MERCEDES-BENZ GLA SUV 2013 Owners Manual

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 199).
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 control=in direc-
tion ;.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a greater distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
X To decrease: turn control=in direc-
tion :.
DISTRONIC PLUS then maintains a shorter
distance between your vehicle and the
vehicle in front.
Deactivating DISTRONIC PLUS There are several ways to deactivate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS:
X Briefly press the cruise control lever for-
wards :.
or
X Brake, unless the vehicle is stationary.
or X Briefly press the cruise control lever in the
direction of arrow =.
Variable SPEEDTRONIC is selected. LIM
indicator lamp ;in the cruise control lever
lights up.
When you deactivate DISTRONIC PLUS, you
will see the DISTRONIC DISTRONIC PLUS
PLUSoff
offmessage in
the multifunction display for approximately
five seconds.
i The last speed stored remains stored until
you switch off the engine. DISTRONIC PLUS
is not deactivated if you depress the accel-
erator pedal.
DISTRONIC PLUS is automatically deactiva-
ted if: R you apply the electric parking brake or if the
vehicle is automatically secured with the
electric parking brake
R ESP ®
intervenes or you deactivate ESP ®
R the transmission is in the P,Ror Nposition
R you pull the cruise control lever towards
you in order to pull away and the front-
passenger door or one of the rear doors is
open
R the vehicle is skidding
R you activate DSR
R you activate Active Parking Assist
If DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated, you will
hear a warning tone. You will see the DIS‐ DIS‐
TRONIC
TRONIC PLUS
PLUSoff
offmessage in the multifunc-
tion display for approximately five seconds. 198
Driving systemsDriving and parking

DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the instru-
ment cluster Displays in the speedometer
Example: DISTRONIC PLUS displays in the speed-
ometer
When DISTRONIC PLUS is activated, one or
two segments ;in the set speed range light
up.
If DISTRONIC PLUS detects a vehicle in front, segments ;between speed of the vehicle in
front =and stored speed :light up.
i For design reasons, the speed displayed
in the speedometer may differ slightly from
the speed set for DISTRONIC PLUS.
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is deacti-
vated :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Distance indicator: current distance to
the vehicle in front
= Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
? Own vehicle In the Assistance menu (Y
page 243) of the
on-board computer, you can select the assis- tance graphic.
X Select the Assistance graphic Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
Display when DISTRONIC PLUS is activa-
ted :
Vehicle in front, if detected
; Specified minimum distance to the vehi-
cle in front; adjustable
= Own vehicle
? DISTRONIC PLUS active (text only
appears when the cruise control lever is
actuated)
X Select the Assistance graphic Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
You will initially see the stored speed for
about five seconds when you activate DIS-
TRONIC PLUS.
Tips for driving with DISTRONIC PLUS General notes
The following contains descriptions of certain
road and traffic conditions in which you must
be particularly attentive. In such situations,
brake if necessary. DISTRONIC PLUS is then
deactivated. Driving syste
ms
199Driving an d parking Z

Cornering, going into and coming out of a
bend The ability of DISTRONIC PLUS to detect vehi-
cles when cornering is limited. Your vehicle
may brake unexpectedly or late.
Vehicles which are not driving in the mid- dle of their lane DISTRONIC PLUS may not detect vehicles
which are not driving in the middle of their
lane. The distance to the vehicle in front will
be too short.
Other vehicles changing lane DISTRONIC PLUS has not detected the vehi-
cle cutting in yet. The distance to this vehicle
will be too short.
Narrow vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS has not yet detected the
vehicle in front on the edge of the carriage-
way, because of its narrow width. The dis-
tance to the vehicle in front will be too short.
Obstructions and stationary vehicles DISTRONIC PLUS does not brake for obsta-
cles or stationary vehicles. If, for example, the
detected vehicle turns a corner and reveals
an obstacle or stationary vehicle, DISTRONIC PLUS will not brake for these. 200
Driving systemsDriving and parking

Crossing vehicles
DISTRONIC PLUS may detect vehicles that
are crossing your lane by mistake. Activating DISTRONIC PLUS at traffic lights with cross-
ing traffic, for example, could cause your vehi-
cle to pull away unintentionally. HOLD function
Important safety notes G
WARNING
When leaving the vehicle, it can still roll away despite being braked by the HOLD function if:
R there is a malfunction in the system or in
the voltage supply
R the HOLD function is deactivated by the
accelerator pedal being depressed, e.g. by
a vehicle occupant
R the electrical system in the engine com-
partment, the battery or the fuses are tam-
pered with
R the battery is disconnected
There is a risk of an accident.
Before leaving the vehicle, always deactivate
the HOLD function and secure the vehicle
from rolling away. !
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
Deactivate the HOLD function (Y page 202).
General notes The HOLD function can assist the driver in the
following situations:
R when pulling away, especially on steep
slopes
R when manoeuvring on steep slopes
R when waiting in traffic
The vehicle is kept stationary without the
driver having to depress the brake pedal.
The braking effect is cancelled and the HOLD function is deactivated when you depress the
accelerator pedal to pull away.
Activation conditions You can activate the HOLD function if:
R
the vehicle is stationary
R the engine is running or if it has been auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R the driver's door is closed or if your seat
belt is fastened
R the electric parking brake is released
R the transmission is in position D,Ror Non
vehicles with automatic transmission
R DISTRONIC PLUS is deactivated Driving systems
201Driving and parking Z

Activating the HOLD function
Example: vehicles with colour multifunction display
X Make sure that the activation conditions
are met.
X Depress the brake pedal.
X Quickly depress the brake pedal further
until :appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
The HOLD function is activated. You can
release the brake pedal.
i If depressing the brake pedal the first
time does not activate the HOLD function,
wait briefly and then try again.
Deactivating the HOLD function The HOLD function is deactivated automati-
cally if:
R you accelerate. On vehicles with automatic
transmission: only when the transmission
is in position Dor R.
R the transmission is in position Pon vehicles
with automatic transmission.
R you depress the brake pedal again with a
certain amount of pressure until :disap-
pears from the multifunction display.
R you secure the vehicle using the electric
parking brake.
R you activate DISTRONIC PLUS.
i After a short period, the vehicle is secured
by the electric parking brake, thus relieving
the service brake. The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activa-
ted and:
R the driver's door is open and the driver's
seat belt is unfastened
R the engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/
stop function
R a system fault occurs
R the power supply is not sufficient
Vehicles with automatic transmission
On steep uphill or downhill inclines or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also
be automatically shifted into position P.
Vehicles with manual transmission
The Brake immediately
Brake immediately message can also
appear in the multifunction display.
X Immediately depress the brake pedal firmly
until the warning message in the multifunc-
tion display goes out.
The HOLD function is deactivated.
A horn will sound at regular intervals if you
turn off the engine, take off your seat belt or
open the driver's door when the HOLD func-
tion is activated. The horn alerts you to the
fact that the HOLD function is still activated.
If you attempt to lock the vehicle, the tone
becomes louder. The vehicle cannot be
locked until you have deactivated the HOLD
function.
i Once you have switched off the engine,
you cannot restart it until you have deacti-
vated the HOLD function. RACE START
Important safety notes RACE START enables optimum acceleration
from a standing start. The precondition for
this is a suitable high-grip road surface.
Only activate RACE START on dedicated race
circuits. 202
Driving systemsDriving and pa
rking

i
RACE START is only available in AMG vehi-
cles.
Activation conditions You can activate RACE START if:
R the doors, the bonnet and the tailgate are
closed
R the engine is running and the transmission,
traction control and engine are at operating
temperature
R SPORT handling mode is activated
(Y page 78)
R the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead
position.
R the vehicle is stationary and the brake
pedal is depressed (left foot)
R the transmission is in position D
R drive program Mis selected (Y page 171).
Activating RACE START X
Depress the brake pedal with your left foot
and keep it depressed.
X Pull and hold both steering wheel gearshift
paddles.
X The RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
RACE START Confirm: Paddle UP
Cancel: Paddle DOWN
Cancel: Paddle DOWN message appears
in the multifunction display.
X Release both steering wheel gearshift pad-
dles.
i If the activation conditions are no longer
fulfilled, RACE START is cancelled. The
RACE START not possible See Own‐
RACE START not possible See Own‐
er's
er's Manual Manual message appears in the mul-
tifunction display.
X To cancel: pull the left steering wheel shift
paddle (Y page 171).
or
X To confirm: pull the right steering wheel
shift paddle (Y page 171).
The RACE START available Depress
RACE START available Depress
accelerator
accelerator message appears in the mul-
tifunction display. i
If you do not depress the accelerator
pedal within a few seconds, RACE START is cancelled. The multifunction display shows
the RACE START cancelled
RACE START cancelled message.
X Fully depress the accelerator pedal.
The engine speed is increased.
The RACE START Release brake to RACE START Release brake to
start
start message appears in the multifunc-
tion display.
i If the brake pedal is not released after a
short while, RACE START is cancelled. The
multifunction display shows the RACE
RACE
START cancelled START cancelled message.
X Take your foot off the brake, but keep the
accelerator pedal depressed.
The vehicle pulls away at maximum accel-
eration.
The RACE RACE START
START active
active message appears
in the multifunction display.
RACE START is deactivated when the vehicle
reaches a speed of approximately 50 km/h.
Drive program Sis activated. SPORT handling
mode remains activated.
RACE START is deactivated immediately if
you release the accelerator pedal during
RACE START or if any of the activation condi- tions are no longer fulfilled. The RACE RACESTART
START
not possible
not possible orRACE START cancelled
RACE START cancelled
message appears in the multifunction dis-
play.
i After using it several times in short suc-
cession, RACE START will be unavailable
until a certain distance has been driven. 4MATIC
4MATIC ensures that all four wheels are per-
manently driven. Together with ESP ®
, it
improves the traction of your vehicle when-
ever a drive wheel spins due to insufficient
grip.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, 4MATIC
can neither reduce the risk of an accident nor override the laws of physics. 4MATIC cannot Driving systems
203Driving and parking Z

take account of road, weather and traffic con-
ditions. 4MATIC is only an aid. You are
responsible for the distance to the vehicle in
front, for vehicle speed, for braking in good
time, and for staying in lane.
If a drive wheel spins due to insufficient grip:
R when pulling away, only depress the accel-
erator pedal as far as is necessary.
R accelerate less when driving.
! Never tow the vehicle with one axle
raised. This may damage the transfer case.
Damage of this sort is not covered by the
Mercedes-Benz implied warranty. All
wheels must remain either on the ground or be fully raised. Observe the instructions for
towing the vehicle with all wheels in full
contact with the ground.
i In wintry driving conditions, the maximum
effect of 4MATIC can only be achieved if
you use winter tyres (M+S tyres), with snow
chains if necessary. DSR
Important safety notes i
DSR (Downhill Speed Regulation) is only
available for vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package.
DSR is an aid to assist you when driving down-
hill. It keeps the speed of travel at the speed
selected on the on-board computer. The
steeper the downhill gradient, the greater the
DSR braking effect on the vehicle. When driv-
ing on flat stretches of road or on an uphill
gradient, the DSR braking effect is minimal or
non-existent.
DSR controls the vehicle’s speed when it is
activated and the transmission is in position
D, Ror N. By accelerating or braking, you can
always drive at a higher or a lower speed than
that set on the on-board computer.
If you fail to adapt your driving style, DSR can
neither reduce the risk of accident nor over-
ride the laws of physics. DSR cannot take account of road, weather and traffic condi-
tions. DSR is only an aid. You are responsible
for the distance to the vehicle in front, for
vehicle speed, for braking in good time, and
for staying in lane.
You are always responsible for keeping con-
trol of the vehicle and for assessing whether
the downhill gradient can be managed. DSR
may not always be able to keep to the set
speed, depending on road surface and tyre
conditions. Select a set speed suitable for theprevailing conditions and when necessary,
apply the brakes manually. G
WARNING
If the speed driven and the set speed deviate and you activate DSR on a slippery road sur-
face, the wheels may lose traction. This
increases the risk of skidding and having an
accident.
Before switching DSR on, please take into
consideration the road surface and the differ-
ence between driving speed and the set
speed.
For information about driving off-road, see
(Y page 185).
Activating/deactivating DSR G
WARNING
If you drive faster than the set speed and acti-
vate DSR, the vehicle will decelerate on down- hill gradients. If you do not know the set
speed, the vehicle could decelerate unexpect-edly. There is a risk of an accident.
Decelerate the vehicle to the set speed before
activating DSR. If you do not know what the
stored set speed is, store the desired set
speed again.
Activating
You can only activate DSR when driving at
speeds below 30 km/h. 204
Driving systemsDriving and parking

X
Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
The status indicator in the multifunction
display shows, e.g. DSR 6 km/h
DSR 6 km/h.
If the current vehicle speed is too high, the
DSR icon appears in the multifunction dis-
play. You will also see the message: Max.
Max.
speed 30 km/h
speed 30 km/h .
If you enter or exit a parking space using
Active Parking Assist, and press button :,
indicator lamp ;flashes. DSR can then not
be switched on.
Deactivating
X Press button :.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
DSR symbol appears in the multifunction
display with the off offmessage.
DSR switches off automatically if you drive
faster than 35 km/h. The DSR symbol
appears in the multifunction display with the
off off message. You also hear a warning tone.
Display in the assistance graphic X
Select the Assistance graphic
Assistance graphic function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
When DSR is activated symbol :appears
in the assistance graphics display.
Changing the set speed while the vehi-
cle is in motion When DSR is activated, you can change the
set speed to a value between 4 km/h and
18 km/h while the vehicle is in motion.
X
To increase or reduce the set speed in
1 km/h increments: briefly press the
cruise control lever to the pressure point,
up : for a higher or down ;for a lower set
speed.
The set value appears in the status indica-
tor of the multifunction display. Off-road program
General notes i
The off-road drive program is only availa-
ble on vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package.
The off-road program assists you in driving
off-road. The engine’s performance charac- Driving systems
205Driving and parking Z

teristics and the gearshifting characteristics
of the automatic transmission are adapted for
this purpose. ABS, ESP ®
and ETS programs
especially adapted to off-road driving are also
activated.
Do not use the off-road program on roads that are snow-covered or icy or if you have fitted
your vehicle with snow chains.
For information about "Driving off-road", see
(Y page 185).
Switching the off-road program on or off X
To switch on: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;lights up.
X To switch off: press button:.
Indicator lamp ;goes out.
Display in the assistance graphic X
Select the Distance display Distance display function
using the on-board computer
(Y page 243).
When the off-road program is activated,
symbol :appears in the assistance
graphic display. PARKTRONIC
Important safety notes PARKTRONIC is an electronic parking aid with
ultrasonic sensors. It monitors the area
around your vehicle using six sensors in the
front bumper and six sensors in the rear
bumper. PARKTRONIC indicates visually and
audibly the distance between your vehicle
and an object.
PARKTRONIC is only an aid. It is not a substi- tute for your attention to the immediate sur-
roundings. The responsibility for safe
manoeuvring and parking remains with you.
Make sure that there are no persons, animals
or objects in range while manoeuvring and
parking.
! When parking, pay particular attention to
objects above or below the sensors, such
as flower pots or trailer drawbars. PARK-
TRONIC does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the
vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or
the objects.
The sensors may not detect snow and
objects which absorb ultrasonic sources.
Ultrasonic sources, such as an automatic
car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes
or a pneumatic drill, could cause PARK-
TRONIC to malfunction.
PARKTRONIC may not function correctly on uneven terrain. 206
Driving systemsDriving an
d parking

PARKTRONIC is activated automatically if
you:
R switch on the ignition
R shift to position D,Ror Non vehicles with
automatic transmission
R release the electric parking brake
PARKTRONIC is deactivated at speeds above
18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.
Range of the sensors General notes
PARKTRONIC does not take into account
obstacles located:
R below the detection range, e.g. persons,
animals or objects
R above the detection range, e.g. overhang-
ing loads, tail sections or loading ramps of
goods vehicles :
Example: sensors in the front bumper,
left-hand side Side view Top view
The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and
slush. Otherwise, they may not function cor-
rectly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking
care not to scratch or damage them
(Y page 326).
Front sensors Centre Approx. 100 cm
Corners Approx. 60 cm
Rear sensors
Centre Approx. 120 cm
Corners Approx. 80 cm
Minimum distance
Centre Approx. 20 cm
Corners Approx. 20 cm
If there is an obstacle within this range, the
relevant warning displays light up and a warn- ing tone sounds. If the distance falls below
the minimum, the distance may no longer be
shown.
Warning displays The warning displays show the distance
between the sensors and the obstacle. The
warning display for the front area is located
on the dashboard above the centre air vents.
The warning display for the rear area is loca-
ted on the roof lining in the rear compart-
ment. Driving systems
207Driving and parking Z