sport MERCEDES-BENZ CLS-Class 2017 W218 User Guide

ANeutral
Do not shift the transmission toN
while driving. Otherwise, the auto-
matic transmission could be dam-
aged.
No power is transmitted from the
engine to the drive wheels.
Releasing the brakes will allow you to
move the vehicle freely, e.g. to push
it or tow it.
If ESP
®is deactivated or faulty: shift
the transmission only to position Nif
the vehicle is in danger of skidding,
e.g. on icy roads.
If you switch the engine off with the
transmission in position Ror D, the
automatic transmission shifts to N
automatically.
!Rolling in neutral Ncan damage
the drive train.
7Drive
The automatic transmission changes
gear automatically. All forward gears
are available.
Driving tips
Changing gear
The automatic transmission shifts to the indi-
vidual gears automatically when it is in trans-
mission position D. This automatic gear shifting
behavior is determined by:
Rthe selected drive program
Rthe position of the accelerator pedal
Rthe road speed
Accelerator pedal position
Your style of driving influences how the auto-
matic transmission shifts gear:
Rlittle throttle: early upshifts
Rmore throttle: late upshifts
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
When shifting down, the double-clutch function
is active regardless of the currently selected
drive program. The double-clutch function reduces load change reactions and is conducive
to a sporty driving style. The sound generated by
the double-clutch function depends on the drive
program selected.
Kickdown
Use kickdown for maximum acceleration:
XDepress the accelerator pedal beyond the
pressure point.
The automatic transmission shifts to a lower
gear depending on the engine speed.
XEase off the accelerator pedal once the
desired speed is reached.
The automatic transmission shifts back up.
Rocking the vehicle free
Rocking the vehicle free by shifting back and
forth between transmission positions
Dand R
can help to free a vehicle that has become stuck
in mud or snow. The vehicle's engine manage-
ment restricts switching between transmission
positions Dand Rto speeds up to a maximum of
5 mph (9 km/h). To shift back and forth between
transmission positions Dand R, move the
DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the
point of resistance.
Program selector button
General notes
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles and
vehicles with AMG sports package)
XPress program selector button :repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display.
Automatic transmission133
Driving an d parking
Z

Vehicles with the AMG Sports package
XPress program selector button:repeatedly
until the letter for the desired drive program
appears in the multifunction display.
The program selector button allows you to
choose between different driving characteris-
tics.
iFurther information about permanent drive
program M(Ypage 136).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 135).
EEconomyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
M ManualManual gear shifting
iFor further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Ypage 135).
iThe automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program Eeach time the engine is
started.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles
Drive program selector with manual drive program
XTurn drive program selector :until the
desired drive program appears in the multi-
function display in the speedometer.
The drive program indicator on drive program
selector :lights up in red.
iFurther information about permanent drive
program M(Ypage 136).
As well as this permanent drive program M,
you can also activate temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 135).
CControlled
EfficiencyComfortable, economical
driving
S SportSporty driving style
S+ SportPlusParticularly sporty driving
style
MManualManual gear shifting
RS RACE
STARTOptimal vehicle accelera-
tion from a standstill
iFor further information on the automatic
drive program, see (Ypage 135).
iThe automatic transmission shifts to auto-
matic drive program Ceach time the engine is
started.
iRS cannot be selected during normal driv-
ing. For further information on RACE START,
see (
Ypage 158).
134Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Steering wheel paddle shifters
In the manual drive program, you can change
gears manually using steering wheel paddle
shifters:and ;.
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 136).
Further information about temporary drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 135).
iYou can only change gear with the steering
wheel paddle shifters when the transmission
is in position D.
Automatic drive program
Automatic drive program E (C)
Drive program E(drive program Con Mercedes-
AMG vehicles) is characterized by the following:
Rcomfort-oriented engine and automatic trans-
mission settings.
Roptimal fuel consumption resulting from the
automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
Rthe vehicle pulls away more gently in forward
and reverse gears, unless the accelerator
pedal is depressed fully.
Rthe vehicle has improved driving stability, for
example on slippery road surfaces.
Rthe automatic transmission shifting up
sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven
at lower engine speeds and the wheels being
less likely to spin.
Automatic drive program S
Drive program S(or, in the case of Mercedes-
AMG vehicles, drive programs Sand S+) is char-
acterized by the following:
Rsporty engine and automatic transmission
settings.
Rthe automatic transmission shifts up later.
The fuel consumption possibly being higher
as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.
Manual drive program M
General notes
In this drive program, you can briefly change
gear yourself by using the steering wheel paddle
shifters. The transmission must be in position D.
You can activate manual drive program Min
automatic drive programs E,Cand S.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles and vehicles with
AMG sports package: as well as temporary
drive program Myou can also activate perma-
nent drive program M(
Ypage 133).
Further information about permanent drive pro-
gram M(
Ypage 136).
Activating
XShift the transmission to position D.
XPull the left or right steering wheel paddle
shifter (Ypage 135).
Manual drive program Mis temporarily acti-
vated. The multifunction display shows Mand
the selected gear.
Shifting gears
If you pull on the left or right steering wheel
paddle shifter, the automatic transmission
switches to manual drive program Mfor a limi-
ted amount of time. In cases where it is permis-
sible, the automatic transmission shifts up or
down to the next gear.
XTo shift up: pull the right-hand steering wheel
paddle shifter (Ypage 135).
The automatic transmission shifts up to the
next gear.
iIf the maximum engine speed on the cur-
rently engaged gear is reached and you con-
tinue to accelerate, the automatic transmis-
Automatic transmission135
Driving and parking
Z

sion automatically shifts up in order to pre-
vent engine damage.
XTo shift down:pull on the left-hand steering
wheel paddle shifter (Ypage 135).
The automatic transmission shifts down to
the next gear.
If the engine exceeds the maximum engine
speed when shifting down, the automatic
transmission protects against engine damage
by not shifting down.
iAutomatic down shifting occurs when
coasting.
Shift recommendation
The gearshift recommendations assist you in
adopting an economical driving style. The mul-
tifunction display shows you the recommended
gear.
XShift to recommended gear ;according to
gearshift recommendation :when shown in
the multifunction display.
Deactivating
If you have activated manual drive program M, it
will remain active for a certain amount of time.
Under certain conditions the minimum amount
of time is extended, e.g. in the case of lateral
acceleration, during an overrun phase or when
driving on steep terrain.
If manual drive program Mhas been deactiva-
ted, the automatic transmission shifts into the
automatic drive program that was last selected,
i.e. E,Cor S.
You can also deactivate manual drive program
M yourself:
XPull on the right-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter and hold it in place (Ypage 135).
or
XSwitch the transmission position.
RAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: use the DIRECT SELECT lever
(
Ypage 130)
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: use the lever
(Ypage 129)
or
XChange the drive program.
RAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: use the drive program selector button
(
Ypage 133)
RMercedes-AMG vehicles: use the drive
program selector (Ypage 134)
Manual drive program (Mercedes-
AMG vehicles and vehicles with the
AMG sports package)
General notes
In this drive program, you can permanently
change gear yourself by using the steering
wheel paddle shifters. The transmission must be
in position D.
As well as this permanent drive program M, you
can also activate temporary drive program M
(
Ypage 135).
Switching on the manual drive program
XAll vehicles except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles: press the program selector button
repeatedly until drive program Mappears in
the multifunction display (
Ypage 133).
XMercedes-AMG vehicles: turn the drive pro-
gram selector until drive program Mappears
in the multifunction display (
Ypage 134).
The indicator Mon the drive program selector
lights up in red.
Manual drive program Mis different from drive
programs Sand S+with regard to spontaneity,
responsiveness and smoothness of gear
changes.
In manual drive program M, you can change gear
using the steering wheel paddle shifters if the
transmission is in position D. The multifunction
display shows the selected and engaged gear.
136Automatic transmission
Driving and parking

Emission control
GWARNING
Combustion engines emit poisonous exhaust
gases such as carbon monoxide. Inhaling
these exhaust gases leads to poisoning. There
is a risk of fatal injury. Therefore never leave
the engine running in enclosed spaces with-
out sufficient ventilation.
Certain engine systems are designed to keep
the level of poisonous components in exhaust
fumes within legal limits.
These systems only work at peak efficiency if
they are serviced exactly in accordance with the
manufacturer's specifications. Always have
work on the engine carried out at a qualified
specialist workshop. Mercedes-Benz recom-
mends that you use an authorized Mercedes-
Benz Center for this purpose. In particular, work
relevant to safety or on safety-related systems
must be carried out at a qualified specialist
workshop.
The engine settings must not be changed under any circumstances. Furthermore, all specific
service work must be carried out at regular
intervals and in accordance with the Mercedes-
Benz service requirements. Details can be found in the Maintenance Booklet.
ECO display
The ECO display provides feedback on how eco-
nomical your driving characteristics are. The
ECO display assists you in achieving the most
economical driving style for the selected set-
tings and prevailing conditions. Your driving
style can significantly influence the vehicle's
consumption.
The ECO display consists of three bars:
RAcceleration
RConstant
RCoasting
The percent value is the average value of the
three bars. The three bars and the mean value
begin at the value of 50%. A higher percentage
indicates a more economical driving style.
The ECO display does not indicate the actual fuel
consumption. A fixed percentage count in the
ECO display does not indicate a fixed consump-
tion.
Apart from driving style, consumption is
dependent on many factors such as, e.g.:
Rload
Rtire pressure
Rcold start
Rchoice of route
Relectrical consumers switched on
These factors are not included in the ECO dis-
play.
The evaluation of your driving style is carried out
using the following three categories:
RAcceleration(evaluation of all acceleration
processes):
-The bar fills up: moderate acceleration,
especially at higher speeds
-The bar empties: sporty acceleration
RConstant(assessment of driving behavior at
all times):
-The bar fills up: constant speed and avoid-
ance of unnecessary acceleration and
deceleration
-The bar empties: fluctuations in speed
RCoasting(assessment of all deceleration
processes):
-The bar fills up: anticipatory driving, keep-
ing your distance and early release of the
accelerator. The vehicle can coast without
use of the brakes.
-The bar empties: frequent braking
iAn economical driving style specially
requires driving at moderate engine speeds.
To achieve a higher value in the categories
Acceleration
and Constant:
Robserve the gearshift recommendations.
Rdrive in drive program E.
iOn long journeys at a constant speed, e.g.
on the highway, only the bar for Constantwill
change.
iThe ECO display summarizes the driving
characteristics from the start of the journey to
its completion. For this reason, the bars
144Driving tips
Driving and parking

Activating
XBrieflypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =,or mov eit up :or down ?.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated.
XMov eth ecruise control leve rrepeatedly
up : or down ?until th edesired spee dis
set .
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal.
Your vehicl eadapt sits spee dto that of th e
vehicl ein front, but only up to th edesired
store dspeed.
If th evehicl ein fron tof you is stationary, you
can only activat eDISTRONI CPLU Sonce your
vehicl eis stationary as well.
iIf you do no tfully release th eaccelerato r
pedal, th eDISTRONICPLU SSuspendedmes -
sage appear sin th emultifunction display. The
set distanc eto aslower-moving vehicl ein
fron twill then no tbe maintained. You will be
driving at th espee dyou determine by th e
positio nof th eaccelerato rpedal.
You can also activat eDISTRONI CPLU Swhen
stationary. The lowes tspee dthat can be set is
18 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefl ypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =,up: or down ?.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
store d speed
GWARNIN G
If you call up th estore dspee dand it differs
from th ecurren tspeed, th evehicl eacceler -
ate sor decelerates. If you do no tknow th e
store dspeed, th evehicl ecould accelerate or
brak eune xpectedly. Ther eis aris kof an acci-
dent.
Pay attentio nto th eroad and traffic condi-
tions before calling up th estore dspeed. If you
do no tknow th estore dspeed, store th e
desired spee dagain .
XBrieflypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you ?.
XRemove your foo tfrom th eaccelerato rpedal.
DISTRONI CPLU Sis activated. The first tim eit
is activated, th ecurren tspee dis stored. Oth-
erwise, it set sth evehicl espee dto th eprevi-
ously store dvalue .
Driving with DISTRONIC PLUS
Pulling away and driving
XIf you want to pull awa ywith DISTRONIC
PLUS :remove your foo tfrom th ebrak epedal.
XBriefl ypull th ecruise control leve rtowards
you =.
or
XAccelerat ebriefly.
The vehicl epulls away and adapt sits spee dto
that of th evehicl ein front.
If no vehicl eis detected in front, your vehicl e
accelerate sto th eset speed.
The vehicl ecan also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on adiffer-
en tlin efrom another vehicle. The vehicl ethen
brakes automatically.
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no tdetect avehicl ein
front, th esystem operate slik e a cruise control .
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdetect sthat th evehicl ein
fron thas slowe ddown ,it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, th especifie dminimum distanc eyou
have selected is maintained.
If DISTRONI CPLU Sdetect s afaster-moving
vehicl ein front, it increases th edriving spee dto
th eset speed.
Selecting the drive program
DISTRONI CPLU Ssupport s asporty driving style
when you have selected th eS or M(AMG vehi-
cles: S,S+ orM)driving program (
Ypage 133).
Acceleration behind th evehicl ein fron tor to th e
set spee dis then noticeably mor edynamic .If
you have selected th eE (AMG veh icle
s:
C)driv -
ing program ,th evehicl eaccelerate smor egen -
tly. This settin gis recommended in stop-and -
start traffic.
Changing lanes
DISTRONI CPLU Saids you when switching to
th eovertaking lane ,if:
Ryou are driving faste rthan 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on th eappropriat etur nsignal
RDISTRONI CPLU Sis maintainin gth edistanc e
to avehicl ein fron t
RDISTRONI CPLU Sdoes no tdetect adanger of
a collisio n
If these condition sare fulfilled, your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changing lane stakes to olon gor if th edistanc e
152Driving systems
Driving and parking

Activationconditions
You can activat eth eHOLD function if:
Rth evehicl eis stationary
Rth eengin eis runnin gor if it has been auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function
Rth edriver's door is closed or your seat belt is
fastene d
Rtheparking brak eis release d
Rthetransmission is in position D,Ror N
RDISTRONI CPLU Sis deactivated
Activating the HOLD function
XMak esur ethat th eactivation condition sare
met .
XDepress th ebrak epedal .
XQuickl ydepress th ebrak epedal further until
ë :appear sin th emultifunction display.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release th ebrak epedal .
If depressing th ebrak epedal th efirst time does
no tactivat eth eHOLD function ,wait briefl yand
then tr yagain .
Deactivating the HOLD function
The HOLD function is deactivated automatically
if:
Ryou accelerate and th etransmission is in
position Dor R.
Ryou shif tth etransmission to position P.
Ryou depress thebrak epedal again wit h acer-
tai namount of pressur euntil ë disap-
pear sfrom th emultifunction display.
Ryou activat eDISTRONI CPLUS. When th
eHOLD function is activated, th etrans -
mission is shifte dautomatically to position Pif:
Rth edriver's door is open and th edriver's seat
belt is unfastened.
Rth eengin eis switched off ,unless it is auto -
matically switched off by th eECO start/sto p
function .
Rthehoo dis opened.
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
RACE START
Imp ortant safety notes
Observ eth esafet ynote sfor th eSPORT han -
dlin gmod e (Ypage 71).
RACE START is only available for Mercedes-AM G
vehicles.
RACE START is intended solely for activation on
dedicate drac ecircuits.
RACE START enables optimal acceleration from
a standing start .The precondition for this is a
suitable high-grip road surface.
Conditions for activati on
You can activateRACE START if:
Rth edoor sare closed.
Rth eengin eis runnin gand it has reached an
operating temperature of approximately
17 6 ‡ (80 †). This is th ecas ewhen th eoil
temperature gauge in th emultifunction dis-
play is shown in white.
RSPORT handlin gmod eis switched on .
(Ypage 71)
Rth esteering whee lis in th estraight-ahead
position .
Rthevehicl eis stationary and th ebrak epedal is
depressed (lef tfoot) .
Rthetransmission is in position D.
158Driving systems
Driving and parking

Activating RACE START
XDepress thebrak epedal wit hyour lef tfoo t
and keep it depressed.
XTurn th edrive program selector clockwise
(Ypage 134) until th eRS lamp lights up.
The RACESTART Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel :Paddle DOW Nmessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
iIf th eactivation condition sare no longer ful-
filled, RACE START is canceled. The RACE
START Canceledmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XTo cancel: pull th elef tsteering whee lpaddl e
shifte r (Ypage 135).
or
XTo confirm :pull th eright steering whee lpad-
dle shifte r (Ypage 135).
The RACESTART available Depres s
acceleratormessage appearsin th emulti-
function display.
iIf you do no tdepress th eaccelerato rpedal
fully within two seconds, RACE START is can -
celed. The RACE
STARTNotPossibleSeeOperator' sManualmessage appear sin th e
multifunction display.
XFull ydepress th eaccelerato rpedal .
The engin espee drises to approximately
3,500 rpm.
The RACE
STARTReleas ebraketostartmessage appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf you do no trelease th ebrak epedal within
fiv eseconds, RACE START is canceled. The
RAC ESTART Canceled
message appear sin
th emultifunction display.
XTak eyour foo toff th ebrake, but keep th e
accelerato rpedal depressed.
The vehicl epulls away at maximum acceler -
ation .
The RACE
STARTactivemessage appear sin
th emultifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when th evehicl e
reaches aspee dof approximately 30 mph (Can -
ada: 50 km/h). Drive program S+is activated.
SPORT handlin gmod eremain sswitched on .
RACE START is deactivated immediately if you
release th eaccelerato rpedal during RACE
START or if any of th eactivation condition sare
no longer fulfilled .The RACESTART Not Pos ‐
sible See Operator' sManualmessage
appear sin th emultifunction display.
iIf RACE START is used repeatedly within a
short period of time, it is only available again
after th evehicl ehas been driven acertain
distance.
AIRMATIC
Vehicle level
Important safety notes
GWARNIN G
When th evehicl eis bein glowered, people
could become trapped if their limb sare
between th evehicl ebody and th ewheels or
underneat hth evehicle. There is aris kof
injury.
Mak esur eno on eis underneat hth evehicl eor
in th eimmediat evicinity of th ewhee larches
when th evehicl eis bein glowered.
Your vehicl eregulates it sheight automatically.
All-roun dlevel control ensures th ebest possibl e
suspension and constan tground clearance ,
eve nwit h a laden vehicle. When you drive fast,
th evehicl eis lowered automatically to improve
drivin gsafet yand to reduce fuel consumption .
The followin gvehicl elevels are possible:
RNormal
RRaised :th evehicl eis raised by approximately
0.80 in (20 mm ) when compared with the nor-
mal level
RLowered: the vehicle is raised by approx-
imately 0.40 in (10 mm) when compared with
the normal level
iThese changes in level are so slight that you
are hardly aware of them.
The "Normal" and "Raised" vehicle levels can be
set manually.
The "Lowered” vehicle level is set automatically:
Rat speeds above 70 mph (113 km/h)
Rif you have selected "Sports tuning"
(Ypage 160)
Setting the vehicle level
Select the "Normal" setting for normal road sur-
faces and "Raised" for driving with snow chains or on particularly poor road surfaces. Your
Driving systems159
Driving and parking
Z

selection remains stored even if you remove the
SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Setting raised level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is not lit:
XPress the :button.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. The vehicle height
is adjusted to raised level.
The Vehicle
Risingmessage appears in the
display.
The "Raised level" setting is canceled if you:
Rdrive at a speed over approximately 75 mph
(120 km/h)
Rdrive for approximately three minutes at a
speed over 50 mph (80 km/h)
The "Raised level" remains active when you are
not driving within these speed ranges.
Setting the normal level
XStart the engine.
If indicator lamp ;is lit:
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out. The vehicle is
adjusted to normal level.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort. The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection, i.e. sports or com-
fort
Your selection remains stored even if you
remove the SmartKey from the ignition lock.
Sports tuning
The firmer suspension tuning in Sport mode
ensures even better contact with the road.
Select this mode when employing a sporty driv-
ing style, e.g. on winding country roads.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up. Sports suspen-
sion tuning is selected.
The AIRMATIC
SPORTmessage appears in the
multifunction display.
Comfort tuning
In comfort mode, the driving characteristics of
your vehicle are more comfortable. Therefore,
select this mode if you favor a more comfortable
driving style. Select comfort mode also when
driving fast on straight roads, e.g. on straight
stretches of highway.
160Driving systems
Driving and parking

XPress button:.
Indicator lamp =lights up. Comfort tuning is
selected.
The AIRMATIC COMFORT
message appears in
the multifunction display.
AMG adaptive sport suspension sys-
tem
Important safety notes
GWARNING
When the vehicle is being lowered, people
could become trapped if their limbs are
between the vehicle body and the wheels or
underneath the vehicle. There is a risk of
injury.
Make sure no one is underneath the vehicle or
in the immediate vicinity of the wheel arches
when the vehicle is being lowered.
GWARNING
Vehicles with level control:
The vehicle is slightly lowered if:
Ryou have selected comfort suspension tun-
ing and
Ryou lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds of switching off the engine
You and people in the vicinity of the wheel
arch or the underbody may thus become trap-
ped. There is a risk of injury.
Make sure that nobody is in the vicinity of the
wheel arch or the underbody when you lock
the vehicle.
!The vehicle is lowered by about 0.8 in
(20 mm) if:
Ryou have selected "Comfortable tuning"
Ryou switch off the engine and then
Ryou lock the vehicle within approximately
60 seconds
When parking, position your vehicle so that it does not make contact with the curb as the
vehicle is lowered. Your vehicle could other-
wise be damaged.
Suspension tuning
General notes
The electronically controlled damping system
works continuously. This improves driving
safety and ride comfort.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface condition, e.g. bumps
Ryour individual selection of Sport, Sport + or
Comfort
Sport mode
:Mode selection button
;Button to store, recall and display the selec-
ted mode
=Sport + mode indicator lamp
?Sport mode indicator lamp
The firmer suspension setting in Sport mode
ensures better contact with the road. Select this
mode when employing a sporty driving style,
e.g. on winding country roads.
XPress button :.
Indicator lamp ?lights up. You have selected
Sport mode.
The AMG Ride Control SPORT
message
appears in the multifunction display.
Sport + mode
The very firm setting of the suspension setting in
Sport + mode ensures the best possible contact
with the road. Select this mode preferably when
driving on race circuits.
If indicator lamps =and ?are off:
XPress button :twice.
Indicator lamps =and ?light up. You have
selected Sport + mode.
Driving systems161
Driving and parking
Z