Mazda Connect Generations: Identify Gen 6, 7, or 8

“Mazda Connect” is a brand name, not a single product. Mazda has shipped it on three completely different infotainment platforms. The head unit, or Connectivity Master Unit (CMU), determines the generation. A model and year do not. A United States 2021 CX-5 uses the newer computer, while Mazda sold original-system CX-5 trims later in Mexico, Australia, and continental Europe.

That distinction matters because almost everything that varies between cars is decided by the CMU: whether the screen accepts touch, whether CarPlay was factory or retrofit, which firmware format the About screen shows, whether the unit can be rooted. Identify the generation and the rest follows.

The three generations at a glance

Generation	Internal name	Years (varies by model)	Screen	Platform
Gen 6	MZD Connect / original Mazda Connect CMU	Late 2013–present in selected markets	7-, 8-, or 9-inch touch, depending on model and market	NXP i.MX6 Dual, Linux 3.0.35, Opera Presto UI
Gen 7	Mazda Connect (new)	2019–present	Usually 8.8- or 10.25-inch and commander-led; later touch exceptions	Newer SoC, proprietary OS, different UI framework
Gen 8	Mazda Connect with Google Built-In	2026+	12.9-inch, up to 15.6-inch (2026 CX-5)	Android Automotive (Google built-in)

Gen 7 and Gen 8 overlap in calendar years. The generation tracks the specific vehicle and its CMU, not the year alone, which is why the model-year columns above can’t be read as hard cutoffs.

Gen 6 MZD Connect: the one this site covers

Gen 6 is the platform every modification guide here targets. It launched on the Mazda3 in late 2013. Current original-style candidates include Mazda2 in Mexico, Colombia, Australia, and New Zealand, plus CX-3 in Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Australia, and New Zealand. Sales pages identify the interface, not the processor or firmware.

Hardware and software:

• NXP i.MX6 Dual (ARM Cortex-A9) running Linux 3.0.35
• UI built in HTML/JS/CSS and rendered by Opera Presto, an old embedded browser engine
• Hardware by Visteon, system software by Johnson Controls (JCI)
• Rootable through documented USB exploits, which is what makes screen adjustments possible at all

How to recognize it:

• A 7-, 8-, or 9-inch touchscreen, depending on model, market, and trim
• A physical Commander knob with a volume ring on the console
• Home screen built from large square app tiles in a grid
• Settings → System → About shows a firmware string like v55.xx.xxx, v59.xx.xxx, v70.xx.xxx, or v74.xx.xxx (e.g. 74.00.324A NA N)
• CarPlay and Android Auto, if present, were added by a retrofit (a v70+ firmware update plus a USB hub), not factory equipment on early cars

For the firmware-string detail and what each version unlocked, see firmware versions. For where to find the About screen, see check firmware. The chip, board, and OS are described in full on the hardware platform page.

Gen 7 Mazda Connect: newer, locked down, not covered

Gen 7 arrived with the 2019 Mazda3 and rolled across the lineup from there. It looks like a glossier Mazda Connect and shares the brand, but underneath it is a different computer.

How to recognize it:

• Usually an 8.8- or 10.25-inch widescreen with commander-led input; later trims can add touch in specific contexts
• A flatter UI with rounded cards and simpler menus
• CarPlay and Android Auto included from the factory; no retrofit, no USB hub install
• A different firmware version format on the About screen

Why Gen 6 instructions don’t carry over: different SoC and operating system, a different filesystem layout and service architecture, a UI that isn’t Opera Presto, and firmware .up packages that aren’t interchangeable. The USB root exploits that work on Gen 6 do nothing here. A full side-by-side is on Gen 6 vs Gen 7.

Gen 8: Android Automotive

The 2026 CX-5 is the first confirmed car to ship Mazda Connect with Google Built-In. It runs Android Automotive, with Google Maps, Google Assistant, and the Play Store native, a touchscreen with Android interaction patterns, and over-the-air updates. It is a clean break from both earlier platforms.

How to identify your generation

1. Read the About screen. Settings → System → About. A Gen 6 unit shows a string like 74.00.324A NA N; Gen 7 uses a different format. This is the most reliable single check; see check firmware.
2. Test the screen for touch. Documented Gen 6 panels accept touch while parked. A non-touch 8.8- or 10.25-inch screen points to the newer system, but later newer-system trims can add touch. Use firmware to settle exceptions.
3. Treat CarPlay as supporting evidence. Early Gen 6 cars needed a retrofit, but later Gen 6 cars shipped with wired or wireless phone projection in several markets. CarPlay is not a generation test.
4. Check year against model. Transition years differ per vehicle, so the table isn’t a hard cutoff: a 2019 Mazda3 is Gen 7, but a 2019 CX-5 is still Gen 6.
5. Look at the CMU label if the unit is accessible (for instance during a USB hub install). Gen 6 units carry a Visteon sticker with part numbers.

Generation boundaries are market and trim data

Some splits are worldwide model-generation changes. Mazda3 BM/BN ends with 2018, and the 2019 BP uses the newer system. The main researched markets changed the MX-5 for 2024, although current Chilean and Peruvian pages still show 7-inch candidates.

Other splits vary substantially:

• CX-5: United States 2021, Canada 2021.5, Japan from December 3, 2020, UK 2021, Mexico 2024, and every Australian trim for 2023. Germany in 2023 and Austria in January 2025 document later trim overlap.
• CX-8: Japan changed in December 2020. Australia and New Zealand later sold both systems by trim.
• CX-9: United States 2021, Canada 2021.5, while Mexico and selected Australian trims retained original-style candidates through 2023 or 2022.
• Mazda2 and CX-3: current original-style candidates remain in the countries named above. Base-trim equipment and regional firmware still require a car-level check.
• Mazda6: the 2015 facelift retained the original system through 2024 in Germany and Japan and January 2025 in Australia.

The sourced worldwide vehicle matrix provides the country, trim, and date detail. Before you buy explains the final About-screen check.

Related

• Gen 6 vs Gen 7: the detailed side-by-side
• Hardware platform: the chip, board, and OS inside a Gen 6 CMU
• Firmware versions: what each Gen 6 release changed
• Supported vehicles: the full model-by-model list