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-   -   Ford EcoSport infotainment will now run on Android OS (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/car-entertainment/227237-ford-ecosport-infotainment-will-now-run-android-os-3.html)

To connect phone Bluetooth in fly audio is a very slow process and none of your call logs are displayed in the MID or HU unlike sync 3 where you can get your call logs and music on the MID too.

I'd disagree with the sync 3 part. Actually there's a lot which can be customized in sync 3 if you know how to customize it using the right tools. Sync 3 and Sync 4 are actually advanced versions.

I have posted a thread myself with regards to sync 3 updates.

I feel Ford can bring back sync 3 because this is the system they're providing across the globe and why treat Indians to some mediocre Chinese player which is flyaudio.

Agreed, though initial cost is slightly higher for sync 3, the sales volumes will make up for it and it's a win win for both the manufacturer and the customer.

What all features do I lose if I plan to upgrade to aftermarket ICE instead of using FlyAudio on Titanium variant?
I guess the aftermarket ICE would still be CAN based but still would like to know of the current features/controls through existing FlyAudio unit.

I was also thinking whether the Warnings that get displayed in FlyAudio unit would be displayed in new aftermarket headunit or not.
Basically I don't want to lose any feature (specially Warnings etc) in FlyAudio if I plan to install aftermarket headunit.
Rest all of the steering mounted controls will work in aftermarket headunit I guess.

Is Pioneer DMH-Z6350 a floating type headunit that sticks out of the dashboard?
I am yet to find a compatible aftermarket headunit that fits Facelift EcoSport models that are made from 2018 onwards.
I called a few shops that deal with music systems & all of them said that no Branded floating headunit is available for this model. You can go for Chinese Android-based models. But I don't want to go for Chinese ones.
Would like to stick to Pioneer, Sony etc.

You can consider DMH-ZS9350BT. It has a semi floating head unit.

From the manual, it seems this unit is not CAN based and probably wont support car related features.

The only reason I would upgrade is for the Android Auto/ Apple Car Play support without hampering the existing CAN based functionality. I watched somewhere in a video there is a hack available to run Auto/Car Play on FlyAudio devices.

Wow, that's too costly. Around ₹79,990/-

Hi blueshift, how to check if a headunit is CAN-based?
I don't how reliable is that hack method to run Android Auto/Apple Car Play on FlyAudio.
There's a model of Blaupunkt Key Largo 970. Its an Android OS based headunit suited to EcoSport.

I have seen enough of these touchscreen based HeadUnits and don't really prefer these over physical switch based ones. Simple reason: tactile feedback and safety.

I would look for the CAN signal pins on the Head Unit. Here's for the Blaupunkt:


You can see this installation video for how the CANbus is connected. Video is quite old and you can find similar new videos but I hope you get the idea.

Yeah. These uses some Chinese Autokit hardware and sure it will be unreliable.

You do not lose anything if you choose an Android head unit, infact you gain a few new stuff. Cannot confirm for proprietary units like Sony/Pioneer/Alpine etc.

All CAN based features like doors (all 5), parking sensors, headlight based lighting, steering controls work fine. In addition, Android HUs also display climate control information, which is not there by default in FlyAudio.

I recently switched out my FlyAudio unit for an Android HU with a Raize CANBUS and everything has been working just fine. Pretty much all generic 9/10.1 inch Android head units are compatible with EcoSport - including stuff like native USB ports.

General Install


Climate Controls in HU


User Interface

^^ Looks neat minus the physical buttons. Thanks for sharing the pics @ts1506

General questions
1. Now since this is an Android unit, is this the the latest stock Android OS or is upgradable?
2. Does it or in general any other standard HU come with Sim card for data connectivity or it uses the mobile shared WiFi?
3. Can the HU be paired with TPMS sensors? And for this is the home layout (gadget view) customizable?
4. Do you notice any lag in usability after installing those apps?

1. "Theoretically" the OS is upgradable, however, do not bank on major OS version updates for these. Smaller bug fixes and updates do come periodically.
2. The model I have is Wifi only, so you have to use hotspot. I utilize a Jio-Fi which is kept inside the car at all times, connected to power.
There are other models available, which include 4G Sim slot, but the pricing for those is typically 3-4k higher than Wifi only models.
3. Yes, TPMS sensors can be paired. Depending on model to model, there are other functionality, like front camera, 360 degree cameras, TPMS, Dashcam integration etc as well.
The default home screen layout/themes differ model to model, and can be changed. My unit has 4 customizable themes, and of-course, any standard Android launcher can also be installed.
Other than the launcher, the rest of the apps and UI are basically android apps.
4. Google Maps is a bit laggy (other apps like Waze are fine). Other apps run just fine. No issues in general usage. On a typical day, I have Spotify/Apple Music running side by side with Waze/Google Maps and I've been very satisfied.
System performance is highly dependent on the config. Mine is a lower end model with Quad Core CPU, 2GB RAM. Higher models with Octa Core CPU, 4-6GB RAM and so on are significantly faster, but also costlier.

Additionally, there are also models available which have inbuilt Apple CarPlay, Android Auto through zLink. For units which don't support it out of the box, CarLinkIt is a great option to get CarPlay/Android Auto for not a lot of money.

There are a few models available which have physical buttons (notably the Hypersonic model), but they are not easily available in India anymore.
If importing from AliExpress, there are multiple units which are basically Sync 3 lookalike from a physical perspective.

For example - https://www.alibaba.com/product-deta...339947481.html

Hi ts1506, thanks for sharing.
A couple of questions:
1) Have you also upgraded stock speakers or retained the same?
2) How is the sound quality with this Android Headunit in comparison to FlyAudio unit?
3) Did you make any changes to improve sound quality.

Thanks for the information about the CAN signal pins.

I found 1 video where physical buttons are present on Android Headunit(Hypersonic brand). There might be many more models of same or different brands.
Credit to YouTube video uploader "Musafir Aka Joshi".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXxNbzdSj5U

1. I have not upgraded the speakers.
2. My unit has a mid of the line 12 band DSP (typically Android units are available with no DSP (basic 3 band), 12 band DSP or high end 24-36 band DSP). Mine sounds a bit better than FlyAudio, the lows and mids are clearer. The overall volume and amplification is better as well.
3. Nope, just tweaking the EQ according to my liking.

Regarding the model with physical button, Hypersonic used to be the only “Sync-3 replica” type unit in India. It had 1GB/16GB and 2GB/16GB model running an older OS on a 8 inch screen. They no longer sell this version, apparently because there’s very little demand. I did contact Hypersonic to try and source this earlier.
The touch only units are universal and fit most cars, so it is more reasonable for dealers and accessories shops to stock them. These models also have larger 10.1 inch displays.

There are newer and higher end options with physical buttons, but only direct from China.

Hi ts1506,

Many thanks for sharing the pics of your new infotainment system. I’ve been trying to replace my non-SYNC FlyAudio for a while now with an Android unit which supports Apple CarPlay.

1. What’s the name of the brand (Braza?) and where did you buy it from?
2. Are there other options/brands/links you could share?


Thanks in advance.

Hi all,

Hopefully this thread is active enough that I can get help :D

I have just gotten hold of a 2017 Ecosport (pre-facelift) which has an 8" touchscreen. I am looking to add Android Auto capability to this since the pre-loaded offline navigation is not really dependable and doesn't have any information on current traffic.
Does anybody have any experience with doing this change or how it can be done?

Below is an image of the car's dashboard. This model was on sale a for a few months only before the facelift arrived. This doesn't have SYNC1 either, though the interface that came in the facelift looks very similar to the one in this car hence I am hopeful that Android Auto can be integrated somehow.

That is the infamous 'Flyaudio' system that also made it's way into the facelift and unfortunately there is not way to add Android Auto / Car play to that system. I guess the best option is to replace that unit with an aftermarket unit that supports AA / Carplay.

Some people experimented with dongle based solutions but I don't think they were very reliable.