Game-changing Mercedes-Benz feature saves cars in sticky situations
- Free Driving Assist is an off-road mode that helps Mercedes-Benz GLS and GLE drivers get free when they’re stuck in sand or mud.
- The feature is part of an option called E-Active body control, but it requires 20-inch or larger wheels.
- Airmatic air suspension, which comes standard on these models, also allows for adjustment of individual wheel ride heights.
Published on Oct 26, 2023 at 7:40 PM (UTC+4)
by Adam Gray
Last updated on Oct 30, 2023 at 2:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
It’s not common knowledge, but certain Mercedes-Benz models have a very interesting feature.
Officially called Free Driving Assist, the feature is an off-road mode that helps Mercedes-Benz GLS and GLE drivers get free when they’re stuck in sand or mud.
The features uses the air suspension to bounce the car up and down, helping the car shimmy out of sticky situations.
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But while the German automaker‘s feature has a practical purpose, that hasn’t stopped people using it traffic or at stoplights to elicit reactions from surrounding drivers.
To activate Free Driving Assists – or “Bounce Mode” as well like to call it – the SUV needs to be in the Offroad driving mode, which is only available under 112 km/h – 70 mph.
From there, the driver needs to go to the Assistance menu from the home screen, select Offroad Assistant (car needs to be in gear to access this menu), then Free Driving Assist.
One this mode is selected, the air suspension starts pumping, and the car starts gettin’ jiggy with it.
If all that jiggling about gets a bit too much, you can either hit Stop on the screen or driver faster than 14 km/h (9 mph) to shut it off.
There’s also the option to tinker with the car’s Individual Wheel Control system in the Offroad Assistant menu.
You can raise or lower the ride height of each individual wheel via four sliders on the screen, which also only works up to a maximum speed of 14 km/h.
What’s more, there’s also a driving mode called Curve that uses air suspension to essentially lean into corners, virtually eliminating body roll.
Although the Airmatic suspension comes on the GLS and GLE models, the Offroad Assistant is part of an E-Active Body control option that requires 20-inch or larger wheels.
So there you have it – if you want to look like Snoop Dogg cruising down the boulevard, you know what to do: buy a Mercedes-Benz with “Bounce Mode” and you’re good to go.
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Adam Gray is an experienced freelance motoring journalist and content creator based in the United Kingdom. Using his media accreditation with manufacturers’ press offices, Adam test drives the latest cars and attends new vehicle press launches, producing written reviews and news pieces for a variety of lifestyle and business publications. Here at Supercar Blondie, Adam applies his journalistic skills penning social-first content around current news and trends. When he’s not behind the wheel of the latest car or writing up another viral story, Adam can be found at his local rink playing ice hockey or at the Riverside Stadium supporting his beloved Middlesbrough FC.
