2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV Owner’s Manual

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV is a compact luxury crossover that is both stylish and quick. It blends the versatility of an SUV with the sportiness of a coupe in a way that looks and feels natural. The GLA SUV has a unique look that is both modern and elegant. It has smooth lines, a big front grille, and eye-catching LED lighting. Inside, the GLA SUV’s cabin is sleek and high-tech, with high-quality materials, comfy seats, and advanced infotainment features. Under the hood are a variety of strong and efficient turbocharged engines that give the car a lively ride and a smooth start. The 4MATIC all-wheel-drive system gives the car more grip and stability, making it a good driving partner in a variety of situations. Mercedes-Benz cares a lot about safety, so the GLA SUV comes with high-tech driver-assistance systems to give you more trust on the road. The 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA SUV stands out as a luxurious, useful, and fun-to-drive choice for people who want to drive a premium small crossover.

Air-conditioning system control panel

General notes
Observe the settings recommended on the fol-lowing pages. The windows could otherwise fog up.
To prevent the windows from fogging up:

• switch off climate control only briefly
• switch on air-recirculation mode only briefly
• switch on the cooling with air dehumidifica- tion function
• switch on the defrost windshield function briefly, if required
  The air-conditioning system or dual-zone automatic climate control regulates the temperature and the humidity of the vehicle interior and fil-ters undesirable substances from the air.
  The air-conditioning system or dual-zone automatic climate control can only be operated when the engine is running. Optimum operation is only achieved with the side windows and pan-orama roof with power tilt/sliding panel closed.
  If you start the engine using your smartphone, the last selected climate control setting is reactivated (Y page 84).
  The residual heat function can only be activated or deactivated with the ignition switched off (Y page 121).

Always keep the ventilation flaps behind the side trim panel in the cargo compartment clear
(Y page 107). Otherwise, the vehicle will not be ventilated correctly.
Ventilate the vehicle for a brief period during warm weather, e.g. using the convenience opening feature (Y page 84). This will speed up the cooling process and the desired interior temperature will be reached more quickly.
The integrated filter filters out most particles of dust and soot and completely filters out pollen. It also reduces gaseous pollutants and odors. A clogged filter reduces the amount of air supplied to the vehicle interior. For this reason, you should always observe the interval for replacing the filter, which is specified in the Maintenance Booklet. As it depends on environmental conditions, e.g. heavy air pollution, the interval may be shorter than stated in the Maintenance Book-let.
i It is possible that under certain circumstances the residual heat function may be activated automatically an hour after the SmartKey has been removed in order to dry the automatic climate control. The vehicle is then ventilated for 30 minutes.

USA only

1. Sets the temperature (Y page 118)
2. Defrosts the windshield (Y page 119)
3. Sets the air distribution (Y page 118)
4. Switches air-recirculation mode on/off (Y page 121)
5. Sets the airflow (Y page 119)
6. Switches cooling with air dehumidification on/off (page 117)
7. Switches the rear window defroster on/off (page 120)

Canada only

1. Sets the temperature (page 118)
2. Defrosts the windshield (page 119)
3. Sets the air distribution (page 118)
4. Switches air-recirculation mode on/off (page 121)
5. Sets the airflow (page 119)
6. B Switches cooling with air dehumidification on/off (page 117)
7. Switches the rear window defroster on/off (page 120)

Automatic transmission

Holding the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients

WARNING
If the clutch overheats, the electronic management system is automatically deactivated. This interrupts the power transmission. The vehicle may, for example, roll backward on gradients. There is a risk of an accident.
Never hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the accelerator.

The clutch may overheat if you hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the accelerator pedal. If the clutch overheats, a warning tone sounds.
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles): the Stop Vehicle displShiftay tomessag’P’ Leave Engine Running e appears in the multifunction display. You will
only be able to continue your journey once the clutch has cooled down and the display message in the multifunction display has disappeared.
Mercedes-AMG vehicles: the Trans. Oil Overheated Drive on with Care display
a message appears in the multifunction display.
Do not hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by depressing the accelerator pedal. Instead, only ever hold the vehicle stationary on uphill gradients by:

• depressing the brake pedal
• activating the HOLD function
• engaging the electric parking brake

Kickdown
Use kick-down for maximum acceleration.

• Depress the accelerator pedal beyond the pressure point.
  The automatic transmission shifts to a lower gear depending on the engine speed.
• Ease off the accelerator pedal once the desired speed is reached.
  The automatic transmission shifts back up.
  Mercedes-AMG vehicles: it is only possible to use kick down in the automatic drive program and the temporary manual drive program M. When manual drive program M is permanently activated, kick down is not possible.

Rocking the vehicle free
Shifting back and forth between transmission positions h and k can help to free up the vehicle if it gets stuck in mud or snow. The vehi-cle’s engine management system limits the speed to a maximum of 5 mph (9 km/h) when shifting back and forth. To shift repeatedly between transmission positions h and k, move the DIRECT SELECT lever up and down past the point of resistance.

Drive programs
All vehicles (except Mercedes-AMG vehicles)

Drive program C (Comfort)
Drive program C is characterized by the following:

• the vehicle delivers comfortable, economical handling characteristics.
• the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward and reverse gears, unless the accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
• the vehicle has improved driving stability, for example on slippery road surfaces.
• optimal fuel consumption resulting from the automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
  The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed range and the wheels are less likely to spin.

Drive program S (Sport)
Drive program S is characterized by the following:

• sporty engine settings.
• the automatic transmission shifts up later.
  The fuel consumption possibly being higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.

Offroad drive program
The Off-road drive program is characterized by the following:

• the vehicle exhibits optimal driving characteristics on easily negotiable off-road terrain.
  Drive program E (Economy)
  Drive program E is characterized by the following:
• comfort-oriented engine settings.
• optimal fuel consumption resulting from the automatic transmission shifting up sooner.
• the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward and reverse gears, unless the accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
• the vehicle has improved driving stability, for example on slippery road surfaces.
• the automatic transmission shifts up sooner. This results in the vehicle being driven at lower engine speeds and the wheels being less likely to spin.
• gliding mode is activated automatically when engine-internal conditions are fulfilled and the accelerator is not depressed. At the same time the transmission’s clutch opens and the vehicle rolls freely using its kinetic energy. As a result great distances can be completed without the engine brake and fuel consumption reduced.
  The availability of gliding mode depends on various factors, including the following:
• the engine and transmission temperature Rthe downhill gradient
• the vehicle speed
  performing regular adaptation functions When you depress the brake pedal, gliding mode is deactivated, depending on pedal pressure.
  When you activate cruise control or Distance Pilot DISTRONIC, gliding mode is not available.

Mercedes-AMG vehicles

Drive program I (Individual)
In drive program I the following properties of the drive program can be selected:

• the drive (engine management)
• the transmission management
• Rthe suspension (vehicles with AMG adaptive sport suspension system)
• ESP®
  Information about configuring drive program I with the multimedia system can be found in the Digital Operator’s Manual.
  Drive program C (Comfort)
  Drive program C is characterized by the following:
• the vehicle delivers comfortable, economical handling characteristics.
• the vehicle pulls away more gently in forward and reverse gears, unless the accelerator pedal is depressed fully.
• the vehicle has improved driving stability, for example on slippery road surfaces.
• optimal fuel consumption resulting from the automatic transmission shifting up sooner. The vehicle is driven in the low engine speed range and the wheels are less likely to spin.
• gliding mode is available.
• the ECO start/stop function is available.
  Drive program S (Sport)
  Drive program S is characterized by the following:
• the vehicle exhibits sporty driving character- istics.
• the automatic transmission shifts up later.
• gliding mode is not available.
• the ECO start/stop function is not available.

Drive program S+ (Sport Plus)
Drive program S+ is characterized by the following:

• the vehicle exhibits particularly sporty driving characteristics.
• the automatic transmission shifts up later.
• the fuel consumption possibly being higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.
• the suspension exhibits particularly stiff springing and damping settings (vehicles with
  AMG adaptive sport suspension system).
  Rgliding mode is not available.
• the ECO start/stop function is not available.
  Drive program RACE (vehicles with AMG adaptive sport suspension system)
  The RACE drive program is characterized by the following:
• the vehicle exhibits driving characteristics suitable for the racetrack.
• all vehicle systems are set for maximum sportiness.
• the automatic transmission shifts up later.
• the fuel consumption possibly being higher as a result of the later automatic transmission shift points.
• the suspension exhibits particularly hard springing and damping settings.
• gliding mode is not available.
• the ECO start/stop function is not available.

• FAQ