CL63 AMG - The original S-Class coupe, We installed CarPlay & Android Auto
Video from the exact vehicle - 2009 C216 CL63 AMG, fitted with NTG4 COMAND
You don't see that many of these around these days - CL63, known as S-Class coupe.
Often people gets confuesed with the CLS class which still is a great car by Its own right - but the CL is a completely different vehicle to CLS or any other - as It still has the luxury design of the W221 S-Class.
Whilst It had the top of the featurs back in late 2000s and early 2010s, as time passes the COMAND system in the car gets old, some may experience malfunction and may also experience lack of support from Mercedes.
Whenever we get an enquiry from the customers, It's usually about outdated Sat Nav and tech inside, along with any chance of we can remove that old relic phone cradle inside the armrest console (Quick answer for It - We can't.)
Obviously the CarPlay and Android Auto are nice thing to have - In fact It's really nice - and those new Mercs now come with those since 2016, started off with A / B / CLA and GLA Class models.
Whilst those new models from Merc are outstanding, changing the car to those new models solely to get newest tech may not be justified for some people, especially for those well maintained AMG models like this.
Hence this CL63 came in last Wednesday for an installation of CarPlay and Android Auto - which took abot 3.5 hours to do the whole thing.
In order to play sound (from CarPlay / Android Auto) , It does requires an external audio input provided by the COMAND unit, generally It's the AUX.
Yet almost every single S-Class / CL-Class didn't have the aux input from the factory, nor the Audio media Interface input, instead they have their own music / media interface platform using DVD / internal storage etc.
But in fact the AUX activation is definitely doable, and doesn't really cost you, depends on the audio spec though.
Once the Aux is activated and selected from Audio tab - any sound from CarPlay / Android auto will play through the original sound setup in the vehicle.
Those other original audio sources will still be available after the installation / activation, just that those will cut the CarPlay/ Android auto's sound as native media will occupy the speakers and our product can't override that.
And of course the CarPlay and Android Auto will still use the same control pad and buttons.
You may think of why we can't use those touchscreen, either touch overlay or a replacement.
Both W221 S-Class and C216 CL-Class have this oval protector made of a thick glass, that covering the screen joint to the control panel right next to It. Which is practically not possible to remove it by Itself and not ideal either, when you can still use the control panel that you are familiar with It already.
With the camera- It will still work as It should - whenever the car is on reverse gear, the camera will be displayed on the screen straight away. As It has a highest priority when the reverse gear engages.
You won't lose anything from the car, nor will see any aftermarket parts installed inside glove box or armrest console, that's our guarantee.
Above CarPlay & Android Auto Kit for C216 CL-Class is available from the link below:
Thank you for reading.
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