When Snow Stops, Your Mercedes Won’t
Luxury isn’t just about wood trim and brushed‑metal switchgear; it’s about confidence. Mercedes‑Benz builds SUVs that can cross continents, climb mountains and glide through city traffic with equal poise. One of the latest innovations to underscore that versatility is Bounce Mode, a clever function available on certain GLE and GLS models equipped with the E‑Active Body Control system.
At first glance Bounce Mode feels like a party trick. Select Free Driving Assist (also called Recovery Mode) from the off‑road menu and your SUV begins to rhythmically raise and lower its air suspension. Each wheel can move independently, creating a wave of vertical movement that looks like your Mercedes has suddenly joined a low‑rider car club. But this is more than a novelty. By shifting the vehicle’s weight back and forth, Bounce Mode helps dislodge a tire that’s lost traction in deep sand, mud or snow. As the wheels alternately compress and extend, they dig in and then release, building momentum that can free a stuck vehicle.
Why Bounce Mode Matters in Snow
Canadian winters can be unpredictable. One minute you’re carving through fresh powder on ski hills; the next you’re crawling through slush on an unplowed side road. Snow that packs beneath your wheels can rob them of grip, and spinning your tires only makes the rut deeper. Bounce Mode gives you an extra tool for those moments when even advanced 4MATIC all‑wheel drive needs help.
Imagine you’ve pulled slightly off the driveway to make room for another car and now find your GLE’s rear wheels mired in snow. Traditional techniques like rocking the vehicle back and forth using reverse and drive; can sometimes work, but traction control and modern transmissions don’t always respond quickly enough. Bounce Mode emulates that manual technique automatically, pumping the suspension to lift and drop weight over the wheels. This motion generates small forward and backward movements that loosen the snow packed around the tires.
It doesn’t guarantee liberation in every situation and deep drifts may still require a shovel! But for moderate snow banks and icy ruts it can mean the difference between calling a tow truck and continuing on your way.
How to Activate Bounce Mode
Mercedes has made Bounce Mode intuitive. To engage it, bring the vehicle to a stop and select Off‑Road via the driving mode selector. Then tap the Vehicle Assistance icon on the central display, choose Free Driving Assist or Recovery Mode and press Start. The system prompts you to shift into Drive and maintains the bouncing rhythm until you deactivate it or exceed about 15 km/h. In practice, you’ll need only seconds of bouncing to break free. The function can be cancelled immediately by tapping Stop or by switching to another drive mode.
Off‑Road Arsenal: More Than Bounce
Bounce Mode is just one piece of the 2025 GLE’s winter‑ready toolbox. Dynamic Select allows you to tailor throttle response, gear changes and suspension firmness. For slick roads, Comfort mode softens responses and smooths gear shifts. You can also configure a Custom profile with milder throttle mapping and higher ride height for fresh powder.
Behind the scenes, 4MATIC all‑wheel drive monitors wheel slip dozens of times per second. If one wheel loses traction on ice, torque is instantly redirected to the wheels that still have grip. Paired with E‑Active Body Control, the system maintains stability by controlling each wheel’s damping individually. In corners, the GLE can subtly lean into the turn like a skier, keeping the body level and reducing lateral forces on passengers.
Add Downhill Speed Regulation for icy declines, Eco Start/Stop to conserve fuel when stuck in traffic and MBUX voice assistant commands for hands‑free adjustments, and you begin to understand why Mercedes SUVs feel composed in every condition.
Luxury Meets Rugged Capability
Some skeptics view luxury SUVs as soft roaders built solely for pavement. The GLE and GLS defy that stereotype. Bounce Mode isn’t meant for show‑boating at a car meet; it’s a practical tool born from the same engineering that created the original G‑Wagen, a vehicle proven on rough military trails. While Mercedes doesn’t encourage owners to take their six‑figure SUVs through deep mud bogs, the company knows that real life includes unmaintained cottage lanes, ski resort parking lots and snowy backroads. A feature that keeps you moving when conditions deteriorate is the essence of premium mobility.
Bounce Mode offers the assurance that winter adventures won’t end in a snow bank.
But if you do, contact us at CSN 427 and we'll bounce you back in no time.
