Is the Polestar 4’s missing rear window genius or a gimmick?

The Polestar 4 officially launched in the U.S., Europe and Australia last year, going head to head with Tesla’s Model Y in the mid-sized electric SUV space. However, an alternate option for the Musk-averse consumer is far from all this EV has to offer. Polestar has also gotten creative, completely forgoing a rear window in favour of a camera feeding live footage to the driver.

It’s an unexpected departure from the norm, which serves to distinguish the Polestar 4 from its competitors. However, it will certainly take some getting used to and may not be for everyone.

Why did the Polestar 4 get rid of the rear window?

The Polestar 4’s rear-view camera is a collaboration with Gentex, who developed the technology. Mounted on the back of the Polestar 4’s roof, the 2.5-megapixel camera sits within a small fin-like protrusion alongside the EV’s Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).

Rather than displaying the camera feed on the Polestar 4’s large navigation screen, or even the dashboard, the rear-view camera’s footage is streamed directly to the rear-view mirror — or rather, rear-view screen. This narrow display is shaped and mounted like a traditional rear-view mirror, completely replacing its lower-tech counterpart.

It does seem like an unnecessary complication to a feature that already exists. However, Polestar’s head of program management Henrik Svensson told Mashable that this technology actually adds more functionality and has been “well-tested,” noting that Gentex’s rear-view camera system has previously been used in racing cars as well.

“There’s also a 360 view around the car, which helps it in more cramped situations, parking and stuff like that,” said Svensson. “The rear visibility [of SUV coupes] today is quite limited, because it’s all only a small screen that you can look through. And here we see that we actually improve the situation with the camera.”

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Rear windows and rear cameras aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive features in a car. Still, Polestar has decided to get rid of the Polestar 4’s rear window and rely entirely on the rear-view camera system, prioritising aesthetic design and the passenger experience.

“The reason why we went this track without the rear window was that we would like to, number one, optimize the interior, number two, have a really nice design of the car — design was really important for us — and also, number three, there is also that we see that we can manage to do it with the technical solutions we have out on the market today,” Svensson said.

To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, the fact that something can be done isn’t necessarily a reason that it should. Even so, Polestar is confident its rear-view camera is reliable enough to render rear windows optional.

The Polestar 4 ditches the rear window for a spacious passenger experience

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Many drivers’ instinctual reaction to the Polestar 4’s virtual rear-view camera is likely to be apprehension at minimum. After all, rear-view mirrors and the ol’ twist-in-your-seat have served drivers well for decades. Even considering that parking cameras are now commonplace, axing back window visibility renders useless a safety manoeuvre that is instinctual for the vast majority of drivers. 

The Polestar 4 does have a beautiful design, with spacious seats that feel like flying first class. Having spent a couple of hours riding in the EV, I found it an enjoyable, fairly luxurious experience in both the front and back.

Despite this, the minimal enhancements and additional functionality don’t necessarily feel worth the loss of the Polestar 4’s rear window. While the back seats can be slightly adjusted, the maximum recline is so mild that passengers are unlikely to notice a difference at all. When looking at two seats side by side, you’d be hard pressed to tell which had been tilted back and which was upright. 

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Meanwhile, it was disconcerting to keep turning my head to verify what I was seeing in the rear-view screen, only to be met with the dark expanse of the Polestar 4’s admittedly comfortable interior. Though not claustrophobic, it did feel unsettling to be forced to rely solely on the small rear-view display, even as a passenger.

The Polestar 4’s rear-view screen can be manually switched to function as a traditional mirror, but the lack of a rear window means you can’t see both the rear view and the back seat at the same time. For parents, that will mean choosing between keeping an eye on the road or on their kids. Though to be fair, those with young, sticky-fingered children will probably think long and hard about investing in any car that feels as luxurious as the Polestar 4 anyway.

Polestar is aware that its rear-view system is a significant change, and is working hard to reassure drivers of its capability. The company argues that the camera system is worthwhile due to benefits such as the aforementioned 360-degree view and a 121-degree field of view — a wider viewing angle than a traditional rear-view mirror. However, considering the seemingly small benefit of losing the rear window, it raises the question of whether the Polestar 4 could have kept it and simply added the roof-mounted camera as well.

A rear-view mirror vs a rear-view camera

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

In addition to this, the Polestar 4’s rear-view camera feels both familiar and uncanny. Though the display looks and in some ways acts like a mirror, the image initially felt strangely flat and lacking the depth that would help drivers more accurately judge their location in relation to other objects. This wasn’t helped by the fact that, unlike standard rear-view mirrors, the Polestar 4’s digital rear-view camera doesn’t allow you to see the back seats’ headrests to help you evaluate distance.

A likely contributor to this is the plastic effect, a known phenomenon where images seen in mirrors appear to have greater depth. Considering that drivers have been using mirrors for decades and grown accustomed to the depth they provide, it would be unsurprising if some are initially unsettled by the comparatively flatter image of a screen. It also seems theoretically possible that the screen may impact the drivers’ experience of psychological distance, specifically concerning spatial and experiential issues (that is, assessment of physical location and personal proximity to events).

Viewing the Polestar 4’s rear-view display, the screen simply didn’t register in my brain the same way that a mirror would. While my eyes saw the surface image clearly, it was as though my brain refused to fully ingest what it meant. Drivers I spoke to had similar issues, though they did grow more accustomed to it after spending further time behind the wheel. It’s also worth noting that while slightly moving your head can adjust your view in a mirror, such movements do nothing if you’re looking at a screen.

These issues aren’t necessarily entirely insurmountable, but like any change to a well-established norm, they will take time to adjust to. The question is whether drivers are interested in investing that time. 

Credit: Amanda Yeo / Mashable

Svensson did acknowledge that people will always have varying opinions on new features, but claimed that Polestar hadn’t received any major customer complaints about the rear-view camera. In fact, the company intends to continue along this design path in future models, asserting that customers have accepted the Polestar 4’s missing rear window.

“In the development phase, we did a lot of testing of this technique, of course, to make sure that we didn’t launch anything that we didn’t think customers would appreciate,” Svensson said.

The average driver may still need more convincing, reluctant to tamper so drastically with standard safety features or invest thousands in an EV that initially feels unsettling. Even so, these concerns may not be deal breakers for others. Early adopters and tech fiends will likely find the Polestar 4’s digital rear-view camera fascinating, and it’s certainly an intriguing talking point. While there are a few critics on the Polestar subreddit, the general consensus appears to be that it just takes getting used to.

Regardless of your (rear) view, it’s at least exciting to know that car manufacturers are continuing to innovate, even if there wasn’t necessarily anything that needed fixing here. The Polestar 4’s rear-view camera is a large step in the continued march toward increasingly more high-tech solutions, and it seems the automaker has no interest in turning back.

Disclosure: Mashable travelled to Byron Bay as a guest of Polestar.