
192Driving and operatingThe selected gear is indicated in the
instrument cluster.
Temporary manual mode in drive
mode D
Manual paddle shifting is also
possible in automatic mode D. Upon
completion of manual shifting
operation, transmission changes to
automatic mode D after a defined
time.
To interrupt manual mode and return
to D, do one of the following:
● Press + paddle for 1 second.
● Move selector lever towards the left to manual mode and back toposition D.
If the vehicle is at a standstill and
engine is idling, the transmission will remain in temporary manual mode. It
changes to automatic mode when
accelerator pedal is operated for a
defined time, and no paddle shifting
at the steering wheel is performed.
General
If a higher gear is selected when
vehicle speed is too low, or a lower
gear when vehicle speed is too high,the shift is not executed. This can
cause a message in the Driver
Information Centre.
In manual mode, no automatic
shifting to a higher gear takes place
at high engine revolutions, except
activating the kickdown function.
Gear shift indication
The symbol R or S with a number
beside it is indicated when gear
shifting is recommended for fuel
saving reasons.
Shift indication appears only in
manual mode.
Electronic driving programmes ● When SPORT mode is engaged,
the vehicle shifts at higher engine
speeds (unless cruise control is
on). SPORT mode 3 201.
● Special programmes automatically adapt the shiftingpoints when driving up inclines or down hills.
● In snowy or icy conditions or on other slippery surfaces, the
electronic transmission controlenables the driver to manually
select first, second or third gear
for starting off.
Kickdown
Pressing down the accelerator pedal
beyond the kickdown detent will lead
to maximum acceleration even in manual mode. The transmission
shifts to a lower gear depending on
engine speed and shifts to a higher
gear at high engine revolutions.
Overheat protection
In the event of transmission-
overheating due to high outside
temperatures or sporty driving style, the torque and the maximum speed of
the engine can be temporarily
reduced.
Fault
In the event of a fault a vehicle
message is displayed in the Driver
Information Centre. Vehicle
messages 3 123.
6-gear automatic transmission:
electronic transmission control
enables only fourth gear; 8-gear
automatic transmission: electronic

Driving and operating193transmission control enables only
third gear. The transmission no
longer shifts automatically.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interruption of power supply
In the event of an interruption of
power supply, the selector lever
cannot be moved out of the P
position.
If the vehicle battery is discharged,
start the vehicle using jump leads
3 293.
If the vehicle battery is not the cause
of the fault, release the selector lever.
1. Apply parking brake.
2. Release the selector lever trim from the centre console. Poke
with a finger into the leather
socket beside the selector lever
and pull the trim up carefully, there
is a cable attached to it. Slide trim slightly forward as it is hinged on
its rear side. Tilt loose trim to the
left side to aviod tensioning the
cable.3. Insert a small stick (e.g. a pen or screwdriver) into the opening near
the selector lever. Push down the
stick vertically and move the
selector lever out of P. If this
position is engaged again, the
selector lever will be locked again.
Have the cause of the power
supply interruption remedied by a
workshop.
4. Mount the selector lever trim onto
the centre console and refit.

196Driving and operatingFault9Warning
If there is a fault in the ABS, the
wheels may be liable to lock due
to braking that is heavier than
normal. The advantages of ABS are no longer available. During
hard braking, the vehicle can no longer be steered and may
swerve.
Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Parking brake
9 Warning
Before leaving the vehicle, check
parking brake status. Control
indicator m must illuminate
constantly.
Electric parking brake
Applying when vehicle is stationary
9 Warning
Pull switch m for a minimum of
one second until control indicator
m illuminates constantly and
electric parking brake is applied
3 107. The electric parking brake
operates automatically with
adequate force.
Before leaving the vehicle, check
the electric parking brake status.
Control indicator m 3 107.
The electric parking brake can always
be activated, even if the ignition is off.
Do not operate electric parking brake
system too often without engine
running as this will discharge the vehicle battery.
Releasing
Switch on ignition. Keep foot brake
pedal depressed and then push
switch m.
Drive away function
Vehicles with manual transmission:
Depressing the clutch pedal and then
slightly releasing the clutch pedal and slightly depressing the accelerator
pedal releases the electric parking
brake automatically. This is not
possible when switch m is pulled at
the same time.
Vehicles with automatic transmission: Engaging D and then depressing the
accelerator pedal releases the
electric parking brake automatically.
This is not possible when switch m is
pulled at the same time.

Driving and operating197Dynamic braking when vehicle is
moving
When the vehicle is moving and the
switch m is kept pulled, the electric
parking brake system will decelerate
the vehicle, but will not apply
statically.
As soon as the switch m is released,
dynamic braking will be stopped.
Automatic applying
If the vehicle is equipped with
automatic transmission and adaptive cruise control is active, electric
parking brake is applied automatically when vehicle is stopped by the
system for more than two minutes.
Parking brake releases automatically
after moving off.
Functionality check
When the vehicle is not moving, the
electric parking brake might be
applied automatically. This is done to
check the system.Fault
Failure mode of electric parking brake
is indicated by a control indicator j
and by a vehicle message which is
displayed in the Driver Information
Centre. Vehicle messages 3 123.
Apply electric parking brake: pull and
hold the switch m for more than
five seconds. If control indicator m
illuminates, electric parking brake is
applied.
Release electric parking brake: push
and hold the switch m for more than
two seconds. If control indicator m
extinguishes, electric parking brake is
released.
Control indicator m flashes: electric
parking brake is not fully applied or released. When continuously
flashing, release electric parking
brake and retry applying.
Brake assist If brake pedal is depressed quickly
and forcefully, maximum brake force
is automatically applied.Operation of brake assist might
become apparent by a pulse in the
brake pedal and a greater resistance
when depressing the brake pedal.
Maintain steady pressure on the
brake pedal as long as full braking is
required. Maximum brake force is
automatically reduced when brake
pedal is released.
Hill start assist The system helps preventing
unintended movement when driving
away on inclines.
When releasing the brake pedal after
stopping on an incline, brakes remain
on for further two seconds. The
brakes release automatically as soon as the vehicle begins to accelerate.
The hill start assist will not activate if
one of the following conditions
occurs:
● forward gear is engaged when facing downhill.
● reverse gear is engaged when facing uphill.

198Driving and operating● driver seat belt is unfastened.
● driver's door is open.
Extended hold hill start assist
Vehicles with automatic transmission
are additionally equipped with the
extended hold hill start assist. This
function holds the vehicle stationary
for up to five minutes after the brake
pedal is released.
The electric parking brake will be
automatically activated to prevent
vehicle movement when one of the
following conditions occurs:
● extended hold hill start assist is deactivated after five minutes.
● ignition is switched off.
● driver's exit is detected.
Hill start assist or extended hold hill
start assist can be selected in the
vehicle personalisation. 3 124
Note
Hill start assist and extended hold
hill start assist will not be activated in neutral gear. If neutral gear isselected during an active hold,
assists will deactivate and vehicle
may start moving.Ride control systems
Traction Control systemThe Traction Control system (TC) is a
component of the Electronic Stability
Control (ESC).
TC improves driving stability when
necessary, regardless of the type of
road surface or tyre grip, by
preventing the drive wheels from
spinning.
As soon as the drive wheels starts to spin, engine output is reduced and
the wheel spinning the most is braked
individually. This considerably
improves the driving stability of the
vehicle on slippery road surfaces.
TC is operational after each engine
start as soon as the control indicator
b extinguishes.
When TC operates b flashes.

Driving and operating201Have the cause of the fault remedied
by a workshop.
Interactive driving system FlexRide
FlexRide driving system allows the
driver to select between three driving
modes:
● SPORT mode: press SPORT,
LED illuminates.
● TOUR mode: press TOUR, LED
illuminates.
● AUTO or Standard / Normal mode: neither SPORT nor
TOUR is pressed, no LED
illuminates.
Deactivate SPORT mode or TOUR
mode by pressing corresponding
button once more.
In each driving mode Flex Ride adjusts the following electronic
systems:
● electronic damping control● accelerator pedal control
● electronic power steering control
● automatic transmission● adaptive cruise control
● all-wheel drive
● engine sound enhancement
● instrument cluster theme
SPORT mode
The settings of the systems are
adjusted for a sportier driving style:
● Damping of shock absorbers is set up for increased handling andagility.
● The engine reacts more quickly to accelerator pedal changes.
● Steering support is sportier.
● Automatic transmission shift points optimised for sporty
driving.
● Adaptive cruise control is adjusted for a sportier driving
style.
● All-wheel drive supports active sporty driving of the vehicle.
● Engine sound enhancement intensifies interior engine sound
in a sporty manner.
● Cluster theme changes to sport.
TOUR mode

206Driving and operatingResume limit speed
Turn thumb wheel to RES/+. The
stored speed limit will be obtained
and is indicated without brackets in the Driver Information Centre.
Switching off
Press L, the speed limit indication
extinguishes in the Driver Information Centre. The stored speed is deleted.
By pressing m to activate cruise
control or adaptive cruise control,
speed limiter is also deactivated and
the stored speed is deleted.
By switching off the ignition, speed
limiter is also deactivated, but the
speed limit will be stored for next
speed limiter activation.
Adaptive cruise control
Adaptive cruise control is an
enhancement to conventional cruise
control with the additional feature of
maintaining a certain distance behind the vehicle ahead.Adaptive cruise control automatically
decelerates the vehicle when
approaching a slower moving vehicle. It then adjusts the vehicle speed to
follow the vehicle ahead at the
selected following distance. The
vehicle speed increases or decreases to follow the vehicle in front, but willnot exceed the set speed. It may
apply limited braking with activated
brake lights.
To facilitate overtaking a vehicle on
the motorway, the activation of the
turn signal reduces the following
distance for a short time. This function
is implemented only on the respective
driver's side depending on left or right
hand drive vehicle configuration.
The adaptive cruise control can store set speed over 30 km/h. On vehicles
with automatic transmissions the
system can brake until a full stop and
drive off from a stop.Adaptive cruise control uses radar
and camera sensors to detect the
vehicles ahead. If no vehicle is
detected in the driving path, the
adaptive cruise control will behave
like a conventional cruise control
3 203.
For additional information including a
video, visit us online.
Adaptive cruise control is mainly
advised to be used on long straight
roads like highways or country roads
with steady traffic. Do not use the
system if it is not advisable to
maintain a constant speed.
Control indicator A 3 111, C 3 111.
Additionally, the status of the
adaptive cruise control is indicated on
the Driver Assistance page in the
Driver Information Center 3 112.9 Warning
The complete driver attention is
always required while driving with
adaptive cruise control. The driver stays fully in control of the vehicle
because the brake pedal, the

Driving and operating207accelerator pedal and the cancel
switch have priority over any
adaptive cruise control operation.
Switching on the system
Press v to switch on adaptive cruise
control. C appears in the Driver
Information Centre.
Indication on Driver Assistance page
If the system is switched on but
inactive, a white bar in the set gap
position appears in front of the vehicle symbol.
Activation of the functionality by
setting the speed
Adaptive cruise control can be
activated at speeds above 25 km/h on
vehicles with automatic transmission
or 30 km/h on vehicles with manual
transmission. The upper speed limit is 180 km/h.
Accelerate to the desired speed and
move thumb wheel to SET/-, the
current speed is stored and
maintained.
The adaptive cruise control symbol
C , the following distance setting and
set speed are indicated in the Driver
Information Centre.
The accelerator pedal can be
released. Adaptive cruise control
remains activated during gear
shifting.
Overriding set speed
It is always possible to drive faster
than the selected set speed by
depressing the accelerator pedal.
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the vehicle returns to the
desired distance if a slower vehicle is ahead. Otherwise it returns to the
stored speed.