Mercedes NTG5 COMAND and Audio 20 Systems

V1.3 - Note that there are some head-unit photos missing, I will add as I get hold of the various units.

Introduction

Mercedes introduced COMAND NTG5 in the W222 S-Class at launch in 2013. This systems was strangely known as NTG5*2 internally. It was then installed in the W205 C-Class at launch and used on the GLC, AMG-GTS and the W447 Vito. The 'non navigation' Audio-20, and the Garmin SD card 'Audio-20 with Navigation' systems were also launched with the W205-C class. A version of the Audio-20 without a CD player was installed in earler W213/W238/W257 E and CLS vehicles.

NTG5*2 has no keyboard, and excepting the Audio-20 on E/CLS it does have a CD player (COMAND has a CD/DVD which is actually a BLU-RAY mech but i've never tried playing a BLU-RAY in it). It is controlled completely from a rotary controller and an optional touchpad (cars with COMAND always have the touchpad). COMAND NTG5*2 is made by Harman. Audio-20 NTG5*2 is made by Mitubishi (Melco) or by Panasonic. NTG5*2 has a seperate SD-Card/Twin USB connector in the centre armrest.

A more traditional system with full keyboard was then released and this is called NTG5*1. It was installed in the MY2015 E class and CLS class, and followed in the A, B, CLA, GLA and with the GLE/GLS when they were facelifted (and renamed from ML/GL). It has a SD-CARD slot in the front and seperate USB ports in the armrest glovebox.

NTG5.5 was then introduced for the W213/W238 E Class and the CLS adding Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Support. At launch only COMAND was NTG5.5 and Audio-20 was NTG5*2, Audio-20 was updated to NTG5.5 around the Model Year 2018 release - The NTG5.5 Audio-20 supports both the standard Audio-20 LCD and the larger LCD previously used for COMAND, and of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Note that NTG5.5 does not have an inbuilt CD/DVD player but there is an optional external CD/DVD that is in the main glovebox and can be retrofitted. NTG5.5 seems to be made only by Mitsubishi Electric (Melco).

There are two versions of the Audio-20, one that has inbuilt Navigation and a very basic one without Navigation and without a fibre optic port. The navigation units used a SD card with Garmin maps and navigation software on it. There are 3 different types of card (NTG5*1 / Panasonic NTG5*2, NTG5*2 Mitsubishi, NTG5.5), and for each type of card there are two variants, and update card to uprgade a vehicle that already has a SD card installed, and a full release for cars without the SD card or which the SD card has been lost. Then there are a number of maps for different areas, Europe, India, South East Asia, etc etc.

Pictures & Some Connection Information.

(More pictures to be added)

Click on a picture for a larger version.

NTG5*1 Mitsubishi (Melco) Audio-20 front, rear and top pictures

Coming Soon

NTG5*1 Panasonic Audio-20 front, rear and top pictures

Coming Soon

NTG5*1 COMAND front, top and rear pictures

NTG5*2 Mitsubishi (Melco) Audio-20 front, rear and top pictures

NTG5*2 Panasonic Audio-20 front, rear and top pictures

Note that this is a double height system as opposed to the smaller Melco system. It is very simlar to the NTG5*1 unit (but without a front).

NTG5*2 COMAND front, label and rear pictures

You can see the labels for the connectors. There are labels for misisng connectors which are for units with different functionality (such as rear entertainment system).

TV: Brown HSD - Video Connection to TV tuner
RSE: HSD - Video feed to RSE
DISP: Blue-HSD - Video feed to main display
CAM: Black-Dual-HSD - Video from rear view camera
USB: Black-Dual-HSD - To USB ports in armrest
USB-DSRC: Purple-HSD - USB to live traffic module
FM/AM: White Dual-Fakra - Dual FM/AM antenna
AUX: Beige Fakra - Video AUX
WLAN: Curry Fakra - Wireless LAN Antenna
BT/GPS: Blue Dual-Fakra - Bluetooth and GPS antennae
ETC/VICS: Dedicated Short Range Comms Module / Vehicle Information & Communications System (Japanese Traffic Info)

Audio-20 NTG5*2 E / CLS Front, Label and Rear pictures

Coming Soon;

All W213 units have no CD slot and are single-DIN height.

Connectors: -
White Dual-Fakra - Dual FM/AM antenna
Blue Double-Fakra: Bluetooth Antenna, Display connection
Brown Fakra
Green Fakra

NTG5.5 Audio 20 with Navigation front, label and rear pictures

NTG5.5 has no CD slot, and so it is single-DIN height.

Please see NTG5.5 COMAND information below for details of what the connectors are for.

NTG5.5 COMAND front, label and rear pictures

As COMAND NTG5.5 has no DVD slot, it is only a single height unit, and all you can see is the Hard Disk carrier.

You can see the labels for each connector. They are as follows

AUX / RVC - Double brown fakra for video AUX (undocumented) and Rear View Camera, connects to Parking System Control unit (RVC/360 camera)
IC/DISP - Double cream fakra for outputs to main display and instrument cluster
USB3 - Purple HSD - Rear USB or CD player, or DRSC (for Japan),
USB2 - Blue HSD - USB ports in armrest
USB1 - White HSD - USB to Wireless Charger / Wireless access module
TUN2/TUN1 - White double fakra, Twin FM/AM/DAB antenna
TUN3 - Curry fakra - SDARS (where it exists)
WLAN/BT - Blue double fakra - Wireless LAN and Bluetooth Antennae.
GPS - Green fakra - GPS antenna

USB connector port for NTG5*1 Audio-20 - left port is charging only.

USB connector port for NTG5*1 COMAND - both are USB ports, right one is for Smart Phones

SD/USB connector port for NTG5*2

Coming soon

Anti-Theft features

All NTG5 systems have a very long anti-theft code that must be entered using Xentry Diagnosis (the factory Diagnosis system) when a unit is put in a vehicle with a different

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Support

COMAND NTG5*1 and COMAND NTG5.5 can support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Cars with NTG5*1 without these options will need a software update and a licence package purchased to be installed correctly. Mercedes state that the warranty is void if you do not purchase the licence package - I assume this just applies to the Audio system. COMAND NTG5*2 can not support Car Play or Android Auto - even though the early press photos of Car Play showed it in a W205 C class.

There have been two manafacturers of Audio-20 units, Mitsubishi and Panasonic. The Mitsubishi units do not support Car Play or Android Auto. The latest Panasonic units can support Car Play and Android Auto - but it is not clear when the NTG5*1 Panasonic units started supporting it. The NTG5*2 Panasonic units seem to all support Car Play and Android Auto.

The NTG5*2 vehicles with Audio-20 have the option code 154 when they have Panasonic units.

If you need Apple Car Play retrofitted, I suggest you contact Comand (Europe) Ltd / Unique Car Sound who have the genuine parts and Diagnosis systems to install factory Car Play properly.

Option Codes

These are the option codes for the various systems.

154. Head Unit change on NTG5*2 from Mitsubishi to Panasonic
505. Basic Audio-20 NTG5.5 with no navigation
506 Audio-20 NTG5.5 with Garmin SD navigation
520. Basic Audio-20 NTG5*1 or NTG5*2 with no navigation
522. Audio-20 NTG5*1 / NTG5*2 with Garmin SD navigation
531. COMAND-APS NTG5*1 / NTG5*2 / NTG5.5

Further Information.

If you want to have the CD player retrofitted to your NTG5.5 system or want a NTG5 system retrofitted please talk to Comand (Europe) Ltd.

V1.0. 5th December 2019.
V1.1 10th Decemeber 2019 - Add NTG5*2 Audio-20-Nav Melco pictures
V1.2 12th December 2019 - Add NTG5*2 Audio-20 Panasonic pictures
V1.3 15th July 2020 - Add some info about W21e NTG5*2 Audio-20

V1.4 14th Jan 2020 - Correct some formatting and add some info about W213 NTG5*2 Audio-20