Nissan digital rearview mirror to bow in Geneva, go on sale later this year

Can be converted back to a traditional mirror by the flick of a switch

Digital rearview mirrors have largely been relegated to concepts and race cars like the Audi R18, but Nissan is looking to change that with their new "Smart rearview mirror."

Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the Smart rearview mirror is being billed as the "world's first LCD monitor that not only provides clear rearward visibility under various conditions but also allows the driver the ability to switch between the LCD monitor and the traditional rearview mirror, depending on the driver's preference."

The system uses a high-resolution rearview camera and an LCD monitor that projects the image over the traditional rearview mirror. If the driver isn't impressed with the techno-wizardry they can just flip a switch and convert back to the traditional setup. However, Nissan says the digital rearview mirror provides a wider and clearer view than the standard mirror. The company also says the digital mirror overcomes obstacles such as tall rear seat passengers and luggage.

According to Nissan Executive Vice President Andy Palmer, "[The] Smart rearview mirror will give our customers the best possible view no matter how tall the passengers in the back seat, or the road conditions. It also offers the possibility of new and exciting designs for our upcoming models because Smart rearview mirror is an alternative to a very wide rear window for good visibility. We'll have the flexibility to create new shapes, and to further improve aerodynamics for better fuel efficiency."

The Smart rearview mirror will become a dealer option in Japan this spring and Nissan will introduce it globally in 2015.

Source: Nissan