United States 2016–2020 CX-5 Infotainment
United States 2016–2020 CX-5s run the original Mazda Connect CMU, an NXP i.MX6 Dual running Linux 3.0.35. Most use a 7-inch touchscreen. The United States trim, CarPlay, and firmware details below do not transfer to other markets.
Worldwide boundaries are different. Canada changed at 2021.5, Mexico for 2024, Australia across 2021–2023 by trim, and continental Europe retained selected 8-inch MZD Connect trims through at least January 2025. Use the CX-5 market table for those cars.
7-inch on every trim until the 2020 8-inch option
Section titled “7-inch on every trim until the 2020 8-inch option”Every 2016–2019 United States CX-5 has the 7-inch, 800×480 touchscreen. The 2020 model year added one variant at the top of the range: Mazda’s 2020 CX-5 announcement gave the Grand Touring Reserve and Signature “a new eight-inch full-color touchscreen display.”
| Model Year | Screen | Trims |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 (KE facelift) | 7-inch touch | First Gen 6 CX-5, earliest firmware |
| 2017–2019 (KF) | 7-inch touch | All NA trims |
| 2020 (KF) | 7-inch touch, or 8-inch touch | 8-inch on Grand Touring Reserve and Signature |
Both United States panels use the same original CMU board and firmware; only the LCD differs. Both are touch-while-parked. Trim names and screen sizes differ elsewhere, so use the source-market equipment list and About screen.
The 7-inch digitizer is the one with the documented failure mode: ghost touch, phantom taps from ITO film corrosion, hit early 7-inch units hardest and is covered by a class-action settlement on some years.
CarPlay arrived for 2019; earlier cars retrofit it
Section titled “CarPlay arrived for 2019; earlier cars retrofit it”In the United States, 2019–2020 cars on Touring trim and up shipped with wired CarPlay and Android Auto from the factory. The 2019–2020 Sport did not include it. 2016–2018 cars shipped without it on every trim, and Mazda’s retrofit kit (released August 2018) adds it:
- Firmware v70.00.021A or later, which adds the CarPlay/Android Auto stack to the CMU.
- The USB hub module (hub part TK78-66-9U0C; accessory kit 00008FZ34 in some regions), which replaces the stock single port in the armrest console with one that carries CarPlay data.
Both are required; neither works alone. DIY parts run roughly $100–250 and the install is a console-trim job, no splicing or programming. The per-year CX-5 detail (including the 2018 late-build exception and how to check whether your car already has the hub) is on CX-5 CarPlay; the full platform walkthrough is CarPlay retrofit. One caveat on 2016: confirm the car actually has Mazda Connect (square app tiles, Commander knob) and not the 2013–2015 TomTom unit before ordering parts.
A retrofitted unit behaves like a factory 2019 United States car. These model years use an aftermarket wireless adapter for wireless CarPlay. Later regional Gen 6 candidates can have different factory phone-projection equipment.
Firmware: shipped on v55–v59, target v74.00.324A
Section titled “Firmware: shipped on v55–v59, target v74.00.324A”2016 KE units typically left the factory on v55–v58. 2016–2017 cars shipped v59.00.502 or later. Dealer-serviced and later-production cars may already be on v70+. Check yours at Settings > System > About (how to read the string).
v74.00.324A is the final standard North American Gen 6 release and the ScreenTune baseline. The update runs from a USB stick in 30–45 minutes; pull the nav SD card first. Regional builds have different visible labels and packages, so use firmware region codes before following the v74 update path.
Model-specific quirks
Section titled “Model-specific quirks”| Symptom | Likely cause | Where to go |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost/phantom touches | 7-inch digitizer failure | Ghost touch |
| Black screen or reboot loop | Weak battery or CMU fault | Black screen / reboots |
| Slow boot (~48 s to touch-ready, 55–65 s fully loaded) | Stock service load | Slow boot fix |
| No audio, screen fine | Amp communication loss | Black screen / reboots |
| Nav maps slow or missing | SD card issues | CX-5 navigation SD card |
CX-5-specific FORScan changes (i-Stop default, auto lock/unlock, mirror fold, DRL behavior) live in body modules, not the CMU, and are covered on CX-5 FORScan.
ScreenTune accepts a CX-5 only after its complete regional v74.00.324 identity is reviewed. Later candidates in Mexico, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand are not approved by model year alone. See ScreenTune and worldwide compatibility.
Related
Section titled “Related”- CX-5 overview
- CX-5 firmware compatibility: year/trim/firmware lookup
- Supported vehicles
- Hardware platform: the CMU board in detail
- Mazda Connect generations: where the Gen 6 line falls across the lineup