[bmuser]

Hi,

Some years ago, airbags and ABS were available only in certain high-end model , that too with a high wait time due to less number of manufacturing.

Today, airbags are a norm and ABS & other stability features are also becoming common in lower models.

However, till date in most lineups, rear wiper and washer as a safety feature is rare unless it is a top-end model.

Lets vote and discuss the following:

What do you guys think?

Is rear wiper and washer is not as important? Would you upgrade to higher-end model for it or would it not play that much importance in your decision?

Any statistics available that anyone came across?

[Mortis]

According to me it's an essential feature on hatchbacks and "SUVs". Along with a defogger they should be available right from the base model upwards.
In fact they should be offered on sedans as well. The water doesn't always flow off on their rear windshields well

[BLACNWYTE]

I think this will be a regional choice. A matter of necessity vs having full list of features. I live in Kerala where there is rainfall for almost 9 months in a year. For me this is a pretty essential feature in a hatchback/ SUV.

For the people who lives in drier regions this will seem to be a totally useless feature. Defogger, maybe required but not the rear wash and wipe.

Anyway I have opted for the option 1. Very important and a must have.

[greenhorn]

I am ok with it being an option, as long as the option is commercially available. Maruti etc are notorious for putting rear wiper and until it was made mandatory, abs and airbags in trim versions which were vapourware
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ust-paper.html (Is Maruti's announcement of Optional ABS & Airbags just on paper?)
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...-variants.html (Optional safety features should not be the exclusive preserve of Top variants!)

In the meantime I'll just leave this picture i took at a parking lot near my home

[DivyanshuDiv]

Voted as important but to me it is a very important safety feature. I would buy another similar car that offers the same and fullfill my needs, rather than buying a top end with missing wiper and exceeding my budget.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Rear wash and wipe should be mandatory by law. It is a crucial bit of equipment from hatchback, crossovers and SUVs and it is shameful that manufacturers insist on treating it as a luxury feature. Hyundai in particular deserves to be named and shamed here.

[kgt.v8]

Rear wash, wiper and defogger are one of the most important safety feature for me in SUV and hatchback body style. Rear wiper and defogger are critical to keep rear window visibility up when travelling in heavy rains. It is difficult to retrofit these as after market accessory.
What I don’t know how much manufacturers save not providing these in lower variants or is only to lure those couple of customers to higher variant who want rear wash+wiper+defogger

Venue provides these in starting from Executive variant. S+/S(O) are even weird as they don’t have rear wash and wiper. On closely looking at engine and variant combinations I realised this is because S+/S(O) are available only in 1.2 NA petrol. So someone who buys 1.2 NA engine will not get rear wash and wiper.

Kia Sonet has started to provide rear wash, wiper and defogger from HTK+ onwards now.

1.2 NA variants of Fronx don’t have rear washer + wipers. All variants seem to get rear defogger though. A colleague of mine ruled Fronx out due to missing rear wash + wiper.

Tata Nexon provides rear wash + wiper starting from Creative variants. Defogger is only in Fearless (top) variant.

Brezza offers rear defogger from VXI onwards and rear washer + wiper from VXI onwards

* Some of these variants could have changed as I this is from my 2 months old notes

[shancz]

A lot of cars give the seat height adjust and rear wash-wipe-demist in top-1/top variants only and I would stretch for that feature as its in my essentials list.

That being said, since the market doesn't use these so the manufacturers don't push it in early-mid variants to save costs. It involves the wiring to be laid our all the way from the front battery/fuse box to the rear windscreen with good waterproofing at the boot door hinge as the wipe-wash-demist is a high current draw item. This isn't a very cheap process.
Same logic as to why the base variants of popular cars don't have an ICE or rear power windows as their target audience is the fleet/taxi drivers.

I would like to make it standard too but market forces and data state otherwise, hence the manufacturers act accordingly.


I think the conversation today should be more about the pushing of intrusive ADAS systems without a relief variant with same or more features.
Goes without saying I am a proponent of the "tech pack/ADAS pack" approach where the ADAS intrusions are optional even in the top variant.
But lets see how the market responds.

[fhdowntheline]

I wouldn't mind a hatch with manual AC, radio only, but it should have at least 6 airbags, ESP and rear wiper washer and if I may add, 60/40 rear seat split.

[It's Magic]

Originally Posted by bmuser

Is rear wiper and washer is not as important? Would you upgrade to higher-end model for it or would it not play that much importance in your decision?

I have voted this as important.

Having a rear wiper and washer in your car is an important safety aspect, and I always wonder why manufacturers reserve it only for their top end models. I have written about this in my past posts too.

It's surprising, as it's not very costly to add a rear wiper and washer. So, I don't think it would substantially increase the price of a given model, like having airbags or ABS would. I first noticed this when I purchased a Hyundai car, but l have seen similar trend in other manufacturers recently.

Having said that, my final decision might not be based on the presence of a rear wiper. If I had to pay much more for a top end just to get a rear wiper, I might just go for the variant that offers the best value for money, in my opinion.

[saikishor]

This is a very important feature in a country like India where monsoons are sometimes unpredictable, roads filled with dust hampering vision from the rear window and what not. This feature should be made mandatory just like ABS and airbags. It is honestly a big shame that manufacturers only offer this in their highest trim level. Hyundai/Kia are particularly extra shameless, as they can offer a sunroof in the middle variants but not a rear wiper. My 14 year old Chevy Beat costed 5 lacs back then and came with a rear wiper, but a Kia Sonet mid variant which can cost around 15 lacs doesn't get a rear wiper.

IMO, even sedans need a rear wiper in India. Yes the sloping roof line/glass does not really necessitate one but for India, I wish even sedans had this.


Another feature I feel should be made mandatory are read adjustable headrests. Just look at mid variant cars from Tata, Mahindra, Maruti etc and you'll be shocked to see such a thing even made it to production by complying with the safety norms.

[bblost]

My Chevy Sail Uva (Hatchback, top end) has a rear wiper. It needed that when driven in rain, especially on dusty highways. On hatchbacks, I rate this as an extremely important safety feature.

My Verna does not have a rear wiper but given its design, there is a hardly any water and dust that gets stagnant on it. In fact only when stopped at a signal does the water droplets settle on the rear windscreen. As soon as the car moves and picks up even a little speed, the droplets of water simply roll off.

I think the car manufacturers who recognise such a basic safety need for the higher variants must not deny them to the base models.

[Simha.k]

If there is one feature in my car I've used several times regularly has to be the rear defogger and washer with wiper.

When I bought my first car in 2012, my Vista 1.3 QJD Aura Abs model had one and for me, ABS and rear wiper/washer and defogger were non negotiable features. I had to exceed my budget just to get these features. Trust me, I LOVED the feature of wiping the rear windscreen. It was such a boon during rainy and foggy conditions.

I cannot think of driving my car without them here in Europe now. My previous 2 leased cars had them, so does my existing combi. One clean sweep and the rear view is clear. You can judge the gaps and make clear and better maneuvers with a clear view in your IRVM.

High time car OEMs in India make this a standard across all cars including sedans.

[sanjeevs]

I have voted as important but not very important for me. Basically, it’s a good feature to have in a car, but not a must have feature in the car. I will not go to extreme lengths to buy a car just to have this feature because more important and mandatory safety features like airbags, ABS, ESC, safety ratings etc. matter more for me.
This feature is rarely used most of the time and is only used in rains or driving in mushy conditions and more importantly when reversing the car. Hence if this feature is not used for the remainder of the year and used only during the monsoons, then I can certainly live without it.

[jetsetgo08]

Rear wash wipe is a vital feature, we will only realize the importance of it, when it is not present, whether it is monsoon or foggy winter.

Below 15L, Nissan Magnite is the only car to have it as standard across all variants.