The Toyota Hilux Mk8 (known internally as Revo, AN120/AN130 chassis) is one of the best-selling and longest-lasting pickups on European roads. It handles worksites, farm tracks, towing and mileage without complaining... but its infotainment aged far worse than its mechanicals. If your Hilux came with the basic Toyota Touch 2, you have a head unit with Bluetooth and little else: no Apple CarPlay, no Android Auto and a navigation system that is sold separately and costs a fortune to update.
The good news is that you do not need a new car or a trip to the dealer. There is a model-specific Android head unit for the 2015-2023 Hilux that replaces the original radio, fits the factory opening with its custom frame and gives you wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, GPS with offline maps and a reversing camera input, while keeping your steering wheel controls.
Does the Toyota Hilux have CarPlay as standard?
It depends on the trim level and on when your unit was built, and this is where most people get confused:
- Entry trims (GX, Live, Business): many shipped with a simple 6.1" radio or even a radio-CD, without CarPlay or Android Auto. At best, Bluetooth for calls and streaming.
- Toyota Touch 2: 7" touchscreen, hands-free and USB. Early versions do not include CarPlay or Android Auto: phone apps were limited to MirrorLink and Toyota's own utilities.
- Toyota Touch 2 with Go: adds built-in navigation and connected services. Older versions still lack CarPlay, and map updates are paid for.
- Facelift units (Invincible, GR Sport): these fit a more modern head unit that does include CarPlay and Android Auto, in many cases still wired.
In short: if your Hilux is from the first half of the Mk8 generation, chances are you do not have CarPlay. And if you do, it is almost certainly wired and on a small, slow screen compared to what is fitted today.
The other classic Hilux problem: Toyota does not allow CarPlay to be enabled by software on units that left the factory without it. It is not a box you tick with a diagnostic tool; the hardware has to be changed.
The solution: an Android head unit for the Toyota Hilux
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Talk to an expert on WhatsAppThe CarPlay head unit for the Toyota Hilux 2015-2023 is a model-specific unit, not a universal double-DIN radio hacked into place. It comes with the Hilux's own frame and connector, so the dashboard looks exactly as it left the factory.
This is what you gain by swapping it:
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: get in, start the engine and your phone connects on its own. They also work over USB if you prefer.
- 9" HD touchscreen, far larger and smoother than the original Touch 2.
- Android with the Play Store: Google Maps, Waze, Spotify, YouTube, online radio, offroad route apps... without depending on your phone.
- Built-in GPS with offline maps, very useful on site, on a farm or on a forest track with no signal.
- Hands-free Bluetooth, 2 USB ports and DSP to tune the sound (a noisy cabin like the Hilux's really appreciates the DSP).
- Reversing camera input, switching on automatically when you select reverse. With an open bed or a hardtop, it is welcome.
- Working steering wheel controls thanks to the Toyota-specific CAN bus.
Toyota Hilux compatibility: supported versions
This head unit is designed for the eighth generation Hilux, the one Toyota sells as Revo:
- Toyota Hilux Mk8 (Revo, AN120/AN130): 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
- Toyota Hilux Mk8 facelift, including the Invincible and GR Sport trims: 2021, 2022 and 2023.
- Single Cab, Extra Cab and Double Cab body styles.
- 2.4 D-4D, 2.8 D-4D and 2.7 VVT-i engines from the same period, manual or automatic.
And if your Hilux is older? Then a different unit applies: see our guide for the Hilux 2005-2015 (Vigo), and the rest of the range is covered in the Toyota CarPlay guide, model by model.
What is the installation like?
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Talk to an expert on WhatsAppIt is a plug & play installation: it uses the car's original connector, with no cutting or splicing. A fitter does it in 30-60 minutes, and if you are handy you can do it at home following the included guide.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal before you start.
- Carefully remove the dashboard trim: it is held by clips, with no visible screws.
- Undo the original radio's screws and pull it out with its connectors.
- Plug the head unit's model-specific harness into the Hilux's factory connector. This is where the CAN bus comes in: it is the module that translates the car's signals so your steering wheel controls, parking sensors and camera keep working.
- If you are fitting a reversing camera, run the video cable along the side to the tailgate or bumper.
- Fit the new screen with its frame, screw it in, reconnect the battery and start the engine.
- Pair your phone over Bluetooth the first time; after that CarPlay and Android Auto connect by themselves.
No type approval is needed and it does not affect a roadworthiness test: as the screen sits in the original opening and does not modify any safety component, it is not a significant modification. We explain it in detail in Do Android head units pass the roadworthiness test?
How much does it cost to add CarPlay to a Toyota Hilux?
Through official channels, not much to work with: Toyota does not sell a head unit upgrade for units that left the factory without CarPlay, so the usual dealer answer is that it cannot be added. The alternative that does exist - fitting a generic double-DIN unit at a workshop - is expensive, requires separate frames and adapters, and often costs you the steering wheel controls or the factory look.
The model-specific head unit is the cheapest and cleanest of the three options, because the kit is complete: screen, custom frame, harness with CAN bus and fitting guide, with the reversing camera included. You can see the current price and the available memory versions directly on the product page. If you are unsure which version to choose, our RAM guide will help.
Shall we confirm it fits your Hilux?
Send us a photo of your current radio and we will tell you in minutes which screen you need. No commitment.
💬 Confirm on WhatsAppFrequently asked questions about CarPlay in the Toyota Hilux
Still have questions? Talk to an expert
Message us on WhatsApp with your make, model and year and we will tell you exactly which screen fits your car. We reply in minutes.
Talk to an expert on WhatsAppCan CarPlay be enabled on a Hilux with a diagnostic tool, without changing the radio?
No. On Hilux models that left the factory without CarPlay, the head unit does not have the required hardware, so there is no software activation. The only real route is replacing the radio.
Do I keep the steering wheel controls and parking sensors?
Yes. The harness includes the Toyota-specific CAN bus module, which keeps the steering wheel controls, the rear sensors and the original camera if your Hilux has one.
Does the GPS work with no signal, on a track or out in the field?
Yes. The screen has its own GPS receiver, independent of your phone, and you can download offline maps from Google Maps or Waze. That is exactly the scenario a Hilux tends to work in.
Does it cope with dust and vibration in heavy use?
The unit sits in the dashboard's original opening, just like the factory radio, using the same mountings. It does not hang loose or sit on cable ties, which is where vibration problems come from in universal installs.
Can I still use the FM radio and Bluetooth as before?
Yes, it keeps FM radio, hands-free Bluetooth and USB, and adds streaming, apps and wireless CarPlay/Android Auto.
See the CarPlay head unit for the Toyota Hilux (2015-2023)
➡️ See the product: CarPlay and Android Auto head unit for the Toyota Hilux 2015-2023 · or browse all Toyota head units.