MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2021 Owners Manual

Obser
vethefo llowing no tes during heavy precipi-
ta tion or in conditions in whi chaquaplaning may
occur:
R reduce speed
R avoid tyre ruts
R avoid sudden steering mo vements
R brake careful ly
% Also obser vethe no tes on regula rly ch ecking
wheels and tyres (/ page 400).
N
No ot
tes on dr
es on dr iving t
iving thr
hrough w
ough w at
ater on t
er on t he r
he r oad sur-
oad sur-
f
f ace
ace
Wa ter which has entered into theve hicle can
damage the engine, electrics and transmission.
Wa ter can also enter the air intake of the engine
and cause engine damage.
Obser vethefo llowing if you must drive thro ugh
wa ter:
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 436).
R Drive at a maximum speed of 10 km/h; water
can otherwise enter theve hicle interior or
engine compartment. R
Vehicles tr avelling in front, or oncoming vehi-
cles, can create waves which may exceed the
maximum permissible dep thofthewa ter.
The braking e.ect of the brakes is reduced aTer
fo rd ing. Brake carefully while paying attention to
th e tra1c conditions until braking po wer has been
fully restored. N
No
ot
tes on
es on o.-r
o.-r oad
oad dr
driving
iving &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of accident if you do not
ke ep toline of fall on inclines
If yo u drive at an angle or turn on an incline,
th eve hicle could slip side ways, tip and roll-
ove r. #
Always drive on inclines in the line of fall
(straight up or down) and do not turn. &
W
WARNING
ARNING Risk of /re due to0ammable
materials on hot parts of theex haust sys-
tem
Flammable material such as lea ves, grass or
twigs may ignite if they come into contact with
hot parts of theex haust system. #
When driving on unpa vedro ads or o.-
ro ad, regula rly ch eck theve hicle under-
side. #
Remo vetrapped plants or other 0amma-
ble material, in particular. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a quali/ed
specialist workshop immediatel y. When driving o.-
road, sand, mud and water or
wa ter mixed with oil may get into the brakes. This
may lead toare duction in braking e.ect or total
brake failure as a result of increased wear. The
braking characteristics will vary depending on the
material that has entered the system. Clean the
brakes aTer driving o.- road. If youth en notice
re duced braking e.ect or hear scraping noises,
ha ve the brake system checked at a quali/ed spe- 198
198
Driving and parking

cialist
workshop. Adapt your driving style tothe
ch anged braking characteristics.
* N
NOOTE
TE Damage caused bydriving over
obstacles The
vehicle can be damaged by:
R driving onto high kerbs or unpa vedro ads.
R quickly driving over obstacles such as
ke rbs, speed bumps or po tholes.
R heavy objects hitting the underbody or
ch assis components. #
Do not drive over obstacles that could
damage theve hicle. #
Check theve hicle regula rly fo r damage
during o.- road driving. #
Adjust theve hicle speed tosuit thero ad
sur face conditions. #
Ifth ere is damage, consult a quali/ed
specialist workshop immediatel y. +
ENVIR
ENVIR
ONMENT
ONMENT AL NO
AL NOTE
TEEnvironmen tal
damage due tonon-obser vance of prohibi-
tion signs Environmental pr
otection has priority. Treat
nature with respect. #
Be sure toobser veprohibition signs. Chec
Chec
klis
klist beft bef or
ore dr
e dr iving
iving o.-r
o.-road
oad
Check thefo llowing points before driving o.- road:
R Fuel le vel
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h a diesel engine:
h a diesel engine: AdBlue ®
level
R Engine oil le vel: /ll engine oil tothe maximum
le ve lto ensure full gradeability (/ page 367)
R Tyre-change tool kit and spare wheel
R Tyres and wheels
% Further information about special all- terrain
tyres forre tro/tting can be ob tained from a
qu ali/ed specialist workshop. O.-r
O.-r
oad
oaddr
driving
iving
Re ad this section before driving your vehicle o.-
ro ad. Practise bydriving over more gentle o.-road
te rrain /rst.
R Obser vethe no tes on the cross-country ABS
(/ page 231).
R If necessar y,select theF orG drive
prog ram (vehicles with O.-road pac kage)
before driving o.- road (/ page 207).
R Before driving o.-road, shiT the transfer case
to the LLO
O W RAN
W RAN GE
GEo.-road gear (vehicles with
O.-road pac kage ) (/ page 214).
R Select a vehicle le vel suitable for o.- road ter-
ra in (/ page 269). Toavo id damaging the
ve hicle, make sure there is alw ays su1cient
gr ound clearance.
R Alwayske ep the engine running and in gear
when driving on downhill gradients and slopes.
Obser vethe no tes on driving in moun tainous
te rrain.
R Do not drive on unkn ownte rrain that is not
easily visible and st ayon mar kedro utes. Driving and parking
199
199

R
Alwayske ep the doors and windo wsclosed
while theve hicle is in motion.
R Deactivate Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC,
cruise control and theva riable limi ter.
R Adapt your driving style tothete rrain.
R Do not use the HOLD function on steep down-
hill or uphill gradients with slippery or loose
sur faces.
Dr
Dr iving on sand
iving on sand
When driving on sand, also obser vethefo llowing
inst ructions:
R Select theF drive prog ram.
R Select a higher vehicle le vel.
R ShiT toa lo werge ar.
R Drive quickly toove rcome thero lling resist-
ance; theve hicle may otherwise dig itself in.
R Drive in the trac ksofother vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that thefo llowing prerequisites
are met:
- the tyre ruts are not too deep
- the sand is /rm enough -
thegr ound clearance is su1cient
F
F or or ding
ding
Also obser vethefo llowing information when ford-
ing:
R V
Vehicles wit
ehicles wit h AIR BOD
h AIR BODY C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL:
OL:select the
highest possible vehicle le vel (/ page 269).
V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h E-A
h E-ACTIVE BOD
CTIVE BOD Y C
Y CONTR
ONTR OL:
OL:
select the highest possible vehicle le vel
( / page 277).
R Drive no faster than 10 km/h.
R Obser vethe maximum permissible ford ing
dep th (/ page 436).
R Switch o. automatic climate control
(/ page 180).
R V
V ehicles wit ehicles wit h st
h stationar
ationar y heat
y heater/v
er/ventilation:
entilation:
switch the stationary heater/ventilation o.
(/ page 183).
R Ensure that a bow wave does not form asyou
drive.
R Do not stop in thewa ter and do not switch o.
th e engine. Ensure the ECO start/s top func-
tion is switched o. (/ page 202). Dr
Dr iving in mount
iving in mount ainous t
ainous terr
errain
ain
Also obser vethefo llowing information when driv-
ing in mountainous terrain:
R Obser vetheva lues of the approach/depar-
ture angle and of the maximum gradient
(/ page 436).
R Avoid high engine speeds.
R Use the braking po wer of the engine when
driving downhill.
R ShiT toa lo werge ar on uphill gradients and on
long, steep downhill gradients.
R Activate DSR before driving downhill, if neces-
sary (/ page 249).
Chec
Chec klis
klisttaTer
aTer dr
driving
iving o.-r
o.-road
oad
Driving o.- road places greater demands on your
ve hicle than driving on normal roads. Check the
entire vehicle for damage and fore ign bodies
ev ery time aTer driving o.- road. Foreign bodies in
th e wheels or driv etra in can lead toimbalances
and therefore vibrations.
R Ifth eF orG drive prog ram is selected:
select ano ther drive prog ram. 200
200
Driving and parking

R
ShiT the transfer case tothe on-road position
HIGH RAN
HIGH RAN GE
GE.
R Deactivate DSR.
R Lowe rth eve hicle le vel again toa le vel suitable
to thero ad conditions, e.g. tothe normal
le ve l.
R Apply the brakes todry them aTer ford ing.
R Check that the service brake is working nor-
mally aTer a long downhill str etch.
R Clean thefo llowing components every time
aTer driving o.- road:
- licence plate number
- headlamps and tail lamps
- tyres, wheels and wheel ar ches
- underbody
R ATer driving thro ugh sand, mud, water or
gr av el, ha vethefo llowing components
ch ecked and cleaned:
- brake disks and brakepads
- tyres and wheels
- axle joints EC
EC
O st
O st ar
art/st
t/st op function
op function EC
EC
O st
O st ar
art/st
t/st op function
op function
% Depending on the engine, the ECO start/s top
function is not available in all drive prog rams.
Obser vethe status display in the inst rument
display forth is.
Mer
Mer cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: the Glide mode
function is not available.
The engine is switched o. automatically in thefo l-
lowing situations if all vehicle conditions for an
automatic engine stop are met:
R you brake theve hicle toa standstill in trans-
mission position hori.
R V
V ehicles wit
ehicles with a 48 V on-boar h a 48 V on-boar d electr
d electrical sy
ical sys-
s-
t
t em:
em: you depress the brake pedal when tr avel-
ling at a low speed.
If th e system has de tected one of thefo llowing
situations, the engine will not stop:
R you stop at a stop sign and there is no vehicle
in front of you.
R theve hicle that stopped in front of you starts
up again. R
you manoeuvre, turn the steering wheel
sharply or engage reve rsege ar.
% Ifth e system de tects an intelligent stop inhibi-
to r,fo rex ample, a stop sign, the engine will
not stop.
If yo u activate the HOLD function or engage
th e park position j,the engine can be
switched o. in spite of an intelligent stop
inhibitor.
The engine restarts au tomatically in thefo llowing
cases:
R you engage transmission position hork.
R you depress the accelerator pedal.
R theve hicle requ ires an automatic engine start.
R youre lease the brake pedal.
R V
V ehicles wit ehicles wit h a 48 V on-boar
h a 48 V on-boar d electr
d electrical sy
ical sys-
s-
t
t em:
em:
- youre lease the brake pedal on a downhill
gr adient and theve hicle does not roll.
- theve hicle rolls on a downhill gradient and
does not automatically enter glide mode at
20 km/h. Driving and parking
201
201

ECO start/s
top function symbols in the inst ru-
ment displa y:
R the symbol è(gre en) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: the engine was
switched o. bythe ECO start/s top function.
R the symbol ç(yellow) appears when the
ve hicle is at a standstill: not all vehicle condi-
tions for an engine stop ha vebeen met.
R neither the symbol ènorç appears
when theve hicle is at a standstill: an intelli-
ge nt stop inhibitor was de tected, e.g. a stop
sign.
R the symbol sappears: the ECO start/s top
function is deactivated or there is a malfunc-
tion.
If th e engine was switched o. bythe ECO start/
stop function and you lea vetheve hicle, a warning
to ne sounds and the engine is not restar ted. In
addition, thefo llowing display message appears in
th e inst rument displa y:
Vehicle is operational Switch off ignition before
exiting If
yo u do not switch o. theve hicle, it is automati-
cally switched o. aTer thre e minutes.
Deactiv
Deactiv ating or activ
ating or activ ating t
ating t he EC
he ECO st
O star
art/st
t/st op
op
function
function #
Press button 1.
A display appears in the inst rument cluster
when switching the ECO start/s top function
o./on. %
A continuous sdisplay appears in the
inst rument cluster while the ECO start/s top
function is deactivated. EC
EC
O displa
O displa y function
y function The ECO display summarises
your driving charac-
te ristics from the start of the journey toits com-
pletion and assists you in achieving the most eco-
nomical driving style.
Yo u can in0uence consum ption bydoing thefo l-
lowing:
R driving with particular care.
R driving in drive prog ram ;
R following thege arshiT recommendations. 202 202
Driving and parking

The lettering in
the segment will light up brightl y,
th e outer edge will light up and the segment will
/ll up when thefo llowing driving style is adop ted:
R 1 Steady speed
R 2 Gentle deceleration and rolling
R 3 Moderate acceleration
The lettering in the segment will be grey ,th e outer
edge will be dark and the segment will em pty
when thefo llowing driving style is adop ted:
R 1 Fluctuations in speed
R 2 Heavy braking
R 3 Sporty acceleration The ECO display will show
you when you ha ve
driven economicall y:
R The thre e segments will /ll up comple tely at
th e same time
R The edges around all thre e segments will light
up
The additional range achie ved as a result of your
driving style in comparison with a driver with a
ve ry sporty driving st yle will be shown in the
cent reof display 4. Therange displa yed does
not indicate a /xed reduction in consum ption. EC
EC O Assis O Assist function (v t function (v ehicles wit
ehicles with 48 V on-board
h 48 V on-board
electr
electr ical syst
ical syst em)
em) Fo
r plug-in hybrids, no tethe ECO Assist informa-
tion .
ECO Assist anal yses data forth eve hicle's expec-
te d rou te. This allo ws the system tooptimally
adjust the driving style forth ero ute ahead, sa ve
fuel and recuperate.
ECO Assist is displa yed on theAssistance
menu(/ page 310). 1
Event ahead
2 Distance display forth eev ent ahead
3 "Foot o. the accelerator" prom pt Displa
yable route events 1 Driving and parking
203 203

The segments of distance display
2show the
distance totheev ent ahead as follo ws:
R Afew segments light up: theev ent ahead is
near.
R Many segments light up: theev ent ahead is
fur ther awa y.
When theve hicle nears theeve nt, ECO Assist will
calculate the optimal speed for maximum fuel
economy and recuperative energy based on the
distance, speed and gradient. The Foot off the
accelerator3 message appears in the inst ru-
ment displa y.The /rst segments in front of the
ve hicle will turn green. The remaining segments
will initially st aywhite. If youta ke your foot o. the
accelerator pedal in good time, there maining seg-
ments on the display will successively turn green
until theev ent shown is reached. The driv etra in
will be set for maximum fuel econom y.Re cupera-
tion will charge the batter y.Re cuperation will be
adap tedto the selected drive prog ram.
The event will be shown for a short time aTer it
has been passed. If there is no response tothe
Foot off the accelerator prompt,th e segments
will remain white. If
th eev ent in volves a vehicle in front, all seg-
ments will immediately turn green once there is a
re sponse totheFoot off the accelerator prompt.
Fo r active ECO Assist in drive prog ram ;,
symbol 3will appear on the inst rument display
and on the head-up display beside transmission
position h. Symbol 3will also appear when the
assis tant display is not selected.
If th e system does not inter vene during theev ent
ahead, no thing will be displa yed. The system will
be passive.
ECO Assist is active only in drive prog rams ;
and A.
Syst Syst em limits
em limits
ECO Assist can function even more precisely if
th ero ute is adhered towhen routeguidance is
active. The basic function is also available without
active route guidance. Not all information and
tra1c situations can be fore seen. The quality
depends on the map data.
ECO Assist is only an aid. The driver is responsible
fo rke eping a safe distance from theve hicle in
front, forve hicle speed and for braking in good
time. The driver must be ready tobrake at all times ir
respecti veof whe ther the system inter-
ve nes.
The system may be impai red or may not function
in thefo llowing situations:
R If visibility is poor, e.g. due toinsu1cient illu-
mination of thero ad, highly variable shade
conditions, rain, sno w,fog or heavy spr ay.
R Ifth ere is glare, e.g. from oncoming tra1c,
direct sunlight or re0ections.
R Ifth ere is dirt on the windscreen in the area of
th e multifunction camera or the camera is
misted up, damaged or obscured.
R Ifro ad signs are hard todetect, e.g. due to
dirt, snow or insu1cient lighting, or because
th ey are obscured.
R Ifth e information on the navigation system's
digital map is incor rect or out of date.
R If signs are ambiguous, e.g. road signs in road-
wo rks or in adjacent lanes. 204 204
Driving and parking

D
D
YN
YNAMIC SELECT switch AMIC SELECT switch F
F
unction of t
unction of t he D
he DYN
YNAMIC SELECT switchAMIC SELECT switch *
N
NOOTE
TE Mercedes-AMG vehicles #
Obser vethe no tes in the Supplement.
Yo u could otherwise failto recognise
dangers. %
Depending on the engine and equipment, the
ve hicle has di.erent drive prog rams.
Use theDY NAMIC SELECT switch tochange
between thefo llowing drive prog rams.
The drive prog ram selected appears in the inst ru-
ment displa y.
= Individual
R Individual settings
B Sport+
R Particular lysporty driving
R Emphasises theve hicle's ownov ersteering
and understeering characteristics for a more
active driving style R
Only suitable for good road conditions, a dry
ro ad sur face and a clear st retch of road
C Sport
R Continues too.er stability but with a sporty
setup
R Allo ws th e sporty driver a more active driving
style
R Only suitable for good road conditions, a dry
ro ad sur face and a clear st retch of road
A Comfort
R Comfor table and economical driving
R Balance between traction and stability
R Recommended for all road conditions
£ Maybach
R Only available for Mercedes-Maybach vehicles
R Highest driving comfort for comfor table and
luxurious tr avel
; Eco
R Particular lyeconomical driving
R Balance between traction and stability R
Recommended for all road conditions
N Curve
R Only available forve hicles with E‑ ACTIVE
BODY CONTROL
R Com fortable driving with cur vetilting function
R Balance between traction and stability
R Recommended for all road conditions
F Offroad
R Only available forve hicles with O.-road pac k-
age
R Inter venes later if there is overste ering or
understeering, thus impr oving traction
R Suitable for easily negotiable o.- road terrain,
such as dirt trac ks,gr av el or sandy sur faces
R Not suitable for use on public roads
G Offroad+
R Only available forve hicles with O.-road pac k-
age
R Inter venes later if there is overste ering or
understeering, thus impr oving traction Driving and parking
205
205

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
% Mer
Mer cedes-Ma
cedes-Ma ybac
ybach v
h vehicles:
ehicles: inthe drive pro-
gr ams F andG, theex tendible running
boa rdsre main retracted or retract if they have
already been extended.
% Depending on the situation, the cylinder can
be brie0y deactivated in the drive pro-
gr ams ; andA, depending on the
engine.
% The ESP ®
settings in the drive prog rams ;
and A are designed for stability. Therefore,
ch oose one of these driving prog rams, espe-
cially when transporting roof loads, in trailer
operation and when theve hicle is fully loaded
or fully occupied.
Depending on the drive prog ram, thefo llowing
systems change their characteristics:
R Drive
- engine and transmission management
- Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC R
ESP ®
R V
V ehicles wit
ehicles wit h AIRMA
h AIRMATIC or E‑A
TIC or E‑A CTIVE BOD
CTIVE BOD Y
Y
C
C ONTR
ONTR OL:
OL:
- suspension tuning
- vehicle le vel
R electric po wer steering N No
ot tes on t
es on t he r
he roof load display
oof load display Cer
tain drive prog rams and ESP ®
settings are
unsuitable for transporting a roof load.
If one of these drive prog rams is set or selected,
th eW symbol is shown as a warning. When
th is symbol is shown, the selected drive prog ram
is not suitable for transporting a load on thero of.
The following drive prog rams are a.ected:
R Sport
Sport drive prog ram
R Spor
Spor t +
t +drive prog ram
R Individual
Individual drive program with the ESP ®
setting
Sport or Sport+ %
The symbol is also shown in thefo llowing sit-
uations:
R Within theth emes if a cor responding drive
prog ram is sa ved
Fo r more information on themes see .
R Within there set displ ayifth e pr eviously
active drive prog ram is unsuitable forthe
transport of a roof load
Fo r fur ther information on there set dis-
pla y,see (/ page 207). 206
206
Driving and parking

Selects t
Selects t
he dr
he driv
ive pr
e progr ogram
am #
Press DYNAMIC SELECT switch 1forw ards
or backwards.
The drive prog ram selected appears in the
inst rument displa y. Con/gur Con/gur
ing
ingD
DYN
YNAMIC SELECT (multimedia sy AMIC SELECT (multimedia sy s-
s-
t
t em)
em) Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Settings 5
Vehicle
5 DYNAMIC SELECT
Se
Se tting dr
tting dr iv
ive pr
e pr ogr
ogram I
am I #
Select Individual configuration. #
Select and set a categor y.
Switc
Switc hing t
hing t he r
he rest
estor
oration displa
ation displa y on or
y on oro.
o. #
Switch Ask when starting on or o..
F
F unction on:
unction on: the next time theve hicle is star ted a
prom ptappears asking whe ther the last active
drive prog ram should be restored. If the ECO
start/s top function was deacti vated, an additional
prom ptappears asking if the function should
re main deactivated.
% The prom ptappears only if the pr eviously
active settings deviate from the standard set-
tings.
F
F unction
unction o.:
o.:the next time theve hicle is star ted
th eA drive prog ram is set automaticall y.The ECO start/stop function is activated automati-
call
y.
% This function must be activated for each user
pro/le separatel y.Only when this function is
activated will the drive prog ram and ECO
start/s top setting forth e pr evious journey be
sa vedfo rth ere spective user pro/le. Displa Displa
ying v
ying vehicle data
ehicle data Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Info #
Select Vehicle.
The vehicle data is displ ayed. Displa
Displa
ying engine data
ying engine data Multimedia system:
4 © 5
Info #
Select Engine.
The engine data is displa yed. Driving and parking
207
207