Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Crafter 7 inch Android 16 Head Unit with Wireless CarPlay, 4G and DVD

The unit is made for the Mercedes-Benz B-Class W245 (2005-2011), A-Class W169 (2004-2012), Viano and Vito W639 (2006-2018) and Sprinter W906 (2006-2022), plus the Volkswagen Crafter (2006-Now). On the Viano and Vito, check the dimensions before ordering.

The console shape matters. A quadratic-shaped console takes this unit; a trapezoidal console with a trim strip above it, or an oval one, won't. The face panel measures 245/240x130mm.

It isn't compatible with cars that have a factory MOST fibre-optic system. Your CD changer stops working once this unit is fitted, and air conditioning information isn't shown on the screen.

Your iPhone connects to CarPlay without a cable, so maps, music, messages and calls come up on the dashboard while the phone stays in a pocket or bag. Voice commands let you ask for a route or a playlist without looking away from the road.

Android phones connect wirelessly too. Google Maps, your music apps and calls appear in a simple layout on the 7 inch screen, and Google Assistant takes care of destinations and messages by voice.

With a SIM card in the unit, the head unit has its own 4G LTE data connection. Live traffic, weather and streaming keep working without tethering to your phone.

A 4G antenna and a SIM card slot cable are in the box.

Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz) lets the unit join a hotspot or your home network for app downloads and updates. The 5GHz band is faster when it's available.

The 7 inch QLED display runs at 1280×720 and has an anti-glare finish, so maps and album art are easy to read with the sun on the dashboard. The G+G touch screen responds well to quick taps on the move.

The screen is an IPS type as well as QLED, which keeps colours steady when the passenger looks at it from the side. Both front seats get a clear view of the map.

An AKM7738 triple-core DSP handles the sound processing, with DTS sound effects on top. You can tune the sound to suit the cabin rather than accepting a flat factory setting.

The unit supports Hi-Res Audio, so high-quality music files play back at their full detail.

A TDA7803A amplifier rated at 4x47W max output powers the speakers directly. It gives the factory speakers more headroom than a basic radio at higher volumes.

The unit has its own GPS receiver, using GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS and Galileo satellites for a reliable position fix. A GPS antenna is included.

You can run a sat nav app on the unit itself or use your phone's maps through CarPlay or Android Auto.

Bluetooth 5.1 connects your phone for hands-free calls and music streaming. A microphone is supplied, so callers can hear you clearly through the cabin.

The unit supports an external DAB tuner. Add a USB DAB+ dongle such as the XTRONS ACUSBDAB06 (sold separately) to listen to digital radio stations.

Screen mirroring shows your phone's display on the head unit, useful for an app that isn't available in CarPlay or Android Auto. It's best used by a passenger or when parked.

Fast reverse mode brings up the camera picture as soon as you select reverse, and the unit supports a 1080P AHD camera (sold separately). A camera cable is in the box.

If your vehicle already has a factory reversing camera, you'll need an adapter to keep it working; the XTRONS ICE/ACS/FZMRM01 is compatible.

On Mercedes-Benz models, the CANbus box keeps the steering wheel controls, ACC, reversing control, door reminder, light control and handbrake control working. What works depends on what your car had originally.

CANbus decoding isn't supported on the Volkswagen Crafter: don't connect the included CANbus box on a Crafter.

The MediaTek MT6769V Octa-Core chipset (2x Cortex A75 @ 2.2GHz + 6x Cortex A55) and Mali-G52 GPU run Android 16, with 4GB DDR4 RAM and 64GB UFS 2.2 storage. Navigation, music and video can run together without the screen freezing, and 1080P video plays smoothly. A cast aluminium heat sink keeps it running steadily on long drives.

A built-in gyroscope shows an inclinometer display with pitch and roll, which is handy off-road in a Sprinter or Crafter.