Collection: CarPlay for Mercedes

CarPlay modules for Mercedes: from NTG 4.0 to MBUX

This collection covers six COMAND and Audio 20 generations that can take wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. COMAND, Audio 20 and Becker are trim names; the module is decided by the NTG platform behind the screen.

Identifying the generation

The central controller is the most reliable signal. A rotary dial with no touch surface points to NTG 4. A rotary dial with a touchpad on top points to NTG 5. No rotary controller at all, plus a wake-word voice assistant, points to NTG 6 — that is MBUX. A widescreen panel with two displays under one sheet of glass is not sufficient evidence of MBUX, because NTG 5.5 in the W213 and W222 from 2016 has the same look.

• NTG 4.0 — W221, W212, C-Class and GLK, 2008 to 2012
• NTG 4.5 Becker — W204, W212, W176, W246, CLA, GLA with Audio 20
• NTG 4.5 and 4.7 — W204, W176, W246, CLA, GLA with COMAND
• NTG 5.0 and 5.1 — W205, W253, W213, W222, 2014 to 2018
• NTG 5.5 — W213, W222, GLE, GLC, 2016 to 2018
• NTG 6 and MBUX — A, B, C, GLA, GLB, GLE, from 2018

The most common mismatch when ordering

NTG 4.5 exists in two incompatible versions, standard and Becker, which carry practically the same name and appear in the same models. The practical test is where the navigation lives.

• Becker version — navigation is not built into the head unit; it comes from a separate Becker Map Pilot cartridge that sits in the glovebox. The presence of that module, or of an empty slot for it, means Becker.
• Standard version — navigation is part of the unit itself and there is no such slot.

The model year is not a reliable guide, because both versions overlap across the same period. On cars with MBUX, factory CarPlay is usually already present and the module adds wireless connection and video when the car is stationary.