2019 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owner's Manual

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

R
Always stow objects in such a way that they
cannot be tossed about in these or similar
situations.
R Always make sure that objects do not pro-
trude out of the stowage spaces, luggage
nets or stowage nets.
R Ensure that closable stowage spaces are
shut before beginning your journey.
R Always stow and secure heavy, hard, poin-
ted, sharp-edged, fragile or large objects in
the cargo compartment.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 295).
Glove box X
To open: pull handle 0043and open glove box
flap 0044.
X To close: fold glove box flap 0044up until it
engages.
i The glove box can be cooled and ventilated
(Y page 136). 0047
Glove box unlocked
0048 Glove box locked
The glove box can be locked and unlocked using the mechanical key. Partition
0043for stowing flat objects is located in
the upper section of the glove box. It can be
removed to increase the stowage space in the
glove box.
X To remove: pull out partition 0043.
X To install: insert partition 0043and push it back
until it engages.
Stowage compartment under the arm-
rest Vehicles without touchpad
X To open: pull handle 0043up.
The armrest folds out. 296
Stowage areasSto
wage an d features

Vehicles with touchpad and COMAND
X To open: press button 0043at the front.
Armrest 0044folds out.
Depending on the vehicle equipment, there is a multimedia connection unit with two USB ports,
e.g. for iPod ®
, iPhone ®
or MP3 player in the
stowage compartment .
i There is a removable stowage tray in the
storage compartment, in which objects such
as an iPod ®
can be stored.
Eyeglasses compartment X
To open: press marking 0043.
The eyeglasses compartment opens down.
X To close: press marking 0043again and the
eyeglasses compartment moves up and
engages.
Make sure that the eyeglasses compartment is
always closed while the vehicle is in motion.
Stowage compartment in the front cen-
ter console X
To open: slide cover 0043forwards.
Stowage compartment 0044appears.
X To close: pull cover 0043back as far as it will go. Stowage compartment in the rear
passenger compartment center con-
sole
X
To open: briefly press the stowage compart-
ment marking.
The stowage compartment opens.
i Depending on the vehicle's equipment,
there may be open stowage spaces above and
below the stowage compartment. Stowage net
G
WARNING
Vehicles with the Occupant Classification
System (OCS):
If the gross weight of the objects in the stow- age net on the back of the front-passenger
seat is greater than 4.4 lb (2 kg), OCS cannot
correctly assess the occupant's weight cate-
gory. The front-passenger front air bag could
deploy without cause, or may fail to deploy in
the event of an accident. This poses an
increased risk of injury or even fatal injury.
Always observe the permissible gross weight
of 4.4 lb (2 kg). Stow and secure heavy
objects in the cargo compartment. Stowage areas
297Stowage and features Z

0043
stowage net in front-passenger footwell 0043
Stowage net on the back of the front seats 0043
Stowage net in cargo compartment
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 295)
and the safety notes regarding stowage spaces
(Y page 295). Through-loading facility in the rear
passenger compartment
There is a through-loading facility above the
armrest in the rear for transporting longer
objects. You can continue to use both of the
outer rear seats.
If objects or loads are not secured when being
transported in the through-loading facility, they could slip or be thrown around and thereby hit
vehicle occupants.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y
page 295)
and the safety notes regarding stowage spaces
(Y page 295). The through-loading facility is opened from the
cargo compartment.
X If necessary, fold the third row of seats
forward (Y page 101).
X Fold down the rear seat armrest.
X Pull the center head restraint on the rear
bench seat into the uppermost position
(Y page 99).
X Slide release catch 0043to the left and swing
flap 0044to the left until it is lying on the rear
side of the rear bench seat. X
Push cover 0087forward until it is lying on the
rear seat armrest. Cargo compartment enlargement
Important safety notes G
WARNING
If the rear bench seat/rear seat and seat
backrest are not engaged they could fold for- 298
Stowage areasStowage and features

wards, e.g. when braking suddenly or in the
event of an accident.
R The vehicle occupant would thereby be
pushed into the seat belt by the rear bench
seat/rear seat or by the seat backrest. The
seat belt can no longer offer the intended
level of protection and could even cause
injuries.
R Objects or loads in the trunk/cargo com-
partment cannot be restrained by the seat
backrest.
There is an increased risk of injury.
Before every trip, make sure that the seat
backrests and the rear bench seat/rear seat
are engaged.
Make sure that the seat backrest and the seat
cushion are correctly engaged in position. To do so, pull firmly on the seat backrest.
! Release and fold the seat cushion upwards
before folding the rear bench seat forward.
Otherwise, the backrests may be damaged.
When the backrest is folded forwards, the
front seats cannot be moved to their rearmost position. Otherwise, the front seats and the
rear bench seat could be damaged.
! The backrest is heavy. Therefore, take care
when folding it down. Make sure that the head restraints are pushed all the way in so that the
backrests and seat cushions are not dam-
aged.
Observe the loading guidelines (Y page 295).
The left-hand and right-hand backrests in the
second row of seats can be folded forward sep-
arately to increase the cargo compartment
capacity.
On vehicles with a third row of seats, you must
fold down the third row of seats beforehand
(Y page 101) to obtain maximum cargo com-
partment enlargement. Folding the rear bench seat forward If the driver's or front-passenger seat is set for a
larger person, it may not be possible to fold the
rear bench seat forward. In this case, move the front seats as far forward as possible.
X Move the head restraints to the lowest posi-
tion (Y page 100).
X Pull release loop 0043of seat cushion 0044.
X Fold seat cushion 0044up. X
Pull release handle 0087in the direction of the
arrow.
The backrest is released.
X Fold the backrest forward until it reaches the
cargo compartment position. Stowage areas
299Stowage and features Z

X
Guide seat belts 0044under respective clips 0043.
Folding the rear bench seat back X
Fold seat backrest 0044back until it engages.
Make sure not to trap the seat belt while doing so.
X Swing seat cushion 0043back.
X Pull up and adjust the head restraints if nec-
essary (Y page 100). Securing loads
Cargo tie-down rings G
WARNING
The Top Tether anchorages cannot secure a
load. If you secure a load with the Top Tether
anchorages, the Top Tether anchorages could be pulled out during braking, abrupt changes
in direction or in the event of an accident. The load could slip, tip over or be flung around and
thereby hit vehicle occupants. There is a risk
of injury.
Only use the cargo tie down rings when secur-
ing a load.
Observe the following notes on securing loads: R Secure the load using the cargo tie-down
rings.
R Distribute the load on the cargo tie-down
rings evenly.
R Do not use elastic straps or nets to secure a
load, as these are only intended as an anti-slip protection for light loads. R
Do not route tie-downs across sharp edges or
corners.
R Pad sharp edges for protection. There are four cargo tie-down rings
0043in the
cargo compartment.
Bag hook G
WARNING
The bag hooks cannot restrain heavy objects
or items of luggage. Objects or items of lug-
gage could be flung around and thereby hit
vehicle occupants when braking or abruptly
changing directions. There is a risk of injury.
Only hang light objects on the bag hooks.
Never hang hard, sharp-edged or fragile
objects on the bag hooks.
! The bag hook can bear a maximum load of
6.6lbs (3kg) and should not be used to secure
a load. There is a bag hook in the cargo compartment
on the right-hand side.
X Press bag hook marking 0043.
X Turn bag hook 0043until it engages. 300
Stowage areasStowage and features

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

Stowage well under the cargo com-
partment floor
Important safety notes G
WARNING
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.
The tire-change tool kit is located in the stowage compartment.
Opening/closing the cargo compart-
ment floor X
To open: holding the ribbing, press handle 0043
down 0044.
Handle 0043folds up.
X Swing the cargo compartment floor up using
handle 0043until it rests against the cargo com-
partment cover. X
Fold out hook 0087on the underside of the
cargo compartment floor in the direction of
the arrow. X
Attach hook 0087to the cargo compartment's
upper seal 0085.
X To close: detach hook 0087from the cargo
compartment's upper seal 0085.
X Fasten hook 0087to the retainer on the under-
side of the cargo compartment floor.
X Fold the cargo compartment floor down.
X Press the cargo compartment floor down 0044
until it engages.
Locking/unlocking the cargo compart-
ment floor 0047
Cargo compartment floor unlocked
0048 Cargo compartment floor locked
The cargo compartment floor can be locked and unlocked using the mechanical key. 302
Stowage areasStowage and features