CarPlay Screen Radio for Toyota Avensis 3 T27 (2009-2018): How to Install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The Toyota Avensis 3 (chassis T27, also known as T270) is one of those saloons people buy to keep for the long haul. Superbly reliable engines, a huge boot in the Touring Sports version and mile after mile without a single scare. The problem shows up when you compare it with any modern car: the dashboard still has a radio with a tiny screen, the navigation — if it has any — uses SD card maps that nobody updates any more, and your phone ends up clipped to an air vent.

The good news is that you don't need to change cars to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the Avensis T27. There is an Android screen radio designed specifically for this model's dashboard opening, which fits in the same space as the original radio and turns the interior into something far closer to a brand-new car.

Does the Toyota Avensis T27 have CarPlay as standard?

No. No version of the Avensis T27 left the factory with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Toyota didn't start integrating these systems in Europe until much later, and the Avensis left the market before receiving them.

What you can find in a T27, depending on the trim level and build year, is:

• Basic CD radio with a monochrome display and Bluetooth for calls only.
• Toyota Touch: a small touchscreen with radio, Bluetooth and USB/AUX input, without navigation.
• Toyota Touch & Go: all of the above plus built-in navigation, with maps updated via SD card that are usually badly out of date today.

None of these systems can mirror your phone. You can play music over Bluetooth and little else: no Google Maps, no Waze, no Spotify with cover art on screen, no voice-dictated messaging.

The solution: Android screen radio for the Toyota Avensis T27

The alternative is to replace the original unit with an Android screen radio made specifically for the Avensis T27. This is not a universal screen forced into place: the fascia reproduces the shape of the original opening and the connectors plug into the car's own harness.

These are the features you gain:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay: your iPhone connects on its own when you start the car, no cable needed.
• Android Auto, also wireless, with access to Google Maps, Waze, Spotify or YouTube Music.
• Large high-resolution touchscreen, with adjustable brightness and day/night mode.
• Real navigation with live traffic and always up-to-date maps, no SD cards involved.
• Rear camera input (and front camera in many configurations), with guide lines on screen.
• Steering wheel controls kept working thanks to the included CAN Bus module.
• Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G SIM slot on the versions that include it, USB and output for an amplifier or subwoofer.
• Split screen: navigation and music at the same time.

In practice the jump is huge: you go from a radio with menus more than a decade old to a system you operate like a smartphone.

Avensis compatibility: supported versions

The radio is designed for the third-generation Toyota Avensis, chassis T27 / T270, across its full commercial life (2009-2018), covering both the initial phase and the two later facelifts.

• Body styles: four-door saloon and Touring Sports estate.
• Engines: it makes no difference. The 2.0 D-4D and 2.2 D-CAT diesels and the 1.6 and 1.8 Valvematic petrols all share the same dashboard.
• Trim levels: compatible with cars that came with a CD radio, with Toyota Touch and with Toyota Touch & Go.
• Gearbox: manual or Multidrive automatic, no difference for fitting.

Before ordering it is worth taking a photo of your centre console and checking the exact shape of the trim panel and climate controls, because the T27 received small cosmetic changes over its lifetime. If you have any doubt, send us that photo and we will check it with you before you buy anything.

What is the installation like?

It is a plug & play installation: no cutting or splicing the car's wiring. A reasonably handy owner can do it in an afternoon; an installer, in little more than an hour.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal before you start.
2. Remove the centre console trim using a plastic prying tool, never a screwdriver (it would scratch the plastic).
3. Take out the original unit: CD radio versions use extraction keys; screen versions are held by screws.
4. Connect the harness: the new radio's ISO connector plugs straight into the car's. Also connect the CAN Bus module, which is what keeps the steering wheel controls and vehicle information alive.
5. Plug in the radio aerial and place the GPS antenna somewhere with a clear view of the sky, usually under the dashboard or next to the windscreen.
6. Route the rear camera cable along the side trim towards the tailgate if you are fitting one.
7. Test before closing up: reconnect the battery and check sound, steering wheel controls, CarPlay and camera. If everything works, fit the screen and refit the trim.

The step most people skip is testing before closing up. Do it: dismantling twice is far more annoying than waiting five minutes.

How much does it cost to install CarPlay in a Toyota Avensis?

At an official dealer the answer is usually that it can't be done. Toyota does not offer a CarPlay retrofit for the T27, so the only "official" route would be to swap the unit for another second-hand original — which doesn't have CarPlay either — or to update the Touch & Go maps, a recurring expense that doesn't solve the underlying problem.

Fitting a model-specific Android screen radio costs a fraction of any official alternative, is done once and takes the car to a completely different level of equipment. You can see the current price and the available memory configurations directly on the product page.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose the Avensis steering wheel controls?
No. The included CAN Bus module keeps them working: volume, track skip, phone and voice control all still operate from the wheel.

My Avensis has the Toyota Touch & Go navigation, can I still replace it?
Yes. The Android radio completely replaces that system and provides much better navigation, with updated maps and live traffic. You won't miss the original navigation.

Do the parking camera and sensors already fitted to the car still work?
The parking sensors keep beeping as normal because they are an independent system. If the car already had a factory camera, in most cases it can be reused; if not, the screen has an input ready to add one.

Does it fit properly or does it look like an add-on?
The fascia is specific to the T27, so it sits flush with the dashboard and respects the original shape. At a glance it looks like factory equipment from a newer car.

Does CarPlay work without a cable?
Yes, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect wirelessly. You only need to pair your phone the first time; after that it connects on its own when you start the car.

See the CarPlay radio for Toyota Avensis T27 (2009-2018)

You can see all the available configurations, photos of the complete kit and detailed compatibility on the product page for the CarPlay and Android Auto screen radio for the Toyota Avensis 3 T27. It includes all the model-specific wiring and fascia, so you don't need to buy anything else separately.