SHANGHAI -- Polestar's latest model, the Polestar 4, has no rear window and offers a new twist on the rearview mirror. The driver will rely on a high-definition screen that shows a real-time feed from a roof-mounted, rear-facing camera to see what is happening behind the car.
Polestar says the digital feed, which can be deactivated to make the rearview mirror function as it traditionally does to provide a view of the rear occupants, will improve safety, especially at night.
"This is an amazing functional improvement to have the back window removed," Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said. "At night you don't just see two tiny dots in the rearview mirror, you see so much more. And you can also look to see your kids back there with the press of a button."
The design element was first shown in the 2020 Polestar Precept concept car.
Because there is no back window, the Polestar 4's panoramic roof extends past the heads of the rear occupants, who are able to recline their seats. The standard full-length glass roof is available with optional electrochromic functionality, allowing for the glass to be made opaque or transparent, depending on the mood
The Polestar 4, which the automaker calls a reinterpretation of the coupe-styled SUV, will be the electric car maker's fastest model when it reaches the European and U.S. markets early next year.