drive program MERCEDES-BENZ GLS SUV 2018 Owner's Guide

Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of
your vehicle and the gear shift operation before
driving through difficult terrain.
The following driving systems are specially
adapted to off-road driving:
RtheOff-road drive program (vehicles without
Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 219)
ROff-road andOff-road Plus drive programs
(vehicles with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 220)
RLOW RANGE off-road gear (vehicles with the
Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 221)
RDifferential lock (vehicles with the Off-Road
Engineering package) (Ypage 221)
ROff-road ABS (Ypage 67)
ROff-road 4ETS (Ypage 70)
ROff-road ESP®(Ypage 71)
RAIRMATIC package (vehicle level)
(Ypage 188)
RDSR (Downhill Speed Regulation)
(Ypage 218)
Observe the following notes:
RStop the vehicle before starting to drive along
an off-road route. If necessary, select the off- road program (
Ypage 220) or shift to the
LOW RANGE off-road gear (Ypage 221).
RSelect a vehicle level that is suitable for the
terrain. To avoid damaging the vehicle, make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance.
RCheck that items of cargo and loads are
stowed safely and are well secured
(
Ypage 305).
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving on a downhill gradient. Activate
DSR (
Ypage 218).
RAlways keep the engine running and in gear
when driving down an incline.
RAdapt your speed to the terrain. The rougher,
steeper or more ruts on the terrain, the slower
your speed should be.
RDo not jump with the vehicle as this will inter- rupt the vehicle's propulsion.
RDrive with extreme care on unfamiliar off-road
routes where visibility is poor. For safety rea-
sons, get out of the vehicle first and survey
the off-road route.
RLook out for obstacles, such as rocks, holes,
tree stumps and furrows.
RTake care when turning on an uphill or down-hill slope or when driving across a slope. The
vehicle could otherwise tip over.
RAlways keep the doors, the tailgate, the side
windows and the sliding sunroof closed whilethe vehicle is in motion.
RDo not shift the automatic transmission to
position i.
RObserve the notes on off-road fording
(Ypage 169).
iInformation about retrofitting special all-ter-
rain tires is available from any qualified spe-
cialist workshop.
iDo not use the HOLD function when driving
off-road, on steep uphill or downhill gradients
or on slippery or loose surfaces. The HOLD
function cannot hold the vehicle on such sur-
faces.
Checklist before driving off-road
!If the engine oil warning lamp lights up while
the vehicle is in motion, stop the vehicle in a
safe place as soon as possible. Check the
engine oil level. The engine oil warning lamp
warning must not be ignored. Continuing the
journey while the symbol is displayed could
lead to engine damage.
XEngine 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.
XDEF tank (BlueTEC vehicles): check the
level and add if necessary (Ypage 158).
XTire-changing tool kit: check that the jack is
working and make sure you have the lug
wrench, a robust tow cable and a folding
spade in the vehicle.
XWheels and tires: check the tread depth and
pressure of the tires.
XCheck for damage and remove any foreign
objects, e.g. small stones, from the wheels/
tires.
XReplace any missing valve caps.
XReplace dented or damaged wheels.
XRims: dented or bent rims can result in a loss
of tire pressure and damage the tire bead.
Driving tips171
Driving and parking
Z

Before driving off-road, check the wheels and
replace them if necessary.
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.
Driving over rough terrain places greater
demands on your vehicle than driving on normal
roads. After driving off-road, check the vehicle.
This allows you to detect damage promptly and
reduce the risk of an accident to yourself and
other road users.
XIf the Offroad orOffroad Plus drive program
is selected: select the Individual,Sport ,
Comfort orSlippery drive program
(
Ypage 147).
XDeactivate the LOW RANGE off-road gear
(Ypage 221).
XDeactivate DSR (Ypage 218).
XLower the vehicle level again to a level suita-
ble to the road conditions, e.g. to the normal
level.
XClean the headlamps and rear lights and
check for damage.
XClean the front and rear license plates.
XClean the wheels and tires with a water jet
and remove any foreign objects.
XClean the wheels, wheel housings and the
vehicle underside with a water jet; check for
any foreign objects and damage.
XCheck 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 bellows of the axle joints
and propeller shafts.
XAfter the trip, examine without fail the entire
undercarriage, wheels, tires, brakes, body-
wor k stru
cture, steering, chassis and exhaust
system for damage.
XAfter driving for extended periods across
sand, mud, gravel, water or in similarly dirty
conditions, have the brake discs, wheels,
brake pads/linings and axle joints checked
and cleaned.
XIf 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 on sand
Observe the following rules when driving on
sand:
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 219).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 220).
RSelect a higher vehicle level.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RUse the left-hand steering wheel paddle
shifter to shift to a lower gear appropriate to
the terrain.
RDrive quickly to overcome the rolling resist-
ance. Otherwise the vehicle's wheels could
become stuck in loose ground.
RDrive in the tracks of other vehicles if possi-
ble. Make sure that:
-the tire ruts are not too deep.
-the sand is sufficiently firm.
-the ground clearance of the vehicle is suf-
ficient.
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:
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 219).
RSelect the Offroaddrive program (vehicles
with Off-Road Engineering package)
(
Ypage 220).
RSelect a higher vehicle level.
RAvoid high engine speeds.
RShift to a lower gear using the left-hand steer-
ing wheel paddle shifter.
RDrive slowly.
RWhere ruts are too deep, drive with the
wheels of one side on the center grassy area,
if possible.
172Driving tips
Driving and parking

Drivingover obstacles
!Obstacles could damage th efloor of th e
vehicle or component sof th echassis. As k
passenger sfo rguidanc ewhen drivin gover
larg eobstacles. The passenger should always
keep asaf edistanc efrom th evehicle when
doin gso in order to avoid injury as aresult of
unexpecte dvehicle movements .Afte rdrivin g
off-road or over obstacles, chec kth evehicle
fo rpossible damage, especially to th eunder-
bod yand th ecomponent sof th echassis.
Observ eth efollowin grule swhen drivin gover
tree stumps, larg estones and other obstacles:
RSelec tth eOffroad drive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 219).
RSelec tth eOffroad drive program (vehicles
wit hOff-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 220).
RSelec tLO WRANGE offroad gear (vehicles
wit hOff-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 221)
RRaise th evehicle level.
RAvoid hig hengin espeeds .
RShift to alowe rgear usin gth eleft-han dsteer -
in g whee lpaddle shifter.
RDrive ver yslowly.
RDrive straight over th ecenter of obstacles.
Traveling uphil l
Approach/departur eangle
GWARNING
If you drive on asteep inclin eat an angle or
turn when drivin gon an incline, th evehicle
could slip sideways ,ti p and rollover. There is a
ris kof an accident.
Always drive on asteep inclin ein th elin eof
fall (straight up or down )and do no tturn th e
vehicle.
RObserv eth erule son off-road driving.
RDo no tdrive at an angle on slopes ,inclines or
gradients, but instead follow th edirec tlin eof
fall .
RWhe ndrivin gdown an incline, mak euse of th e
engine's braking effect .Observ eth eengin e
speed; do no toverrev th eengine.
RSelec tth eOffroad drive program (vehicles
without Off-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 219).
RSelec tth eOffroad drive program (vehicles
wit hOff-Road Engineerin gpackage)
(
Ypage 220).
RBefore drivin gon extreme uphill and downhill
gradients, selec tth eLO WRANGE offroad
gear (vehicles wit hOff-Road Engineerin g
package) (
Ypage 221).
RDrive slowly.
RAvoid highengin espeeds .Drive at appropri-
at eengin espeeds (maximum 3,000 rpm).
RUse th eleft-han dsteerin gwhee lpaddle
shifter to shift into alowe rgear in goo dtime
on lon gand steep downhill gradients.
RChec kth ebrake safter prolonged off-road
driving.
Hil lstart assist will aid you when pulli ng a
way on
a hill .Fo rfurther information about hill start
assist ,see (
Ypage 143).
Do no tswitch to transmissio nposition Nwhen
drivin goff-road. If you tr yto brake th evehicle
usin gth eservic ebrake ,you could los econtro l
of th evehicle. If th egradient is to osteep fo ryour
vehicle, drive bac kdown in revers egear .
Always observ eth eapproach/departure angle
values (
Ypage 394).
Maximum gradient-climbing capabilit y
Always observeth emaximum gradient climbin g
ability values (Ypage 394).
Driving tips173
Driving and parking
Z

Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates cruise control
?Activates 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:
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
Ryou are driving faster than 20 mph (30 km/h).
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
RDSR must be deactivated.
Rthe Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package).
Storing, maintaining and calling up a
speed
Storing and maintaining a speed
XAccelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.
XBriefly press the cruise control lever up :or
down ?.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is activated. The vehicle auto-
matically maintains the stored speed.
iCruise 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 auto-
matically applying the brakes.
Storing or calling up a speed
GWARNING
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.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
Cruise control is operational and when first
activated stores the current speed or regu-
lates the speed of the vehicle to the 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.
XPress the cruise control lever up :for a
higher speed or down ;for a lower speed.
XTo adjust the set speed in 1 mph incre-
ments (1 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;to
the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
XTo adjust the set speed in 5 mph incre-
ments (10 km/h increments): briefly press
the cruise control lever up :or down ;
beyond the pressure point.
Every time the cruise control lever is pressed
up : or down ;the last speed stored is
increased or reduced.
iCruise control is not deactivated if you
depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if
you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise con-
trol adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last
speed stored after you have finished overtak-
ing.
Driving system s175
Driving an d parking
Z

Cruise control lever
:Activates or increases speed
;Activates or reduces speed
=Deactivates Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
?Activates at the current speed/last stored
speed
ASets a specified minimum distance
Activating Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Activation conditions
To activate Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, the fol-
lowing conditions must be fulfilled:
Rthe engine must be started. It may take up totwo minutes of driving before Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC is ready for use.
Rthe electric parking brake must be released.
RESP®must be active, but not intervening.
Rthe transmission must be in position D.
Rthe driver's door must be closed when you
shift fromPto Dor your seat belt must be
fastened.
Rthe front-passenger door and rear doors must
be closed.
Rthe Offroad Plus drive program must be deac-
tivated (vehicles with the Off-Road Engineer-
ing package).
RDSR must be deactivated.
Rthe vehicle must not skid.
Activating
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =, up :or down ?.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
XRemove 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.
iIf you do not fully release the accelerator
pedal, the Distance Pilot Passivemes-
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 Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
when stationary. The lowest speed that can be
set is 20 mph (30 km/h).
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =, up :or down ?.
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is activated.
Activating at the current speed/last
stored speed
GWARNING
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.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you =.
XRemove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
The first time Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is
activated, it stores the current speed or reg-
ulates the speed of the vehicle to the stored
speed.
Driving with Distance Pilot DISTRONIC
Pulling away and driving
XIf you want to pull away with Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC: remove your foot from the
brake pedal.
XBriefly pull the cruise control lever towards
you ?.
or
XAccelerate briefly.
Your vehicle pulls away and adapts its speed
to that of the vehicle in front. If no vehicle is
detected in front, your vehicle accelerates to the set speed.
178Driving systems
Driving and parking

The vehicle can also pull away when it is facing
an unidentified obstacle or is driving on a differ-
ent line from another vehicle. The vehicle then
brakes automatically.
If there is no vehicle in front, Distance Pilot
DISTRONIC operates in the same way as cruise
control.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a slower-
moving vehicle in front, it brakes your vehicle. In
this way, the distance you have selected is main-
tained.
If Distance Pilot DISTRONIC detects a faster-
moving vehicle in front, it increases the driving
speed. However, the vehicle is only accelerated up to the speed you have stored.
Selecting the drive program
Distance Pilot DISTRONIC supports a sporty
driving style if you have selected the Sportor
Sport Plus drive program (
Ypage 151). Accel-
eration behind the vehicle in front or to the set
speed is then noticeably more dynamic. If you
have selected the Comfortdrive program, the
vehicle accelerates more gently. This setting is
recommended in stop-and-start traffic.
Changing lanes
If you change to the overtaking lane, Distance
Pilot DISTRONIC supports you if:
Ryou are driving faster than 45 mph (70 km/h)
Ryou switch on th eappropriat etur nsignal
RDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdoes no tcurrentl y
detec t adanger of collision
If these condition sare fulfilled ,your vehicl eis
accelerated. Acceleration will be interrupted if
changin glanes takes to olon gor if th edistanc e
between your vehicl eand th evehicl ein fron t
become sto osmall.
iWhe nyou chang elanes, Distanc ePilo t
DISTRONI Cmonitors th eright lan e(in left-
side traffic) or th elef tlan e(in right-side traf-
fic).
Stopping
GWARNIN G
If you leav eth evehicl ewhen it is only bein g
braked by Distanc ePilo tDISTRONIC, it could
rol laway if:
Rthere is amalfunction in th esystem or in
th evoltag esupply.
RDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cis switched off
usin gth ecruise control lever, e.g. by avehi-
cle occupant or from outside th evehicl e
Rtheelectrica lsystem in th eengin ecom-
partment, th ebattery or th efuses are tam -
pered with.
Rth ebattery is disconnected
Rth evehicl eis accelerated, e.g. by avehicl e
occupant .
There is aris kof an accident.
Befor eleavin gth evehicle, always deactivat e
Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cand secure th e
vehicl eagainst rollin gaway.
If Distanc ePilo tDISTRONI Cdetects that th e
vehicl ein fron tis stopping ,it brakes your vehicl e
to astop.
Once your vehicl eis stationary, it remain ssta-
tionary and you do no tneed to depress th e
brake.
Afte r atime, th eelectric parkin gbrak esecures
th evehicl eand relieves th eservic ebrake.
Dependin gon th especified minimum distance,
your vehicl ewill come to astandstill at asuffi-
cient distanc ebehind th evehicl ein front. The
specified minimum distanc eis set usin
gth e
contro

l on th ecruise control lever.
The transmission is shifted automatically to
position Pif, wit hDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI C
activated and th evehicl estationary:
Rth edriver's doo ris 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 .
The electric parkin gbrak esecures th evehicl e
automatically if, wit hDistanc ePilo tDISTRONI C
activated and th evehicl estationary:
Rasystem malfunction occurs.
Rth epowe rsupply is no tsufficient.
Driving systems179
Driving and parking
Z

When Distance Pilot DISTRONIC is deactivated
or not available, Steering Pilot is deactivated
automatically.
Level control (vehicles with the Off-
Road Engineering package)
Important safety notes
Level control adapts the vehicle level automati-
cally to the current operating and driving situa-
tion. This results in reduced fuel consumption
and improved handling.
Make changes to the vehicle level while the
vehicle is in motion. This enables the vehicle to
adjust to the new level as quickly as possible.
The vehicle level may change visibly if you park
the vehicle and the outside temperature
changes. If the temperature drops, the vehicle
level is lower; with an increase in temperature,
the vehicle level rises.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
Further information about "Driving off-road"
(
Ypage 170).
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
When you drive with the vehicle raised, the
driving characteristics could be impaired by
the vehicle's raised center of gravity. The vehi-
cle could rollover more easily, for example on
a bend. There is a risk of an accident.
Always select as low a vehicle level as possi-
ble and adjust your driving style.
GWARNING
When you drive with the chassis lowered or
raised, the vehicle's braking and driving char-
acteristics can be significantly impaired. You
could also exceed the permissible vehicle
height if the chassis is raised. There is a risk of an accident.
Adjust the vehicle level before pulling away.
GWARNING
Due to the high center of gravity, the vehicle
may start to skid and roll over in the event of
an abrupt steering maneuver and/or when
the vehicle's speed is not adapted to the road
conditions. There is a risk of an accident.
Always adapt your speed and driving style to
the vehicle's driving characteristics and to the
prevailing road and weather conditions.
!When driving on extremely rough terrain,
select a high vehicle level in good time. Make
sure there is always sufficient ground clear-
ance. You will otherwise damage the vehicle.
RUtility vehicles have a significantly higher roll- over rate than other types of vehicles.
Failure to operate this vehicle safely may
result in an accident, rollover of the vehicle,
and severe or fatal injury.
RIn a rollover crash, an unbelted person is sig-
nificantly more likely to die than a person
wearing a seat belt.
You and all vehicle occupants should always
wear your seat belts.
Basic settings
The extent to which the vehicle is raised or low-
ered depends on the basic setting selected.
Select:
Rthe Comfort orSport drive program for driv-
ing on normal roads
Rthe Offroad drive program for driving on eas-
ily negotiable off-road terrain
Rthe Offroad Plus drive program for off-road
driving
184Driving systems
Driving and parking

Roffroad level 1 for driving on easily negotiableoff-road terrain
Roffroad level 2 for driving on normal off-road
terrain
Roffroad level 3 for freeing the vehicle in par-
ticularly rough terrain at low speeds only
The individual vehicle levels differ from the nor- mal level as follows:
R–0.6 in (–15 mm) in the Sportdrive program
R+/–0 in (+/–0 mm) in the Comfortdrive pro-
gram
R+ 1.2 in (+ 30 mm) in the Offroaddrive pro-
gram
R+ 2.4 in (+ 60 mm) in the Offroad Plusdrive
program
R+ 1.2 in (+ 30 mm) in offroad level 1
R+ 2.4 in (+ 60 mm) in offroad level 2
R+ 3.5 in (+ 90 mm) in offroad level 3
Setting the vehicle level
!Make sure that there is enough ground
clearance when the vehicle is being lowered.
It could otherwise hit the ground, damaging
the underbody.
Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
XStart the engine.
XPress selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised.
XTo lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
counter-clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
During the adjustment, the Lowering
orVehi‐cleRisingmessage appears in the multifunc-
tion display. If you press the
%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear. Once normal level has been reached, all indicator lamps =go out.
The vehicle automatically selects normal level if
you:
Rdrive at speeds above 70 mph (112 km/h) or
Rdrive at speeds between 65 mph (105 km/h)
and 70 mph (112km/ h)for approximately
20 seconds
The vehicle is lowered to low level if you are
traveling at higher speeds.
Normal level
Setting the vehicle to normal level:
XStart the engine.
XPress selector wheel :.
Selector wheel :extends.
XTo lower the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
counter-clockwise ?.
The vehicle is lowered.
If one or more indicator lamps =are on:
XTurn selector wheel :counter-clockwise ?
until all indicator lamps =that are lit start to
flash.
The vehicle is lowered to normal level. As
soon as the next lowest level is reached, the
indicator lamp stops flashing and goes out.
Offroad levels
General notes
Only select an offroad level when this is appro-
priate for road conditions. Otherwise, fuel con-
sumption increases and handling may be affec-
ted.
Driving systems185
Driving and parking
Z

You can select from the following:
ROffroad level 1 at speeds up to 60 mph
(96 km/h)
ROffroad level 2 at speeds up to 40 mph
(64 km/h)
ROffroad level 3 at speeds up to 12 mph
(20 km/h)
If you select an offroad level when driving at too
high a speed, the Drive
MoreSlowlymessage
appears in the multifunction display.
Offroad level 3 is only suitable for driving on
extremely difficult off-road terrain under partic-
ularly rough conditions.
RAdjust your driving style to the altered han-
dling characteristics.
RDo not drive at speeds above 12 mph
(20 km/h).
Indicator lamps =for the desired offroad level
flash:
Rthe lower indicator lamp flashes, offroad
level 1 is selected
Rthe lower and center indicator lamps flash,
offroad level 2 is selected
Rall three indicator lamps flash, offroad level 3
is selected
The vehicle adjusts to the offroad level selected.
As soon as an offroad level is reached, the cor-
responding indicator lamp stops flashing and
lights up constantly.
Raising the vehicle
Set the vehicle level using the selector wheel.
XTo raise the vehicle: turn selector wheel :
clockwise ;.
The vehicle is raised to offroad level 1 by 1.2 in
(30 mm) compared to the normal level.
During the adjustment, the Vehicle rising
message, for example, appears in the multifunc-
tion display. If you press the
%ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel, the message will
disappear.
iUp to offroad level 2, you can hide the mes-
sages using the %ora button on the
multifunction steering wheel.
While the adjustment from offroad level 2 to off-
road level 3 is taking place, you will see a mes-
sage such as the following in the multifunction
display: Vehicle rising Max. speed
12 mph (20 km/h).
The Max.
speed12 mph(20 km/h)message
draws your attention to the maximum speed
permitted for offroad level 3.
If you drive above 12 mph (20 km/h) at offroad
level 3, you will see the following message
shown in red in the multifunction display: Low‐
ering Max. speed 12 mph (20 km/h).
iYou cannot clear these messages.
You also hear a warning. The vehicle is lowered
and offroad level 3 is canceled.
If you continue to increase your speed, the red
message continues to be shown in the multi-
function display. The newly set level is not dis-
played until the vehicle has been set to a level
suitable for the current speed.
Lowering the vehicle
If you drive faster than 12 mph (20 km/h) while
the vehicle level is being lowered, you will see
the following message shown in white in the
multifunction display: Lowering Max. speed
20 km/h.
The vehicle is lowered to offroad level 2.
You will see a message in the multifunction dis-
play, for example: Lowering
.
Offroad level 2 is canceled and the vehicle is
lowered to offroad level 1 if you:
Rdrive at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) or
Rdrive at speeds between 40 mph (64 km/h)
and 50 mph (80 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds
Offroad level 1 is canceled. Depending on the
vehicle's speed and the selected drive program,
the vehicle is automatically lowered to normal
level or low level if you:
Rdrive at speeds above 70 mph (112 km/h) or
Rdrive at speeds between 65 mph (105 km/h)
and 70 mph (112 km/h) for longer than
20 seconds
186Driving systems
Driving and parking

When the HOLD function is activated, the trans-
mission is automatically shifted to positionj
if:
Rthe driver's door is open and the driver's seat
belt is unfastened
Rthe engine is switched off, unless it is auto-
matically switched off by the ECO start/stop
function
The electric parking brake secures the vehicle
automatically if the HOLD function is activated
when the vehicle is stationary and:
Ra system malfunction occurs
Rthe power supply is insufficient
On steep uphill or downhill gradients or if there
is a malfunction, the transmission may also be
automatically shifted to position j.
AIRMATIC package
General notes
AIRMATIC is an air suspension system with var-
iable damping for improved driving comfort.
Level control ensures the best possible suspen-
sion and constant ground clearance, even with a
laden vehicle. When you drive fast, the vehicle is
lowered automatically to improve driving safety
and to reduce fuel consumption. There is also
the option to manually adjust the vehicle level.
AIRMATIC consists of:
Rlevel settings
Rlevel control and
RADS or ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping Sys-
tem)
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehi-
cles): your vehicle may also be equipped with
the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM (
Ypage 189).
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: your vehicle is equip-
ped with the ACTIVE CURVE SYSTEM
(
Ypage 189).
Observe the notes on driving with a trailer
(
Ypage 225).
The vehicle level can be set using the DYNAMIC
SELECT controller (
Ypage 147) or the level but-
ton (Ypage 190). The setting always corre-
sponds to the last selected function.
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.
If you unlock the vehicle or open a door, the
vehicle begins to compensate for load discrep-
ancies while still parked. However, for signifi-
cant level changes, such as after the vehicle has
been stationary for a long period, the engine
must be on. For safety reasons, the vehicle is
only lowered when the doors are closed. Low-
ering is interrupted if a door is opened, and it
continues once the door has been closed.
ADS and ADS PLUS (Adaptive Damping
System)
General notes
The Adaptive Damping System automatically
controls the calibration of the dampers. The
damping characteristics adapt to the current
operating and driving situation.
The damping is tuned individually to each wheel
and depends on:
Ryour driving style, e.g. sporty
Rthe road surface conditions
Rthe drive program selected
Rthe vehicle level setting
Selecting Comfort mode
188Driving systems
Driving and parking