Driving with automatic transmission

Read and follow the introductory information and safety information first⇒Introduction to the subject

All forward gears shift up and down automatically.

Driving on hills

The steeper the grade, the lower the gear that must be selected. Lower gears increase the braking effect of the engine. Never coast downhill in Neutral (N).

• Reduce speed.

• Switch to Tiptronic mode by moving the selector lever from Drive (D) to the right into the Tiptronic position ⇒ Shifting with Tiptronic^® .

• Downshift by pulling the selector lever back briefly (-).

Stopping and starting on hills: If you stop on a hill with the vehicle in gear, you must depress the brake pedal or engage the electronic parking brake to keep the vehicle from rolling. Do not release the brake pedal or the parking brake until the vehicle has started to move forwards ⇒ .

Kick-down acceleration

The kick-down feature permits maximum acceleration when the selector lever is in the Drive (D), Sport Drive (S) or Tiptronic mode.

If you push the accelerator all the way down, the vehicle will automatically downshift, depending on vehicle speed and engine speed (rpm). This feature lets you take advantage of the full acceleration capacity of the vehicle ⇒ .

With kick-down actuated, the transmission will stay in the current gear longer and not upshift until the engine reaches maximum rpm.

Rapid acceleration can cause skidding and loss of traction, especially on slippery roads, resulting in a loss of vehicle control, collisions, and serious personal injury.

• Only use the kick-down feature or fast acceleration if visibility, weather, road, and traffic conditions allow it and other drivers will not be endangered by your driving and the vehicle's acceleration.

• Always adapt your driving to the traffic flow.

• When stopping on hills with the transmission in a drive gear, do not use the accelerator to help prevent the vehicle from rolling backwards. This can cause the automatic transmission to overheat and be damaged.

• Never let the vehicle coast or roll down a hill in Neutral (N), especially when the engine is not running. The transmission will not be lubricated and will be damaged.