BMW E71 sat nav update
The original X6, about 2008 to 2014: most cars have the updatable CIC, and only the very first ones are worth checking for the older CCC.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
Enter your VIN to confirm whether your X6 runs CIC or CCC and which map version it can take. The check is free.
Which sat nav does the X6 E71 have?
The E71 was the first X6, the car that launched BMW’s coupé-SUV idea, sold from about 2008 to 2014 with a facelift in 2012. For most owners the sat nav news is good. Navigation Professional was fitted to most UK X6s, and most E71s have CIC, the unit our PREMIUM maps are made for. The exception is the very earliest cars:
| Unit | Typically fitted | Navigation | Can we update it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCC | May be fitted to the earliest cars, about 2008 | Navigation Professional, DVD maps | No: a DVD map format we do not supply |
| CIC | From around late 2008 / 2009 to 2014 | Navigation Professional | Yes: PREMIUM maps, £39.99 |
Read these years as approximate. A car built in 2008 is the one to look at closely, while one built from around 2009 onwards falls in the CIC period, and the 2012 facelift sits well inside it. Go by when the car was made, because the year on the number plate can mislead. The X6 M and the ActiveHybrid X6 (E72) belong to the same generation and follow the same two rows.
Easier than ever
Which map does your X6 E71 need? Just type your VIN.
We have made it easier than ever to find the right map and confirm it is compatible with your navigation unit. Type your VIN into the search box at the top of this page and we will show the unit your car was built with, the map it needs and the price. Checking is free.
Early or later X6: telling CIC from CCC
On the first X6s, CCC relies on DVD-based maps. That is a format we do not offer, which rules out an update from us for those cars. CIC is the one we cater for: the PREMIUM maps load from a FAT32 USB stick and are unlocked by typing an FSC code into the iDrive menu.
The quickest giveaway sits between the front seats. With CIC, BMW redesigned the iDrive controller and surrounded it with shortcut buttons; on a CCC car the knob stands on its own, with a simpler look. When you view a secondhand E71 from 2008 or early 2009, a look at the console before you talk price tells you a lot, and the VIN check settles it.
- Shortcut buttons around the controller: CIC, PREMIUM maps
- Bare controller, no buttons around it: likely CCC, not updatable by us
- Built from around 2009 to 2014: the CIC years
- Built in 2008: run the VIN before you order
Business vs Professional navigation in the X6 E71
Most UK X6s left the factory with Navigation Professional, and that is the system the table above describes: possibly CCC on the earliest cars, CIC after that. Because it was the usual specification, the E71 is simpler than many BMWs of its age, with a single changeover to think about.
Our information for this model covers Professional navigation only, and we do not list a Business unit for the E71. So if your X6 is an import, or its sat nav seems smaller or different from what is described here, do not assume either way: run the VIN check, which reports the unit really fitted and whether we have maps for it, before any payment.
How to update the maps in your X6 E71
Enter the VIN
We check that your X6 has CIC rather than CCC and show the newest PREMIUM version.
Buy the PREMIUM maps
£39.99, with the installation guide and a Lifetime FSC code where your unit supports it.
Set up a FAT32 stick
Copy the map files onto the stick, keeping the folder structure from our guide.
Key in the code
Plug in the stick, follow the on-screen update and enter the FSC code when prompted.
Choose East or West Europe, depending on where most of your driving takes place; the one you install still carries the main roads of the other. If your order includes a Lifetime FSC code, later releases are free of charge: email us when you want the next one. Run the update with the X6 parked outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, and let it finish without interruption. To understand what the code unlocks, read how BMW FSC codes work.
Apple CarPlay in the X6 E71
Neither CCC nor CIC carries CarPlay in its software, so an E71 has nothing hidden that could be activated. If you want it in your X6, you would need a hardware retrofit module fitted. Our USB CarPlay activation is meant for later BMWs with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional, and the first X6 is not among them. To see which cars do qualify, read does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
The E71 alongside the X5 E70 and the F16
The E71 shared its era with the X5 E70, and that car also changed from CCC to CIC during its life. If there is an X5 of that generation on your drive as well, the BMW E70 sat nav update guide covers it. The X6 that replaced the E71 is the F16, which uses different navigation units and a different map family, so none of the advice here carries over; the BMW F16 sat nav update page explains what the second X6 needs.
BMW E71 sat nav FAQ
Is a sat nav update possible on a BMW X6 E71?
In most cases, yes. Most E71s have CIC, and CIC accepts our PREMIUM maps, loaded by USB for £39.99 and unlocked with a typed FSC code. The exception is the earliest cars, from about 2008, which may have the DVD-based CCC system that we do not support. The free VIN check tells you which applies to your X6.
Does a 2012 facelift X6 have CIC?
It should. CIC was fitted from around late 2008 or 2009 until production ended in about 2014, so a facelifted E71 sits inside that period. Running the VIN check before you order costs nothing and removes any remaining doubt.
Are the X6 M and the ActiveHybrid X6 updated in the same way?
Yes. Both belong to the E71 family (the ActiveHybrid carries the E72 code), and what decides the map is the navigation unit, whatever sits under the bonnet. If the car has CIC, PREMIUM is the map to order: £39.99, with a Lifetime FSC code included where your unit supports it.
I am looking at a 2008 X6. What should I check first?
Glance at the iDrive controller. If shortcut buttons surround it, that points to CIC; a bare, simpler controller suggests CCC, which we cannot update. Better still, ask the seller for the VIN and put it through the free check on this page, which confirms the unit before you commit to the car.
Is there a way to get Apple CarPlay in an E71?
Only with a hardware retrofit. Neither navigation unit used in the first X6 has CarPlay in its software, and the E71 is not on our USB activation list, which is limited to later cars with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional.