Which Mercedes GLE or ML System Do I Have? NTG 4.5, NTG 5.1 and MBUX Explained

If you are shopping for a backup camera or wireless CarPlay for a Mercedes ML, GLE or GLE Coupe, the useful question is not the year on your registration. It is which COMAND generation, known by its NTG number, sits behind the screen in your dash. Our kits connect to that system, and it decides the wiring we send.

The short answer: a 2012 to 2015 ML typically has NTG 4.5, and a 2016 to 2019 GLE or GLE Coupe typically has NTG 5.1. Both take our backup camera and wireless CarPlay kits. A 2020 or newer GLE has MBUX, which our kits do not support. Years are only a guide, so confirm with your screen using the steps below before you order.

This SUV changed its name partway through one body generation, which is why owners get mixed up. Below: how the systems line up, how to check yours from the driver's seat, and which kit to order.

One body, two names, two systems

From 2012 to 2015, Mercedes sold its midsize SUV in the US as the ML on the W166 body. For 2016 it renamed the SUV GLE while keeping the W166 platform underneath, and the C292 GLE Coupe joined it. The electronics changed along with the name.

Badge and body	Typical model years	Factory system	Screen clue (see step 3)	What we offer
ML (W166)	2012 to 2015	COMAND NTG 4.5 (later units called NTG 4.7)	5 inch or 7 inch	Backup camera and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto
GLE SUV (W166) and GLE Coupe (C292)	2016 to 2019	COMAND NTG 5.1	7 inch or 8.4 inch	Backup camera and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto
GLE (V167) and the later coupe	2020 and newer	MBUX	Wide twin-screen dash	Not supported

NTG 4.5 and 4.7. The ML-badged W166 cars run NTG 4.5. Units built later in the run are known internally as NTG 4.7, but they belong to the same family and take the same kit, which is why our order forms list them together.

NTG 5.1. The GLE SUV and the GLE Coupe moved to NTG 5.1 and kept it to the end of the W166 and C292 run. Depending on who is describing it, you will see it labeled NTG 5, NTG 5.0 or NTG 5.1. For this SUV those labels point at the same kit family. The 2018 and 2019 GLEs often get questioned, but our research shows they stayed on NTG 5.1 to the end, and our kit covers them.

MBUX. The redesigned GLE that followed runs MBUX, a newer platform our GLE kits do not support. In the US there was no 2020 GLE Coupe at all, and the coupe that came after it runs MBUX as well.

Why the model year alone will not settle it

The years in that table are typical, not guaranteed. Our own product pages say it in capital letters: the command system in your vehicle is more important than the year. Three situations catch owners out on this SUV.

• The "2015 GLE." Some catalogs and vendor charts list a 2015 GLE because the GLE launched in Europe that year. In the US, 2015 cars wear the ML badge and typically run NTG 4.5. If a listing and your car disagree, trust the badge and the screen.
• 2011 and 2012 MLs. The earlier ML generation ran older NTG 2 and NTG 2.5 systems, which take a backup camera but not CarPlay. Fitment charts do not agree on exactly where that generation ends and the next begins, so if your ML is a 2011 or 2012, confirm the system on the car before ordering anything.
• A GLE bought new in 2019. The redesigned 2020 model year GLE went on sale in the US in spring 2019. Go by the model year on your registration and the screen in your dash, not the date you bought it.

How to tell which system you have

You can settle this in the driveway. Turn the car on first, because the screen tells you more than the badge does.

1. Read the badge. An ML badge on a 2012 to 2015 car points to NTG 4.5 (a 2012 also needs the check above). A GLE badge on a 2016 to 2019 SUV or Coupe points to NTG 5.1. The badge narrows it down; the next steps confirm it.
2. Look at the dash layout. If your dash has the wide twin-screen MBUX layout, you have the newer generation, and our kits will not fit it.
3. Measure the screen. Measure the visible display diagonally, corner to corner. Our fitment data lists NTG 4.5 and 4.7 with a 5 inch or 7 inch screen, and the NTG 5 family with a 7 inch or 8.4 inch screen. An 8.4 inch screen points to NTG 5.1. A 7 inch screen appears in both lists, so treat size as a clue, not the answer, and include the measurement when you contact us.
4. Compare the menus to our examples. The Compatibility section of our Mercedes product pages shows example screens for the different command systems. With the car running, match your home screen and menus to the closest example.
5. Photograph the screen and the controls. A clear photo of the screen while the car is on, plus a photo of the radio controls, is what we use to confirm a system. If anything above leaves you unsure, send us your details before you order. Confirming a fit costs nothing.

Which kit to order once you know

Wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. The Mercedes-Benz GLE & ML Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto Integration covers both badges across the 2012 to 2019 run, NTG 4.5 and NTG 5.1 alike. It works through the factory COMAND screen rather than replacing it, joins the existing harnesses behind the display, and needs no dealer activation or coding and no cutting or splicing of OEM cables. Your phone connects wirelessly, a USB cable is included for charging or a wired connection, and the console controls keep working for apps, playlists, volume and Siri or Google Assistant. The order form asks which command system you have, so confirm it first.

The same order handles cameras. You can keep a factory camera, add a flush mount camera above the license plate, or use an RCA camera you already have. A front camera add-on comes up on screen when you shift out of reverse and returns to the normal display after 15 seconds. A tailgate handle camera is also listed for some model years; ask us to confirm it for your car before choosing it.

Backup camera only. If you just want the camera, choose by badge:

• GLE owners: the Mercedes-Benz GL/GLA/GLC/GLE/GLK OEM Integrated Backup Camera System. Pick GLE as the model, then your command system. The rear image comes up automatically when you shift into reverse, and CarPlay can be added to the same module on NTG 4.5 or higher.
• ML owners: the Mercedes-Benz ML OEM Integrated Backup Camera System, which also covers the older NTG 2 and NTG 2.5 cars (camera only; on this SUV, CarPlay starts at NTG 4.5). The year labels on its order form do not always match the years in this guide, so choose by what is on your screen, and if your year falls outside the label, ask us first.

If you have never had one of these fitted, what a factory camera retrofit involves explains how the process works.

Frequently asked questions

Is my 2015 Mercedes an ML or a GLE? In the US, 2015 was the last ML year on the W166 body, typically with NTG 4.5, and the GLE name arrived for 2016. Some listings say "2015 GLE" because of the earlier European launch, so check your badge and your screen.

Do 2018 and 2019 Mercedes GLEs fit, or is there a gap? They fit, with no gap. Our research shows the GLE SUV and GLE Coupe stayed on NTG 5.1 through 2019, and our GLE and ML CarPlay kit covers those years.

Can I add CarPlay to a 2020 or newer Mercedes GLE? Not with our kits. The redesigned GLE runs MBUX, which our GLE kits do not support.

Does the Mercedes GLE Coupe take the same kit as the GLE SUV? Yes. The C292 GLE Coupe runs the same NTG 5.1 system as the 2016 to 2019 GLE SUV, so it is matched the same way.

What is the difference between Mercedes NTG 4.5 and NTG 4.7? NTG 4.7 is the internal name for later NTG 4.5 units. They are the same family and take the same kit.

Does it matter whether my Mercedes ML or GLE has factory navigation? Not for identifying the generation, because in these years the base audio unit and the COMAND navigation unit belong to the same one. Tell us whether your car has factory navigation when you send your screen photo, and we will confirm the fit.

Start with the screen, not the year

Catalog year labels, the 2015 naming overlap and the move to MBUX all trip owners up. Read the badge, check the screen, compare the menus, and ask us if anything is unclear. Driving a BMW as well? See how BMW owners identify CIC, NBT and NBT EVO.