BMW F15 sat nav update

Which sat nav does the F15 have?

The F15 X5 was built from about 2013 to 2018, and its navigation changed partway through. Earlier cars with Navigation Professional have NBT; from about mid-2016 BMW fitted NBT EVO instead. The two units take different map families, are activated in different ways and differ on Apple CarPlay, so it is worth knowing which one your X5 has before you order anything:

The dates are approximate and follow the build date rather than the registration, so a 2016 X5 could have either Professional unit. The X5 M (F85) follows the same split. Our VIN lookups have found NBT on an F15, and the check above reads the unit actually fitted to yours.

NBT or NBT EVO: telling them apart in an X5

On older BMWs a glance at the iDrive controller often settles which unit is fitted. In the F15 it is less clear-cut: the touchpad controller came with NBT, and on its own it does not tell you whether your car has the later NBT EVO. The build date is a better guide, with the change at about mid-2016.

The real differences are in how the maps work. NBT takes the NEXT maps, split into East and West Europe and activated with a code you type on the screen. NBT EVO takes the EVO maps, which cover Europe in one package and are activated by an FSC file the car reads from the USB stick. NBT EVO is also the unit that can have Apple CarPlay activated.

• Built before about mid-2016: usually NBT, NEXT maps
• Built from about mid-2016: usually NBT EVO, EVO maps
• Business navigation in some markets: EntryNav, ROUTE maps
• 2016 build? Let the VIN check decide

Business vs Professional navigation in the X5

Many UK X5s were ordered with Navigation Professional, so for many owners the question is simply NBT or NBT EVO. Some cars in some markets had the smaller Business navigation instead, known as EntryNav, which takes the ROUTE maps: £39.99, a typed FSC code, a FAT32 USB stick and a choice of East or West Europe. If your X5 was first sold elsewhere, or you are not sure how it was specified, the VIN check will show it. The difference matters for CarPlay as well, because USB activation needs Navigation Professional.

How to update the maps in your X5

With the NEXT maps you choose East or West Europe, and each includes the main roads of the other; the EVO maps cover Europe in one go. On an NBT EVO car, copy the FSC file exactly as supplied. Keep the X5 parked somewhere safe and open while the update runs. For the difference between a typed code and an FSC file, see BMW FSC code explained.

Apple CarPlay in the X5 F15

CarPlay can be activated on X5s with NBT EVO. Our compatible list covers 2017 to 2018 X5 F15 and X5 M F85 cars with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional, and on those it can be switched on over USB from £49.99; FullScreen and Video in Motion can each be added for £10. Earlier X5s with NBT have no CarPlay in their software, so for them a hardware retrofit is the only option. If you have a 2016 car built after the switch to NBT EVO, contact us before ordering. For other models, see does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?

The X5 before and after the F15

The F15 replaced the E70 X5, which is a separate generation, so the details on this page do not carry over to it; run its VIN through the check above instead. The G05 that followed the F15 moved to iDrive 7 on the MGU unit, which uses the LIVE maps. Those update over the air while the car's map update subscription or free period is active; once it has ended, a USB update with an FSC file keeps the maps current.

The coupé-styled X6 of the same era, the F16, followed the same NBT to NBT EVO change: see the BMW F16 sat nav update guide.