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2016–2020 CX-5 Infotainment (Screen Sizes, CarPlay, Quirks)

The 2016-2020 CX-5 runs Gen 6 Mazda Connect: an NXP i.MX6 Dual at 675 MHz running Linux 3.0.35, driving a 7-inch touchscreen on most trims. This page covers only what’s specific to these years — screen sizes by trim, factory-CarPlay timing, the firmware these cars shipped with, and known model quirks. General CarPlay, firmware, and troubleshooting are written once on the platform pages and linked below.

Two boundaries matter. The 2013–2015 first-gen KE used an older TomTom-based head unit that has nothing to do with Mazda Connect. The 2021+ CX-5 is a different system (10.25-inch, Gen 7); if your screen is 10.25 inches, see 2021+ CX-5 infotainment. Everything between those lines is the same CMU this whole site covers.

Which screen you have

Section titled “Which screen you have”

Every 2016–2019 CX-5 in North America 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 YearScreenTrims
2016 (KE facelift)7-inch touchFirst Gen 6 CX-5, earliest firmware
2017–2019 (KF)7-inch touchAll NA trims
2020 (KF)7-inch touch, or 8-inch touch8-inch on Grand Touring Reserve and Signature

Both panels hang off the same Gen 6 CMU board and take the same firmware; only the LCD differs. Both are touch-while-parked: Gen 6 locks the touchscreen above a low speed and hands you the Commander knob. Trim mapping above is North America; other markets split differently, so outside NA confirm by tapping the screen and reading the About screen rather than trusting the trim name.

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”

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 identically to a factory 2019 car. Wireless CarPlay never shipped on Gen 6; it takes a third-party adapter.

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 Gen 6 release and the recommended target: it carries the CarPlay stack, the accumulated bug fixes, and is the baseline ScreenTune supports. Gen 6 ships one firmware image across the whole lineup, keyed only by region, so a CX-5 takes the same v74 build as an MX-5 or Mazda3. The update runs from a USB stick in 30–45 minutes; pull the nav SD card first. See how to get to v74 and the CX-5 firmware page for the version-by-version history.

Model-specific quirks

Section titled “Model-specific quirks”
SymptomLikely causeWhere to go
Ghost/phantom touches7-inch digitizer failureGhost touch
Black screen or reboot loopWeak battery or CMU faultBlack screen / reboots
Slow boot (55–65 s to usable)Stock service loadSlow boot fix
No audio, screen fineAmp communication lossBlack screen / reboots
Nav maps slow or missingSD card issuesCX-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 supports these cars once they’re on the v74 baseline: faster boot, no disclaimer screen, and touchscreen while driving on the touch panels. See ScreenTune if that’s why you’re here.

Section titled “Related”