At this year’s New York Auto Show Nissan will introduce the first production application of their Smart Rearview Mirror fitted to a 2014 Rogue. This clever system allows the driver to switch between the LCD monitor and the traditional rearview mirror, and provides a clear, unobstructed view of the rear.

The camera-based Smart Rearview Mirror has almost no blind spot at all, and is unimpeded by traditional obstacles that limit the view out of a traditional rearview mirror, such as cargo, tall passengers, inclement weather or the design of a vehicle. This is especially useful in big SUVs.

Smart Rearview Mirror system includes a built-in LCD monitor in place of the traditional mirror – it doubles as one – and a high-resolution camera mounted on the rear of the vehicle. To provide a clear image regardless of environmental conditions like rain, snow, dawn and dusk, they have used a high-tech camera that minimizes glare, and employed an advanced image processing system.

Rearview cameras will soon become a mandatory safety feature on all new vehicles. Nissan’s system shows us a cleverer way of using them.

“Smart Rearview Mirror will give our customers the best possible view no matter how tall the passengers in the back seat or how bad the road conditions,” said Andy Palmer, Chief Planning Officer and Executive Vice President of Nissan. “It also offers the possibility of new and exciting designs for our upcoming models, ensuring that appearance no longer has to be compromised for visibility and functionality. We’ll have the flexibility to create new shapes and to further improve aerodynamics for better driving dynamics and fuel efficiency.”