2021 MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV ground clearance

R
R
unning boar
unning boar ds
ds Oper
Oper
ation of t
ation of t he r
he running boar
unning boar ds
ds Mer
Mer
cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: theve hicle is equip-
ped with elect rically extendable running boa rds. If
yo u ha veselected the automatic mode in the mul-
timedia system, (/ page 90)theru nning boa rd
will extend automatically on there specti veside
when a door is opened. When theru nning boa rds
are extended, check theex cess width of theve hi-
cle.
Yo u can extend or retract theru nning boa rds
manually for cleaning (/ page 90).
% The running boa rds will extend and retract
only if theve hicle is stationar y.
In thefo llowing cases, theru nning boa rds will
re tract automaticall y:
R Ifyo u select an o.- road drive prog ram
( / page 205).
R Ifyo u activate car wash mode (/ page 373).
R Ifth e outside mir rors fold in automatically
(/ page 176). R
Ifyo u are driving at a speed greater than
4 km/h.
If yo u ha veselected the automatic mode in the
multimedia system and you manually extend the
ru nning boa rds when the doors are closed, the
ru nning boa rds will remain extended. Even if you
open a door and then close it again, theru nning
boa rds will remain extended. Automatic mode will
be reactivated only when you are driving at a
speed greater than 4 km/h. &
W WARNING
ARNING Risk of injury when extending
or retracting theru nning boa rds
The running boa rdsex tend at the side during
ex tension. During retraction, theru nning
boa rds are integ rated in the side skirt. Parts of
th e body could become trapped. There may
be people in thera nge of mo vement. There is
a risk of injur y. #
Always ensu rethat there are no people
within thera nge of mo vement of theru n-
ning boa rds. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage totheru nning boa rds dur-
ing extension or retraction The
running boa rdsex tend at the side during
ex tension. During retraction, theru nning
boa rds are integ rated in the side skirt. #
Make sure that there is su1cient space
during extension and retraction. *
N
NOOTE
TE Damage totheve hicle body or
underbody due tolow ground clearance The
running boa rds are attached totheve hicle
body via the underbody. This limits thegr ound
clearance. #
Drive over obstacles, such as kerbs, par-
ticular lycarefully and slo wly. Obser
vethe cor responding displ aymessages in
th e inst rument cluster (/ page 442). Opening and closing
89
89

Se
Se
tting A
tting A ctiv
ctive Lane K
e Lane K eeping Assist
eeping Assist
Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Settings 5
Assistance
5 Active Lane Keeping Assist
Se
Se tting t
tting t he sensitivity
he sensitivity
% The availability of this function is dependent
on the countr y. #
Select Standard, SensitiveorOff.
A
A ctiv
ctiv ating or deactiv
ating or deactiv ating t
ating the hap
he hap tic w
tic w ar
arning
ning #
Select Warning.
Ac tivate or deactivate the function. AIRMA
AIRMA
TIC
TIC F
F
unction of AIRMA
unction of AIRMA TIC
TIC
* NO
NOTE
TEMercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. AIRM
ATIC is an air suspension system with an all-
ro und le vel control system, which also ensures th
e best possible suspension and constant ground
clearance, even with a laden vehicle. When driving
at speed, theve hicle is lo wered automatically to
impr ovedriving saf ety and toreduce fuel con-
sum ption. You also ha vethe option of manually
adjusting theve hicle le vel.
AIRMATIC is comprised of thefo llowing functions
and components:
R All-round air suspension
R Speed-dependent lo wering
R Manually selectable high le vel setting for
gr eater ground clearance which can be adjus-
te d using a le vel button
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h ADS PL
h ADS PLUS:
US:also Adaptive Damp-
ing System with cons tant adjustment of damp-
ing characteristics for impr oved driving com-
fo rt
Suspension se
Suspension se tting and v
tting and vehicle lev
ehicle level per dr
el per driv
ive pr
e pro- o-
gr
gr am
am
Drive prog ram A and;:
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.
Drive prog ram £ (Mercedes-Maybach vehicles
only):
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 again.
Drive prog ram C:
R The suspension setting is /rmer.
R The vehicle is lo weredto sport le vel.
Drive prog ram B:
R The suspension setting is even /rmer.
R The vehicle is lo weredto Spo rt+ le vel. Driving and parking
267
267

#
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

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

#
Ensure there is su1cient ground clear-
ance between the underbody and the
guide rails of the car wash. #
Ensure that the clearance width of the
car wash, in particular the width of the
guide rails, is su1cient. To
avo id damage toyour vehicle when using a car
wa sh, ensu rethefo llowing beforehand:
R Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC is deactiva-
te d.
R The HOLD function is switched o..
R The 360° Camera or there ve rsing camera is
switched o..
R The side windo wsand sliding sunroof are com-
ple tely closed.
R The outside mir rors are folded in.
R The blo werfo rth eve ntilation/heating is
switched o..
R The windsc reen wiper switch is in position g.
R The key is at a minimum dis tance of 3 m away
from theve hicle. Otherwise theta ilgate could
open unintentionall y. R
In automatic car washes with con veyo r sys-
te ms:
- Neutral iis engaged.
- Ifyo uwo uld like tolea vetheve hicle while
it is being washed, make sure theke y is
located in theve hicle. The park position
j isotherwise automatically engaged.
% Toprev ent damage tothe tyres and wheels,
drive straight and in tothe centre of the guide
ra ils of the car wash.
% If, aTer the car wash, youre mo vethewax
from the windscreen and wiper rubbers, this
will pr event smearing and reduce wiper noise.
A A ut ut omatic car w
omatic car w ash mode
ash mode
In car wash mode, theve hicle is prepared for driv-
ing into the automatic car wash. Car wash mode
can be activated at a speed of up to20 km/h
Ac tivate (/ page 373).
The following settings are made when car wash
mode is activated:
R The outside mir rors are folded in. R
Topreve ntthe windscreen washer system
from starting up automaticall y,thera in sensor
is deactivated.
R The rear wind owwiper is deacti vated.
R The windo wsand the sliding sunroof are
closed.
R Mer
Mer cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: theru nning
boa rds are retracted.
R The air conditioning system is set toair-recir-
culation mode.
R Parking Assist PARKTRONIC is deactivated.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h 360° Camer
h 360° Camer a:
a:the front image is
activated aTer appr ox. eight seconds.
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h AIRMA
h AIRMATIC:
TIC:theve hicle is raised
to the maximum possible chassis
le ve l(/ page 269).
If rising take s lon gerth an 25 seconds, thefo l-
lowing message appears onthe multifunction
displa y:
Preparation for car wash incomplete See
media display . ATer some time, theve hicle
automatically continues rising. 372 372
Main
tenance and ca re

All models
All models
Maximum
ground clearance
(AIRMATIC) 259 mm
Maximum ground clearance
(O.- road pac kage) 289 mm
Minimum ground clearance
(AIRMATIC/O.-road pac kage) 174 mm V V
ehicle dimensions (Mer ehicle dimensions (Mer cedes‑Ma
cedes‑Maybac
ybach)
h) Mer Mer
cedes-Ma cedes-Ma ybac
ybac h GL
h GLS 480
S 480
Ve hicle length
Ve hicle width including outside
mir rors
Ve hicle width excluding out-
side mir rors
Maximum vehicle height
Minimum vehicle height (high-
wa y driving le vel) Mer
Mer
cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach GL
h GLS 480
S 480
Wheelbase
Maximum ground clearance
Minimum ground clearance V V
ehicle dimensions (Mer ehicle dimensions (Mer cedes‑Ma
cedes‑Maybac
ybach)
h) Mer Mer
cedes-Ma cedes-Ma ybac
ybach GL
h GLS 600
S 600
4MA
4MA TIC
TIC
Ve hicle lengt h5 205 mm
Ve hicle width including outside
mir rors 2157 mm
Ve hicle width excluding out-
side mir rors 2030 mm
Maximum vehicle height 1888 mm
Minimum vehicle height (high-
wa y driving le vel) 1838 mm
Wheelbase3 135 mm Mer
Mer
cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach GL
h GLS 600
S 600
4MA
4MA TIC
TIC
Maximum ground clearance 210 mm
Minimum ground clearance 135 mm W
W
eights and loads
eights and loads Please no
tethat forth e speci/ed vehicle data:
R Items of optional equipment increase the unla-
den weight and reduce the pa yload.
R Vehicle-speci/c weight information can be
fo und on theve hicle identi/cation plate
(/ page 423).
R
R oof load
oof load All models
All models
Maximum
roof load 100 kg R R
unning board
unning board All models
All models
Maximum load
200 kg Te
ch nical data
435 435

Displa
Displa
y messag
y messag es P
es Possible causes/conseq
ossible causes/consequences and uences andM
MSolutions
Solutions
ï
Trailer coupling extending… *T
he ball neck is retracting/extending.
Do not attem pttospeed up, slow down or initiate the swivel mo vement using your hand, foot or other aids. During the
swivel mo vement, do not couple a trailer.
When the ball neck has reached an operational position, the display message will disappear.
ï Check trailer hitch
lock (white display message) *T
he trailer hitch is not operational during a jou rney with a trailer. &
W WARNING
ARNING Risk of an accident if the ball neck is not loc ked
The trailer may become de tach ed. #
Stop theve hicle immediately in accordance with the tra1c conditions. Do not continue driving. #
Uncouple the trailer and secure it against rolling away. #
Initiate a new swivelling procedu reand do not re-couple the trailer until the display message disappears. #
Initiate a new swivel mo vement (/ page 299). #
When the display message disappears, couple up the trailer and drive on.
If th e display message does not disappear, the trailer hitch is malfunctioning and the ball neck is not loc ked. #
Do not couple up the trailer. Drive on without the trailer. No tethere duced ground clearance due tothe unloc ked
ball nec k. #
Consult a quali/ed specialist workshop.
*W hen theve hicle is stationary with a coupled trailer, the trailer hitch is not operational. Display messages and
warning/indicator lamps
453
453

Displa
Displa
y messag
y messag es P
es Possible causes/conseq
ossible causes/consequences and uences andM
MSolutions
Solutions #
Uncouple the coupled trailer and secure it against rolling away. #
If t
If the ball nec
he ball nec k has been re
k has been retr
tract
act ed:
ed: initiate a new swi vel mo vement (/ page 299).
The ball neck will engage vertically in the loc ked position and then engage beneath the bumper. #
If t
If the ball nec
he ball nec k has been e
k has been e xt
xtended:
ended: initiate a new swivel mo vement (/ page 299).
The ball neck will engage beneath the bumper.
If th e display message does not disappear, the trailer hitch is malfunctioning and the ball neck is not loc ked. #
Do not couple up the trailer. Drive on without the trailer. No tethere duced ground clearance due tothe unloc ked
ball nec k. #
Consult a quali/ed specialist workshop.
Side running board not
retracted Observe the
excess width of the vehicle *M
ercedes-Maybach vehicles: theru nning boa rds are not retracted.
R The running boa rds can be retracted via the multimedia system only when theve hicle is stationary (/ page 90).
R The running boa rds and the side skirt must be free of dirt, ice and sno w.Otherwise, they are unable toretract. #
Clean theru nning boa rds (/ page 376). #
Repeat there traction of theru nning boa rds (/ page 89).
If th eru nning boa rds cann otbe retracted again, consult a quali/ed specialistwo rkshop. #
Ifth eru nning boa rds are not retracted, check theex cess width of theve hicle. 454 454
Displ
aymessages and warning/indicator lamps