There are two versionsof the speed limiter - the basic one you switch on and then set the speed which stays the same until you turn it off/pause it. The other 'adaptive' version will use the sat nav info/road signs to automatically change (to the speed limit that you have displayed on your dashboard) - though I've found it to be a pain if side roads have speed signs that aren't parallel to the road you're travelling along - on a 30mph road near me there's a side road that's 20mph and the camera always picks that up which sets the speed limiter incorrectly.
You may be thinking of the intelligent cruise control when you mention changing based on traffic - in theory, that keeps you a safe distance from the car in front when you have cruise control enabled (so if other cars in front slow, so do you)...

 

Thanks for the comprehensive response! It does have the traffic road sign recognition, so I'm probably best enabling the speed limiter and see what happens? Or is there another button that I would need to press?

Yes, I did see about the intelligent cruise control, but if I'm right, there's more buttons on the steering wheel for this to set the distance. If so, then I don't believe I have this feature.

There's so much on the car, I don't actually know what I do and don't have!

 

I've had my car for over two years and I just found this feature a month or so ago!!!
Handy though I find...

 

Dayna,

Try turning on the speed limiter, then press and hold cancel on the steering wheel for a second or two. If you have it, this switches the limiter into adaptive mode, I think.

WhoRu

 

Dayna,

Try turning on the speed limiter, then press and hold cancel on the steering wheel for a second or two. If you have it, this switches the limiter into adaptive mode, I think.

WhoRu

that's correct - a little dashboard icon next to the LIM indicator will light up to show it's in 'intelligent' mode

 

For me the process is as follows:

1. Turn the limiter on from the steering wheel controls.
2 Go into the "Driver Assistance" menu and scroll down to the bottom where you should see an option for "intelligent limiter" and check the box. (if you don't have the limiter active before you enter this menu then the option will be "greyed out"
3. Press Resume on the steering wheel buttons.

At this point the limiter icon on the display will subtlety change to a limiter icon with an "i" on it, and intelligent speed limiter is active.

I've found it behaves as follows:

1. It never brakes or forcibly slows you down in anyway. If you enter a slower limit from a higher limit it just gives you an overspeed warning on the dash and an audible alert until you slow down to a speed that is under the current limit.
2. Once you are under the current limit it will not allow you to accelerate past the current speed limit. The throttle just stops responding once you reach the limit. UNLESS you stamp on the throttle and initiate a "kick down" this allows you to exceed the limit and over rides the limiter in a scenario where you need to speed up quickly.