The Polestar 4 replaces a rear window with a hi-def screen

Polestar introduced the Polestar 4, the second SUV in its lineup, at Auto Shanghai 2023. Actually, it’s technically an SUV coupé, meaning it has the space and four doors of an SUV, but the sloping roof and aerodynamics of a coupé.

The Polestar 4 has plenty of new specs that make it turn heads, but the most bold design choice has got to be the lack of a rear-view mirror. Instead, drivers will look at screens in their cabin when reversing, which will display a real-time feed from a roof-mounted rear camera.

The Volvo spinoff says this gives the driver a wider field of view than they would get just by looking out the back window. It is also bound to give some drivers anxiety. What happens if a rock breaks that camera, or if the feed glitches and stops working? No rear window means no backup in case of tech challenges, so Polestar must be pretty confident in what it’s bringing to the streets.

The company says there is a design rationale for the decision to nix the rear window, and that it was first tested with the Polestar Precept concept car.