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I wanted to share my experience and thoughts about doing a stereo upgrade on the XKR 2007. I know many owners want the extra connectivity but are apprehensive.
The factory head unit does quite a bit in terms of handling the vehicle settings etc so originally I was torn about doing an upgrade.
This basically lets you keep the original screen but adds car play features to it. All in all not a bad solution if you want to keep the original look and feel of the car and are concerned about a complete change.
After a lot of research I took the plunge and did a full Tesla Type screen upgrade.
The screen itself is 12.1” 64 gigs storage , 4gigs , Ram , 6 cores , and running on Android 10.1.
It is fully compatible with the car and takes over the air con controls also and all the vehicle settings except the valet option.. (Not something I use anyways)
The trim is also a very close match to the walnut trim which was also a concern . It isn’t perfect but it’s very close, you can see the picture below.
The steering wheel controls all work fine and the installation is literally plug and play apart from the few extra connections needed . This allows you to easily re install the original system anytime as all the original connectors remain intact.
This unit has great settings for the audio and it certainly is a big sound improvement too. The gps on goodie maps is gorgeous on this size screen .
It can mirror you’re phones both android and Apple. Fully supports CarPlay, It also has a sim slot which runs from a cable connection so you can easily hide this and install a sim if you need . It comes with two usb connections so I used one for the Dvr which leaves one spare.
The overall result is amazing , it updates the look and feel of the car and you can now install both rear, front and 360 degree cameras if you wish.
For me I installed a reverse camera and a Dvr but am now considering the 360 camera for the future.
Small things to take note of : The aerial now takes a while to go down when you lock the car , this is because the screen takes a while to fully shut down. Around 5 mins.
When installing the unit make sure you tuck all the cables away from the back of the ashtray otherwise the ashtray won’t open.
The original head unit had a speaker for the parking sensor so I installed a separate small speaker and tucked it behind otherwise you have no audio feedback for the sensors .
I do recommend this as an upgrade to anyone out there wanting to get more from the entertainment system.
The radio is great, the added features of being able to download apps from the google play store is nice .
It isn’t compatible with Netflix but the passenger can always mirror their phones if they have Netflix as a work around ...
Spotify works great on this unit also.
The boot up time is great it’s almost
instant because it never fully shuts down and has a standby mode. You can display your car on the screen and when you open the doors it shows up on screen .On a cold reboot the jaguar logo shows up.
In place of the original clock display you now have a digital clock display. It would have been nice if they had options for this though ..... perhaps there are I would need to look into this .
Lastly do be careful on installation with draining the car battery by constant restarts . My battery went
flat because of this and before that happened, the car started to report errors on the cruise control and forward alert system which worried me which ended up in more restarts which contributed to draining the battery . However, now the car has been driven and the battery charged up, it’s all back to normal.
The final thing is I notice is a buzzing noise from the steering, I believe after researching this, it isn’t due to the stereo upgrade but something to do with the car climate control sensor which has a small fan that blows over the sensor. If anyone has some more info on this , it is appreciated . I think it could just be a coincidence and I’ll try to fix that soon.
in the mean time here are the pics ..
I know this look is still a classic look .... I think it looks great
The install was done here in the UAE. The actual
unit is available on Alibaba.. AliExpress
I do hope this helps other owners in making the decision .
Price wise it’s $1200-$1500 Usd depending on options (camera etc) and where you source the screen ..
After doing this install I have noticed a price drop and some sellers on Alibaba / AliExpress have dropped it to $999.00
Hi Luke,
This has been on my mind for the past three years since I bought my '07 XKR. I will take a serious re-read of this and make a decision to do this. I have already modernized my dash to carbon fibre wrap, (I posted some pics way back) but the fact there is no music (bluetooth or aux/lightning compatibility is a pain.
Would you recommend I order one and then find an installer or try it myself (I'm pretty handy).......
I wanted to share my experience and thoughts about doing a stereo upgrade on the XKR 2007. ... After a lot of research I took the plunge and did a full Tesla Type screen upgrade. ...
The trim is also a very close match to the walnut trim which was also a concern . It isn’t perfect but it’s very close, you can see the picture below. ...
in the mean time here are the pics ..
I know this look is still a classic look ....
Hi Luke,
My apologies for being skeptical about your motives for starting this thread. Your replies convinced me that you're not a shill for the vendor.
I presume that the replacement burl wood trim panel is plastic, as the cost of real wood veneer would be prohibitively expensive. It looks just like the real thing, and perfectly matches your ash tray. But it doesn't match the darker burl wood shown in your first photo, which is the same color as the wood trim panel on the console that surrounds the shifter. It appears that the ash tray may have been replaced with on with the lighter color burl wood. That's apparent in your third picture. Do you now have two different colors of burl wood trim on the dashboard? If so, you may be able to find OEM light burl panels to match on Ebay or have Saul at British Autowood give you a quote to redo yours. He might be able to apply real dark burl wood veneer to your plastic infotainment screen trim. If so, then all you'd need to source is the correct ash tray. Or am I wrong and it's just the lighting that makes the photos look off? https://britishautowood.com/
I'm also curious about your shift knob. Your first photo shows a leather knob with an //R logo, but your third picture shows a black knob. What happened?
Here's a picture of what your interior looked liked from the factory.
Hi Luke,
My apologies for being skeptical about your motives for starting this thread. Your replies convinced me that you're not a shill for the vendor.
I presume that the replacement burl wood trim panel is plastic, as the cost of real wood veneer would be prohibitively expensive. It looks just like the real thing, and perfectly matches your ash tray. But it doesn't match the darker burl wood shown in your first photo, which is the same color as the wood trim panel on the console that surrounds the shifter. It appears that the ash tray may have been replaced with on with the lighter color burl wood. That's apparent in your third picture. Do you now have two different colors of burl wood trim on the dashboard? If so, you may be able to find OEM light burl panels to match on Ebay or have Saul at British Autowood give you a quote to redo yours. He might be able to apply real dark burl wood veneer to your plastic infotainment screen trim. If so, then all you'd need to source is the correct ash tray. Or am I wrong and it's just the lighting that makes the photos look off? https://britishautowood.com/
I'm also curious about your shift knob. Your first photo shows a leather knob with an //R logo, but your third picture shows a black knob. What happened?
Here's a picture of what your interior looked liked from the factory.
Stuart
Hi Stuart, no worries apologies accepted.
Ok so the gear knob was during installation, the installer covered it with bubble wrap and then black electrical tape so he wouldn’t cause any damage when removing the original head unit and to avoid scratching it as he manoeuvred the new screen in.
When I got the car the wood burr was different colors so I do believe the ashtray was replaced at some point and the gear surround is definitely darker than the other trims ... Funny enough the new trim is more of a match to the trim above the glove box and steering than the trim around the gear surround.
I have been searching for solutions but so far didn’t have any joy so I do appreciate the link and suggestions you gave me.
I was researching the hydro dipping option here and then I could literally get all the trim redone but it would depend on costs.
The fit looks good. I'm more interested in how it functions. In particular does it recognize heated windshield, heated and cooled seats and OEM backup camera. You have a 2007 and I have a 2014 with OEM backup camera, heated seats (not cooled), heated windshield, and Bluetooth. Can you tell us if any of the OEM settings are missing or don't work. Also, if you have experienced any problems and how the seller responded. Can you upload a complete video on Youtube showing all screens and how they function. Any problems connecting to the apps, using them, and downloading them? Thanks for showing this and being the first to try it.
This has been on my mind for the past three years since I bought my '07 XKR. I will take a serious re-read of this and make a decision to do this. I have already modernized my dash to carbon fibre wrap, (I posted some pics way back) but the fact there is no music (bluetooth or aux/lightning compatibility is a pain.
Would you recommend I order one and then find an installer or try it myself (I'm pretty handy).......
Thoughts?
The install isn’t too hard , I was around when the installer was installing it , my personal worry was not having the tools on hand to remove the trims without damaging plastic clips etc since the car is 2007 and quite a lot of the plastic parts are brittle due to sun exposure . .... So to answer your question it should be fine as a diy install if you are handy .... I could have done it myself since like you I am also fairly savvy.
I just came up with a wireless Qi charging solution that fits snugly in place of the drinks holder and moved the drinks holder into the main centre armrest.... Yes of course if you need to use the drinks holder ... You would need to keep the armrest open.
However for me charging the phone takes priority over having a drink sitting in the drinks holder
Its quite handy as when you wanna charge the phone you just slide the armrest back into position and put your phone on the charging pad. When you don’t need it the armrest slides back over the charger and it disappears
I will get around to posting up some pics of this hack when I have hidden the cables as I need to go buy some tools to complete this job.
As for enjoyment levels of music and gps this upgrade has been great . I use spotify and Jazz radio for most of the music and I have been trying out a few DAB apps . Audio wise I am looking into finding some apps that can play better quality audio rather than the compressed stuff we get over the streaming apps and will most likely copy those songs onto a USB drive or something when I get some time ... (More audiophile stuff)
I did try streaming some audiophile music from YouTube and must say it was pretty awesome with the stock Alpine speakers . It did take the sound to another level which got me thinking about putting better coded and sourced audio files onto a USB for enjoyment .
I use Google maps for the GPS... and will experiment with Waze over the next week .. I am waiting to get an OBD2 dongle so I can try out a few more Apps like torque pro.
I haven’t been too successful using the TPMS ( tyre pressure monitoring system) as I tried out the simple one that replaces the valve caps ... I was thinking about getting the actual valve version where you replace the tyre valve as I have been told that it’s more reliable but I can’t find anyone to verify this so I may have to take the plunge yet again and dive into the unknown to see if it’s stable .
The cheaper ones were always disconnecting and showing the incorrect pressure values.
In answer to some of the other posts :-
This thread has certainly gone beyond what I expected and I am trying hard to answer as many of the queries as I can . I am not really on social media platforms so I wouldn’t be too keen to post videos up on YouTube , however if you are ok with email I don’t mind taking some videos and sending them directly for those who want to see specific functions .
I have read queries about the oem camera support for newer models and i did ask my installer who indicated that it would not be an issue but I’m sorry I cannot confirm this as I have no way to check for you .
I am trying to find out about updates to fix the few issues that we have already seen such as the Oil displaying instead of what was supposed to be the fuel as well as the Mis spellings in the vehicle settings . I think to be fair the Chinese guys have done a great job but it’s not 100% perfect since English is not their first language, things get lost in translation .. lolz
However it’s generally quite easy to fix these things with updates and I hope they will accommodate .
I am not personally in touch with the factory but am going via my installer to address the small issues . So far they seem to be responding... time will tell if they send us an update ...
I do believe mine is the octa core version I will have to double check and I can’t say why there is a six core version etc as I don’t know . My unit is on Android 10.0 though as far as I’m aware and once again will try to check this to confirm it.
I do hope this helps, I am sure you can contact the factory directly for any other concerns you may have for those who want to take the plunge.
When I originally started looking for the solution I was chatting with a supplier on AliExpress who was very accommodating and helpful. I did feel bad that I didn’t purchase it from them in the end but hey that’s just they way things worked out .
The fit looks good. I'm more interested in how it functions. In particular does it recognize heated windshield, heated and cooled seats and OEM backup camera. You have a 2007 and I have a 2014 with OEM backup camera, heated seats (not cooled), heated windshield, and Bluetooth. Can you tell us if any of the OEM settings are missing or don't work. Also, if you have experienced any problems and how the seller responded. Can you upload a complete video on Youtube showing all screens and how they function. Any problems connecting to the apps, using them, and downloading them? Thanks for showing this and being the first to try it.
I will try to get around to checking on those specific functions and get back to you
This has been on my mind for the past three years since I bought my '07 XKR. I will take a serious re-read of this and make a decision to do this. I have already modernized my dash to carbon fibre wrap, (I posted some pics way back) but the fact there is no music (bluetooth or aux/lightning compatibility is a pain.
Would you recommend I order one and then find an installer or try it myself (I'm pretty handy).......
Thoughts?
As with many of us here, I had the same issues with the standard 2007 fit out of the infotainment unit, but after searching, I decided to stick with the approved and supplied Jaguar audio connectivity module (ACM) to provide auxiliary audio connectivity, whilst retaining the original unit. Most of the aftermarket displays out of China, I find look a bit gimmicky, for want of a better word, and don’t necessarily blend in to the natural aesthetics of the Jag. But that’s a personnel opinion. At any rate, the ACM achieved what i was primarily after and that was to play my iPhone audio through the car stereo and enjoy the drive, without necessarily playing with buttons and watching a screen, 🤓
I decided to stick with the approved and supplied Jaguar audio connectivity module (ACM) to provide auxiliary audio connectivity, whilst retaining the original unit.
Hey only yesterday i fitted my bluetooth connectivity module to my standard unit. I had turned on my aux function on a few weeks back while I was waiting for the module to arrive from Australia.
It's not the ACM jaguar unit, but I am extremely pleased with the results . Its great to be able to stream music to the cars speakers. Very pleased.
Hey only yesterday i fitted my bluetooth connectivity module to my standard unit. I had turned on my aux function on a few weeks back while I was waiting for the module to arrive from Australia.
It's not the ACM jaguar unit, but I am extremely pleased with the results . Its great to be able to stream music to the cars speakers. Very pleased.
HaHa, Glad to hear that worked for you. I didn’t find that adapter which appears to have been made in Australia. I I knew about that I would have sourced one of those, instead of the ACM which I had come from the UK to Australia, at the time. Oh well, all works now. 😬
I use Google maps for the GPS... and will experiment with Waze over the next week .. I am waiting to get an OBD2 dongle so I can try out a few more Apps like torque pro.
I haven’t been too successful using the TPMS ( tyre pressure monitoring system) as I tried out the simple one that replaces the valve caps ... I was thinking about getting the actual valve version where you replace the tyre valve as I have been told that it’s more reliable but I can’t find anyone to verify this so I may have to take the plunge yet again and dive into the unknown to see if it’s stable .
The cheaper ones were always disconnecting and showing the incorrect pressure values.
1. I have an ODB from Scantool. It is not a cheapo Chinese one. Pretty good product, and good company out of the USA. Been using them in all my cars for years. I ended up not using them on the head units screen though. I wanted my music app to be whats on the screen, and really couldn't do that with the ODB app there. So I always just used my phone. Then a few months ago, I found a small HUD that attaches directly to the ODB port, and starts up automatically when I start the car. No starting the app, bluetooth pairing, etc. It just plugs in and works. So I actually have two extra Scantool ODB bluetooth devices now. With the difficulty of traveling back and forth from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, it might not be worth your while, but if you want it, you can have it for free.
2. I prefer Waze myself. Here in the UAE, we are never out of cell tower range, but the problem I occasionally run into with Waze, is that even when I am connected to my phone hotspot, sometimes it takes a few before the Waze app recognizes it has a connection. Not a consistent problem, but occasionally.
2. From my research with aftermarket TPMS devices, even the ones that completely replace the valve stem(instead of just the cap), can be problematic. Which is why I haven't bothered getting TPMS yet. If you do find some that are reliable, please update us.
Like other comments here other then the novelty, I could care less about infotainment. However if this product could be used for track purposes such lap timer, telemetry, track camera recorder, OBD data etc I would do it without hesitation
This comment intrigues me. Jahummer, are there any google apps that can be used for the track? If there are, then like torque Pro, you can download them to this unit. I don't use the track so asking for a friend:-)
Edit: I see this one out on the Google Play Store, don't know the quality or all of the features - https://www.gps-laptimer.de
1. I have an ODB from Scantool. It is not a cheapo Chinese one. Pretty good product, and good company out of the USA. Been using them in all my cars for years. I ended up not using them on the head units screen though. I wanted my music app to be whats on the screen, and really couldn't do that with the ODB app there. So I always just used my phone. Then a few months ago, I found a small HUD that attaches directly to the ODB port, and starts up automatically when I start the car. No starting the app, bluetooth pairing, etc. It just plugs in and works. So I actually have two extra Scantool ODB bluetooth devices now. With the difficulty of traveling back and forth from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, it might not be worth your while, but if you want it, you can have it for free.
2. I prefer Waze myself. Here in the UAE, we are never out of cell tower range, but the problem I occasionally run into with Waze, is that even when I am connected to my phone hotspot, sometimes it takes a few before the Waze app recognizes it has a connection. Not a consistent problem, but occasionally.
2. From my research with aftermarket TPMS devices, even the ones that completely replace the valve stem(instead of just the cap), can be problematic. Which is why I haven't bothered getting TPMS yet. If you do find some that are reliable, please update us.
Thanks for the offer, you certainly made a good point about the OBD interfering with the main screen, what did the HUD look like that you managed to find ? In light of this perhaps it's better to consider this instead.
Regarding the TPMS I haven't been able to find anything yet, they all claim to be reliable but Im also not convinced yet but I will keep searching and keep you posted.
Thanks for the info on Waze, I will try to give it a go this week and see how well it works
Thanks for the offer, you certainly made a good point about the OBD interfering with the main screen, what did the HUD look like that you managed to find ?
It has split screen if I remember correctly so Torque pro on one halv and radio, Spotify or whatever app you want on the other half. 😊
I'm seriously considering buying one but it's a lot of money. Taking the car of the road end of the month so the smart thing to do is wait til spring but don't know if I can wait that long!
I'm seriously considering buying one but it's a lot of money. Taking the car of the road end of the month so the smart thing to do is wait til spring but don't know if I can wait that long!
Luke, your car has the optional heated front windshield. Do you have a digital button to switch it on and off with the installation? I see a button for the rear on the new screen, but not for the front.
Looking at the extended function climate control screen I would say no along with no cooled seats. I reckon there’s a good chance they hacked the code to a TSD that did not have those features enabled in the as-built so perhaps not much chance of that happening. Just a guess on my part though. Add it to the list of questions someone is compiling to send to one of the resellers.
Luke, your car has the optional heated front windshield. Do you have a digital button to switch it on and off with the installation? I see a button for the rear on the new screen, but not for the front.
Thats right there is no button for the heated windshield, I have the heated seats working . Things to add to the list for the manufacturer to hopefully solve . Luckily I don’t need a heated windshield here but would be nice to get all these small things sorted as it would help many others who are deciding if this is a worthwhile upgrade
Thanks for the offer, you certainly made a good point about the OBD interfering with the main screen, what did the HUD look like that you managed to find ? In light of this perhaps it's better to consider this instead.
Regarding the TPMS I haven't been able to find anything yet, they all claim to be reliable but Im also not convinced yet but I will keep searching and keep you posted.
Thanks for the info on Waze, I will try to give it a go this week and see how well it works
10-17-2020, 09:23 AM
07 XKR head unit!
. However, now the car has been driven and the battery charged up, it’s all back to normal.
. Its great to be able to stream music to the cars speakers. Very pleased.
