Will there be updated VW headunits in the near future?

[MrGTIandRfan]

THe RNS-510 is nearing on being 5 years old. I have held off purchasing one for a while now, but may pull the trigger on one soon.

Is it still a good buy at this time or are there better aftermarket solutions out at the moment? And no, I don't consider any of the cheap Chinese lookalikes as 'better'.

[Ryan_R]

The next unit will probably be revealed in conjunction with the Mk7 Golf later this year (Europe). From what I've heard it more iPad-ish and it may not even be compatible with older cars.

[readerr0r]

Well they've shown some interior shots of the new MQB Seat Leon and the older Leon's used the VW headunits so here's a small hint at what the budget headunit (RCD310/510 replacement?) should look like.

[Ryan_R]

Dials look a bit Audi-ish from first glance. Nice!

[FJ Steve]

latest generation Sat Nav units for VW cannot be hacked in regard to firmware and maps, unlike what we can do with the RNS

your choice.

[noone]

latest generation Sat Nav units for VW cannot be hacked in regard to firmware and maps, unlike what we can do with the RNS

you mean no one has had one to play with yet? If ECU's, phones, etc can be, why not a head unit?

[FJ Steve]

because the unit will come shipped with world wide maps. They will be unlocked for your geographical region. To change the region or update the map, you will need to present the car to a VW dealer with your OEM Owners SD card. The dealer will then insert their SD card (unit has 2 x SD slots) and the system will be unlocked by a dealer PIN. The system can then be altered to suit owners wishes (i.e change map region from Australia to NZ or similar, because vehicle is being shipped o'seas or whatever). Map upgrades will only come from the dealer, via the 'unlock' system described above.

This info has been confirmed by Touareg owners (Euro) who now have these systems or have been advised of the impending release.

Also...I understand that the new system is not able to be retro-fitted (maybe new generation Canbus or similar)

[Ryan_R]

Dealers might be thinking they missed out on quite a few thousand from people retrofitting for a 3rd of the price... that said I wouldn't have ever spent $3,000 on the RNS510 in any case, I'd still have my 310 and no reversing camera, or perhaps be looking at that ANS510 if the same restrictions had existed for Mk6.


Wonder if duplicating the dealer SD card will work (why wouldn't it) and how long it would take to end up online.

[FJ Steve]

Wonder if duplicating the dealer SD card will work (why wouldn't it) and how long it would take to end up online.

I'm not a propellor head...but I understand that this is impossible...especially considering that you need the dealer PIN as well

This is what I was able to find out about the RNS850 for a Touareg owner asking about map updates

The RNS850 is the designated model for 2011+ Touaregs. It has an 80GB HDD, 32GB SD card reader.
After-sales install: You have to buy a 32 GB SD Card and an activation pack

The car must be hooked up to VCDS and you can only install with a live connection to VAG
The installation procedure involves passwords an activation code 3 x and is performed similarly to the Audi MMI 3G with HDD
In fact the RNS850 is the VW equivalent made by Aisin Japan

There is absolutely no way to alternative installation. Not even by exchanging the HDD.

Map updates are installed by way of 32GB SD card and comprises all regions.
Whether you do the update in Egypt, Bolivia or New Zealand, the contents of the HDD will be identical. On completion of installation the region code is set and that is all there is to it.

So...in summary:
Without the original 32 SD Card, owned by the dealership and the activation pack required for the online coding and unlocking you cannot do anything. You cannot buy the SD card. It is a standard tool in the dealership. You only buy the activation pack and the SD Card will remain in stock at the dealer.

So...VW have now worked out a method to bypass the free-sharing of maps (a la RNS510)

[iampivot]

Some RNS850 pics here; 2011 VW Touareg buying guide, reviews, and features explained - VW TDI forum and Audi TDI forum - myturbodiesel.com