[APU]

Dear all.

I´m from Europe and like a big Subaru fan I ordered Ascent 2020 which is on the way to us right now.
Because that will be out 7th Subaru I know that there where every time some possibility because of the GPS map change.
In our present Outback MY2016 there is SD card in a slot where you have all maps for Europe and when you are with your car in the States you can only change SD card for North American maps and you can use your GPS. But from MY2018 if I´m right including Ascent 2020 you have all map software on disc in the car so you can change easily only the SD card.
Do anybody know if it is possible to rewrite North American maps which are in the Ascent 2020 right now and put Europe maps in the system?
Where we can take these EU maps? It could be the same with Outback 2019 EU version. These cars have the same Starlink system if I´m right.
And which could be procedure with this rewriting?
I was in contact with Subaru USA, Subaru Canada, Subaru Erope and Subaru global and get every time the same answer " this car isn´t for European market"
It doesn´t matter that I wasn´t even asking about but this is an global phrase which they have to answer :-(.
I wrote even to the Harman Cardon and Tom Tom but every time I get the same answer " you have to contact subaru because of this issue".
So could anybody help me with this issue?
thank you in advance.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Subaru has licensed maps from Tom Tom for the North American market for the Ascent, so, I suspect that's why they cannot help you. It's sad that Tom Tom won't sell you the map update.

 

[denissh]

may be if you can get maps on USB update from 2019+ EU Impreza Crosstrek or Forester (2019 Outback is not a best option), still not sure if it will let you install it

 

[Robert.Mauro]

may be if you can get maps on USB update from 2019+ EU Impreza Crosstrek or Forester (2019 Outback is not a best option), still not sure if it will let you install it

And slipstream the files into the US Ascent update... hmmm... great idea.

 

[APU]

Thnx for your reaction.
This is what I was thinking about. To get maps from Subaru Europe an try to install it in to the Ascent US.
From the point of view this could work because GPS is GPS and have to work anywhere.
But I don´t know what could be procedure for reinstalling of maps and if there is no block from SUBARU side.
SO maybe there could be only one possible way and this is to get maps and do an tryouts .
thnx again

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Don't forget that you need to recalibrate the GPS for overseas.

 

[APU]

What do you mean by recalibrate GPS?

 

[Jim_in_PA]

What do you mean by recalibrate GPS?

Since the Ascent was designed and built for the North American market "exclusively", the systems are fine tuned to the GPS services in North America. GPS in Europe and other areas uses different satellite systems. Beyond that, radio frequencies are different and yes, there is the whole map thing. My gut feeling is that you are going to have a difficult time making your Ascent feel at home in Europe relative to these technologies since Subaru didn't intend for it to be sold in that geography.

 

[Merope]

...the systems are fine tuned to the GPS services in North America. ...

GPS services are the same globally, as are GLONASS and Galileo. The satellites are in orbit, the Earth rotates underneath them. They are not geosynchronous. There are geostationary WAAS sattelites, but I don't think they're utilized by auto/phone receivers

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Good to know...

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Yes, sorry, I meant compass.

Oddest thing is I am not sure how it's calibrated, unless it's via the instructions for the mirror.

 

[denissh]

I think you better off just using google maps over Android audio or CarPlay..

 

[Merope]

+1. Google maps via Android Auto are the sh*t. I can't imagine any on-board auto nav being as good, or up to-the-minute current with traffic, suggested routing, speed traps, etc...

 

[aspectre]

Has anyone been able to get the EU Maps for their Ascent? I just move from the US (for my job) and brought my Ascent with me.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Has anyone been able to get the EU Maps for their Ascent? I just move from the US (for my job) and brought my Ascent with me.

There's no head unit software for the Ascent other than North American market, so, it will not download other regions.

 

[APU]

Has anyone been able to get the EU Maps for their Ascent? I just move from the US (for my job) and brought my Ascent with me.

Hi,

Firstly sorry for my English. I´ll do my best to write down correctly
As you could see I opened this thema 8 month ago.
I made a lot of investigation in the mean time but not have a real results :-(.
I was in contact with SUBARU Global, where I got only not concreat answers like that Ascent was designed for North America markets and this is an reason why it isn´t possible to get Eu maps in car. I don´t know. I´m working in Atuomotive industry nearly 20 years and newer heard about some specific setting on GPS for single markets . and even when you take previous Outback model where was SD card with maps. You can buy only the new SD card with EU maps, put it in to the car slot and everything works. But right now you have maps dowloaded directly in the car drive and it will mean to check if there is enough space on drive. If YES to load EU maps if NO so delete USA maprs and load EU maps. But everybody is only putting habds up using empty phrases like this car was build for North America market etc.
SO I was even in conntact with TomTom dirctly about the maps to buy from them required map format which will work in the Ascent GPS. And as soon as TomTom get an informtation, Because I don´t want to say them firstly that I need a maps for Ascent) that these maps will be used in the Subaru Ascent which is dedicated only doe NA market. Got only again empty phrase that in this case I have to conntact directly a car producer and dicusse with them.
So there was a last chance to get producer ofboard unit (DIsplay, GPS, Radio, etc). And as I said at the beginning I´m working in Automotive nearly 20 years but I wansn´t able to get this information if it is (Continental, or Bosch, or Kostal or any othere Automotive supplier). So it is possible to get this information to disassemble complete uit from car ang there have to be this information somewhere on the unit. But I´ll not do that by my self, I´ll try to ask in service.
So I got a last chance, which was to conntact SUBARU from m ycontry. Because I´m from Czech Republic I got in touch with SUBARU CZ. they told me that the´ll check this possibility and let me know. But it is already 2 month right now and I have NO answer.
That will be the same like before when I asked about service intervals. because in the US you have every 10k km in the Canada every 12k km (and that was the same for Outback for example) and here in Europe we had for Outback 15k km. So I didn´t get any answer till now because it is much more better for them than to bear an responsibility for enything.
But when you check your navigation there is everything working, not needed any GPS or compas calibration.
As it was already writain here GPS (Ground Possitin System) work globaly and you only need to hav 3 satelites to do navigation.
But when you are on the navigation and scroll down with gauge to see whole Europe or in my case whole Czech Republic. You can see boarders of every stat, you can see main routes and cities and even possition looks correct. but when you sroll up the whole map is white.
Maybe there are already all maps in the unit but EU is blocked. Sometimes or maybe mostly it happend in the automotive that it is much more cheaper for the OEM to buy for example only maps of whole world, or America and Europe, than to buy is separately.
And in this case will it onyl need come release or unblock in the system.
There is even next poit which I found. and this is cruise control max speed. It is 145 km/h cca 90mp/h and you can´t set more.
So this was already check in the service during my first visit and they told me that it is blocked directly somwhere in the program so it could not be unblocked :-(
You ca have it in other cars that myx cruise control speed could be set in service because of the witer tire for example.
OK so when anybody will have any idea I´m open and even when I find something I´ll post it here.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Vehicle manufacturers can and do block certain regions from GPS for models intended for specific markets. It's nothing new. Further, radio frequencies, etc., are different around the globe, so it would require a different head unit for that, too. Unless and until Subaru decides to sell the Ascent outside of North America, it's unlikely that there will be any commercial solution to allow EU (or other non-North American) maps to load. There is, of course, always CarPlay and AndroidAuto which many of us use instead of the built in navigation anyway. That might help with the navigation thing, but doesn't solve the radio frequency issue.

 

[denissh]

use CarPlay or AA

get $100-150 old iPhone 6, do local google map download set update over WiFi ... you can hide Old iPhone in your car and it will self update every time your are next to your WiFi ( no data plan needed )

 

[aspectre]

thank you everyone for the information and help, the old iphone idea is a great solution as often as I am driving in the country side I do not have data signal so if I have not pre-loaded the route my phone via apple play will not calculate a new route, so in my rental car (before my ascent arrived) i used the onboard navigation as a backup to apple play. I normally use the WAZE app because it gives me speed camera info but again it requires a data connection which is not always available.

Thank you for the help.

 

[NotThePainter]

We loved getting the Nav in our Ascent. We just Apple Maps all the time except when we don't have cell phone coverage. We live in a rural spot and this is often. So we use Apple Maps to get to our destination, and yes, sometimes you're driving over just nothing, its pretty weird, and then we use the TomTom to get us home!