2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV Owners Manual

*
N
NO
OTE
TE Mercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The vehicle has been star ted.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit hout
houtO.-r
O.-road
oadpack
pack ag
age:
e: theve hicle
is not moving faster than 65 km/h.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h
h O.-r
O.-r oad
oadpack
pack ag
age:
e:
- O.-road le vel +1: theve hicle is not moving
fa ster than 100 km/h.
- O.-road le vel +2: theve hicle is not moving
fast erthan 65 km/h.
- O.-road le vel +3: theve hicle is not moving
fa ster than 20 km/h and there ar fog lamp
is not switched on. R
R aising t
aising t he v
he vehicle (v
ehicle (v ehicles wit
ehicles wit hout
houtO.-r
O.-road
oad
pack
pack ag
age)
e) #
Push rock er switch 1forw ards.
Indicator lamp 20ashes while theve hicle is
being raised and lights up continuously when
it has /nished rising. Yo
ur selection is sa ved. The o.- road le vel set
re mains stored even aTer the ignition has been
switched o..
The vehicle is lo wered again in thefo llowing situa-
tions:
R When driving faster than 80 km/h.
R When driving brie0y between 65 km/h and
80 km/h.
R ATer selecting a di.erent drive prog ram using
th eDY NAMIC SELECT switch.
The vehicle is adjusted tothe height of the active
drive prog ram.
Low
Low er ering t
ing t he v
he vehicle (v
ehicle (v ehicles wit
ehicles wit hout
houtO.-r
O.-road
oad
pack
pack ag
age)
e) #
Pull rock er switch 1.
The vehicle is adjusted tothe height of the
active drive prog ram.
Oper
Oper ation wit
ation wit h a tr
h a trailer or bicy
ailer or bicy cle r
cle rack
ack
If th e electrical connection has been cor rectly
es tablished tothe trailer or bicycle rack:
R From appr ox. 30 km/h: o.- road le vel +1 can
be selected, rega rdless of drive prog ram. 270
270
Driving and parking

R
From appr ox. 30 km/h: theve hicle is adjusted
to normal le vel,re ga rdless of drive prog ram.
R
R aising t
aising t he v
he vehicle (v
ehicle (v ehicles wit
ehicles wit h
hO.-r
O.-r oad
oadpack-
pac k-
ag
ag e)
e) #
Push rock er switch 1forw ards.
R O.-road le vel +1: one indicator lamp 2
lights up continuously when theve hicle
has /nished rising. R
O.-road le vel +2: two indicator lamps 2
light up continuously when theve hicle has
/nished rising.
R O.-road le vel +3: thre e indicator lamps 2
light up continuously when theve hicle has
/nished rising.
Yo ur selection is sa ved. The o.- road le vel set
re mains stored even aTer the ignition has been
switched o..
The vehicle is lo wered again in thefo llowing situa-
tions:
R O.- road le vel +3: when driving faster than
20 km/h or when there ar fog lamp is
switched on.
The vehicle is lo weredto o.-road le vel +2.
R O.- road le vel +2:
- When driving faster than 80 km/h.
- When driving brie0y between 65 km/h and
80 km/h.
The vehicle is lo weredto o.-road le vel +1.
R O.- road le vel +1: -
When driving faster than 115 km/h.
- When driving brie0y between 100 km/h
and 115 km/h.
The vehicle is lo weredto the normal le vel.
R ATer selecting a di.erent drive prog ram using
th eDY NAMIC SELECT switch.
The vehicle is adjusted tothe height of the
active drive prog ram.
Low
Low er ering t
ing t he v
he vehicle (v
ehicle (v ehicles wit
ehicles wit h
hO.-r
O.-r oad
oadpack-
pac k-
ag
ag e)
e) #
Pull rock er switch 1.
R O.- road le vel +3: theve hicle is lo weredto
o.-road le vel +2. Two indicator lamps 2
light up continuously when theve hicle has
/nished lo wering.
R O.-road le vel +2: theve hicle is lo weredto
o.-road le vel +1. One indicator lamp 2
lights up continuously when theve hicle
has /nished lo wering.
R O.-road le vel +1: theve hicle is lo weredto
th e normal le vel. No indicator lamp 2 Driving and parking
271
271

lights up when
theve hicle has /nished
lo we ring.
Yo ur selection is sa ved. The o.- road le vel set
re mains stored even aTer the ignition has been
switched o..
Oper Oper ation wit
ation wit h a tr
h a trailer or bicy
ailer or bicy cle r
cle rack
ack
If th e electrical connection has been cor rectly
es tablished tothe trailer or bicycle rack:
R Uptoappr ox. 20 km/h: o.- road le vels +1, +2
and +3 can be selected, rega rdless of the
drive prog ram.
R Uptoappr ox. 30 km/h: o.- road le vels +1 and
+2 can be selected, rega rdless of the drive
prog ram.
R From appr ox. 30 km/h: theve hicle is adjusted
to normal le vel,re ga rdless of the drive pro-
gr am.
Se
Se tting t
tting t he ent
he ent er
ering and e
ing and e xiting lev
xiting level (AIRMA
el (AIRMA TIC)
TIC)
R
R eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R The engine is running.
R The vehicle is moving at speeds below
30 km/h. Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Settings
5 Schnellzugriff (Quick access) #
Select Lower when entering On.
The vehicle is lo weredto low le vel -2 tofacili-
ta te entering and exiting.
% The availability of this function depends on
th eve hicle equipment.
% Further information on AIRMATIC
(/ page 267).
Low
Low er
ering and r
ing and r aising t
aising the r
he rear of t
ear of t he v
he vehicle
ehicle &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of ent rapment from vehi-
cle lo wering
When lo wering theve hicle, other people could
become trapped if their limbs are between the
ve hicle body and the tyres or underneath the
ve hicle. #
Make sure no one is underneath the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of the
wheel ar ches when theve hicle is being
lo we red. R
R
eq
eq uir
uir ements:
ements:
R allvehicle doors are closed
R there is no trailer coupled
R there is no bicycle rack /tted
R the battery is su1ciently charge d (if neces-
sar y,start the engine)
Low
Low er
ering t
ing t he r
he rear of t
ear of t he v
he vehicle
ehicle 272
272
Driving and parking

#
Apply the electric parking brake. #
ShiT the transmission toposition j
(/ page 210). #
Pull switch 1inthe load compartment trim
brie0y.
Indicator lamp 20ashes until theve hicle has
been lo wered.
The vehicle is lo wered at there ar axle by
appr ox. 40 mm. When theve hicle has been
lo we red, indicator lamp 2remains lit.
Lo we ring is inter rupted in thefo llowing situations:
R ave hicle door is opened.
R switch 1is pulled again.
R theve hicle is being driven faster than 2 km/h.
% The vehicle is automatically set tothe le vel of
th e selected drive prog ram if you drive at
speeds greater than 2 km/h.
If indicator lamp 20ashes twice and there ar of
th eve hicle does not lo wer: #
Make sure that there qu irements are met.
% Lowe ring there ar of theve hicle allo ws the
ve hicle tobe loaded more easil y.Obser vethe no
tes on loading theve hicle when doing this
(/ page 135).
R
R aising t aising t he r
he rear of t
ear of t he v
he vehicle
ehicle #
Check if the battery is su1ciently charge d. If
necessar y,start the engine. #
Pull switch 1brie0y.
Indicator lamp 2goes out.
The vehicle will be raised tothe cur rently
selected le vel.
% The vehicle is automatically set tothe le vel of
th e selected drive prog ram if you drive at
speeds greater than 2 km/h.
If th eve hicle cann otbe raised: #
Ensure that the battery is su1ciently charge d;
if necessar y,start the engine.
The raising process continues. E-A
E-A
CTIVE BOD
CTIVE BOD Y C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL
OL F
F
unction of E-A
unction of E-A CTIVE BOD
CTIVE BODY C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL
OL
E- AC TIVE BODY CONTROL is an electrohydraulic
suspension system with variable damping for
impr oved driving comfort. The all-round le vel con- trol system ensures
the best possible suspension
and constant ground clearance, even with a laden
ve hicle. When driving at speed, theve hicle is lo w-
ered automatically toimpr ovedriving saf ety and
to reduce fuel consum ption. The suspension set-
ting is adjusted depending on thero ad sur face,
ve hicle load and the drive prog ram selected.
The ROAD SURF ACE SCAN function de tects areas
of une venness in thero ad before you drive over
th em bymeans of a multifunction camera. This
re duces chassis mo vements.
The damping is adjus ted individually toeach
wheel and depends on thefo llowing factors:
R Driving st yle, e.g. sporty
R Road condition, e.g. bumps
R Drive prog ram
E- AC TIVE BODY CONTROL is comprised of thefo l-
lowing functions and components:
R V
V ehicles wit ehicles wit h Dr
h Driving Assist
iving Assist ance P
ance Pack
ackag
age:
e:
RO AD SURF ACE SCAN
R Cur veinclination function CURVE
R Recovery mode Driving and parking
273
273

R
Individual wheel cont rol
R Air suspension with automatic le vel control
R Speed-dependent lo wering toreduce fuel con-
sum ption
R Manual le vel adjustment
R ADS PLUS: Adaptive Damping System with
cons tant adjustment of damping characteris-
tics
R DYNAMIC SELECT switch and le vel button
Suspension se
Suspension se tting and v
tting and vehicle lev
ehicle level per dr
el per driv
ive pr
e pr o-
o-
gr
gr am
am
Drive prog ram C
R The suspension setting is /rmer.
R The vehicle is set toSpo rtleve l.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is deactivated.
R The cur veinclination function is deactivated.
Drive prog ram B
R The suspension setting is even /rmer.
R The vehicle is set toSpo rt+ le vel.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is deactivated. R
The cur veinclination function is active.
Drive prog ram A
R The suspension setting is comfor table.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately
140 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately
40 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is active.
R The cur veinclination function is deactivated.
Drive prog ram £
R The suspension setting is very comfor table.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately
140 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately
40 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is active.
R The cur veinclination function is active. Drive prog
ram N
R The suspension setting is comfor table.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately
140 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately
40 km/h, theve hicle is raised again.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is active.
R The cur veinclination function is active.
Drive prog ram ;
R The suspension setting is comfor table.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately
140 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately
40 km/h, theve hicle is raised again.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is deactivated.
R The cur veinclination function is deactivated. 274
274
Driving and parking

Drive prog
ram F
R The suspension setting is suitable for easily
negotiable o.- road terrain.
R The vehicle is set too.-road le vel +1.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is deactivated.
R The cur veinclination function is deactivated.
R When the necessary conditions are met,
re co very mode and individual wheel control
can be activated.
R Vehicles without O.-road pac kage:
- When driving at speeds abo veappr ox-
imately 80 km/h theve hicle is lo wered.
- When driving at speeds below appr ox-
imately 45 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
R Vehicles with O.-road pac kage:
- When driving at speeds abo veappr ox-
imately 115 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
- When driving at speeds below appr ox-
imately 75 km/h, theve hicle is raised. Drive prog
ram G
R The suspension setting is suitable for di1cult
o.- road terrain.
R The vehicle is set too.-road le vel +1.
R When driving at speeds abo veappr oximately
80 km/h, theve hicle is lo wered.
R When driving at speeds below appr oximately
45 km/h, theve hicle is raised.
R ROAD SURF ACE SCAN is deactivated.
R The cur veinclination function is deactivated.
R Recovery mode or individual wheel control can
be activated.
Drive prog ram =
R You can call up individual suspension settings
here.
Oper
Oper ation wit
ation wit h a tr
h a trailer or bicy
ailer or bicy cle r
cle rack
ack
If th e electrical connection has been cor rectly
es tablished tothe trailer or bicycle rack:
R Drive prog ram A, ;,£, N,
=, CandB: theve hicle remains at
normal le vel ir respecti veof speed. R
The cur veinclination function is deactivated.
R Drive prog ram F andG: theve hicle
adopts the normal le vel starting from a speed
of 30 km/h.
Lev
Lev el
eldi.er
di.er ences
ences com
compar
pared t
ed t o t
o the nor
he nor mal lev
mal lev el
el V
V
ehicle
ehicle
lev
lev el
el V
V
ehicles wit
ehicles wit h-
h-
out
out O.-r
O.-r oad
oad
pack
pack age
age V
V
ehicles with
ehicles with
O.-r
O.-r oad
oadpack-
pac k-
age
age
Car wash Appr ox.
+90 mm Appr
ox.
+90 mm
O.- road
le ve l +3 Una
vailable Appr ox.
+90 mm
O.- road
le ve l +2 Una
vailable Appr ox.
+60 mm
O.- road
le ve l +1 Mercedes-
Maybach
vehi-
cles: appr ox.
+50 mm
All other mod-
els: appr ox.
+60 mm Appr
ox.
+30 mm Driving and parking
275 275

V
V
ehicle
ehicle
lev
lev el
el V
V
ehicles wit
ehicles wit h-
h-
out
out O.-r
O.-r oad
oad
pack
pack age
age V
V ehicles with
ehicles with
O.-r
O.-r oad
oadpack-
pac k-
age
age
Spor tA pprox.
-15 mm Appr
ox.
-15 mm
Sport +A pprox.
-25 mm Appr
ox.
-25 mm F F
unction of RO
unction of ROAD SURFA AD SURFA CE SC
CE SCAN
AN
% This function is not available in all countries.
The ROAD SURF ACE SCAN function monitors the
ro ad in front of your vehicle using a multifunction
camera (/ page 229).ROAD SURF ACE SCAN
de tects une venness in thero ad sur face, e.g.
bumps, before theve hicle drives overth em. Chas-
sis mo vements are reduced and driving comfort is
increased.
RO AD SURF ACE SCAN is automatically activated
if th efo llowing conditions are met:
R Drive prog ram A orN is selected.
R The vehicle is set tothe normal le vel. R
You are driving at a speed between 7 km/h
and 180 km/h.
Syst
Syst em limits em limits
RO AD SURF ACE SCAN can be impaired in thefo l-
lowing situations or can stop functioning:
R Ifth e car riag ewa y is insu1ciently lit, e.g. at
night.
R In sno w,rain, fog, heavy spr ay, if there is glare,
in direct sunlight or in greatly varying light
conditions.
R Ifth e windscreen in the area of multifunction
camera is dirty, misted up, damaged or co v-
ered.
R Ifth ero ad sur face has no optic st ructure or
re 0ects light.
R Ifyo u are driving too close totheve hicle in
front.
R If sections of thero ute ha veave ry small
ra dius of cur vature.
R During abrupt driving manoeuvres, e.g. heavy
braking or sudden acceleration. Obser
vethe no tes on cleaning the multifunction
camera (/ page 376).
F
F unction of r
unction of r ecov
ecover
ery mode
y mode &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury due totheve hicle
moving up and down
During reco very mode, theve hicle mo ves up
and down and can cause injuries. #
When activating reco very mode, make
cer tain that no one is in the vicinity of
th eve hicle. *
N
NOOTE
TE Risk of damage due totheve hicle
moving up and down When free driving mode is activated,
theve hi-
cle mo ves up and down. Vehicle parts may be
damaged if the underbody bottoms out. #
Make sure that there is su1cient ground
clearance when rock ing free mode is
activated. Re
covery mode is a function of the suspension
which can assist the driver on loose sur faces (e.g. 276
276
Driving and parking

sand, snow) when freeing a
vehicle which has
become stuc k.
The vehicle body rock s in slo w,vertical motions
when reco very mode has been activated. This
te mp orarily puts the wheels under greater load,
which means they have increased traction and the
ve hicle is freed.
Yo u can activate free driving mode via O.- road
Assist (/ page 280).
F
F unction of individual wheel contr
unction of individual wheel contr ol
ol&
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of becoming trapped due
to theve hicle lo wering
The vehicle can be lo wered when the individ-
ual wheel control function has been activated.
Body parts could become trapped if they are
between theve hicle body and the tyres or
underneath theve hicle. #
Make sure that nobody is under theve hi-
cle or in the immediate vicinity of the
wheel ar ches when individual wheel con-
trol is activated. *
N NOOTE
TE Risk of damage due totheve hicle
moving up and down The
vehicle can be lo wered or raised on one
or more wheels when the individual wheel
control function has been activated. Vehicle
parts could be damaged due tocontact with
objects. #
Make sure that theve hicle has su1cient
ro om tomo vewhen the individual wheel
control function has been activated. Individual wheel control is a function of
the sus-
pension, which can be used toset theve hicle
le ve lfo r each wheel individuall y.This can help to
impr ovealignment of the body when driving o.-
ro ad.
Yo u can activate individual wheel control via O.-
ro ad Assist (/ page 280). A A
djus djusting t ting t he v
he vehicle lev
ehicle lev el (v
el (vehicles wit
ehicles wit h E-A
h E-ACTIVE
CTIVE
BOD
BOD Y C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL)
OL) &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident because vehi-
cle le vel is too high
Driving characteristics may be impaired.
The vehicle can driT outwards, forex ample,
when steering or cornering. #
Choose a vehicle le vel which is suited to
th e driving style and thero ad sur face
conditions. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of ent rapment from vehi-
cle lo wering
When lo wering theve hicle, other people could
become trapped if their limbs are between the
ve hicle body and the tyres or underneath the
ve hicle. #
Make sure no one is underneath the
ve hicle or in the immediate vicinity of the
wheel ar ches when theve hicle is being
lo we red. Driving and parking
277
277