What is the correct W205 NTG Unit required to support Carplay?

[wongl]

It has always been in the back of my mind to upgrade my pre-facelift W205 C300h to support Carplay. In the past there were simply too many 3rd party options while the orignal OEM option was frankly out of my budget. However, as time passes and the W205 getting older I am beginning some W205 NTG units being put on sale from cars that has been scrape (especially where I am working in Hong Kong where is a huge tax incentive of circa GBP28,000 to scrap an ICE car to buy a new EV).

I spotted this unit from a scrap car dealer claiming it is carplay compatible, but with a production date stamp of 2015, this looks pre-facelift and as such I am suspicious that this is not a carplay compatible NTG head unit. Any opinions from our learned members on here?

this unit for sale from a scrap dealer

 

[BTB 500]

That looks like an NTG5 unit



Pretty sure you need NTG5.5 to get Carplay/Android Auto without using external parts. It still needs to be 'activated' though; not sure whether this would transfer to your car if it had been activated on the donor vehicle.

I have a facelift W205 with NTG5.5 and Carplay/Android Auto.

 

[rf065]

I have a facelift W205 with NTG5.5 and Carplay/Android Auto.

I have w205 with NTG5.2 and it does not have either.

 

[fabes]

I have NTG 5.1 and it does have Apple car play (but not Android auto annoyingly)

A factory option ticked

 

[markjay]

COMAND NTG5*1 introduced in the last year of production of the W212 (2016) and carried over to the W213 has native support for Apple CarPlay.

COMAND NTG5*2 introduced in 2014 with the pre-facelift W205 does not have native support for Apple CarPlay.

COMAND NTG5.5 introduced in 2018 in the facelift W205 does have support for Apple CarPlay.

 

[markjay]

Also, for both COMAND NTG5*1 and COMAND NTG5.5, Apple CarPlay was not included by default, instead it was a separate option that needed to be specified (or retrofitted).

Check the Datacard for the following options:

14U - Smartphone Integration Package
16U - Smartphone Integration Carplay
17U - Smartphone Integration Android Auto

The first line is the hardware required (USB port for Smartphone)

The second line is the license for Apple CarPlay

The third line is Android Auto.

(You may also see '15U Pre-installation Smartphone Integration MB Link' )

 

[markjay]

Also, does your car currently have COMAND or Audio20?

COMAND has built-in navigation with the maps on an internal HDD, Audio 20 has the optional Garmin Map Pilot navigation on SD-Card.

 

[wongl]

Also, does your car currently have COMAND or Audio20?

COMAND has built-in navigation with the maps on an internal HDD, Audio 20 has the optional Garmin Map Pilot navigation on SD-Card.

I have Audio20 with the navigation on SD-Card in my W205 (located in Surrey, UK)> Currently in HK where these heads are going cheap because no one here does any DIY work here (mainly due to lack of space to work on cars and to store the tools. Apparently it is even illegal to change your own engine oil here on the public streets!

Scrap dealer is only asking 90 quid for this as has been sitting on his shelf for over a year! Wondering if worth taking a chance? Would coding be required if this already include CarPlay?

 

[wongl]

Also, for both COMAND NTG5*1 and COMAND NTG5.5, Apple CarPlay was not included by default, instead it was a separate option that needed to be specified (or retrofitted).

Check the Datacard for the following options:

14U - Smartphone Integration Package
16U - Smartphone Integration Carplay
17U - Smartphone Integration Android Auto

The first line is the hardware required (USB port for Smartphone)

The second line is the license for Apple CarPlay

The third line is Android Auto.

(You may also see '15U Pre-installation Smartphone Integration MB Link' )

Unfortunately cannot see the data card of the donor car since it has been long scrapped in HK (usually means sold off complete or in parts to places like Malaysia etc which are RHD countries with demands for low mileage cars).

 

[wongl]

I have NTG 5.1 and it does have Apple car play (but not Android auto annoyingly)

A factory option ticked

Wow, lucky you. I wish I had too. Interestingly my daughter's 2016 B-Class has factory fitted Carplay. We discovered this by accident too!

 

[BTB 500]

Scrap dealer is only asking 90 quid for this as has been sitting on his shelf for over a year! Wondering if worth taking a chance? Would coding be required if this already include CarPlay?

As mentioned that's an NTG5 unit, which doesn't have native support for CarPlay. It may be possible to get CarPlay added via an external module but there are some caveats e.g.

Please note that the W205 C Class and W253 GLC, and Cars with Audio-20 are not supported and can not have CarPlay retrofitted with this kit, please contact us with your chassis number and we will see what alternatives there are.

Apple Car Play and Android Auto upgrade for NTG5

If your car has NTG5 COMAND Online but no Apple CarPlay or no Android Auto it can be added with these Genuine Mercedes Parts You can opt for us to fit this (your car needs a software update and parts changed) to Mercedes standards at our workshop in Surrey, or if you don't opt for that we will...

www.commandonline.co.uk

 

[wongl]

As mentioned that's an NTG5 unit, which doesn't have native support for CarPlay. It may be possible to get CarPlay added via an external module but there are some caveats e.g.

Apple Car Play and Android Auto upgrade for NTG5

If your car has NTG5 COMAND Online but no Apple CarPlay or no Android Auto it can be added with these Genuine Mercedes Parts You can opt for us to fit this (your car needs a software update and parts changed) to Mercedes standards at our workshop in Surrey, or if you don't opt for that we will...

www.commandonline.co.uk

Thanks Bill.