CarPlay Head Unit for Honda HR-V and Vezel (2014-2019): how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The Honda HR-V is one of those compact SUVs bought to last: reliable mechanicals, moderate fuel consumption, the famous Magic Seats that turn the boot into a small van, and a reputation for toughness that keeps many units running well past 200,000 km. Outside Europe the same car is sold as the Honda Vezel and the XR-V, and they all share the same dashboard and the same radio opening.

The weak point is the infotainment. The factory system of this generation aged quickly: slow menus, maps almost nobody updates and, on many trim levels, no trace of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Here we explain what each version actually has and how to swap it for a model-specific 9-inch Android screen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, without touching the dashboard.

Does the Honda HR-V have CarPlay as standard?

It depends on the trim and the year, and the difference between them is significant:

• The entry-level trims shipped with a simple radio and a small display: Bluetooth and little else, with no phone mirroring.
• Trims with Honda's touchscreen system include their own navigation and closed apps, but do not let you install anything new: what comes from the factory is all you get.
• Units that do offer phone mirroring only do it over a cable: the phone always has to be plugged into the USB port.
• On imported units sold as the Vezel or XR-V, the system usually comes in another language and with radio stations and maps from its home market, something you cannot change from the menus.

In short: either your HR-V has no CarPlay, or it has it tied to a cable and running on a system that no longer receives updates.

The solution: an Android head unit for the Honda HR-V

The model-specific screen replaces the original unit using its opening, its frame and its connectors, so the dashboard keeps its factory look. What you gain:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: you sit down, start the car and the phone connects on its own.
• 9-inch HD touchscreen, much larger and easier to read than the original.
• Navigation with Google Maps and Waze, with live traffic and always up-to-date maps.
• Android with the Play Store: Spotify, YouTube, podcasts, online radio or whichever app you use daily.
• Steering wheel controls retained thanks to the included CAN-BUS module.
• Bluetooth and hands-free with an external microphone, for far clearer calls.
• Two USB ports, GPS and FM radio, plus an included reversing camera that switches on by itself when you engage reverse.

HR-V compatibility: supported versions

The unit is made for the opening and connector of these versions:

• Second-generation Honda HR-V (2014-2019), with the tall centre console typical of the model.
• Honda Vezel (2014-2019), the same car's name in the Asian market.
• Honda XR-V (2014-2019), the equivalent variant with an identical radio opening.
• Petrol, 1.6 i-DTEC diesel and hybrid versions from the same period.
• It works both on units with the basic radio and on those with the factory touchscreen system.

Since several console layouts coexist in this generation, the quickest check is to compare the shape of your dashboard with the photos on the product page. If you have any doubt, send us a photo of your radio on WhatsApp and we will confirm free of charge whether it fits before you buy.

What is the installation like?

It is a plug & play job using the car's own connectors, without cutting a single wire:

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal before you start removing anything.
2. Remove the centre console trim with a plastic tool, releasing the clips little by little so you do not mark the finish.
3. Pull out the original unit by undoing its screws and unplug power, speakers, aerial and USB.
4. Connect the model-specific harness of the new screen to those same vehicle connectors.
5. Plug in the CAN-BUS module, essential for the steering wheel controls to keep working.
6. Fit the external microphone next to the rear-view mirror or on the A-pillar, and run the reversing camera cable to the tailgate.
7. Test everything before closing up: sound, wireless CarPlay, GPS, camera and steering wheel controls. Then slide the screen in and refit the trim.

The whole process takes between 30 and 60 minutes. An installation manual is included and, if you would rather not go in blind, we guide you over WhatsApp while you do it.

How much does it cost to add CarPlay to a Honda HR-V?

At an official dealer, retrofitting Honda's higher infotainment system almost never adds up: you have to pay for the unit, the wiring, the coding and the labour, and the result is still a closed system where you cannot install apps. At a car audio shop the alternative is buying the unit, the fascia, the harness and the steering wheel control adapter separately, and the bill grows part by part.

The model-specific screen arrives with all of that solved out of the box — assembled fascia, CAN-BUS, GPS aerial, camera and cables — and with wireless CarPlay included. You will find the current price and the available memory versions on the product page we link below.

Frequently asked questions

Do I lose the Magic Seats or any car function?
No. The screen only replaces the infotainment unit; the seats, the climate control and every other system keep working exactly the same.

My HR-V already has a factory touchscreen. Is it worth changing?
If you miss wireless CarPlay, up-to-date maps or being able to install apps, yes. If the original system does the job for you, there is no need to change anything.

Do I keep the steering wheel controls?
Yes, the included CAN-BUS module keeps them working, including volume control and track skipping.

My car is an imported Vezel with the system in Japanese. Does that get fixed?
Yes. Once the unit is replaced by the Android screen, the whole system runs in your language, with European stations and maps.

Will it pass the roadworthiness test?
Yes. It is fitted in the original opening and does not alter any safety component, so it needs no type approval.

See the CarPlay head unit for the Honda HR-V

➡️ See the product: CarPlay and Android Auto head unit for Honda Vezel 2, HR-V and XR-V (2014-2019) · or browse all screens for Honda.