BMW G32 sat nav update

Which sat nav does the 6 Series Gran Turismo G32 have?

The G32 was built from about 2017 to 2023, with a facelift in 2020. It is the hatchback-style, more practical member of the 6 Series family, and underneath it shares its platform and navigation units with the G30 5 Series. That gives three possibilities, depending on when the car was built and which navigation it was ordered with:

The years are approximate. Note that the move to iDrive 7 came before the 2020 facelift rather than with it, so a pre-facelift G32 is not automatically an NBT EVO car: one built in the second half of 2019 may already have iDrive 7. If your car was made around then, the VIN check above gives a definite answer.

NBT EVO, EntryNav2 or iDrive 7: telling a G32 apart

On a G32 with Navigation Professional, the build date is the main clue. Cars from launch to about mid-2019 have NBT EVO ID5/ID6, which runs the EVO maps. From about mid-2019, and on every facelifted car, the MGU unit with iDrive 7 takes over, using the LIVE maps. An iDrive 7 car also receives map updates over the air while its map update subscription or free period is active.

Some G32s were ordered with Business navigation instead, and those have EntryNav2 with the WAY maps. All three units share the price, the FSC file and the exFAT stick, yet the map families are separate, so what you order must suit the unit actually fitted.

• Professional, built about 2017 to mid-2019: NBT EVO, EVO maps
• Business navigation, some cars: EntryNav2, WAY maps
• Professional, from about mid-2019 or facelifted: iDrive 7, LIVE maps
• Whichever unit: £59.99, FSC file on exFAT

Business vs Professional navigation in the G32

Most of what you read about the G32’s sat nav concerns Navigation Professional, which moved from NBT EVO to iDrive 7 during production. Some cars, though, were built with Business navigation, and those have a different unit altogether: EntryNav2. It takes the WAY maps, which, like EVO and LIVE, cover Europe in one package and are activated with an FSC file.

The grade of navigation matters beyond the maps. A WAY package will not install on a Professional unit, and EVO or LIVE will not install on EntryNav2. CarPlay activation is also limited to Professional cars with NBT EVO, so a Business-navigation G32 is outside it. Where the original order is unknown, for instance on a used car, the VIN check reveals which unit was fitted.

How to update the maps in your 6 Series GT

An iDrive 7 G32 may not need a USB update yet: maps arrive over the air while the subscription or free period is active. Once it has ended, a USB update with an FSC file keeps the maps current. On all three units there is no East or West choice and no code to type, and the FSC file should keep exactly the name we supply. Keep the car somewhere safe and open while the update runs. For more on whether updates can be had for nothing, see can you update BMW sat nav for free?

Apple CarPlay in the 6 Series GT

On the G32, CarPlay activation is a question for earlier cars only. G32s with NBT EVO ID5/ID6 and Navigation Professional can have CarPlay activated by USB from £49.99, with optional FullScreen and Video in Motion at £10 each, and our compatible list covers 2017 to 2019 G32 cars. Later cars with iDrive 7 normally have CarPlay built in from the factory and do not need it, while cars with Business navigation (EntryNav2) are not covered. Because the switch to iDrive 7 came during 2019, a 2019 build needs the VIN check to place it.

Related BMWs: the G30 5 Series and the F12 6 Series

Because the G32 shares its platform and units with the 5 Series, our BMW G30 sat nav update guide describes the same three systems from the 5 Series side. The earlier 6 Series Coupé, Convertible and Gran Coupé form a different car with older units (CIC, NBT and NBT EVO), which our BMW F12 sat nav update guide explains.