BMW F26 sat nav update
X4 F26 and X4 M40i, about 2014 to 2018: the coupé-styled X3 sibling that arrived in the NBT era. Which unit is yours?
Sat nav update result
We identified your Map Update!
We use your VIN to show whether your X4 runs NBT, NBT EVO or EntryNav, the map it takes and whether CarPlay activation could apply. Checking is free.
Which sat nav does the X4 F26 have?
The first X4 took the X3 F25 as its starting point but reached showrooms later, in about 2014. By then BMW had already moved its Navigation Professional cars to NBT, so the F26 did not have the older CIC unit. The change X4 owners need to know about came in about mid-2016, when NBT EVO took over:
| 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 to 2018 | Navigation Professional | EVO (FSC file) |
| EntryNav | Some cars | Business navigation | ROUTE (typed FSC code) |
All of these dates are approximate. Treat mid-2016 as a rough marker rather than a cut-off: the logbook shows when an X4 was first registered, not when it left the factory, so a 2016 car could fall on either side. The M40i is no exception. Your VIN gives the definitive answer.
Easier than ever
Which map does your X4 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: how the X4’s navigation changed
Because the X4 started life with NBT, its story is simpler than the X3 it was based on: there is one Professional changeover to know about, from NBT to NBT EVO. NBT cars have the touchpad iDrive controller; beyond that, the build date is your best rough guide until you run the VIN.
Which side of that change your car falls on alters the whole update. An NBT X4 needs the NEXT maps at £39.99: you pick East or West Europe, and the unit asks for an FSC code that you enter on the screen. An NBT EVO X4 needs the EVO maps at £59.99, one Europe-wide package with an FSC file on the stick in place of a code. Only NBT EVO cars can be considered for USB CarPlay activation.
- NBT (Professional, about 2014 to mid-2016): NEXT, code typed on screen
- NBT EVO (Professional, about mid-2016 to 2018): EVO, FSC file on the stick
- EntryNav (Business, some cars): ROUTE, code typed on screen
- No CIC: the F26 arrived after BMW had moved to NBT
Business vs Professional navigation in the X4
Most of this page is about Navigation Professional, because that is where the NBT and NBT EVO split happens. Some X4s have Business navigation instead, the EntryNav unit, and that takes a different package again: the ROUTE maps at £39.99, activated with a typed FSC code, installed from a FAT32 stick and supplied as East or West Europe.
The tier matters beyond the map. USB CarPlay activation is only for cars with NBT EVO and Navigation Professional, so a Business X4 is not a candidate whatever its age. Anyone choosing a second-hand X4 with CarPlay in mind should confirm both the tier and the unit by VIN before buying.
How to update the maps in your X4
Check the VIN
Learn which of the three units your X4 was built with.
Order your map
NEXT or ROUTE at £39.99, EVO at £59.99; the installation guide is included.
Format the stick
NBT and EntryNav want a FAT32 stick; NBT EVO wants exFAT.
Install and activate
Enter the code when NBT or EntryNav asks; on NBT EVO the FSC file does the job.
With NEXT or ROUTE you choose East or West Europe; you install one, and each includes the main roads of the other. EVO is one package for the whole of Europe. The typed-code units, NBT and EntryNav, include a Lifetime FSC code where your unit supports it. If yours is an NBT EVO car, leave the FSC file’s name and location exactly as the guide sets them out. Park the X4 somewhere safe and let the installation finish uninterrupted. For a closer look at the two activation methods, see BMW FSC code explained.
Apple CarPlay in the X4 F26
USB CarPlay activation is available for X4s that combine NBT EVO ID5/ID6 with Navigation Professional. Our compatible list covers 2017 to 2019 X4 F26/G02; since F26 production ended in about 2018, for this generation that means cars from about 2017 to 2018. On those, CarPlay can be switched on by USB from £49.99, with FullScreen and Video in Motion available for £10 each. Earlier NBT cars are a different case: there is nothing to switch on, and CarPlay would mean a hardware retrofit. If your X4 was built after the move to NBT EVO but before 2017, contact us before ordering. To see what any BMW has today, read does my BMW have Apple CarPlay?
The X3 F25 behind it, and the X4 that followed
The F26 is based on the X3 F25, but the X3 was launched earlier and its first Professional cars have CIC. The X4 did not, so a CIC map guide for the X3 does not apply here. The F26 was followed by the G02 X4, which began with NBT EVO before moving to iDrive 7, and shares much with the X3 G01. On iDrive 7 cars the maps 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 them current.
BMW X4 F26 sat nav FAQ
My X4 F26 was registered in 2016. Which sat nav will it have?
It could have either Professional unit. BMW moved the X4 from NBT to NBT EVO in about mid-2016, and the change went by when the car was built, so a 2016 X4 sits right on the line. The two use different maps, NEXT versus EVO, and a quick VIN check settles which one you have.
Why is there no CIC map option for the X4 when the X3 F25 had one?
The X4 F26 is based on the X3 F25, but it arrived later, in about 2014, after BMW had moved its Navigation Professional cars to NBT. Early F25 X3s can have CIC; the F26 X4 did not have it, so its Professional choices are NBT or NBT EVO.
Which X4 F26 cars can have Apple CarPlay activated?
Our compatible list for USB activation covers X4 F26 cars from about 2017 to 2018 that pair NBT EVO with Navigation Professional, and activation starts at £49.99. On an earlier NBT car CarPlay is not part of the system, so adding it means fitting extra hardware. Cars with Business navigation are not covered by USB activation either.
Does the X4 M40i need a different map from other X4s?
No. The M40i belongs to the same F26 range, so the same rule applies: cars built before about mid-2016 usually have NBT, later ones NBT EVO, and some X4s have Business navigation instead. Your VIN tells us which applies to your M40i.
Does the X4 F26 map update include a Lifetime FSC code?
On the typed-code units, yes, where your unit supports it: that covers NBT with the NEXT maps and EntryNav with the ROUTE maps. NBT EVO cars are activated differently: the FSC file travels on the USB stick with the maps and the car picks it up during installation.