Does DIYCarPlay supply the parts described in "Nissan & Infiniti Head Unit Identification Before Ordering"?

Yes — the modules referenced in this guide are from our own catalogue, covering 19 vehicle brands and 39 head unit variants. If you are sourcing for resale, ask us for the wholesale and private label terms.

Can I ask a question about my specific car?

Yes. Send us your VIN (last 7 digits) and a photo of your factory screen on WhatsApp (+8613418827141) or email jerry@diycarplay.com, and we will confirm the correct module and what the installation involves.

Can you confirm this applies to my model year?

Head unit generation matters more than model year, because manufacturers phased each generation in over overlapping years. The compatibility table in this article lists the generations we have verified; anything outside it we will confirm case by case.

Published 2026-10-27 · DIYCarPlay Engineering Team · 3 min read

Nissan & Infiniti Head Unit Identification Before Ordering

Quick answer: The split is by head unit revision, not by badge: NI-1 covers the earlier revision from 2009 to 2018 including the GT-R, and NI-2 covers the later revision of the QX and Patrol lines from 2013 to 2019. Because the windows overlap, confirm with the model and build year first and a dashboard photo second.

Who this guide is for: Nissan and Infiniti owners, installers and exporters who need to determine whether a specific car carries the NI-1 or NI-2 head unit before ordering a CarPlay decoder module.

Nissan and Infiniti share most of their infotainment hardware, and for retrofit purposes the range splits into two head unit revisions rather than by badge or by model year alone. The complication worth knowing before quoting: the two revision windows overlap, so a year on its own does not always settle the question.

The two revisions

NI-1 — the earlier revision — fitted across the GT-R, QX50, QX60, QX70, QX80 and Patrol lines from 2009 to 2018. The GT-R sits entirely inside this revision: every year of it that we cover runs NI-1 hardware.
NI-2 — the later revision — fitted to the later build window of the QX50, QX60, QX70, QX80 and Patrol lines, from 2013 to 2019. Menu styling is flatter and the response behaviour differs from the earlier revision, but the badge on the car is the same.

Why the overlapping windows are not a problem in practice

A QX-series car built in 2015 falls inside both year windows, which looks ambiguous on paper. In practice the check is a two-step: the model and build month narrow the field, and the powered-on main menu settles it — the two revisions present visibly different menu structures. This is the same two-photo workflow used across the platform identification guides: one photo of the main menu, one of the control area. An exporter holding stock across several build months should confirm per vehicle rather than per model, because transition-period cars exist on this platform as they do everywhere else.

What the retrofit keeps on this platform

On both revisions the module sits between the head unit and the display and adds wireless and wired CarPlay and Android Auto — plus Huawei HiCar and screen mirroring, which matter for markets where those platforms dominate. The module runs embedded Linux on a Sunplus automotive chipset and pairs with the phone over dual-band 5 GHz WiFi, so maps and media respond with no perceptible delay on either revision. The factory screen, controller, steering-wheel buttons and rear-view camera all stay in service, and the factory system remains one long-press away inside CarPlay.

Matching the module

The covered lists are on the NI-1 and NI-2 product pages, with the brand overview on the Nissan / Infiniti fitment page. Newer dashboard layouts outside the two revisions listed there are a separate retrofit — check the fitment page before quoting rather than assuming coverage, or send the dashboard photos through the contact form and we will identify the unit.

Need the Module From This Guide?

Wholesale from 10 pcs (mixed models OK), samples in 7–15 days (DHL/FedEx express). Fitment confirmation within 12 hours.

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