Kenwood DNX516DABS

We put Kenwood’s Volkswagen UK-approved (Apple CarPlay- and Android Auto-ready) DNX516DABS upgrade to the test in Paddy McGrath’s Mk6 Golf GTI. Here’s what he thought…

- Paddy McGrath

Six years is a proverbial eternity in technology. When my Mk6 was built, the iPad was just about to be introduced to the world, Spotify hadn’t yet launched in the US, and 3D TVs were touted as the next big thing. I guess some of those were more successful than others.

I’m a fan of technology, especially where it has the potential to make my life easier on a day-to day basis. It’s a curious thing, though, how we often spend the least amount of money on improving a place where a lot of us spend a considerable amount of time. Of course, it’s not really applicable to all cars or people. If you’re driving a vintage car, you should tune your ‘radio’ to the sound of Weber and Dellorto. But for a lot of us who spend so much time behind the wheel, a few creature comforts are more than welcome.

During the winter months, in the northern hemisphere anyway, there’s very little joy to be taken from driving; it’s a chore. Sure, the cool, dense air is great for turbocharged engines but with road surfaces deteriorating and regular traffic slowing to a crawl at the first sight of moisture, it becomes a tedious experience.

To avoid frustration and triggering a Falling Down moment, I’ve learned to back off, relax and love the journey. One of the few areas where I felt my Golf GTI was lacking, compared to my previous BMW E90, was the in-car entertainment and communications system. The Volkswagen is far from being awful or anything, but it just left a lot to be desired.

When I bought the GTI last year, the dealer had retrofitted an aftermarket Bluetooth system. It did work through the factory controls but it was unreliable and unfortunately only featured very basic A2DP streaming.