Mercedes COMAND backup camera retrofit, by year and chassis

NTG 4.5, NTG 5 or NTG 5.5 / 6.0 picks the interface; the trunk handle picks the camera.

The short answer: a Mercedes built 2009 or later can get an OEM-style backup camera on its factory COMAND or Audio20 screen with a plug-in interface — no head unit replacement, no coding. The interface is chosen by the COMAND generation (NTG 4.5, NTG 5 or NTG 5.5 / 6.0), the camera by the trunk handle. Each kit is $399.95 with the camera included.

Mercedes did not fit a reversing camera as standard on most of these cars, and a factory retrofit means new hardware and dealer coding. The interface route keeps the original screen and adds the camera input the head unit never had. Here is the kit for each generation and chassis.

Which COMAND generation the car has

The button row under the screen is the reliable tell; Mercedes never prints the generation in the car.

NTG4.5 / Audio20 — flat keys, SYS button, ON knob

NTG5.5 / 6.0 — widescreen, no buttons under it

The Mercedes COMAND guide walks through it in two minutes with the screen sizes as a second check.

The kit by generation and chassis

System	Years	Chassis	Kit
NTG 4.5 / Audio20	2009–2015	A-Class W176 · B-Class W246 · C-Class W204 · E-Class W212 · CLA · GLA · GLK X204 · ML W166	NTG 4.5 camera interface — $399.95
NTG 5.0 / 5.1	2015–2018	A-Class · B-Class · C-Class W205 · E-Class W213 · CLA · GLA	NTG 5.0 / 5.1 camera interface — $399.95
NTG 5.5 / 6.0	2018 and newer	A-Class with MBUX 10.25-inch screen · C-Class 2019+ · E-Class · S-Class with 12.3-inch screen	NTG 5.5 / 6.0 camera interface — $399.95
NTG 4.0	2008–2011	C-Class W204 pre-facelift	Ask us — depends on the screen

Every kit does the same job: the picture comes on automatically in reverse with dynamic guidance lines that follow the steering wheel, the factory parking sensors are shown on the screen, and there is a second video input for a front camera that switches on for ten seconds when you shift from reverse to drive. Automatic and manual transmissions both work.

What is in the box

Interface unit
Plug-and-play wiring harness
OEM-style trunk-handle rear view camera: 170-degree CCD, night vision, waterproof, shock-resistant, 20 ft RCA cable with 12 V power line
Trim removal kit and cable zip ties

No coding and no cut OEM wires. The box unplugs without a trace, which matters on a leased car.

The part people get wrong: the trunk handle

The interface is chosen by the head unit; the camera is chosen by the handle, and Mercedes used several. The camera comes in five housings, Type 1 to Type 5, plus a licence-plate-light version. GLK takes Type 1; C W204, C W205, CLA, CLS, ML W166 and A-Class take Type 2; GLA, GLC and GLE take Type 3. B-Class and CLS vary — send us a photo. On the GLK the factory connectors are locked with retaining rings, and the O-ring removal tool is required to release them.

Measure your handle and photograph it before you order, and we confirm the type before the kit ships.

Adding CarPlay at the same time

Owners of NTG 4.5 cars who also want CarPlay can take the Mercedes Smart MMI for NTG 4.5 instead: it has the same camera input plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the factory screen, with the camera added as an option.

Email a photo of the dashboard and the trunk handle to [email protected] with the year and model. Free USPS Priority shipping inside the US, $40 to Canada, one-year limited warranty.