This past week, Mercedes-Benz has released brand new software updates for the built in navigation for the entire MBUX family!

The updates are:

• NTG6 (W213F, W167, W253F, W177F, etc) - Version 25 - Released 13th May 2025
• NTG7 (W223, W206, W254, X296, etc) - Version 27 - Released 13th May 2025
• Gen20x (W214, some W206, some W254) - Version 16 - Released 5th May 2025

I see common in this forum to rely on the built in OTA (over the air), or to take the car to the dealer. However, all Mercedes vehicles are equipped with the "3 years free map update" SA option, but this cannot be renewed or redeemed for other regions than the original one for the car.

Below I am going to write a simple guide to perform this map update yourself, instead of relying on your car to do it automatically or the dealer (plus.. if you do it right - it will be over 80% cheaper!!)

Prerequisites: 64GB USB Drive and a Windows 11/10 Computer

1. Download the Mercedes Download Manager (can be found by googling it)
2. Prepare your USB drive by formatting it to NTFS
3. Find out what NTG your car is by either:
   a. going into vehicle settings and finding out your "apilevel" (as it should include the NTG phrase)
   b. entering your VIN onto a website that offers a "car lookup" service
   
   
   (a good decoder will tell you your NTG version, region and whether or not your car is compatible)
4. Begin downloading the files using the DLM, by picking your desired NTG version and selecting your USB drive, and then "begin update"
5. Once downloaded, plug the USB into the car, it should prompt for a new software update, if it asks for a PIN, you know you've done everything right so far
6. Enter an activation key (cannot disclose providers, but once again you can google or search threads of people offering keys)

That should be it!

A common question I see asked is why should you bother to update your navigation software? Or, why not just use Carplay/Android Auto.

While internet connected navigation software, like Google Maps or Waze do have the latest up to date data, it solely relies on the internet connection of your phone, and GPS signal.
First off, some cars do not have Android Auto/Carplay enabled, and secondly your phone's GPS does not compare to the level of accuracy inside your car. Tunnels won't work, if your sim card provider has poor signal, maps won't work, and so on!

Did you also know your navigation system affects your fuel economy?
An outdated map might calculate a route that looks short on distance, but takes you through a new residential zone with 10 speed bumps and stop signs, or roads that do not exist anymore. A new map update knows that a new shortcut has opened. It might be 1 kilometer longer, but it allows you to maintain a constant speed, which burns significantly less fuel than stop-and-go driving.

Then if you do the math, over a year of driving, taking the most efficient route can save you more in fuel than the cost of the update itself. So, it’s not just about finding the nearest Italian restaurant. It’s about efficiency, financial value, and the intelligent operation of your vehicle.

Once people install these software updates, it might be a good idea to reply to this thread with experience installing the update, and whether or not we can discover what Mercedes has added in these new updates )

 

Thsnks for your work on this. I have a paid subscription so no problem getting updates. I like to install myself and not wait for OTA. If there is any traffic i will check waze or google maps first, as Mercedes navigation has often sent me off on wild chases. So I am left to ignore the recommended route changes at times, usually with a good result.