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Flip the day-nighttime lever at the bottom of your Cadillac XT5's rear-view mirror and it becomes…an LCD showing a wide-angle view of traffic behind you, shot from the viewpoint of a camera but above the new crossover'due south rear license plate. It's the beginning of what might exist a flood of inside and side rear mirrors using tiny cameras that gave you wider viewing angles and less wind resistance than traditional exterior mirrors. The possibility exists for multiple cameras stitching together a seamless 180-caste view.

Cadillac partnered with Gentex Corp. to create the Rear Photographic camera Mirror, every bit Cadillac calls it, subsequently announcing the concept a twelvemonth ago as a "streaming video mirror," every bit if it could play Snapchat clips. It'southward bachelor initially on the XT5, a compact crossover replacing the Cadillac SRX, and the high-end Cadillac CT6 sport sedan. In test driving the XT5, I found the display worked well, merely information technology besides takes some getting used to.

CadillacMirror01.jpg

How it works on newspaper

The Full Display Mirror (as Gentex calls it) pulls an epitome from a moderately high-definition camera mounted on the rear of the motorcar above the license plate. The lens has a hydrophobic, or water-shedding, coating to reduce the effects of rainy weather. The epitome is fed to the 1280-by-240 pixel LCD display (171 pixels per inch) embedded in the rear view mirror. The driver switches between views using the lever on the bottom that on simpler mirrors would switch between daytime and nighttime viewing modes. In reflective mirror mode, the electrochromic element automatically dims the view when bright headlamps shine on the mirror.

The other special feature is a high-dynamic range camera that reduces glare at night. Gentex says each pixel sets its ain exposure and the headlamps appear as vivid objects, but darker objects such as the outline of the automobile, or a pedestrian jogging at the side of the road, could besides be visible. Gentex has 10 patents on the mirror system including for the streaming video mirror concept broadly and likewise for wide-angle-view scale, de-warping, glare reduction, and the camera's hardware design.

The first-ever 2017 Cadillac XT5 luxury crossover is the cornerstone of a new series of crossovers in the brand's ongoing expansion. The first-ever XT5 premieres in November 2015 at the Dubai and Los Angeles auto shows and begins production in the U.S. and China in spring 2016.

How it works on the route

The offset – and lasting – impression is how wide the field of view is, about four times every bit wide as a traditional mirror. Because it's outside the car, the view isn't obstructed past dorsum seat headrests, passengers, or roof pillars. You do have to recall the view is 8-10 feet farther back than a traditional mirror view. The wide view is useful in city traffic and for looking around before backing into a parking space; in one case y'all're fairly certain at that place's no crossing traffic in your blindspot, you'd switch to the camera view on the auto's primary LCD.

In that location's so much to see, yous might also wish for a 2X not 4X view on the highway, where in that location's virtually likewise much view, especially if you're protected by a bullheaded spot warning arrangement. On the highway, y'all don't discover the camera is mounted lower than the rear view mirror; in the metropolis with lots of traffic around, the low view takes getting used to. Rain may be an issue, besides, if in that location's steady rainfall and/or water misting upwards from the highway. There's a limit to how much water the hydrophobic blanket can shed.

Some drivers may as well have an acclimation period as they get used to looking at an LCD and focusing the eyes on a brandish 18-24 inches away, as opposed to the infinity focal distance of a glass mirror that redirects your eyesight.

More possibilities for camera-based mirrors

Honda LaneWatch

Honda LaneWatch

What Cadillac is doing with Gentex is only a start. Other automakers, including Tesla, are toying with using pocket-sized cameras as side mirror replacements. They reduce wind resistance and make the auto narrower and easier to fit into a snug garage. There'southward research into stitching together the images from two or 3 exterior cameras to requite an even more comprehensive view. It would be interesting to run across a rear camera mounted up higher, at the roofline, for a better view; if so, a lower-res camera would still be used for backing and parking.

Honda is using a camera on the passenger side, Lane Picket, that does blind spot detection and projects the image on the center stack LCD (next epitome). The driver uses that and iii overlaid distance lanes to determine if it'due south safe or non to change lines.

Nissan worked with Gentex to produce a rear-view photographic camera for its race car, which similar other race cars, had only two small side mirrors. (Video below.)

Virtually the 2017 Cadillac XT5

The 2017 XT5 is Cadillac'south latest shot at taking on the all-time from Audi, BMW, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz. You've heard that earlier from Cadillac, about every v years since the late 1990s, just the XT5 has the potential to be a serious role player this time effectually. Cadillac moved its headquarters from Detroit to New York City to get out from the nether the corporate umbrella and then hired a agglomeration of executives from the German language automakers; Cadillac's president, John de Nysschen, came from Audi and Infiniti.

The trim inside and outside is high-end and relatively subdued, almost Audi-like, although if you must have chrome wheels, you tin can social club them.

On tech, Cadillac pretty much matches the contest in offering a head-upwardly brandish, stop-and-become adaptive cruise control, lane go along assist, blind spot detection, pedestrian standoff braking, surround vision cameras, parking sonar, wireless telephone charging, and real-fourth dimension suspension damping. It too has the Cadillac CUE infotainment arrangement, which is polarizing because some (many) drivers find CUE hard to use, especially when being driven, as cars are wont to do. The XT5 edition of CUE has a faster processor, supports Apple tree CarPlay and Android Auto, and comes with four USB jacks. The base automobile, just under $40,000, is front-cycle-bulldoze, with a 310-hp V6 engine and viii-speed automatic (the only choice). A loaded XT5 Platinum trim line with all-wheel-drive runs $65,000. Y'all'll need the Platinum trim line to become the Rear Camera Mirror.

At 190 inches, the XT5 is the same length and meridian (66 inches) as the older Cadillac SRX. While newer looking, it continues to look a tall station wagon/crossover than an SUV. It'due south also within an inch or two of the BMW X5 or Mercedes-Benz GLE, which are several inches higher. The XT5 is a two-row vehicle, leaving three rows for the vastly larger and taller Cadillac Escalade.

Where the XT5 is midsize, the new Cadillac CT6 is a full size sedan (204 inches long) meant to compete confronting Audi A8, BMW 7 Serial, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. It, too, offers the Rear Camera Mirror.