CarPlay Head Unit for Citroën C3 and DS3 (2010-2017): how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The second-generation Citroën C3 and its premium sibling, the DS3, are still two of the most common cars on Spanish roads. They are reliable, comfortable in town and cheap to run, but they share a problem that becomes more obvious every year: their audio system is stuck in the CD-and-USB era. No Google Maps on screen, no voice-dictated messages, no Spotify with album art. If you drive one every day, you have probably given up and stuck your phone on a windscreen mount.

The good news is that you don't need a new car to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There is a model-specific screen for the C3 and the DS3 that replaces the original head unit, fits the factory opening and plugs into the car's original connector without cutting a single wire. In this guide we explain what your car came with, what the screen adds, how it is installed and what it really costs.

Do the Citroën C3 and DS3 have CarPlay as standard?

No. Neither the C3 II nor the DS3 left the factory with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto during the years covered by this guide. What they did fit was one of these systems:

• CD radio with a monochrome display in the dashboard (the typical blue or orange strip showing the station and track). Bluetooth for calls on higher trims, and little else.
• MyWay / eMyWay system with sat-nav and a 7" colour screen, running maps that are completely outdated today and whose updates cost almost as much as a new screen.
• Citroën Connect / DS Connect on later units, with Bluetooth playback but no phone projection.

Citroën only started offering CarPlay as standard with Citroën Connect Nav on later models. In other words: no matter how much you update the software or change your phone, your original head unit will never mirror it. The only real option is to replace the unit.

The solution: an Android head unit for the Citroën C3 and DS3

Our model-specific screen for the C3 and DS3 takes exactly the place of the original radio, with the model's own trim frame and connectors. It is not a universal head unit forced into the dash: it fits as if it came from the factory.

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: your phone connects on its own as soon as you start the car, with no cables.
• GPS with Google Maps and Waze, including speed camera alerts and live traffic. It also supports downloaded maps for offline use.
• HD touchscreen, far larger and brighter than the original, with day/night brightness adjustment.
• Bluetooth hands-free, FM/RDS radio, USB and an output for an amplifier or subwoofer.
• Reversing camera input (and front camera input on the higher-memory versions), something the C3 rarely had as standard.
• Working steering wheel controls thanks to the included CAN Bus decoder: volume, track and phone still work from the wheel.
• Android with OTA updates, so you can install whatever apps you want (Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, internet radio and more).

Compatibility with the C3 and DS3: supported versions

The kit is designed for the second generation of the C3 (2010-2017) and for the DS3 throughout its production run, including the Cabrio. Specifically:

• Citroën C3 II (including the C3 with Visiodrive and the Zenith panoramic windscreen).
• Citroën DS3 and DS3 Cabrio, both in the Citroën DS3 era and the DS Automobiles era.
• Any engine: VTi/PureTech petrol and HDi/BlueHDi diesel.
• Trims with the monochrome CD radio and also with MyWay/eMyWay (in that case the screen replaces the original sat-nav).

Before ordering it is worth taking a photo of your dashboard and sending it to us: the C3 uses several different fascias depending on trim and year, so we can confirm the right frame in a couple of minutes.

What is the installation like?

It is a Plug & Play installation: no wire in the car is cut or spliced. A handy owner can do it in a quiet afternoon, and any installer will sort it out in under an hour.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal before you start. It is the step most people skip and the one that prevents the most trouble.
2. Remove the centre console trim with a plastic pry tool, working the clips loose. No metal screwdrivers: they scratch the plastic.
3. Undo the original head unit screws and pull it straight out towards you.
4. Unplug the ISO blocks, the aerial and, if fitted, the fibre or sat-nav connector.
5. Connect the harness and CAN Bus module supplied with the kit. Each plug only fits where it belongs, so there is no way to get it wrong.
6. Route the microphone cable up the windscreen pillar to the mirror and, if you are fitting a camera, run its cable down the side trim to the tailgate.
7. Reconnect the battery and test before closing up: sound from all four speakers, steering wheel controls, GPS and phone pairing.
8. Slot the screen into the opening, screw it down and refit the trim.

Updating the original sat-nav in a C3 at the dealer (while it was still possible) cost between 150 and for the maps alone, and still gave you no CarPlay. Having a branded unit fitted by a specialist, with frame and adapters, usually goes well beyond These are our versions:

From · free shipping · support before and after your purchase.

If you are torn between versions, the 2 GB one offers the best price/performance balance for normal use; the 4 GB one makes sense if you use sat-nav and music streaming at the same time every day. We explain it in detail in our RAM guide.

Frequently asked questions

Will I lose the steering wheel controls on my C3?

No. The kit includes the model's CAN Bus decoder, so volume, track skip, phone and voice control keep working from the wheel exactly as before.

My DS3 has the original MyWay sat-nav, can I still fit it?

Yes. The screen replaces the sat-nav assembly and takes over its role using Google Maps or Waze, which are far more up to date than the original maps. Just tell us when ordering so we send you the right harness.

Can I add a parking camera?

Yes, the screen has a camera input and switches to the rear view automatically when you select reverse. It is a very worthwhile upgrade on the DS3, whose rear visibility is rather tight.

Will it pass the roadworthiness test?

Yes. As a model-specific screen fitted into the original radio opening, it changes neither the structure nor the lighting of the vehicle and needs no type approval. We cover it in Do Android screens pass the Spanish ITV test?

Does CarPlay work without cables?

Yes, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connect wirelessly as soon as you start the car. If you would rather charge your phone at the same time, you can also connect it via USB.

See the CarPlay head unit for the Citroën C3 and DS3

➡️ See the product: CarPlay and Android Auto Head Unit for Citroën C3 and DS3 (2010-2017) · all Citroën screens.