[venukrithish]

I respect Nissan and renault in this context. Even the base variants of Magnite and Kiger get wiper, washer and defogger

[kedar3223]

If a car has a good quality drvm, I think I can overlook the rear wiper and defogger.

[Genie]

This is an absolute must.
With all the justifications provided so far another example is:
On a rainy day when the vision through the windows on driver side and passenger side is not clear due to rain droplets on the glass and on the side view mirrors, rear window wiper is the saviour for rear vision.
I am at loss to understand why manufactures club these safety features with high end models. Similar is the case with some cars not having rear seat headrests in base models and so on. Cost reasons apart consumer behaviour also drives these trends with people going crazy over "features" not necessarily safety related.
A ruling to this effect would bring in changes although I should mention that some much needed safety features are slowly becoming the norm.

[Ravi Parwan]

not vital for me since north India does not see as much rain. The requirement for a rear wiper and washer only arise if you are driving substantial distances in rain. For me that use case does not happen very often, so a rear wiper is not a must have for me.

[namanski]

I've been driving in Chennai for over 5 years now - majorly in a suzuki ignis delta.

during rains, it was very painful to drive the car because the rear wasn't visible at all. i used to keep a kitchen counter wiper in my trunk and clean the rear windshield as and when i halted.

when rounding in on a new car, rear wiper, washer, and defogger were must-haves (mostly from a utility perspective). i'm so glad for the choice i made because rainy season driving has become much nicer now.

[Mukunthan91]

Our Toyota Etios liva VX dual tone 2017 model has rear wiper. I have been using the rear wiper every time it rains and it's must to have a clean rear glass when reversing the car.
Rear wiper is an important feature all car manufacturers should provide even from base variant.

[ss11011988]

I believe the trio (rear wash, wipe, defogger) should be a must have feature and it should be standardized by the respective manufacturers across all variants of their respective products. I would rather prefer it over the over hyped and much marketed hideous brick hole sunroof, that compromises headroom and serves no other purpose other than sticking heads / torsos out and thus becoming a potential safety hazard (especially with the tropical climate and the dusty environment that we live in). However, in the current scenario, would I spend top dollar for the top trim, just to get that feature? Absolutely not, especially when there is a huge price gap between the top trim and the rest of the variants.

Cheers,
NI

[saleem_k]

I love driving in the rains and the rear glass really gets messed up with rain and muck. I've realized it's quite important from a safety perspective to have a clear view of who's behind you, especially on expressways or fast-moving roads. It's a small incremental price to get a top model and is absolutely necessary in today's world of really bad drivers.

[greenhorn]

Look, if you want it really badly, anything is retro fittable. My Indica's rear wiper is not stock. It was retrofitted along with a new glass, motor, wiring and piping, controllers, upgraded wash wipe tank etc and cost almost 50k and was installed by the dealer.

[motorworks]

Just because people don't talk enough about rear wipers and de-foggers, automobile manufacturers have now more or less assumed that such a simple feature can be cut down and yet customers wouldn’t really have an issue with it! I mean, have you ever seen or read a review where journalists have made a big deal about the lack of these features? Agreed, reviews are mostly on top-end variants, but all journalists are guilty of not calling this out! This is 2024 and yet cars have only top end variants with a rear wiper and a defogger!

I remember way back in 2018 when i bought a creta, only the SX models which were top end variants came with rear wiper and defogger! And now again in 2024, we recently bought a nexon for my wife, and guess what, there is a rear wiper, but no defogger! And this is the second most expensive variant with a 360 camera, and yet no rear defogger! I think i recall a mid-variant in the Kia Sonet where it was the other way around, no rear wiper and only a de-fogger!

[sac23]

Unfortunately, in countries like India, features like fog lamps, rear wipers, etc. are sold as luxury safety features. I was out for a new car recently, and I realised that the rear wiper is such a luxury these days that rear wipers are only equipped from the 3rd variant onwards, regardless of the manufacturer.
The Fronx NA doesn't even have a variant with a rear wiper. The worst part is that it's difficult to add this feature since it needs a rear windscreen replacement as well. I even saw some cars that had a sunroof but no rear wiper!
It's such a silly and shameless immature act from all mainstream manufacturers in India, whether they are Indian, Japanese, Korean, or German, except Chinese!
The MG Astor is the only car that offers rear wipers from the base variant.

[Brumby]

Voted for "Not Important"

The rear wash and wipe is functional mostly when its raining continuously and more than drizzle.

Just after the rain stops, in Indian conditions its mostly mud accumulating on the rear windscreen, using rear wiper without water will create scratches and damage the rear windshield.

The rear wash-wipe function is designed in such a way that I am always confused about which movement will cause what function.

I use it only when its raining continuously.

The spray from nozzle is always a streak rather than a spray like for the front. So even if wash and wipe is used, likelihood of causing scratches on the windshield are still high.

Other than that, the rear wipe function comes with single speed for most cars which again is counter productive during light drizzle conditions. The wiper starts making rubbing noise as it runs on dry surface.

So unless its designed to be actually functional, its not relevant.

Cheers

[autobahnjpr]

I have been using cars which do not have a rear washer and wiper and I have never faced any problem either in rains or otherwise. I think it is more required where you go offroading in dirt and cannot see anything at the rear.

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by autobahnjpr

I have been using cars which do not have a rear washer and wiper and I have never faced any problem either in rains or otherwise. I think it is more required where you go offroading in dirt and cannot see anything at the rear.

None of the car that I have owned and driven had a rear washer & wiper. I stay in coastal city and the rainfall here is severe. However I managed my commutes with some difficulty as I couldn't see much through the IRVM (rear windshield) during monsoon drives

Then, I had the opportunity to sit/drive a friend's car for a short duration. The car had a rear wash and wiper and I saw first hand how useful the feature was. Driving in monsoon season was a breeze and washing/wiping off the dust as & when needed is also a boon.

After having seen the benefit firsthand, I have made it among my "Must have features" in my next car. Ofcourse that means the base/entry model and mid variants of most cars are out of my list. And that means spending more for a higher variant.

[saket77]

This subject is over sensitized. In my experience, the rear windshield gets very little water on it. This is especially true when the car is moving because the air flow pushes the water away from the rear windshield. Any accumulated water is further cleaned by the airflow as the car is moving. I have a hatchback with a rear wiper and I use it very rarely even in the rains because visibility is rarely an issue. At times I use it only because I have it. It is nice to have but not a deal breaker in my opinion.

Voting accordingly.