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Driving and Driving Safety
181
Selector-lever position
Display for selector-lever position and
engaged gear
When the engine is running, the display shows the
selector-lever position and engaged gear.
Selector-Lever Positions
P – Parking lock
When the selector lever is in position
P
, the drive
wheels are mechanically locked.
f
Engage parking lock only when the vehicle is
stationary.
f
Engage parking lock
after
applying the
electric parking brake and release it
before
releasing the electric parking brake.
f
Always apply the electric parking brake before
leaving the vehicle.
The ignition key can be removed only in selector-
lever position
P
.
R – Reverse gear
f
Select reverse only if the vehicle is stationary
and the brake is applied.
N – Neutral
Selector-lever position
N
must be selected for
towing or in car washes, for example.
f
Select the desired position for moving off
(
D
,
M
or
R
) only when the engine is idling and
when pressing the brake pedal.
D – Automatic selection mode
(D – Normal mode)
f
Select selector-lever position
D
for “normal”
driving.
The gears are shifted automatically according
to the accelerator position and speed.
Depending on how the vehicle is driven
(economical or sporty driving style) and on the
resistance (e.g. driving uphill), the gear-changing
points are shifted towards higher or lower engine-
speed ranges. The accelerator movement, driving
speed, longitudinal and lateral acceleration and
the road profile all have an influence on the gear-
changing characteristic.
f
Unwanted upshifts, e.g. when entering
corners, are prevented by swiftly releasing the
accelerator pedal.
Depending on lateral acceleration, upshifts on
corners are not made until the engine-speed limit
is reached.
When you brake, and depending on the amount
of deceleration, the transmission changes down
earlier. For subsequent cornering, the right gear is
engaged when pressure is applied to the brakes
before the corner.
The corner is taken in a suitable gear. It is not
necessary to change down when accelerating out
of the corner.
D – Sport mode
The transmission switches to a sporty gear-
changing map. A sporty driving style is recognized
more quickly and the gear-changing speeds are
adapted to driving performance.
Braking downshifts are initiated earlier. Downshifts
occur for small decelerations, even at higher revs.