
between your vehicle and the vehicle in front
becomes too small.
i When you change lanes, Active Distance
Assist DISTRONIC monitors the right lane (in
left-side traffic) or the left lane (in right-side
traffic).
Stopping G
WARNING
If you leave the driver's seat when the vehicle is only being braked by Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC, it could roll away:
R if there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R if Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is
deactivated using the cruise control lever,
for example by a vehicle occupant or from
outside the vehicle
R if the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R if the battery is disconnected
R if the vehicle is accelerated, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant
There is a risk of an accident.
Always deactivate Active Distance Assist
DISTRONIC and secure the vehicle against
rolling away before you leave it.
If Active Distance Assist 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.
After a time, the electric parking brake secures
the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
Depending on the specified minimum distance,
your vehicle will come to a standstill at a suffi-
cient distance behind the vehicle in front. The
specified minimum distance is set using the
control on the cruise control lever. When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated and the vehicle is at a standstill, the trans-
mission will be shifted automatically to position
005D if:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function.
When Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is acti-
vated and the vehicle is at a standstill, the elec- tric parking brake will secure the vehicle auto-
matically if:
R a system malfunction occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there is
a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted into position 005D.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to
the speed set.
X Press the cruise control lever up 0043for a
higher speed or down 0083for a lower speed
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments):
briefly press
the cruise control lever up 0043or down 0044to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up 0043 or down 0044the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments
(10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up 0043or down 0044
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up 0043 or down 0044, the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
i If you accelerate to overtake, Active Dis-
tance Assist DISTRONIC adjusts the vehicle's
speed to the last speed stored after you have
finished overtaking. 176
Driving systemsDriving and parking 

Vehicle level
Important safety notes
G
WARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered. G
WARNING
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi- cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style. G
WARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away. G
WARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the prevailing road and weather conditions.
! When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
R Utility vehicles have a significantly higher roll-
over rate than other types of vehicles. 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 37 mph (60 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
37 mph (60 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. Driving systems
187Driving and parking Z 

Lane Tracking package
General notes The Lane Tracking package consists of Blind
Spot Assist (Y
page 207) and Lane Keeping
Assist (Y page 208).
Blind Spot Assist General notes
Blind Spot Assist monitors the areas on either
side of the vehicle that are not visible to the
driver with two lateral, rear-facing radar sen-
sors. A warning display in the exterior mirrors
draws your attention to vehicles detected in the monitored area. If you then switch on the cor-
responding turn signal to change lane, you will
also receive an optical and audible warning.
Blind Spot Assist supports you from a speed of
approximately 20 mph (30 km/h).
Important safety notes G
WARNING
Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Blind Spot Assist may not give
warnings in such situations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
Blind Spot Assist is only an aid. It may fail to
detect some vehicles and is no substitute for
attentive driving. Always ensure that there is
sufficient distance to the side for other road
users and obstacles.
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.
Radar sensors The radar sensors for Blind Spot Assist are inte-
grated into the rear bumper. Make sure that the bumpers are free from dirt, ice or slush. The
sensors must not be covered, for example by
cycle racks or overhanging loads. Following a
severe impact or in the event of damage to the
bumpers, have the function of the radar sensors
checked at a qualified specialist workshop.
Blind Spot Assist may no longer work properly.
Monitoring area
In particular, the detection of obstacles can be
impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy
rain, snow or spray
R there are narrow vehicles, e.g. motorcycles or
bicycles
R the road has very wide lanes
R the road has narrow lanes
R you are not driving in the middle of the lane
R there are barriers or similar lane borders
Vehicles in the monitoring range are then not
indicated. At a distance of around 1.6 ft
(0.5m)0044 from the
vehicle, Blind Spot Assist monitors the area up
to 10 ft (3 m)next to 0087and behind 0043your
vehicle, as shown in the picture. Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z 

R
you accelerate hard, e.g. kickdown.
R you brake hard.
R you steer actively, e.g. swerve to avoid an
obstacle or change lanes quickly.
R you cut the corner on a sharp bend.
To ensure that you are warned only when nec-
essary and in good time if you cross the lane
markings, the system detects certain conditions
and warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway
R the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend Driving Assistance Plus package
General notes The Driving Assistance Plus Package consists of
Active Distance Assist DISTRONI C(Ypage 172),
Active Blind Spot Assist (Y page 210) and
Active Lane Keeping Assist (Y page 212).
Active Blind Spot Assist General notes
Active Blind Spot Assist monitors the areas on
either side of the vehicle that are not directly
visible to the driver with two lateral, rear-facing radar sensors. A warning lamp lights up in the
exterior mirrors and draws your attention to
vehicles detected in the monitored area. If you
then switch on the corresponding turn signal to
change lanes, you will also receive a visual and
audible collision warning. If a risk of lateral col-
lision is detected, corrective braking may help
you avoid a collision. Before a course-correcting
brake application, Active Blind Spot Assist eval- uates the space in the direction of travel and at
the sides of the vehicle. For this, Active Blind
Spot Assist uses the forward-facing radar sen-
sors.
Active Blind Spot Assist supports you from a
speed of approximately 20 mph (30 km/ h).Important safety notes
Active Blind Spot Assist is only an aid and is not
a substitute for attentive driving. G
WARNING
Active Blind Spot Assist does not react to:
R vehicles overtaken too closely on the side,
placing them in the blind spot area
R vehicles which approach with a large speed
differential and overtake your vehicle
As a result, Active Blind Spot Assist may nei-
ther give warnings nor intervene in such sit-
uations. There is a risk of an accident.
Always observe the traffic conditions care-
fully, and maintain a safe lateral distance.
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 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.
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.
Removal, tampering, or altering of 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.
Radar sensors The Active Blind Spot Assist radar sensors are
integrated into the front and rear bumpers and
behind a cover in the radiator trim. Make sure
that the bumpers and the cover in the radiator
grill are free of dirt, ice or slush. The sensors
must not be covered, for example by cycle racks 210
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking 

vehicle are also monitored with the aid of the
radar sensor system. Active Lane Keeping
Assist detects lane markings on the road and
can warn you before you leave your lane unin-
tentionally. If you do not react to the warning, a
lane-correcting application of the brakes can
bring the vehicle back into the original lane.
This function is available in a speed range
between 40 mph and 120 mph (60 km/h and
200 km/h).
For Active Lane Keeping Assist to assist you
when driving, the radar sensor system must be
operational.
Important safety notes
If you fail to adapt your driving style, Active Lane Keeping Assist can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics. Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot take into account
road, weather or traffic conditions. Active Lane
Keeping 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 Lane Keeping Assist cannot continuously
keep your vehicle in its lane. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist cannot always
clearly detect lane markings.
In such cases, Active Lane Keeping Assist
can:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
make a course-correcting brake application
R neither give a warning nor intervene
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay particular attention to the traffic
situation and keep within the lane, especially
if Active Lane Keeping Assist alerts you. Ter-
minate the intervention in a non-critical driv-
ing situation.
The system may be impaired or may not function 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
R no vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane and
there are broken lane markings
Warning vibration in the steering wheel
A warning may be given if a front wheel passes
over a lane marking. It will warn you by means of intermittent vibration in the steering wheel for
up to 1.5 seconds.
In order that you are warned only when neces-
sary and in good time if you cross the lane mark-
ing, the system detects certain conditions and
warns you accordingly.
The warning vibration occurs earlier if:
R you approach the outer lane marking on a
bend
R the road has very wide lanes, e.g. a freeway
R the system detects solid lane markings
The warning vibration occurs later if:
R the road has narrow lanes
R you cut the corner on a bend
Lane-correcting brake application G
WARNING
A lane-correcting brake application cannot
always bring the vehicle back into the original lane. There is a risk of an accident.
Always steer, brake or accelerate yourself,
especially if Active Lane Keeping Assist warns
you or makes a lane-correcting brake appli-
cation. G
WARNING
Active Lane Keeping Assist does not detect
traffic conditions or road users. In very rare Driving systems
213Driving and parking
Z 

Stowage areas
Loading guidelines
G
WARNING
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. G
DANGER
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Exhaust
gases can enter the vehicle interior if the tail- gate is open while the engine is running, espe-cially if the vehicle is in motion. There is a risk of poisoning.
Always switch off the engine before opening
the tailgate. Never drive with the tailgate
open. G
WARNING
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 burns.
Always be particularly careful and supervise
children closely around the exhaust pipe and
the exhaust pipe trims. Allow these compo-
nents to cool down before touching them.
The gross vehicle weight (GVW) is the vehicle
weight including fuel, vehicle tool kit, spare
wheel, installed accessories, vehicle occupants and luggage/cargo.
Do not exceed the load limit or permitted grossvehicle weight rating (GVWR) for your vehicle.
The gross load limit and the GVWR are specified
on the vehicle identification plate on the B-pillar
of the driver's door (Y page 362).
The load must also be distributed so that the
weight on each axle never exceeds the gross
axle weight rating (GAWR) for the front and rear axles. The specifications for GVWR and GAWR
are on the vehicle identification plate on the B-
pillar of the driver's door (Y
page 362).
Observe the notes on loading the vehicle
(Y page 362).
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:
R Never exceed the maximum permissible
gross vehicle mass or the gross axle weight
rating for the vehicle (including occupants).
R The cargo compartment is the preferred place
to carry objects.
R Position heavy loads as far forward as possi-
ble and as low down in the cargo compart-
ment as possible.
R The load must not protrude above the upper
edge of the seat backrests.
R Always place the load against the rear or front
seat backrests. Make sure that the seat
backrests are securely locked into place.
R Always place the load behind unoccupied
seats if possible.
R Use the cargo tie-down rings and the parcel
nets to transport loads and luggage.
R Use cargo tie-down rings and fastening mate-
rials appropriate for the weight and size of the load.
R Secure the load with sufficiently strong and
wear-resistant tie-downs. Pad sharp edges for
protection. Stowage spaces
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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. Stowage areas
295Stowage and features
Z 

Cargo compartment cover
Important safety notes G
WARNING
On its own, the cargo compartment cover
cannot secure or restrain heavy objects,
items of luggage and heavy loads. You could
be hit by an unsecured load during sudden
changes in direction, braking or in the event of an accident. There is an increased risk of
injury or even fatal injury.
Always store objects so that they cannot be
flung around. Secure objects, luggage or
loads against slipping or tipping over, e.g. by
using tie downs, even if you are using the
cargo compartment cover.
! When loading the vehicle, make sure that
you do not stack the load in the cargo com-
partment higher than the lower edge of the
side windows. Do not place heavy objects on top of the cargo compartment cover.
The cargo compartment cover may be installed
behind the 2nd or 3rd row of seats.
Extending/retracting the cargo com-
partment cover X
To extend: pull the cargo compartment cover
back by grab handle 0043and clip it into retain-
ers 0044on the left and right.
X To retract: unhook the cargo compartment
cover from left-hand and right-hand retain-
ers 0044.
X Guide cargo compartment cover forwards by
grab handle 0043until it is completely rolled up. Installing/removing the cargo compart-
ment cover X
To remove: make sure that cargo compart-
ment cover 0043is rolled up.
X Push end cap 0087of cargo compartment
cover 0043in the direction of the arrow on the
right or left-hand side.
X Push cargo compartment cover 0043into oppo-
site anchorage 0044.
X Remove cargo compartment cover 0043.
X To install: if installed, remove the protective
caps from the side panels of the seat row in
which the cargo compartment cover is to be
installed. Use a suitable object here, e.g. a
coin.
X Install the protective caps to the side panels
of the other seat row.
X Place cargo compartment cover 0043into
anchorage 0044on the right or left-hand side.
X Push in opposite end cap 0087of cargo com-
partment cover 0043in the direction of the
arrow and insert cargo compartment
cover 0043into opposite anchorage 0044. Coat hooks on the tailgate
0043
Coat hook Stowage areas
301Stowage and features Z 

a corresponding warning message will appear in
the multifunction display.
You can recognize the tire pressure loss warning
by the Run Flat Indicator Active Press Run Flat Indicator Active Press
'OK' to Restart
'OK' to Restart message which appears in
the Service
Service menu of the multifunction display.
Information on the message display can be
found in the "Restarting the tire pressure loss
warning system" section (Y page 359).
Important safety notes The tire pressure warning system does not warn
you of an incorrectly set tire pressure. Observe
the notes on the recommended tire pressure
(Y page 355).
The tire pressure loss warning does not replace
the need to regularly check the tire pressure. An even loss of pressure on several tires at the
same time cannot be detected by the tire pres-
sure loss warning system.
The tire pressure monitor is not able to warn you of a sudden loss of pressure, e.g. if the tire is
penetrated by a foreign object. In the event of a
sudden loss of pressure, bring the vehicle to a
halt by braking carefully. Avoid abrupt steering
movements.
The function of the tire pressure loss warning
system is limited or delayed if:
R snow chains are mounted on your vehicle's
tires.
R road conditions are wintry.
R you are driving on sand or gravel.
R you adopt a very sporty driving style (corner-
ing at high speeds or driving with high rates of
acceleration).
R you are driving with a heavy load (in the vehi-
cle or on the roof).
Restarting the tire pressure loss warn-
ing system Restart the tire pressure loss warning system if
you have:
R changed the tire pressure
R changed the wheels or tires
R mounted new wheels or tires
X Before restarting, make sure that the tire
pressures are set properly on all four tires for
the respective operating conditions.
The recommended tire pressure can be found on the Tire and Loading Information placard on the B-pillar. Additionally, a tire pressure
table is attached to the fuel filler flap. The tire
pressure loss warning system can only give
reliable warnings if you have set the correct
tire pressure. If an incorrect tire pressure is
set, these incorrect values will be monitored.
X Also observe the notes in the section on tire
pressures (Y page 355).
X Make sure that the SmartKey is in position 0048
in the ignition lock (Y page 140).
X Press the 0059or0065 button on the steering
wheel to select the Service
Service menu.
X Press the 0063or0064 button to select
Tire Pressure Tire Pressure.
X Press the 0076button.
The Run Flat Indicator Active Press
Run Flat Indicator Active Press
'OK' to Restart
'OK' to Restart message appears in the
multifunction display.
If you wish to confirm the restart:
X Press the 0076button.
The Tire Pressure Now OK?
Tire Pressure Now OK? message
appears in the multifunction display.
X Press the 0063or0064 button to select Yes
Yes.
X Press the 0076button.
The Run Flat Indicator Restarted
Run Flat Indicator Restarted mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
After a teach-in period, the tire pressure loss
warning system will monitor the set tire pres-
sures of all four tires.
If you wish to cancel the restart: X Press the 0038button.
or
X When the Tire TirePressure
Pressure Now
NowOK?
OK?message
appears, press the 0063or0064 button to
select Cancel
Cancel .
X Press the 0076button.
The tire pressure values stored at the last
restart will continue to be monitored. Tire pressure monitor
General notes If a tire pressure monitor is installed, the vehi-
cle's wheels have sensors that monitor the tire
pressures in all four tires. The tire pressure mon-
itor warns you if the pressure drops in one or
more of the tires. The tire pressure monitor only functions if the corresponding sensors are
installed in all wheels. Tire pressure
359Wheels and tires Z