​​Invisible Hood Named Best New Feature by Texas Auto Writers Association​

It is somewhat ironic when you think about it. To see behind you while sitting in your car, you have one inside mirror, two outside mirrors, and if it’s a 2019 model or newer, a rear camera. Many models will even alert you to something in your blind spot. You have all these tools to observe what’s behind you, but none to see what is right in front of you. Did a cat curl up in front of your car? Are you close enough to the high curb ahead without risking damage to the front air dam? You won’t know unless you get out and look. That is, of course, unless you have a new Nissan with the Invisible Hood feature. This is why Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia is pleased to announce that Nissan’s Invisible Hood was named the “Best New Feature” by the Texas Auto Writer’s Association (TAWA). 

The aptly named Invisible Hood features a front-mounted camera that sends an image to the center and possibly both the center and digital driver’s display, enabling you to see a wide-angle view of what is blocked by the hood. At home, it can help you spot that cat, a tricycle, or anything else that randomly comes to rest in front of your car. In town, it can assist you in parking accurately and keeping you aware of discarded items that find themselves in front of your bumper. With its wide-angle view, it can even help you see a vehicle approaching from either side after you back into a parking space between two vehicles that obstruct your view. Off-road, it can help you identify obstacles to avoid on the rough terrain ahead.  

Invisible Hood first appeared as an option on the 2024 Nissan Rogue, where it is part of the Intelligent Around View Monitor system, on the SL and Platinum models. The 360 camera system is another feature invented by Nissan and first appeared on Infiniti models over a decade ago. The feature is also standard on the 2025 Murano SL and Platinum trim levels and a standard feature on all but the base model of the 2025 Armada model line.  

It is the mission of the TAWA to promote accuracy and quality in the automotive journalism field. Thanks in part to the size of the state and the many publications within it, TAWA has grown to become one of the most influential and recognized automotive journalist associations in the United States. Journalist members of the association are among the most respected in the country. Its annual Texas Roundup gathers new and redesigned vehicles and journalists from around the state to review vehicles and issue awards. It was at this event, held at the Margaritaville Resort on Lake Conroe on April 6, that the Invisible Hood was named best feature, which they observed in action when testing the new Nissan Armada. At this same event, the Nissan Murano took third place for the People’s Vehicle of Texas (Best Value) award. 

Visit Dick Smith Nissan of Columbia and view the Invisible Hood in action. With this kind of reception, it is likely to appear on more Nissan models in the coming years.