MERCEDES-BENZ GLA-Class 2015 X156 Owner's Manual

to failure of the mechanical assembly or sys-
tems. Adapt your driving style to suit the ter- rain conditions. Drive carefully. Have damage
to the vehicle rectified immediately at a quali- fied specialist workshop.
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in
reverse gear.
General notes H
Environmental note
Protection of the environment is of primary
importance. Treat nature with respect.
Observe all prohibiting signs.
Read this section carefully before driving your
vehicle off-road.
Off-road driving is only possible with the Off-
Road Engineering package (Y page 186).
The following driving systems are specially
adapted for driving over easily negotiable off-
road terrain:
R Off-road program (Y page 186)
R Off-road ABS (Y page 65)
R Off-road 4ETS (Y page 69)
R Off-road ESP ®
(Y page 72)
R DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Y page 184)
Observe the following notes:
R Stop the vehicle before starting to drive
along an off-road route. If necessary, acti-
vate the off-road program (Y page 186).
R To avoid damaging the vehicle, make sure
there is always sufficient ground clearance.
R Check that items of luggage and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(Y page 271).
R Always keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Acti-
vate DSR (Y page 184). R
Drive slowly and evenly, if necessary at a
walking pace.
R Ensure that the wheels are in contact with
the ground at all times.
R Drive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-
road routes where visibility is poor. For
safety reasons, get out of the vehicle first
and survey the off-road route.
R Check the depth of water before fording
rivers and streams.
R Watch out for obstacles.
R Take care when turning on an uphill or
downhill slope or when driving across a
slope. The vehicle could otherwise tip over.
R Always keep the side windows and the pan-
orama roof with power tilt/sliding panel
closed during the journey.
R Do not deviate from marked routes.
i Do not use the HOLD function when driv-
ing off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gra- dients or on slippery or loose surfaces. The
HOLD function cannot hold the vehicle on
such surfaces.
Checklist before driving off-road X
Engine oil level: check the engine oil level
and add oil if necessary.
When driving on steep gradients, the
engine oil level must be sufficiently high to
ensure a correct oil supply in the vehicle.
X Wheels and tires: check the tire tread
depth and tire pressure.
X Check for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the
wheels/tires.
X Replace any missing valve caps.
X Replace dented or damaged wheels.
X Rims: dented or bent rims can result in a
loss of tire pressure and damage the tire
bead. Therefore, check your rims before
driving off-road and replace them as
required. Driving
tips
169Driving an d parking Z

Checklist after driving off-road
!
If you detect damage to the vehicle after
driving off-road, have the vehicle checked
immediately at a qualified specialist work-
shop.
X Deactivate off-road program (Y page 186).
X Deactivate DSR (Y page 184).
X Clean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
X Clean the front and rear license plates.
X Clean the wheels/tires with a water jet and
remove any foreign objects.
X Clean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check
for any foreign objects and damage.
X Check whether twigs or other parts of
plants have become trapped. These
increase the risk of fire and can damage
fuel pipes, brake hoses or the rubber bel-
lows of the axle joints and propeller shafts.
X After the trip, examine without fail the
entire undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes,
bodywork structure, steering, chassis and
exhaust system for damage.
X After driving in sand, mud, gravel, water or
similar dirty conditions, have the following
checked and cleaned:
R brake discs
R the wheels
R brake pads
R axle joints
X If you detect strong vibrations after off-road
travel, check for foreign objects in the
wheels and drive train and remove them if
necessary. Foreign objects can disturb the
balance and cause vibrations.
Driving over poor road surfaces places
greater demands on your vehicle than driving on normal roads. After driving off-road, checkthe vehicle. This allows you to detect damage
promptly and reduce the risk of an accident to
yourself and other road users. Driving on sand Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
R Select the off-road program (Y page 186).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the terrain.
R Drive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
R Drive in the tracks of other vehicles if pos-
sible. Make sure that:
- the tire ruts are not too deep.
- the sand is sufficiently firm.
- the ground clearance of the vehicle is
sufficient.
Tire ruts and gravel roads !
Check that the ruts are not too deep and
that your vehicle has sufficient clearance.
Otherwise, your vehicle could be damaged
or bottom out and get stuck.
Observe the following rules when driving
along ruts in off-road terrain or on roads with loose gravel:
R Activate the off-road program
(Y page 186).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
steering wheel paddle shifter.
R Drive slowly.
R Where ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy
area, if possible. Traveling uphill
Approach/departure angle G
WARNING
If you drive on a steep incline at an angle or
turn when driving on an incline, the vehicle 170
Driving tipsDriving and parking

could slip sideways, tip and rollover. There is a
risk of an accident.
Always drive on a steep incline in the line of
fall (straight up or down) and do not turn the
vehicle.
R Observe the warnings for off-road driving
(Y page 168).
R Follow the line of fall when driving on slopes
and steep inclines.
R Before driving on extreme uphill and down-
hill gradients, select the off-road program
(Y page 186).
R Drive slowly.
R Accelerate gently and make sure that the
wheels are gripping.
R Avoid high engine speeds, except when
driving on sandy and muddy routes with
high driving resistance.
R Use the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate
to the gradient.
R Use the left-hand paddle shifter to shift into
a lower gear in good time on long and steep
downhill gradients.
i Hill start assist will aid you when pulling
away on a hill.
For further information about hill start
assist, see (Y page 144).
Do not switch to transmission position N
when driving off-road. If you try to brake the
vehicle using the service brake, you could
lose control of the vehicle. If the gradient is
too steep for your vehicle, drive back down in reverse gear.
Always observe the approach/departure
angle values (Y page 369).
Maximum gradient-climbing capability Always observe the maximum gradient climb-
ing ability values (Y page 369). Hilltops When driving up an uphill gradient, slightly
reduce pressure on the accelerator immedi-
ately before reaching the brow of the hill.
Make use of the vehicle's own impetus to
travel over the brow.
This style of driving prevents:
R the vehicle from lifting off the ground on the
brow of a hill
R the vehicle from traveling too quickly down
the other side
Driving downhill R
Drive slowly.
R Do not drive at an angle down steep
inclines. Steer into the line of fall and drive
with the front wheels aligned straight. Oth- erwise, the vehicle could slip sideways, tip
and rollover.
R Shift to a lower gear using the left-hand
paddle shifter before tackling steep down-
hill gradients.
R Activate DSR. If this is not sufficient, brake
gently. When doing so, make sure that the
vehicle is facing in the direction of the line
of fall.
R Check that the brakes are working normally
after a long downhill stretch.
i Off-road ABS is activated when the off-
road program is selected.
At speeds below 18 mph (30 km/h), the
front wheels lock cyclically during braking.
The digging-in effect achieved in the proc-
ess reduces the stopping distance on off-
road terrain. The steerability of the vehicle
is considerably reduced if the wheels lock. Driving tips
171Driving and parking Z

Driving systems
Cruise control
General notes Cruise control maintains a constant road
speed for you. It brakes automatically in order to avoid exceeding the set speed. On long and
steep downhill gradients, especially if the
vehicle is laden, you must select a low gear in
good time. For this, you will need to have
selected manual drive program M
(Y page 154). By doing so, you will make use
of the braking effect of the engine. This
relieves the load on the brake system and
prevents the brakes from overheating and
wearing too quickly.
Use cruise control only if road and traffic con- ditions make it appropriate to maintain a
steady speed for a prolonged period. You canstore any road speed above 20 mph
(30 km/h).
Important safety notes If you fail to adapt your driving style, cruise
control can neither reduce the risk of an acci-
dent nor override the laws of physics. Cruise
control cannot take into account the road,
traffic and weather conditions. Cruise control
is only an aid. You are responsible for the dis-
tance to the vehicle in front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in
your lane.
Do not use cruise control:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose
traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored. Cruise control lever
0043
To activate or increase speed
0044 To activate or reduce speed
0087 To deactivate cruise control
0085 To activate at the current speed/last
stored speed
When you activate cruise control, the stored
speed is shown in the multifunction display
for five seconds.
Activation conditions To activate cruise control, all of the following
activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the electric parking brake must be
released.
R you are driving faster than 20 mph
(30 km/h).
R ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R on vehicles with automatic transmission,
the selector lever must be in position D.
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed Storing and maintaining the current
speed
You can store the current speed if you are
driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).172
Driving syste
msDriving and parking

X
Accelerate the vehicle to the desired
speed.
X Briefly press the cruise control lever up 0043
or down 0044.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle
automatically maintains the stored speed.
i Cruise control may be unable to maintain
the stored speed on uphill gradients. The
stored speed is resumed when the gradient evens out. Cruise control maintains the
stored speed on downhill gradients by
automatically applying the brakes.
Storing the current speed or calling up the
last stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0085.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
The first time cruise control is activated, it
stores the current speed or regulates the
speed of the vehicle to the previously
stored speed.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the speed set. X
Press the cruise control lever up 0043for a
higher speed or down 0044for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043or
down 0044to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0043or down 0044the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043or
down 0044to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0043or down 0044the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
i Cruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For exam-
ple, if you accelerate briefly to overtake,
cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed
to the last speed stored after you have fin- ished overtaking.
Deactivating cruise control There are several ways to deactivate cruise
control:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards 0087.
or
X Brake.
Cruise control is automatically deactivated if: R the vehicle is secured with the electric
parking brake
R you are driving at less than 20 mph
(30 km/h)
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R you shift the transmission to position N
while driving
If cruise control is deactivated, you will hear a warning tone. You will see the Cruise Con‐
Cruise Con‐
trol Off trol Off message in the multifunction dis-
play for approximately five seconds. Driving systems
173Driving and parking Z

i
When you switch off the engine, the last
speed stored is cleared. DISTRONIC PLUS
General notes DISTRONIC PLUS regulates the speed and
automatically helps you maintain the dis-
tance to the vehicle detected in front. Vehi-
cles are detected with the aid of the radar
sensor system. DISTRONIC PLUS brakes
automatically so that the set speed is not
exceeded.
Change into a lower gear in good time on long
and steep downhill gradients. This is espe-
cially important if the vehicle is laden. By
doing so, you will make use of the braking
effect of the engine. This relieves the load on
the brake system and prevents the brakes
from overheating and wearing too quickly.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that there is a risk of a collision, you will be warned visually and
acoustically. DISTRONIC PLUS cannot pre-
vent a collision without your intervention. An
intermittent warning tone will then sound and
the distance warning lamp will light up in the instrument cluster. Brake immediately in
order to increase the distance to the vehicle
in front or take evasive action provided it is
safe to do so.
DISTRONIC PLUS operates in range between0 mph (0 km/h) and 120 mph (200 km/h).
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS while driving onroads with steep gradients.
As DISTRONIC PLUS transmits radar waves, it
can resemble the radar detectors of the
responsible authorities. You can refer to the
relevant chapter in the Operator's Manual if
questions are asked about this.
i This device complies with RSS-210 of
Industry Canada. Operation is subject to
the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful inter- ference, and 2. this device must accept any interference
received, including interference that may
cause undesired operation of the device.
Removal, tampering, or altering of the
device will void any warranties, and is not
permitted. Do not tamper with, alter, or use in any non-approved way.
Any unauthorized modification to this
device could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
Important safety notes G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS does not react to:
R people or animals
R stationary obstacles on the road, e.g. stop-
ped or parked vehicles
R oncoming and crossing traffic
As a result, DISTRONIC PLUS may neither give
warnings nor intervene in such situations.
There is a risk of an accident.
Always pay careful attention to the traffic sit- uation and be ready to brake. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot always clearly iden- tify other road users and complex traffic sit-
uations.
In such cases, DISTRONIC PLUS may:
R give an unnecessary warning and then
brake the vehicle
R neither give a warning nor intervene
R accelerate or brake unexpectedly
There is a risk of an accident.
Continue to drive carefully and be ready to
brake, in particular when warned to do so by
DISTRONIC PLUS. G
WARNING
DISTRONIC PLUS brakes your vehicle with up to 50% of the maximum possible deceleration.
If this braking force is insufficient, DISTRONIC 174
Driving systemsDriving and parking

PLUS warns you visually and audibly. There is
a risk of an accident.
In such cases, apply the brakes yourself and
try to take evasive action.
! If DISTRONIC PLUS or the HOLD function
is activated, the vehicle brakes automati-
cally in certain situations. To prevent dam- age to the vehicle, deactivate DISTRONIC
PLUS and the HOLD function in the follow-
ing or other similar situations:
R when towing the vehicle
R in the car wash
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DIS-
TRONIC PLUS can neither reduce the risk of
accident nor override the laws of physics.
DISTRONIC PLUS cannot take into account
the road, traffic and weather conditions. DIS-
TRONIC PLUS is only an aid. You are respon- sible for the distance to the vehicle in front,
for vehicle speed, for braking in good time and for staying in your lane.
Do not use DISTRONIC PLUS:
R in road and traffic conditions which do not
allow you to maintain a constant speed e.g.
in heavy traffic or on winding roads
R on slippery road surfaces. Braking or accel-
erating could cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then skid
R when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog,
heavy rain or snow
DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect narrow
vehicles driving in front, e.g. motorcycles, or
vehicles driving on a different line.
In particular, the detection of obstacles can
be impaired if:
R there is dirt on the sensors or anything else
covering the sensors
R there is snow or heavy rain
R there is interference by other radar sources
R there are strong radar reflections, for
example, in parking garages
If DISTRONIC PLUS no longer detects a vehi- cle in front, DISTRONIC PLUS may unexpect- edly accelerate the vehicle to the stored
speed.
This speed may:
R be too high if you are driving in a filter lane
or an exit lane
R be so high when driving in the right-hand
lane that you overtake vehicles in the left-
hand lane
R be so high when driving in the left-hand lane
that you overtake vehicles in the right-hand
lane
If there is a change of drivers, advise the new
driver of the speed stored.
Cruise control lever 0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
0087 To deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS
0085 To store the current speed or call up the
last stored speed
0083 To set the specified minimum distance
Activating DISTRONIC PLUS Activation conditions
To activate DISTRONIC PLUS, all of the fol-
lowing activation conditions must be fulfilled:
R the engine must be started. It may take up
to two minutes after pulling away before
DISTRONIC PLUS is operational.
R the electric parking brake must be
released. Driving systems
175Driving and parking Z

R
ESP ®
must be active, but not intervening.
R Active Parking Assist must not be activa-
ted.
R DSR must be deactivated.
R the transmission must be in position D.
R the driver's door must be closed when you
shift from Pto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
R the front-passenger door and rear doors
must be closed.
Activating
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0085or press it up 0043or down 0044.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
X Press the cruise control lever repeatedly
up 0043 or down 0044until the desired speed is
set.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
Your vehicle adapts its speed to that of the
vehicle in front, but only up to the desired
stored speed.
i If you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the DISTRONIC
DISTRONIC PLUS PLUSPassive
Passive mes-
sage appears in the multifunction display.
The set distance to a slower-moving vehicle in front will then not be maintained. You will
be driving at the speed you determine by
the position of the accelerator pedal.
You can also activate DISTRONIC PLUS when
stationary. The lowest speed that can be set is
18 mph (30 km/h).
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you 0085or press it up 0043or down 0044.
DISTRONIC PLUS is selected.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed G
WARNING
If you call up the stored speed and it differs
from the current speed, the vehicle acceler-
ates or decelerates. If you do not know the
stored speed, the vehicle could accelerate or brake unexpectedly. There is a risk of an acci-
dent.
Pay attention to the road and traffic condi-
tions before calling up the stored speed. If you do not know the stored speed, store the
desired speed again.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 175) towards you 0085.
X Remove your foot from the accelerator
pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is activated. The first
time it is activated, the current speed is
stored. Otherwise, it sets the vehicle cruise
speed to the previously stored value.
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS Pulling away and driving
i The vehicle can also pull away when it is
facing an unidentified obstacle or is driving
on a different line from another vehicle. The vehicle then brakes automatically. There is
a risk of an accident. Be ready to brake at all
times.
If you depress the brake, DISTRONIC PLUS is
deactivated unless your vehicle is stationary.
X If you want to pull away with DIS-
TRONIC PLUS: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
X Briefly pull the cruise control lever
(Y page 175) towards you 0085.
or
X Accelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its
speed to that of the vehicle in front.
If no vehicle is detected in front, your vehi-
cle accelerates to the set speed.
If there is no vehicle in front, DISTRONIC
PLUS operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front has slowed down, it brakes your vehicle.
In this way, the distance you have selected is maintained. 176
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a faster-moving
vehicle in front, it increases the driving speed.
The vehicle is only accelerated up to the
speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONIC Plus supports a sporty driving
style when you have selected the S or M driv- ing program (Y page 152). Acceleration
behind the vehicle in front or to the set speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you have
selected the E driving program, the vehicle
accelerates more gently. This setting is rec-
ommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the passing lane, DISTRONIC PLUS supports you when:
R you are driving faster than 43.5 mph
(70 km/h)
R DISTRONIC PLUS is maintaining the dis-
tance to a vehicle in front
R you switch on the appropriate turn signal
R DISTRONIC PLUS does not detect a danger
of collision
If these conditions are fulfilled, your vehicle is
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted
if changing lanes takes too long or if the dis-
tance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front becomes too small.
Stopping G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, even if it is braked
only by DISTRONIC PLUS, it could roll away if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply.
R DISTRONIC PLUS has been deactivated
with the cruise control lever, e.g. by a vehi-
cle occupant or from outside the vehicle.
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses have
been tampered with.
R the battery is disconnected.
R the accelerator pedal has been depressed,
e.g. by a vehicle occupant. There is a risk of an accident.
If you wish to exit the vehicle, always turn off
DISTRONIC PLUS and secure the vehicle
against rolling away.
For further information on deactivating DIS-
TRONIC PLUS (Y page 178).
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects that the vehicle in front is stopping, it brakes your vehicle until it
is stationary.
Once your vehicle is stationary, it remains
stationary and you do not need to depress the
brake.
i After a time, the electric parking brake
secures the vehicle and relieves the service brake.
i Depending on the specified minimum dis-
tance, your vehicle will come to a standstill
at a sufficient distance behind the vehicle in front. The specified minimum distance is
set using the control on the cruise control
lever.
The electric parking brake automatically
secures the vehicle if DISTRONIC PLUS is
activated and:
R the seat belt is unfastened and the driver's
door is open.
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function.
R a system malfunction occurs.
R the power supply is not sufficient.
If a malfunction occurs, then the transmission may be shifted into position Pautomatically.
Setting a speed Keep in mind that it may take a brief moment
until the vehicle has accelerated or braked to the speed set. Driving systems
177Driving and parking Z

0043
To store the current speed or a higher
speed
0044 To store the current speed or a lower
speed
X Press the cruise control lever up 0043for a
higher speed or down 0044for a lower speed.
X To adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043or
down 0044to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0043or down 0044the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
X To adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly
press the cruise control lever up 0043or
down 0044to the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is
pressed up 0043or down 0044, the last speed
stored is increased or reduced.
i DISTRONIC PLUS is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. If you accel-
erate to overtake, DISTRONIC PLUS
adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished over-
taking.
Setting the specified minimum distance You can set the specified minimum distance
for DISTRONIC PLUS by varying the time span
between one and two seconds. With this func- tion, you can set the minimum distance that
DISTRONIC PLUS keeps to the vehicle in
front, dependent on vehicle speed. You can see this distance in the multifunction display
(Y page 179).
i Make sure that you maintain the mini-
mum distance to the vehicle in front as
required by law. Adjust the distance to the vehicle in front if necessary. X
To increase: turn control0087in direc-
tion 0044.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control0087in direc-
tion 0043.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS 178
Driving systemsDriving and parking