CarPlay Screen Radio for Smart Fortwo W451 (2005-2010): how to install Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

The Smart Fortwo W451 is the undisputed king of European city centres: it parks where nothing else fits, uses very little fuel and moves through traffic with an agility no other car can match. But when you sit inside, the dashboard gives away its age. The original radio in the W451 is tiny, with a two-line display, no navigation and, of course, no Apple CarPlay and no Android Auto.

And a city car is precisely where a good screen matters most: navigating streets that change direction, hunting for parking, dodging traffic jams with Waze or playing a podcast on the way to work. The good news is that the Fortwo's radio slot accepts a modern Android screen that looks completely factory-fitted, with no butchering of the dashboard.

Does the Smart Fortwo W451 have CarPlay as standard?

No. No version of the Fortwo W451 arrived with CarPlay or Android Auto from the factory. Depending on the trim, your Smart may have:

• Basic Smart radio: FM tuner, CD and a two-line monochrome display. In many cases without Bluetooth.
• Radio with Bluetooth for calls, on higher trims or as a dealer option.
• Portable Garmin navigation fitted in the upper slot, with maps that are obsolete today and no connection to your phone.
• Pre-wiring: on entry versions, simply a blanked-off slot.

None of those options can be updated by software to add CarPlay: it is a hardware limitation. Smart only introduced this feature with the following generation (the 453, from 2014 onwards) and even then with the optional infotainment system. In a W451 the only real solution is to replace the original unit.

The solution: Android radio for the Smart Fortwo W451

The screen radio we fit in the Fortwo W451 is an Android touch unit designed for this car's specific slot, with its own made-to-measure fascia. Everything you have been missing, all at once:

• Wireless Apple CarPlay: the iPhone connects on its own when you start the car, with no cable to pull out.
• Wireless Android Auto with Google Maps, Waze, Spotify or YouTube Music.
• IPS touchscreen with excellent viewing angles, which matters in such a compact cabin.
• Bluetooth 5.0 with an external microphone for crystal-clear hands-free calls.
• Built-in GPS with offline navigation, useful in underground car parks and tunnels.
• Reversing camera input, which switches on by itself when you select reverse.
• FM/RDS radio, USB, WiFi and app downloads from Google Play.
• Amplifier output and adjustable equaliser, to get more out of the original speakers.

It comes in three configurations: 1 GB + 16 GB for basic use, 2 GB + 32 GB (the most balanced option and our best seller) and 4 GB + 64 GB for anyone who wants maximum smoothness with several apps open.

Compatibility with the Smart Fortwo W451: supported versions

This screen is made for the dashboard of the Smart Fortwo W451 built between 2005 and 2010, in every body style and trim:

• Fortwo Coupé and Fortwo Cabrio.
• pure, pulse, passion and Brabus trims.
• mhd 1.0 petrol, turbo and cdi diesel engines.
• Versions with the basic radio, with the Bluetooth radio or with an empty radio slot.

For later cars, the W451 facelift from 2010 to 2015, we have a different reference, because the dashboard trim changes. And if your car is already a Fortwo 453 (2014 onwards), the unit is different again. If you are unsure which one is yours, send us a photo of the dashboard on WhatsApp and we will confirm the exact model before you buy.

What is the installation like?

It is a plug & play installation: it uses the car's original connector, with no cutting or splicing. In a Smart there is also very little to dismantle, so it is usually one of the quickest.

1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
2. Carefully remove the centre dashboard trim: it is held by push clips.
3. Undo the screws on the original radio and pull it out together with its frame.
4. Unplug the factory connector and the aerial.
5. Connect the specific harness with CAN Bus decoder included: this is what allows the new screen to understand the car's signals and to switch on and off with the ignition.
6. Run the microphone towards the A-pillar or the mirror and the GPS aerial to the base of the windscreen.
7. Fit the screen with its fascia, screw it in, refit the trim and reconnect the battery.
8. Switch on, pair your phone and let CarPlay or Android Auto start up on their own.

At PantallasPremium the price is clear:

• 2 GB + 32 GB version, the one we recommend for daily use.
• Up to for the 4 GB + 64 GB version.