect all road users. If
you are following a vehicle which is driving
towards the edge of the road, your vehicle could
come into contact with the curb or other road
boundaries. Be particularly aware of other road
users, e.g. cyclists, that are directly next to your vehicle.
Obstacles such as traffic pylons on the lane or
projecting out into the lane are not detected.
An inappropriate steering intervention, e.g. after
intentionally driving over a lane marking, can be
corrected at any time if you steer slightly in the opposite direction.
Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC with Active
Steering Assist cannot continuously keep your
vehicle in lane. In some cases, the steering
intervention is not sufficient to bring the vehicleback to the lane. In such cases, you must steer
the vehicle yourself to ensure that it does not
leave the lane.
The support provided by the system can be
impaired if:
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to insufficient
illumination of the road, or due to snow, rain,fog or heavy spray
R there is glare, e.g. from oncoming traffic, the
sun or reflection from other vehicles (e.g. if
the road surface is wet)
R the windshield is dirty, fogged up, damaged or
covered, for instance by a sticker, in the vicin-ity of the camera
R there are no or several unclear lane markings
for one lane, e.g. roadworks
R the lane markings are worn away, dark or cov-
ered up, e.g. by dirt or snow R
the distance to the vehicle in front is too short
and thus the lane markings cannot be detec-
ted
R the lane markings change quickly, e.g. lanes
branch off, cross one another or merge
R the road is narrow and winding
R there are highly variable shade conditions on
the roadway
The system is switched to passive and no longer assists you by performing steering interventions
if:
R you actively change lane
R you switch on the turn signal
R you take your hands off the steering wheel or
do not steer for a prolonged period of time
i Once you have finished changing lanes,
Active Steering Assist automatically reacti-
vates.
Active Steering Assist cannot provide assis-
tance: R on very sharp corners
R when towing a trailer
R when a loss of tire pressure or a defective tire
has been detected and displayed
Observe the important safety notes on Active
Distance Assist DISTRONIC (Y page 172).
The steering interventions are carried out with a limited steering moment. The system requires
the driver to keep his hands on the steering
wheel and to steer himself.
If you do not steer yourself or if you take your
hands off the steering wheel for a prolonged
period of time, the system will first alert you with
a visual warning. A steering wheel symbol
appears in the multifunction display. If you have still not started to steer and have not taken hold
of the steering wheel after five seconds at the
latest, a warning tone also sounds to remind you
to take control of the vehicle. Active Steering
Assist is then switched to passive. Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC remains active.
Activating Active Steering Assist X Select the Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC
with Active Steering Assist function using the
on-board computer (Y page 237).
The Active
Active Steering Steering Assist
AssistOn
Onmessage
appears on the multifunction display. Active
Steering Assist is activated. 178
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking
Setting the vehicle to normal level:
X Start the engine.
X Press selector wheel 0043.
Selector wheel 0043extends.
X To lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
counter-clockwise 0085.
The vehicle is lowered.
If one or more indicator lamps 0087are on:
X Turn selector wheel 0043counter-clockwise 0085
until all indicator lamps 0087that are lit start to
flash.
The vehicle is lowered to normal level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached, the
indicator lamp stops flashing and goes out.
Offroad levels General notes
Only select an offroad level when this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption increases and handling may be affec- ted.
You can select from the following:
R Offroad level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(96 km/h)
R Offroad level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(64 km/h)
R Offroad level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you select an offroad level when driving at too high a speed, the Drive DriveMore
MoreSlowly
Slowly message
appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic- ularly rough conditions.
R Adjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
R Do not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h). Indicator lamps
0087for the desired offroad level
flash:
R the lower indicator lamp flashes, offroad
level 1 is selected
R the lower and center indicator lamps flash,
offroad level 2 is selected
R all three indicator lamps flash, offroad level 3
is selected
The vehicle adjusts to the offroad level selected.
As soon as an offroad level is reached, the cor-
responding indicator lamp stops flashing and
lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
X To raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel 0043
clockwise 0044.
The vehicle is raised to offroad level 1 by 1.2 in
(30 mm) compared to the normal level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle rising
Vehicle rising
message, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
i Up to offroad level 2, you can hide the mes-
sages using the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
While the adjustment from offroad level 2 to off-
road level 3 is taking place, you will see a mes-
sage such as the following in the multifunction
display: Vehicle rising Max. speed Vehicle rising Max. speed
12 mph (20 km/h)
12 mph (20 km/h).
The Max. Max. speed
speed 12 mph
12 mph (20 km/h)
(20 km/h) message
draws your attention to the maximum speed
permitted for offroad level 3.
If you drive above 12 mph (20 km/h) at offroad
level 3, you will see the following message Driving systems
181Driving and parking Z
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
R In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
General notes
Only select raised level if this is appropriate for
the road conditions. Otherwise, fuel consump-
tion may increase and handling may be affected.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level is lower; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
Vehicles with no trailer coupled: below a
speed of 40 mph (64 km/h) you can choose
between the normal and raised vehicle level.
Select the normal vehicle level for normal road
surfaces and the raised vehicle level for driving
with snow chains or on particularly poor road
surfaces. Your selection remains stored even if
you remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
If you try to select raised level at a speed above
40 mph (64 km/h), the Drive More Slowly
Drive More Slowly
message appears in the multifunction display.
Vehicles with a trailer coupled: below a speed
of 19 mph (30 km/h), you can choose between
the normal and raised vehicle level. Setting the raised vehicle level X
Start the engine.
If indicator lamp 0044is not lit:
X Press button 0043.
Indicator lamp 0044flashes while the vehicle is
being raised, and lights up continuously as
soon as the vehicle reaches the desired level.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): the vehicle is raised by 2.4 in (60 mm)
compared to the normal level.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the vehicle is
raised by 2 in (50 mm) compared to the nor-
mal level.
The Vehicle Rising Vehicle Rising message appears in the
multifunction display.
The message remains until the raised level is
reached.
If you press the 0038or0076 button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
The raised vehicle level setting is canceled in the following cases:
R All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): you are driving faster than 50 mph
(80 km/h).
R Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you are driving
faster than 43 mph (70 km/h).
R All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): you drive for approximately 20 seconds
between 40 mph (64 km/h) and 50 mph
(80 km/h).
R Mercedes-AMG vehicles: you drive at
speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h) and
43 mph (70 km/h) for approximately 20 sec- onds.
R You drive with a trailer at speeds greater than
19 mph (30 km/h). 186
Driving systemsDriving and parking