Navigation System is it any good ?

[Little owl1963]

Any opions on Nav system in T6.1 ?

Iv noticed some lane names I type in it does not recognise.

Also think it losses signal at times on GPS an goes to pot .

An if type destination in , can't see an option to view the detailed route ? Before you actually press start.

Lastly if you hit traffic jam / hold up , it says in manual , Tap Traffic Announcement and press By Pass , has anyone tried this ? Does it work well ?
Is this standard in built , or do have pay additional fee to use this??

Be good hear what forum thinks of this Nav System .

Some say use phone ? Google Maps but don't think that bee all an end all

 

[Sad]

I personally have never had good experiences with the VW nav systems, so appreciate I'm not directly helping. But I also don't think Google maps is the be all and end all either. I currently use the TomTom app, again not perfect, but for me much more reliable with the traffic.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

I personally have never had good experiences with the VW nav systems, so appreciate I'm not directly helping. But I also don't think Google maps is the be all and end all either. I currently use the TomTom app, again not perfect, but for me much more reliable with the traffic.

+1 for TomTom

 

[Mehdime]

The built-in sat nav is what you’d expect. It sort of works. Half of the time, you enter a place name or address and it doesn’t find it. It’s as slow and sluggish as what smartphones were like 20 years ago (yes, I was actually using smartphones 20 years ago when virtually no-one had even heard of the word “smartphone”. And that’s exactly what they were like). The UI/user experience is dogshit.

But it works. Particularly handy in places with no network connection.

In practice, connect your phone via Apple CarPlay / AndroidAuto and use the apps there instead. They’re about 1 million times better than the built-in sat nav.

I don’t know what you mean by “be all end all”. No app will be perfect for everyone in every situation obviously.

Google Maps is generally good for just about everything. If you look for something - anything - it’ll generally find it. It has opening hours for most things - but of course not for everything on the planet. It’s generally quite good at routing around traffic - but will sometimes take you through bizarre tiny residential streets to save you 3/4 of a second compared to the motorway.

Apple Maps has prettier looking maps and clearer vocal instructions in my experience. But it’s not as good as finding random places by bashing random keys on the keyboard and hoping for the best.

Waze can be configured to display your car as a flower power bus, which is the best thing ever. It’s also the best at highlighting potholes and police checks - but both Google Maps and Apple Maps are getting much better at this these days.

 

[Hawthorn37]

We usually use Google or Apple (occasionally Waze). But if you’re in a place that has no phone signal, the VW nav system still works as it uses GPS.

 

[KevH]

Travelling from Stoke to Reading, I inadvertently touched the VW screen en route and didn’t realise for ages that it interpreted this as an intermediary stop. I was heading down the A4 towards Maidstone when it dawned on me that Reading was exactly the opposite way.
So, try as I might, I find myself returning to Android Auto / Google Maps, despite its insistence on including a single track lane on every journey.

 

[andyinluton]

Any opions on Nav system in T6.1 ?

It works fine, just need to use it a bit to get used to it, I think having the centre display at one level & then being to have a zoomed in or out version on the dash display works really well.

 

[Little owl1963]

Travelling from Stoke to Reading, I inadvertently touched the VW screen en route and didn’t realise for ages that it interpreted this as an intermediary stop. I was heading down the A4 towards Maidstone when it dawned on me that Reading was exactly the opposite way.
So, try as I might, I find myself returning to Android Auto / Google Maps, despite its insistence on including a single track lane on every journey.

Ah Android auto ?
Not seen that in manual , how does that work , I presume you get Google maps on phone then it transfers to the volks Sat nav screen ?

Can you give us procedure to do that please

 

[Sad]

Ah Android auto ?
Not seen that in manual , how does that work , I presume you get Google maps on phone then it transfers to the volks Sat nav screen ?
Can you give us procedure to do that please

This is how I use Tom Tom, with android auto. It will also then show you the next instruction in the speedo display.
For me, you just press the app button! So long as you've already paired your phone the wireless carplay/android auto should just work. You can also plug it into one of the USB C sockets in the front. Just have your phone unlocked in front of you the first time as it will likely need you to allow it to work.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

This is how I use Tom Tom, with android auto. It will also then show you the next instruction in the speedo display.
For me, you just press the app button! So long as you've already paired your phone the wireless carplay/android auto should just work. You can also plug it into one of the USB C sockets in the front. Just have your phone unlocked in front of you the first time as it will likely need you to allow it to work.

From what you say, android auto offers more than carplay, as I have not found a way to get "next instruction in the speedo display". If anyone has, I would welcome a tip.

I am used to elying only on the main display and audio instructions, and still prefer TomTom to the alternatives I have tried; although I occasionally use google maps for at the last minute on arrivals - where the greater detail (which is a pain when map reading on the main part of a trip) can be useful.

 

[Mehdime]

From what you say, android auto offers more than carplay, as I have not found a way to get "next instruction in the speedo display". If anyone has, I would welcome a tip.

If you use Apple Maps with CarPlay, you’ll get the next instruction on the digital dashboard.

It will also automatically switch the dashboard to show the Volkswagen sat nav map view when you start Apple Maps navigation. Which I find quite frustrating as, even though the Volkswagen map will display the next instruction as well as the distance and time to destination, the map itself doesn’t display the route. So it displays a completely useless map in front of you. A real half-arsed implementation.

But if you want the next instruction, it’s there with Apple Maps.

 

[Viktorgeorge]

If you use Apple Maps with CarPlay, you’ll get the next instruction on the digital dashboard.

It will also automatically switch the dashboard to show the Volkswagen sat nav map view when you start Apple Maps navigation. Which I find quite frustrating as, even though the Volkswagen map will display the next instruction as well as the distance and time to destination, the map itself doesn’t display the route. So it displays a completely useless map in front of you. A real half-arsed implementation.

But if you want the next instruction, it’s there with Apple Maps.

Thanks. I am now used to TomTom so Apple Maps would not work for me.

I do sometimes get the VW map up in the speedo screen, as a supplement so as to see where I am, since TomTom is so stripped out of local detail (which makes reading the planned route easier).

I have rather hoped a CarPlay update will add some TomTom detail to the Speedo screen. However my next phone will be android so I am not that concerned: and was pleased to read #9 above.

 

[Rololux]

I agree that the VW Satnav often doesn’t find the road you’re looking for. You have to type it in exactly as it is stored in the system, otherwise it returns nothing. This is especially a problem in places like Spain and Portugal, where there are multiple versions or abbreviations of ‘road’ or ‘street’ etc. Campsites are a particular problem, since they are often on very minor or obscure roads and addresses.

The solution that I find works very well is to find where you are going on Google maps, tap on it to put down a dropped pin, and it will then give the latitude and longitude. Type this into the search bar on the satnav in the format:

45.6789123, -1.23456789

i.e. latitude first, comma, space, longitude.

Works every time, if a bit of a pfaff!

 

[andyinluton]

. This is especially a problem in places like Spain and Portugal, where there are multiple versions or abbreviations of ‘road’ or ‘street’ etc.

Just don't type in "road" or "street" - it will produce a list of all the roads/ streets starting with the correct name for you to select from.

 

[Rololux]

Just don't type in "road" or "street" - it will produce a list of all the roads/ streets starting with the correct name for you to select from.

The problem is that in Spanish, the word for road comes at the beginning, not the end, and the satnav lists roads in alphabetical order. So for example, on Google maps there is a road called:

C. de Sta. Maria

In the satnav database, the C. could be C., Ca., Calle, Carretera, Camino, Carre and possibly some other variations. Very confusing!

 

[andyinluton]

The problem is that in Spanish, the word for road comes at the beginning, not the end, and the satnav lists roads in alphabetical order. So for example, on Google maps there is a road called:

C. de Sta. Maria

In the satnav database, the C. could be C., Ca., Calle, Carretera, Camino, Carre and possibly some other variations. Very confusing!

but if you just type in Maria it will list all the variations so what is the problem?

 

[WelshGas]

My old California had the RNS510 and took me all over UK and Europe.
The new system in my Multivan is even better. Shows live traffic congestion using V2 technology, alternative routes if available and using the Volkswagen App you can use Google maps to identify where you want to go and send the location to the satnav unit.

 

[Rololux]

but if you just type in Maria it will list all the variations so what is the probl

but if you just type in Maria it will list all the variations so what is the problem?

Well, that’s not my experience. Perhaps there are significant variations in functionality with different versions of the software.

 

[Little owl1963]

How many times a year does this sat nav need updating per year ?
Problem is how do you know when next update is ready ?
Should not volkswagen have a website to tell people this ?

Anyone know what the latest version is ?

 

[WelshGas]

How many times a year does this sat nav need updating per year ?
Problem is how do you know when next update is ready ?
Should not volkswagen have a website to tell people this ?

Anyone know what the latest version is ?

myVolkswagen | Map updates

www.volkswagen.co.uk

 

[Little owl1963]

It says to view current map version which is shown in month and year as per image enclosed .
And in manual says check in system information as per image .
When I go to system information this is what is displayed , but can't see current map version ??.

So do I need to purchase a USB stick if so what size ?
Also we're does this plug in ?

Cannot see any usb point on the radio ?
Or does this plug in anywhere on the front dashboard ??

Bit confused by this can you explain what should happen please.

On one hand says in manual it is updated automatically if ignition switched on , and share my location is on , and not max privacy .
So why do need a usb stick , very confused ?

On

 

[WelshGas]

It says to view current map version which is shown in month and year as per image enclosed .
And in manual says check in system information as per image .
When I go to system information this is what is displayed , but can't see current map version ??.

So do I need to purchase a USB stick if so what size ?
Also we're does this plug in ?

Cannot see any usb point on the radio ?
Or does this plug in anywhere on the front dashboard ??

Bit confused by this can you explain what should happen please.

On one hand says in manual it is updated automatically if ignition switched on , and share my location is on , and not max privacy .
So why do need a usb stick , very confused ?

On

View attachment 136796

View attachment 136797

View attachment 136798

You have the latest version Navigation Database 25/1, January 2025.

 

[Little owl1963]

Thanks
Upon reading the manual , says if ignition switched on and not in max privacy mode it will be updated automatically I get that .

The usb stick an download of data and removing entertainment system is only needed if want to install update manually .
On my entertainment system no usb or. Sim card slot visible, so I presume have take unit out to get to it ?

For the sat nav to work correctly , I take it needs the sim card for data ??
How do you top up the credit money amount on sim card ?
Or is it the case for sat nav to work correctly , it has to work off mobile data off your mobile phone , transfered to the sim in entertainment system ?

 

[Mehdime]

Thanks
Upon reading the manual , says if ignition switched on and not in max privacy mode it will be updated automatically I get that .

The usb stick an download of data and removing entertainment system is only needed if want to install update manually .
On my entertainment system no usb or. Sim card slot visible, so I presume have take unit out to get to it ?

For the sat nav to work correctly , I take it needs the sim card for data ??
How do you top up the credit money amount on sim card ?
Or is it the case for sat nav to work correctly , it has to work off mobile data off your mobile phone , transfered to the sim in entertainment system ?

The built-in sat nav will work fine offline with no connection at all. That’s when I find it handy myself actually.

If you want map updates, live traffic etc, you need to have a subscription to VW WeConnect Plus. Depending on which platform infotainment system you picked from new, you may have got a free 1-year or 3-year subscription to WeConnect Plus. After that, you have to pay for it.

You don’t need a separate data plan though. The van comes with a built-in eSIM and the WeConnect plus subscription includes the cost of the mobile data plan required to download what it needs to download.

You can’t use your own WiFi hotspot to get free map updates or traffic routing. These only come with a WeConnect Plus subscription

 

[Little owl1963]

My we connect plus has run out recently after 3 years .
Does that render the sat Nat use less now ?

So without we connect the sim card is rendered inactive .??

What cheapest way purchase this ?
How much does it cost on average ?
I presume can only buy from volkswagen

Does this system work same as a Tom Tom? Off satalite, do they also need subscription ? Sure they come with free lifetime map updates ?

Bit con of volkswagen pay lot money for there vans , then they also get you with yearly subscription ??

Don't you think they should gave free lifetime updates ?

Or is there a option purchase lifetime .

So without we connect plus , am I right the map updates won't automatically come through ?
My subscription ran out Jan 2025. That means sat nav won't work properly untill I renew it ?