Alpine i209-WRA Installed

Alpine i209-WRA installed Jeep Wrangler at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT.

Alpine i209-WRA installed with brake light reverse camera at Sounds Incredible Mobile

At Sounds Incredible Mobile, in Brookfield, CT, we recently had a client bring in his Jeep Wrangler to have an Alpine i209-WRA installed. We do a lot of audio upgrades in Jeep Wranglers at our shop. As some of you may know, my husband John and I both own Wranglers – he’s got a 2013 and I’ve got a 2014, both 2-door JK Sport. And although we’ve installed Alpine’s two previous Jeep Wrangler Restyle models in clients vehicles (the X009-WRA and X109-WRA), due to cost and lack of desirable features, we never wanted to put them in our Jeeps. To put it bluntly, the previous models had big beautiful screens and did a lot, but they didn’t have the KEY features consumers want these days such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Alpine i209-WRA installed Jeep Wrangler at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT.
Alpine i209-WRA installed Jeep Wrangler at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT.

It appears Alpine listened to our complaints and answered with the Alpine i209-WRA. As the saying goes, the third time’s the charm. Alpine really hit it out of the park with this model. The Alpine i209-WRA is something we’d gladly put in our own Jeeps – if there were enough to go around! These babies have been selling like hotcakes and until we’ve got a steady supply from Alpine, we’ll go without – fulfilling our clients orders first and foremost.

Alpine i209-WRA features a premium finish with OEM touches and details

The devil really is in the details and Alpine really thought this out. Not only is this big beautiful 9-inch screen water resistant and dustproof, it has a high visibility WVGA capacitive touch screen designed to be bright even in sunlight. Additionally the gun metal trim nicely compliments the Jeep Wrangler interior and includes very subtle, but attractive side lighting. I’m totally a sucker for details like that.

Alpine i209-WRA installed Sounds Incredible Mobile CT & NY
Alpine i209-WRA installed at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT – Side View Picture

The other really cool thing about installing the Alpine i209-WRA is Alpine pretty much includes everything you need for the install. Unlike any other aftermarket head unit, you won’t have an elaborate and costly list of parts tacked onto the bill in order to have it installed.

The i209-WRA includes:

  • All necessary mounting hardware and trim
  • iDatalink Maestro steering wheel control interface and wire harness
  • FM/AM antenna adapter
  • OEM USB port retention adapter (which we only use for Apple CarPlay – Android Auto users need a higher speed USB port)

Alpine i209-WRA installed with a couple additional accessories

There are a handful of popular accessories for the i209-WRA that are not included. One of those is the SXV300 SiriusXM tuner. They don’t include this piece of hardware because not everyone wants SiriusXM. However, in case you do want to add SiriusXM, it does come with the iDatalink SAT1 adapter. This allows you to retain the OEM satellite radio antenna with the aftermarket SiriusXM tuner. Additionally, Alpine’s third brake light Jeep Wrangler reverse camera is also a very popular option.

Alpine brake light camera and i209-WRA installed at Sounds Incredible Mobile
Alpine brake light camera and i209-WRA installed at Sounds Incredible Mobile

The Alpine HCE-TCAM1-WRA third brake light reverse camera is compatible with 2007-Up Jeep Wranglers and it works well with the big beautiful 9-inch i209-WRA screen. It features an optimal viewing angle along with water resistant and dustproof housing. The built in brake and reverse lights allow Jeep Wrangler owners to remove their factory third brake light for increased visibility. Alpine also includes 3 different mounting accessories to insure a perfect fit whether you have factory wheels or aftermarket wheels.

Alpine i209-WRA and Alpine third brake light camera view - installed at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT.
Alpine i209-WRA and Alpine third brake light camera view – installed at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT.

Aside from satellite radio and the brake light Jeep Wrangler reverse camera, you may also want to consider Alpine’s KAC-001 external accessory control module. This electronic switching interface allows users to control external accessories such as a winch, lighting, suspension etc. directly from the head unit. Additionally, I will mention the included iDatalink Maestro allows users to check out battery voltage, read and reset check engine codes, see tire pressure monitoring and vehicle performance gauges on screen.

Alpine i209-WRA installed displaying vehicle info screen at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT
Alpine i209-WRA installed displaying vehicle info screen at Sounds Incredible Mobile, Brookfield, CT

The Alpine i209-WRA installed is a great overall value

For most consumers, the Alpine i209-WRA proves to be a great value. At $1999.95, this head unit pretty much has it all:

  • Apple CarPlay
  • Android Auto
  • iDatalink Maestro steering wheel and vehicle data integration (module and harness included)
  • SiriusXM capability (requires SXV300 tuner, but SAT1 adapter incuded)
  • 9-inch high visibility WVGA capacitive touch screen that is dustproof and water resistant
  • Bluetooth for handsfree calling and audio streaming
  • HD Radio
  • HDMI input (requires HDMI cable or flush mount accessory)

The only common features missing here are a CD/DVD player and on board GPS Navigation. However, if you’re using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, that probably won’t be anything you’ll really need. If you prefer on board GPS for traveling through dead zones and like having a built in CD/DVD player, consider the x209-WRA. This model contains those additional features, albeit at a substantially higher cost.

Get your Alpine i209-WRA installed with Annie and John at Sounds Incredible Mobile

If you’re in Litchfield or Fairfield county of Connecticut or of Dutchess or Putnam County, New York and you’re interested in having the i209-WRA installed in your Jeep Wrangler, contact us today to learn more. Have you installed the i209-WRA or X209-WRA in your Jeep? If so, comment below and let me know what you think of it!

Alpine i209-WRA and x209-WRA – Alpine finally gets all the features right for Jeep Wrangler owners

Alpine X209-WRA - Jeep Wrangler Head Unit 2017

Meet the Alpine i209-WRA – combining the perfect mix of features and value

Although I couldn’t make it to CES 2017, I was excited to see that Alpine finally appears to have the right combination of features and price point with at least one of their two brand new 2011 and up Jeep Wrangler dedicated head units. The Alpine i209-WRA and X209-WRA are both scheduled for release April 2017.

**Edit – 9/27/17 – Don’t forget to check out my new post Alpine i209-WRA installed.

Alpine X209-WRA - Jeep Wrangler Head Unit 2017
Alpine X209-WRA – Jeep Wrangler Head Unit 2017

I think the bigger seller here, by far, will be the Alpine i209-WRA which is their new mechless 9″ stereo featuring Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Aside from being water resistant and dustproof*, this model adds a ton of features that were lacking in last year’s model i109-WRA such as:

  • iDatalink Maestro integration
  • SiriusXM capability (requires SXV300 tuner and possibly an iDatalink SAT1)
  • New high visibility WVGA capacitive touch screen
  • Bluetooth for handsfree calling and audio streaming
  • HD Radio
  • HDMI input**

*A note about the IP54 rating which is defined in two parts according to Wikipedia: Ingress of dust is not entirely prevented, but it must not enter in sufficient quantity to interfere with the satisfactory operation of the equipment; Water splashing against the enclosure from any direction shall have no harmful effect. Having said that, it’s kind of like dropping your iPhone in the snow – pick it up, dry it off and it will survive, but you probably wouldn’t have the same luck if you submerged it in water for an extended period of time. It’s not entirely infallible to the elements, but can withstand a decent bout of dust and rain which is inevitable for Jeep Wrangler owners.

**Correction 2/8/17 – a previous publication of this article stated this model lacked an HDMI input. After receiving some conflicting information, Alpine has clarified and confirmed HDMI input is a feature of the i209-WRA.

So what’s the Alpine i209-WRA going to cost you?

All this can be yours at a retail price of $1999.95**. Keep in mind, Alpine wants that price to be a fully installed price. So let’s compare that to a fully installed price on something like Pioneer’s AVH-4200NEX or Kenwood’s DDX9703s.

Both models feature a 7″ touch screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM capability, HD radio, Bluetooth plus an on board DVD/CD Player (which the Alpine i209-WRA lacks). Both models come with a 1 year warranty when purchased from an authorized retailer.

When you add the iDatalink Maestro module, the Maestro harness, the FM/AM antenna adapter, the dash kit, the USB flush mount/retention adapter and installation you’re looking close to $1150 installed for either one.

Alpine i209-WRA Jeep Wrangler Head Unit 2017
Alpine i209-WRA Jeep Wrangler Head Unit 2017

Spend an extra $850 on the Alpine i209-WRA you’ll get:

  • A much larger 9″ screen
  • A water resistant and dust proof WGVA high visibility capacitive touch screen that is designed to be visible even in bright sun (a screen designed for the Jeep Wrangler environment)
  • 3 year warranty (I’m assuming on this one – that was a feature of previous models, I don’t see why they wouldn’t carry that forward)
  • Bragging rights

Want an on board GPS navigation and a DVD player too?  That’ll cost you.

Alpine takes it one step further with the next model up, the Alpine X209-WRA. With a suggested retail price of $3499.95***, the Alpine X209-WRA adds:

  • On board GPS navigation
  • CD/DVD Player
  • Dual Zone – (DVD output from in dash unit to rear seat entertainment option like headrest screens with wireless headphones for example)
  • Alpine Connect infotainment service and companion smartphone app featuring in-dash content from iHeartRadio, Yelp, Glympse, and Spotify

How well these models sell will certainly depend on the market. I can tell you in our area, I can see Jeep Wrangler owners making the $850 leap from a 7″ Kenwood or Pioneer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto head unit to the Alpine i209-WRA. I’m not so sure about the X209-WRA, but time will tell.

What do the Jeep Wrangler owner’s out there think? Which model would you be more inclined to install in your Jeep Wrangler? The i209-WRA or X209-WRA?

***I corrected this article 2/3/17 to reflect the minimum advertised price. The original article stated the price of the i209-WRA was $2200 and the price for the X209-WRA was $4000. Despite obtaining those prices from Alpine’s CES press release, the minimum advertised price for the i209-WRA is actually only $1999.95 and the minimum advertised price for the X209-WRA is $3499.95.