2020 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV steering

Also obser
vethefo llowing information when
driving in moun tainous terrain:
R Obse rveth eva lues of the approach/depar‐
ture angle and of the maximum gradient
(/ page 428).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the braking po wer of the engine when
driving downhill.
R Shift toa lo werge ar on uphill gradients and
on long, steep downhill gradients.
R Activate DSR be fore driving downhill, if nec‐
essary (/ page244).
Checklis t after driving off-road
Driving off-road places grea ter demands on your
ve hicle than driving on no rmalroads. Check the
entire vehicle for dama geand fore ign bodies
eve rytime af ter driving off-road. Foreign bodies
in the wheels or driv etra in can lead toimbalan‐
ces and therefore vibrations.
R Ifth eF orG drive prog ram is selec‐
te d: select ano ther drive prog ram.
R Shift the transfer case tothe on-ro ad posi‐
tion HIGH RANGE. R
Deactivate DSR.
R Lowe rth eve hicle le vel again toa le vel suita‐
ble tothero ad conditions, e.g. tothe normal
le ve l.
R Apply the brakes todry them af terfo rd ing.
R Check that the service brake is working nor‐
mally af ter a long downhill stre tch.
R Clean thefo llowing components everytime
af te r driving off-road:
- licence plate number
- headlamps and tail lamps
- tyres, wheels and wheel ar ches
- underbody
R After driving thro ugh sand, mud, water or
gr ave l, ha vethefo llowing components
ch ecked and cleaned:
- brake disks and brakepads
- tyres and wheels
- axle joints ECO
start/s top function Ope
ration of the ECO start/s top function
% The ECO start/ stop function is not available
in all drive prog rams, depending on the
engine. Obser vethest atus display in the
multifunction display forth is.
The engine is switched off automatically in the
fo llowing situations if all vehicle conditions for
an automatic engine stop are me t:
R you brake theve hicle toast andstill in trans‐
mission position hori.
R vehicles with a 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem: you depress the brake pedal when
tra velling at a low speed.
If th e sy stem has de tected one of thefo llowing
situations, the engine will not stop:
R youstop at a stop sign and there is no vehi‐
cle in front of you.
R theve hicle that stopped in front of youstarts
up again.
R you manoeuv re, turn thesteering wheel
sharply or engage reve rsege ar. Driving and parking
197

If
th e sy stem does not inter vene du ring the
eve nt ahead, no thing will be displa yed. The sys‐
te m will be passive.
ECO Assist is active only in drive programs ;
and A.
Sy stem limits
ECO Assist can function even more precisely if
th ero ute is adhered towhen route guidance is
active. The basic function is also available with‐
out active route guidance. Notall information
and traf fic situations can be fore seen. The qual‐
ity depends on the map data.
ECO Assist is only an aid. The driver is responsi‐
ble forke eping a safe dis tance from theve hicle
in front, forve hicle speed and for braking in
good time. The driver must be ready tobrake at
all times ir respective of whe ther the sy stem
inter venes.
The sy stem may be impaired or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R If visibility is poor, e.g. due toinsuf ficient illu‐
mination of thero ad, high lyvariable shade
conditions, rain, sno w,fog or heavy spr ay.R
Ifth ere is glare, e.g. from oncoming traf fic,
di re ct sunlight or reflections.
R Ifth ere is dirt on the windscreen in the area
of the multifunction camera or the camera is
mis ted up, damaged or obscured.
R If traf fic signs are ha rdtodiscern, e.g. due to
dirt, snow or insuf ficient lighting, or because
th ey are obscured.
R Ifth e information on the navigation sy stem's
digital map is incor rect or out of da te.
R If signs are ambiguous, e.g. traf fic signs in
ro adwor ksor in adjacent lanes. DY
NA MIC SELECT switch Fu
nction of theDY NA MIC SELECT switch *
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. %
Depending on the engine and equipment,
th eve hicle has dif fere nt drive programs. Use
theDY NA MIC SELECT switch tochange
between thefo llowing drive programs.
The drive prog ram selected appears in the multi‐
function display of the on-board computer.
= Individual
R individual settings
B Sport+
R particularly sporty driving
R emphasises theve hicle's ownove rste ering
and under steering characteristics for a more
active driving style
R only suitable for good road conditions, a dry
ro ad sur face and a clear stre tch of road
C Sport
R continues toofferst ability but with a sporty
setup
R allows th e sporty driver a more active driving
st yle
R only suitable for good road conditions, a dry
ro ad sur face and a clear stre tch of road Driving and parking
201

A
Comfort
R comfor table and economical driving
R balance between traction and stability
R recommended for all road conditions
£ Maybach
R onlyfor Mercedes-Maybach vehicles
R highest driving comfort for comfor table and
luxurious tra vel
; Eco
R particular lyeconomical driving
R balance between traction and stability
R recommended for all road conditions
N Curve
R onlyavailable forve hicles with E‑ACTIVE
BO DY CONTROL
R comfor table driving with cur veinclination
function
R balance between traction and stability
R recommended for all road conditions F
Offroad
R onlyavailable forve hicles with Off-road pack‐
age
R inter venes la ter if there is overste ering or
under steering, thus impr oving traction
R suitable for easi lynegotiable off-road terrain,
such as dirt trac ks,gr ave l or sandy sur faces
R not suitable for use on public roads
G Offroad+
R onlyavailable forve hicles with Off-road pack‐
age
R inter venes la ter if there is overste ering or
under steering, thus impr oving traction
R suitable forro ugh terrain, such as steep
and/or une vente rrain or for driving on rocky
te rrain
R not suitable for use on public roads
% Mercedes-M aybach vehicles: inthe drive
programs FandG, theex tendible
ru nning boards remain retracted or retract if
th ey have already been extended. %
Depending on the situation, the cylinder can
be brief lydeactivated in the drive pro‐
grams ;andA, depending on the
engine.
Depending on the drive prog ram, thefo llowing
sy stems change their characteristics:
R drive
-
engine and transmission management
- Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
R ESP ®
R vehicles with AIRMATIC or E‑ACTIVE
BO DY CONT ROL:
- suspension tuning
- vehicle le vel
R electric po werst eering Note
s onthero of load display Cer
tain drive programs and ESP ®
settings are
unsuitable for transporting a roof load. 202
Driving and parking

When
the automatic transmission is in transmis‐
sion position h, it shiftsthege ars automati‐
call y.This depends, among other things, on the
fo llowing factors:
R the selected drive program
R the position of the accelera tor pedal
R the driving speed Manual
gearshifting Pe
rm anent setting (vehicles with Offroad
pac kage or E- Active Body Control)
* NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. #
Toactivate/deacti vate:pull rock er switch
1.
If indicator lamp is lit, manual gearshifting is
activated. The cur rent gear is displa yed in the
multifunction displa y. Te
mp orary setting #
Toactivate: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1or2.
Manual gearshifting is activated for a short
time. Transmission position pand the cur‐
re nt gear appear in the multifunction displa y. #
Todeactivate: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2and hold it in place.
The transmission position happears in the
multifunction displa y.
% Topermanently shift thege ars manually in
drive prog ram = using thesteering wheel
ge arshift paddles, select thep setting for
th e transmission. Driving and parking
207

Gearshifting
#
Toshift up: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 2. #
Toshift down: pullsteering wheel gearshift
paddle 1. Gea
rshift recommendation The
gearshift recommendation assists you in
adopting an economical driving style. #
Ifth ege arshift recommendation 1appea rs
next tothe transmission position displa y,
shift tothere commended gear. Using kickd
own #
Maximum acceleration: depressthe accel‐
erator pedal be yond the pressure point.
To protect against engine overrev ,th e automatic
transmission shifts up tothe next gear when
maximum engine speed has been reached. Glide mode function
*
NO
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. %
Mercedes-Maybach vehicles: the Glide
mode function is not available.
Wi th an anticipatory driving style, Glide mode
helps youto reduce fuel consum ption.
Glide mode is characterised bythefo llowing:
R the combustion engine is disconnected from
th e driv etra in and continues torun in neutral. R
the transmission position display his
shown in green.
R vehicles with 48 V on-board electrical
sy stem (EQ-Boost technology): the com‐
bustion engine can be switched off. All of the
ve hicle functions remain active.
Glide mode is activated if thefo llowing condi‐
tions are me t:
R drive program ;is selected.
R the speed is within a suitable range.
R thero ad's course is suitable, e.g. no steep
uphill or downhill inclines or tight bends.
R there is no trailer hitched up tothe trailer
hitch, and no bicycle rack fitted.
R you do not depress the accelera tor or brake
pedal (e xcept for light brake applications).
% Glide mode can also be activated if you ha ve
selected the "Eco" setting forth e drive in the
drive prog ram =.
Glide mode is deactivated again if one of the
conditions is no longer met. 208
Driving and pa rking

R
HOLD function (/ page 230)
R Hill Start Assist (/ page 231)
R Adaptive Brake Lights (/ page 231)
R Start-off assist
R ATTENTION ASSIST (/ page 232)
R Cruise contro l (/page 233)
R Limiter (/ page 234)
R Traf fic Sign Assi st (/ page 255)
R Speed Limit Assist (count ry-dependent)
(/ page 253)
R AIRMATIC (/ page 262)
R E-AC TIVE BODY CONTROL (/ page 269)
R Trailer Manoeuv ring Assi st (/ page 293)
Driving Assistance pac kage
The following functions are part of the Driving
Assis tance Package. Cer tain functions are only
av ailable in some countries. Some functions are
also available without the Driving Assis tance
Pa ckage, albeit with restricted functionality.
R Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
(/ page 236) R
Active Speed Limit Assi st(countr y-depend‐
ent) (/ page241)
R Route-based speed adap tation (countr y-
dependent) (/ page242)
R DSR (Dow nhillSpeed Regulation)
(/ page 244)
R Active Brake Assi st (/ page 248)
R Active Steering Assist (count ry-dependent)
(/ page 246)
R Active Emergency Stop Assist (countr y-
dependent) (/ page248)
R Active Stop-and-Go Assist (countr y-depend‐
ent) (/ page243)
R Blind Spot Assist and Active Blind Spot Assi st
with exitwa rning (/ page 257)
R Active Lane Keeping Assist (/ page 260)
Pa rking Package
R Reversing camera (/ page277)
R 360° Camera ( /page 280)
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC ( /page 283)
R Active Parking Assist (/ page 288) Fu
nction of ABS The Anti-lock Brake Sy
stem (ABS) regulates the
brake pressure in critical driving situations:
R During braking, e.g. at full brake application
or insuf ficient tyre traction, the wheels are
pr eve nted from lo cking.
R Vehicle steerability while braking is ensured.
If ABS inter venes when braking, you will feel a
pulsing in the brake pedal. The pulsating brake
pedal can be an indication of hazardous road
conditions and can ser veas a reminder totake
ex tra care while driving. Fu
nctions of Off-road ABS %
Off-road ABS is activated automatically when
you select theF orG drive program.
Off-road ABS is specially adap tedfo r driving off-
ro ad:
R The front wheels lock cyclically during brak‐
ing.
R The braking dis tance is sho rtened due tothe
digging-in ef fect. 226
Driving and pa rking

Fu
nction of EBD Elect
ronic Breakforce Distribution (EBD) is char‐
acterised bythefo llowing:
R Monitoring and regulating the brake pressure
on there ar wheels.
R Impr oved driving stability when braking,
especially on bends. Fu
nction of STEER CONT ROL ST
EER CONTROL helps youby transmitting a
noticeable steering forc eto thesteering wheel in
th e direction requ ired forve hicle stabilisation.
This steering recommendation is given in thefo l‐
lowing situations:
R both right wheels or bo thleft wheels are on a
we t or slippe ryroad sur face when you brake
R theve hicle starts toskid
Sy stem limits
ST EER CONTROL may be impaire d or may not
function in thefo llowing situations:
R ESP ®
is deactivated. R
ESP ®
is malfunctioning.
R The steering is malfunctioning.
If ESP ®
is malfunctioning, you will be assis ted
fur ther by the electric po werst eering. HOLD function
HOLD function
The HOLD function holds
theve hicle at a stand‐
st ill without requ iring youto depress the brake
pedal, e.g. while waiting in traf fic.
The HOLD function is only an aid. The responsi‐
bility forth eve hicle safely standing still remains
with the driver.
Sy stem limits
The HOLD function is only intended toprov ide
assis tance when driving and is not a su fficient
means of safeguarding theve hicle against rolling
aw ay when stationar y.
R The incline must not be greater than 30%. Ac
tivating/deactivating the HOLD function &
WARNING Risk of an accident due tothe
HOLD function being active when you
lea vetheve hicle
If th eve hicle is only braked with the HOLD
function it could, in thefo llowing situations,
ro llaw ay:
R Ifth ere is a malfunction in the sy stem or
in the po wer supp ly.
R Ifth e HOLD function is deactivated by
depressing the accelerator pedal or brake
pedal, e.g. byave hicle occupant. #
Alw ays secure theve hicle against roll‐
ing away before you lea veit. Re
quirements:
R The vehicle is stationar y.
R The driver's door is closed or the seat belt on
th e driver's side is fastened.
R The engine is running or has been au tomati‐
cally switched off bythe ECO start/ stop
function. 230
Driving and parking

#
Tooperate Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC:press thero ck er switches on
th esteering wheel control unit up or down to
th e desired position.
Switching between Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC and the limiter #
Press theI button. Ac
tivating the variable limi ter or Active Dis‐
tance Assi stDISTRONIC #
Toactivate with out astored speed: press
rock er switch 1upM or down N, or
select Jwiththe left rocker switch.
or #
Toactivate with ast ored speed: select
J withthe left rocker switch. #
Active Di stance Assist DISTRO NIC:remo ve
yo ur foot from the accelerator pedal.
The cur rent vehicle speed is stored and
maintained (Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC) or limited (variable limiter) by
th eve hicle.
Ad opting a de tected speed limit #
Activate Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC. #
If a traf fic sign has been de tected and is dis‐
pl ay ed in the instrument clus ter: select J
with the left rocker switch.
The maximum permissible speed on the traf‐
fi c sign is adop ted as thestored speed. The
ve hicle adapts its speed tothat of theve hicle
in front, but only up tothestored speed. Pulling
away with Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC #
Activate Active Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC
and remo veyour foot from the brake pedal. #
Select Jwiththe left rock er switch.
or #
Depress the accelerator pedal briefly and
fi rm ly.
The functions of Active Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC continue tobe car ried out.
Deactivating Active Di stance Assist
DISTRO NIC &
WARNING Risk of an accident due to
Ac tive Dis tance Assi stDISTRONIC being
acti vewhen you lea vethe driver's seat
If yo u lea vethe driver's seat while theve hicle
is being braked byActive Dis tance Assi st
DISTRONIC only, theve hicle can rollaw ay. #
Alw ays deactivate Active Dis tance
Assi stDISTRONIC and secure theve hi‐
cle topreve nt it from rolling away
before you lea vethe driver's seat. 240
Driving and pa rking