CarPlay Screen Radio for Smart Fortwo 453 (2014-2022): how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The Smart Fortwo 453 is probably the best city car you can own in Madrid or Barcelona: it parks where nothing else fits, turns on its own axis and, now that it shares its platform with Renault, finally has a gearbox and steering worthy of the name. But its interior, as cheerful as it is, falls short in one specific area: multimedia.

Many cars left the factory with a basic radio and a tiny display — or simply with a phone cradle on the dashboard, which was Smart's official solution for years. If your Fortwo is one of those, an Android screen radio with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto changes it completely, and without any butchery: it fits in the original slot.

Does the Smart Fortwo 453 have CarPlay as standard?

Most cars do not. Smart approached this generation in a very of-its-time way: instead of a big built-in screen, it offered a smartphone cradle with the Smart Cross Connect app, relying on your own phone as the navigator. On paper it sounded modern; in practice it means a phone dangling in front of you, covering part of the windscreen and draining its battery.

The systems you can come across are these:

• Basic radio with a small display, Bluetooth and USB, no navigation.
• Media System: small touchscreen with optional navigation, a closed system and maps that are now paid for separately.
• Phone cradle with the Smart app, on entry-level trims.

None of them accepts an official Apple CarPlay update, and Smart offers no kit to add it afterwards. Which is a shame, because this car lives off daily urban use — exactly where CarPlay is most welcome: navigation with traffic, music and voice messaging without letting go of the wheel.

The solution: Android radio for the Smart Fortwo 453

The CarPlay screen radio for the Smart Fortwo is fitted in the original radio slot, with a model-specific frame that respects the design of the fabric-and-coloured-plastic dashboard. Here is what you gain:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay: the iPhone connects on its own at start-up and stays in your pocket.
• Android Auto, also cable-free, with Waze or Google Maps on a big screen.
• Android with the Play Store: Spotify, YouTube, podcasts and parking or low-emission-zone apps, so useful in this car.
• Built-in GPS with maps of Spain and Europe that work without data — handy in underground car parks and streets with poor coverage.
• HD touchscreen: on such a compact dashboard, the visual jump from the original display is enormous.
• Working steering wheel controls thanks to the included CAN-Bus box.
• DSP with equaliser: the Fortwo's speakers really appreciate a decent digital stage.
• Free reversing camera, switching on automatically in reverse — very handy for parking nose-in.
• Bluetooth hands-free, USB and OTA updates.

Compatibility with the Smart Fortwo 453: supported versions

The unit is designed for the harness and data bus of this generation. It covers:

• Smart Fortwo 453 (2014-2022) in coupé and cabrio.
• Smart Forfour 453, which shares the platform, console and wiring.
• 1.0 and 0.9 turbo petrol versions, with manual gearbox and with the dual-clutch automatic.
• Smart EQ Fortwo, the electric variant of this same generation.
• Passion, Prime, Proxy and Brabus trims, with basic radio, Media System or phone cradle.

As always, there are nuances depending on equipment and year. If your car has the Media System with touchscreen or an unusual configuration, send us a photo of your current radio and dashboard on WhatsApp before buying: we will confirm free of charge within minutes that the frame and harness fit your car. It costs nothing and avoids surprises.

What is the installation like?

Plug & play installation, 40 to 80 minutes, with no cutting:

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal. On the Fortwo it sits under the boot floor, at the back: it is the step that catches most people out and the one not to skip.
2. Remove the central dashboard trim with a plastic trim tool. It is clipped in and comes off with patience, starting from the bottom.
3. Undo the screws of the original radio and pull it straight out.
4. Unplug the main connector and the aerial, and connect them to the specific harness of the new screen. That harness carries the CAN-Bus box, which keeps the steering wheel controls and cluster warnings working as before.
5. If you are fitting the camera, run its cable along the side to the tailgate.
6. Fit the screen into its frame and secure the assembly in the console opening.
7. Reconnect the battery, start the car and pair your phone over Bluetooth the first time. After that, CarPlay connects on its own.

Nothing is permanent: no original wiring is cut and the factory radio goes back in whenever you want.

At PantallasPremium the complete kit — screen, harness with CAN-Bus, model-specific frame and free reversing camera — costs with 1 GB of RAM + 16 GB, with 2 GB + 32 GB and with 4 GB + 64 GB, which is the most comfortable version if you are going to use wireless CarPlay every day. Free shipping and a 3-year warranty.

Frequently asked questions

Does a screen this size fit in such a small car?
Yes. The Fortwo 453 has a perfectly usable central slot, and the model-specific frame is designed for that dashboard. It sits flush, without encroaching on the climate controls.

I have the electric version, is there any difference?
The Smart EQ of this generation shares the console and connector, so the installation is the same. As always, confirm your car with a photo on WhatsApp before buying.

Can I remove the phone cradle from the dashboard?
Yes, and that is rather the point: with CarPlay on screen you no longer need the phone in sight, so you get your visibility back and the dashboard stays clean.

Does it also work for the Forfour?
Yes. The Forfour 453 shares its platform, console and wiring with the Fortwo, so it is the same unit.

Does it overheat parked in the sun in summer?
It is a unit designed for automotive use, with a wide temperature range. In summer it is worth not leaving the car for hours in direct sun without a windscreen shade, as with any screen — but it is not a real problem day to day.

See the CarPlay radio for the Smart Fortwo 453

Here it is: CarPlay Screen Radio for Mercedes-Benz Smart Fortwo 2014-2022, from with a reversing camera included and free shipping. Send us a photo of your current radio on WhatsApp and we will confirm free of charge exactly which unit your Fortwo needs before you buy.