Driving systems

  • Cruise control* and Speedtronic*, which you can use to control the speed of the vehicle

  • Parktronic*, which assists you in parking and manoeuvring

The ABS, BAS, ESP® and Steer Assist driving safety systems are described in the "Driving safety systems" section more.

Cruise control*

Cruise control maintains a constant road speed for you.

You must select a low gear in good time on long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. In this way you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.

Risk of accident

Never depress the brake pedal continuously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes the brake system to overheat, increases the braking distance and can lead to the brakes failing completely.

Risk of accident

Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.

Use cruise control only if road and traffic conditions make it appropriate to maintain a steady speed for a prolonged period. You can store any road speed above 30 km/h.

Risk of accident

Cruise control cannot take account of road and traffic conditions.

Always pay attention to traffic conditions even when cruise control is activated.

Cruise control is only an aid designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.

Risk of accident

Do not use cruise control:

  • in road and traffic conditions which do not allow you to maintain a constant speed (e.g. heavy traffic or winding roads). You could otherwise cause an accident.

  • on slippery roads. Braking or accelerating could cause the drive wheels to lose traction and the vehicle could then skid.

  • when there is poor visibility, e.g. due to fog, heavy rain or snow

Cruise control lever

You can operate cruise control and variable Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.

  • LIM indicator lamp off:

    Cruise control is selected

  • LIM indicator lamp lit:

    Variable Speedtronic is selected

To store the current speed or a higher speed
LIM indicator lamp
To resume the last speed stored
To store the current speed or a lower speed
To switch between cruise control and variable Speedtronic
To deactivate cruise control

Selecting cruise control

  

Check whether LIM indicator lamp is off.

If it is off, cruise control is already selected.

If it is on, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .

 

LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever is off. Cruise control is selected.

Storing and maintaining the current speed

You can store the current speed if you are driving faster than 30 km/h.

  

Accelerate the vehicle to the desired speed.

  

Press the cruise control lever briefly up or down .

  

Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.

 

Cruise control is activated. The vehicle automatically maintains the stored speed.

Cruise control may be unable to maintain the stored speed on uphill and downhill gradients. The stored speed is resumed when the gradient levels out.

Vehicles with manual transmission:

When selecting another gear, press the accelerator pedal slightly to increase the smoothness of the gear change.

When you depress the clutch pedal and change to another gear, the engine speed can increase slightly as long as no gear is selected.

  • Always drive at adequate but not excessive engine speeds.

  • Change gear in good time.

  • If possible, do not change down several gears at a time.

Selecting a stored speed

Risk of accident

Only select a stored speed if you know what that speed is and whether it is suitable for the current situation. Otherwise, sudden acceleration or braking could endanger you or others.

  

Briefly pull the cruise control lever towards you .

  

Remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.

 

Cruise control is activated and adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored.

Setting a speed

  

Press the cruise control lever up  for a higher speed or down  for a lower speed.

  

Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the desired speed is reached.

  

Release the cruise control lever.

 

The new speed is stored.

Cruise control is not deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal. For example, if you accelerate briefly to overtake, cruise control adjusts the vehicle's speed to the last speed stored after you have finished overtaking.

Vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*:

When you decelerate the vehicle using the cruise control lever, AUTOTRONIC changes down if deceleration is insufficient.

Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h increments

  

Briefly press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.

 

The last speed stored is increased or reduced.

Deactivating cruise control

There are several ways to deactivate cruise control:

  

Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards .

or

  

Brake.

or

  

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.

  • aquaplaning is detected

  • you press the clutch pedal for more than four seconds on vehicles with a manual transmission

  • you move the selector lever to N while driving in vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*

The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.

Speedtronic*

Speedtronic is used to make sure that you do not exceed a stored speed.

You must select a low gear in good time on long and steep downhill gradients, especially if the vehicle is laden or towing a trailer. In this way you will make use of the braking effect of the engine, which relieves the load on the brake system and prevents the brakes from overheating and wearing too quickly.

Risk of accident

Never depress the brake pedal continuously while the vehicle is in motion, e.g. never cause the brakes to rub by applying constant slight pedal pressure. This causes the brake system to overheat, increases the braking distance and can lead to the brakes failing completely.

Risk of accident

Do not change down for additional engine braking on a slippery road surface. This could cause the drive wheels to lose their grip and the vehicle could skid.

  • Variable for speed limits, e.g. in built-up areas

  • Permanent for long-term speed restrictions, e.g. for driving on winter tyresmore

Risk of accident

Speedtronic is only an aid designed to assist driving. You are responsible for the vehicle's speed and for braking in good time.

The speed indicated in the speedometer may differ slightly from the limit speed stored.

Variable Speedtronic*

You can operate cruise control or variable Speedtronic with the cruise control lever.

  • LIM indicator lamp off:

    Cruise control is selected

  • LIM indicator lamp lit:

    Variable Speedtronic is selected

You can use the cruise control lever to restrict the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the engine is running.

To store the current or higher speed, rounded up to the nearest ten
LIM indicator lamp
To call up the last stored variable limit speed or to make a fine adjustment by 1 km/h increments
To store the current or lower speed, rounded down to the nearest ten
To switch between cruise control and variable Speedtronic
To deactivate variable Speedtronic

Selecting variable Speedtronic

  

Check whether LIM indicator lamp is on.

If it is on, variable Speedtronic is already selected.

If it is not, press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .

 

LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever lights up. Variable Speedtronic is selected.

Risk of accident

If there is a change of drivers, advise the new driver of the limit speed stored.

Only use variable Speedtronic if you are sure that you will not have to accelerate suddenly to a speed above that stored as the limit speed, otherwise you could cause an accident.

You can only exceed the limit speed stored if you deactivate variable Speedtronic:

  • using the cruise control lever

  • if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown)

It is not possible to deactivate variable Speedtronic by braking.

Storing the current speed

You can use the cruise control lever to restrict the speed to any speed above 30 km/h while the engine is running.

  

Press the cruise control lever briefly up or down .

 

The current speed is stored. Speedtronic rounds up or down to the nearest ten.

You will see the message “Limit” and the stored speed in the upper multi-function display for approximately five seconds. The yellow LIM indicator lamp lights up in the instrument cluster.

On downhill gradients, the speed can be exceeded despite Speedtronic. In this case, you will hear an acoustic signal and the Limit exceeded message will appear in the multi-function display. If necessary, apply the brakes yourself.

Selecting a stored speed

  

Pull the cruise control lever briefly towards you .

Making adjustments in 10 km/h increments

  

Briefly press the cruise control lever up for a higher speed or down for a lower speed.

or
  

Keep the cruise control lever pressed until the desired speed is set. Press the cruise control lever up  for a higher speed or down  for a lower speed.

Making fine adjustments in 1 km/h increments

  

For a higher speed: pull the cruise control lever briefly towards you .

or
  

Keep the cruise control lever pulled towards you until the desired speed is set.

Deactivating variable Speedtronic

There are several ways to deactivate variable Speedtronic:

  

Briefly press the cruise control lever forwards .

or

  

Briefly press the cruise control lever in the direction of arrow .

 

LIM indicator lamp in the cruise control lever goes out. Variable Speedtronic is deactivated.

Cruise control is selected.

Variable Speedtronic is automatically deactivated if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown) and your current speed does not differ by more than 20 km/h from the stored speed.

Risk of accident

It is not possible to deactivate variable Speedtronic by braking.

The last speed stored is cleared when you switch off the engine.

Permanent Speedtronic*

You can use the on-board computer to limit the speed permanently to a value between 160 km/h (e.g. for driving with winter tyres) and the maximum speed.

Shortly before the stored speed is reached, it is displayed in the multi-function display.

You cannot exceed the stored limit speed, even if you depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point (kickdown).

Setting permanent Speedtronic
  

Press or to select the Settings menu more.

  

Press to call up the selection of submenus.

  

Press or to select the Vehicle submenu.

  

Press  to select Speed limit (tyres).

  

Press the or button to select the desired setting.

 

The following settings can be selected:

  • Off

    Permanent Speedtronic is deactivated.

  • A limit speed between 230 km/h and 160 km/h in increments of 10 km/h

  

To select a different display, press , or .

Parktronic*

Risk of accident

Parktronic is only an aid and may not detect all obstacles. It does not relieve you of the responsibility to pay attention.

You are always responsible for safety and must continue to pay attention to your immediate surroundings when parking and manoeuvring. You could otherwise endanger yourself and others.

Risk of injury

Make sure that no persons or animals are in the manoeuvring range. Otherwise, they could be injured.

Parktronic is an electronic parking aid. It indicates visually and audibly the distance between your vehicle and an object.

Parktronic is automatically activated when you switch on the ignition and release the handbrake.

Parktronic is deactivated at speeds above 18 km/h. It is reactivated at lower speeds.

Parktronic monitors the area around your vehicle using four sensors in the front bumper and four sensors in the rear bumper.

Sensors in the front bumper

Range of the sensors

The sensors must be free of dirt, ice and slush, otherwise they may not function correctly. Clean the sensors regularly, taking care not to scratch or damage them more.

Side view

Top view

Front sensors

Centre

Approximately 100 cm

Corners

Approximately 80 cm

Rear sensors

Centre

Approximately 120 cm

Corners

Approximately 80 cm

Pay particular attention to objects above or below the sensors when parking, such as flower pots or trailer towbars. Parktronic does not detect such objects when they are in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle. You could damage the vehicle or the objects.

Ultrasonic sources such as an automatic car wash, a lorry's compressed-air brakes or a pneumatic drill could cause Parktronic to malfunction.

Minimum distance

Centre

Approximately 25 cm

Corners

Approximately 25 cm

If there is an obstacle within this range, all warning displays light up and a tone sounds. If the distance falls below the minimum clearance, it 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 in the roof trim at the rear.

Front area warning display

Left-hand side of the vehicle
Right-hand side of the vehicle
Indicator segment

The warning display for each side of the vehicle is divided into five yellow and two red segments. Parktronic is operational if yellow indicator segments  light up.

The gear lever or selector lever position* determines which warning display is active:

Manual transmission:

Gear lever in

Warning display

Forwards gear

or

Neutral

Front area activated

Reverse gear

Rear and front areas activated

AUTOTRONIC*:

Selector lever at

Warning display

D

Front area activated

R or N

Rear and front areas activated

P

No areas activated

  • Front area: from the sixth segment onwards, you will hear an intermittent warning tone, from the seventh segment onwards, you will hear a continuous warning tone for a maximum of two seconds. You have reached the minimum distance.

  • Rear area: from the sixth segment onwards, you will hear an intermittent warning tone. At the seventh segment, you will hear a continuous warning tone for a maximum of two seconds. You have reached the minimum distance. The continuous warning tone is muted immediately if you deselect reverse gear on vehicles with manual transmission or if you select D or P on vehicles with AUTOTRONIC*.

To activate/deactivate Parktronic

To activate/deactivate Parktronic
Indicator lamp

If indicator lamp is on, Parktronic is deactivated.

Parktronic is automatically activated when you turn the key to position 2 in the ignition lock.

Trailer towing*

Parktronic is deactivated for the rear area when you establish an electrical connection between your vehicle and the trailer.

Remove the detachable trailer hitch as soon as it is not required. The minimum detection range of Parktronic to an obstacle refers to the bumper, not the ball coupling.