What’s the difference between BMW CCC and CIC?

CCC is the first generation of iDrive in BMW models up to 2007. CIC was the next generation of iDrive that you will find in BMWs from 2008 to the present.

CCC to CIC changes included a different display, a faster processor, and a redesigned controller.

In 2012 BMW updated the CIC iDrive to CIC-HIGH. The update improved the processor speeds, memory, maps, and hard drive capacity.BMW owners often ask us, “What is the difference between CIC vs. CCC on a BMW?” This article will discuss the difference between CCC and CIC navigation units.

What’s the difference between CIC and CCC?

A quick way to tell if you have BMW CCC or CIC is to look at the CD & DVD slots.

• If you have two slots, CD and DVD, you have CCC.
• If you have only one CD slot, you have the BMW CIC unit. In this case, the navigation maps are stored in an internal hard drive.

BMW CCC Navigation

Another way to tell if you have CCC is to look at your BMW navigation screen, also called infotainment. Does the screen look like the picture below?

This was the BMW CCC found on many BMWs between 2000-2010. If you have CCC navigation, you upgrade the maps by simply swapping out the DVD with a newer map.

The BMW CCC unit does not allow you to enable DVD in motion. The reason is that it was not designed to play DVDs in the first place.

There were two generations of CCC units:

• 1st Gen CCC installed from 2004 to 2006
  • Chassis: E60 E63 64 E90 E92 E93 E87
• 2nd Gen CCC installed from 2007 to 2009
  • Chassis: E60 E63 E64 E61 E89 E90 E91 E92 E93 E70 E71

The second-generation CCC had several advantages, such as a faster processor, more buttons, starts up faster, and better design. The second-generation CCC was more reliable.

BMW CIC Navigation

The newer and more powerful navigation is the CIC. The easiest way to identify if you have a BMW CIC unit is to look at the navigation.

BMW CIC unit is more powerful compared to the early CCC unit. It allows you to enable DVD playback or DVD in motion when applicable. It has more functionality than the CCC. It has a faster processor.

It also has a built-in hard drive, which stores maps. You need an FSC code to update the hard drive maps to upgrade maps.

We hope you find the What’s the difference between BMW CCC and CIC? guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your BMW.