One car maker has taken a novel step to make its latest model stand out.

There will be no more ‘checking your mirror’ before manoeuvering; instead, check the screen.

Peering over your shoulder to reverse into a tight space will also be a thing of the past.

Don’t look back

The Swedish-made Polestar 4 will be the first car without a rear window to launch on British roads.

Instead of a rear screen, it will be fitted with a high-definition screen.

This will display a live feed from a camera fitted on the roof.

The car manufacturer, which is owned by Volvo, says the novel design will give motorists a better view of the road behind them, particularly when driving at night.

Prices start at £59,990 for the Polestar 4 and is expected to hit the roads in August, and it will be the first car to remove the glass rear window entirely.
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Who’s in the back?

The screen – still placed in the traditional spot above the dashboard – can also be deactivated and used as a normal mirror, allowing the driver to see into the rear of the car.

Jonathan Goodman, head of Polestar in the UK, said: “The visibility out the back of many cars is pretty constrained – the second you have a large passenger in the back or any luggage, you can’t see anything out of it at all.

“If you place a camera there you’ve got a far better field of vision as the driver.”

Positioning change

Although it is not a mirror, the screen will still be placed in the traditional spot above the dashboard.

You can also deactivate it and use it as a regular mirror, allowing the driver to see into the car’s rear.

Arguing for the change in design, the manufacturer stated it allows designers to save space and increase safety.

An absence of a rear screen means the vehicle can be re-engineered to provide more head and leg room.

While other cars, including some electric BMWs, have cameras linked to the rear-view mirror, the Polestar 4 will be the first to remove the glass rear window entirely.

Looking differently

According to Lutz Stiegler, chief technology officer, Polestar’s unique approach has also helped it stand out, which is important to the company.

He said the firm wanted to create a “different environment” inside the car and offer a “different silhouette” from other vehicles.

Stiegler told the PA news agency: “What really drove us into this is the overall concept optimisation of the entire car – we wanted to have a car that is aerodynamically efficient, and that requires getting the rear end of the roof down.”

“With this, you get a very narrow space for the rear windscreen, and that actually doesn’t give enough or sufficient visibility… and with the rear seats we are more comfort-orientated anyway, with a very relaxed position.

“We wanted to create a different environment, and I think many will like it; others will hate it because they want to see something when they look in the mirror.

“My experience is it takes a few days, but then you don’t see the difference any longer, and then it’s only a positive.

“But of course, for us, it was a tool to do two things – one is getting the rear roof down, and by that creating a different silhouette of the car than we would have with a rear window, and the other is getting some attractive technology in the car.”

Tech tonic

In addition to a bespoke version of Google Maps, it has an array of in-car sensors that can monitor the driver’s fatigue levels and even where their eyes are looking, giving them a nudge if they drift from the road or appear to be getting weary.

Individual drivers can also create personal profiles that arrange the central display and seat settings to their layout and preference – in much the same way different Netflix profiles on a single account would within one household.

It is a further sign that modern cars are becoming more of an extension of our already digital-centric lives.

Mr Stiegler stated that Polestar wanted to “focus our money on things (technology) that really make a difference”, including “infotainment” systems and continuing the company’s collaboration with Google.

He added that using technology to fine-tune the performance of its cars is something it is passionate about.

For example, the “drivability of the car” includes adjustment of  “suspension, response on the accelerator pedal and brake”.

Mr Stiegler added that Polestar is the first to master this kind of production capable of running at a mass level and that the end result will be “highly technological.”