BMW F16 sat nav update
X6 F16 and X6 M F86: the coupé-SUV twin of the X5, with NBT or NBT EVO navigation and a map to match.
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
Enter your VIN and we will show whether your X6 runs NBT or NBT EVO, the map version it has now and the newest one available. Checking is free.
Which sat nav does the X6 F16 have?
Underneath its sloping roofline, the F16 X6 shares a great deal with the X5 F15, and its navigation is no exception. Built from about 2014 to 2019, it followed the X5 through the same change of hardware around the middle of its life. Because most UK X6s were ordered with Navigation Professional, the useful question is not whether yours has sat nav but which of two units runs it:
| Unit | Typically fitted | Navigation | Map to order |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBT | About 2014 to mid-2016 | Navigation Professional, touchpad controller | NEXT (typed FSC code) |
| NBT EVO (ID5/ID6) | From about mid-2016 | Navigation Professional | EVO (FSC file) |
Treat these periods as a guide rather than a rule. BMW changed units on the production line, so what counts is when your X6 was built, not when it was first registered, and a car built during 2016 is worth checking individually. The X6 M F86 is covered by the same two rows.
Easier than ever
Which map does your X6 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.
From NBT to NBT EVO in the X6
The earlier unit, NBT, takes the NEXT maps. They are sold as East or West Europe packages, each including the main roads of the other, and you activate them by typing an FSC code on the screen after loading the maps from a FAT32 stick.
Its successor, NBT EVO, runs the EVO maps, which take in the whole of Europe in a single package. On the ID5/ID6 versions fitted to the X6 there is no code to type: the car reads an FSC file from an exFAT stick. NBT EVO is also the only one of the two that can have Apple CarPlay switched on. A touchpad on the iDrive controller does not by itself settle which unit you have, so lean on the build date and, for certainty, the VIN.
- Built before about mid-2016: NBT, NEXT maps
- Built from about mid-2016: NBT EVO, EVO maps
- NEXT: typed code, FAT32 USB, £39.99
- EVO: FSC file, exFAT USB, £59.99
Navigation Professional in the X6: what it means for you
Most X6s sold in the UK left the factory with Navigation Professional, the full BMW system rather than a cut-down alternative. For you as an owner, that has two practical consequences. First, your map will be one of the two families above, NEXT or EVO, depending on the build date. Second, on a later car with NBT EVO it meets one of the conditions for activating Apple CarPlay by USB, which covers Professional cars only. If your X6 was imported or you are not sure how it was originally specified, the VIN check shows exactly what is fitted before you spend anything.
How to update the maps in your X6 F16
Run the VIN check
It confirms NBT or NBT EVO and the newest map for your X6.
Order the matching map
NEXT at £39.99, with a Lifetime FSC code where supported, or EVO at £59.99.
Prepare the stick
FAT32 for NBT, exFAT for NBT EVO, with the files placed as the guide sets out.
Activate the maps
Type the FSC code on an NBT car; an NBT EVO car reads the FSC file itself.
If your X6 has NBT, pick East or West Europe according to where you drive most, knowing the main roads of the other half are included. On NBT EVO there is nothing to choose, and the FSC file should go on the stick exactly as we supply it, without renaming. Our page on BMW FSC codes explains how a typed code and an FSC file differ.
Apple CarPlay in the X6 F16
Whether CarPlay is possible comes down to the same NBT or NBT EVO split. Our compatible list covers 2017 to 2018 X6 F16 and X6 M F86 cars with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional. On those, CarPlay can be activated over USB from £49.99, and FullScreen and Video in Motion are available for £10 each. Earlier X6s with NBT lack CarPlay in their software and would need a hardware retrofit to gain it. If your car has NBT EVO but sits outside those years, ask us before ordering. For other BMWs, see does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
Other X6 and X5 generations
The F16 replaced the first X6, the E71, which used CCC and later CIC. CCC is a system we do not support, and the E71 is a different car from the one covered here, so put its VIN through the check rather than relying on this page. The G06 that followed the F16 moved to iDrive 7 and the LIVE maps, which arrive over the air while the car’s map update subscription or free period is active; after that, a USB update with an FSC file keeps them current. For the X5 side of the family, the BMW F15 sat nav update guide covers the same two units.
BMW X6 F16 sat nav FAQ
Is the sat nav in the X6 F16 the same as in the X5 F15?
In practice, yes. The X6 F16 is closely related to the X5 F15 and went through the same changeover: NBT on earlier cars and NBT EVO from about mid-2016. The map you need therefore depends on which of those two units is fitted, not on whether the car is an X5 or an X6.
My X6 was built in 2016. Which map should I order?
It could be either. The switch from NBT to NBT EVO happened around the middle of 2016, so a car from that year may take the NEXT maps at £39.99 or the EVO maps at £59.99. Enter the VIN at the top of this page and we will tell you which one your X6 needs before you pay anything.
Does the X6 M (F86) need a different sat nav update?
No separate product is needed for the X6 M. It is part of the F16 family and uses the same NBT or NBT EVO units, so you order NEXT or EVO maps according to the unit in your car. The VIN check confirms which one that is.
Can I get a Lifetime FSC code for my X6?
Only on an NBT car. The NEXT maps are activated with a typed FSC code, and we include a Lifetime FSC code where your unit supports it, so future map versions come at no extra cost. NBT EVO cars use an FSC file instead, and the Lifetime code is not offered for them.
Can Apple CarPlay be added to an early X6 F16?
Not by USB activation. NBT, the unit in earlier X6s, does not include CarPlay, so those cars would need a hardware retrofit. Activation is for cars with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional, and our compatible list covers 2017 to 2018 X6 F16 and X6 M F86 cars.