ZEELAND, MI--(Marketwire - May 21, 2012) - Gentex Corporation (NASDAQ: [ GNTX ]), the Zeeland, Michigan-based manufacturer of [ automatic-dimming rearview mirrors ] and camera-based lighting and driver-assist systems for the automotive industry, is providing a rearview-mirror-integrated display for the all-new Mazda CX-5 sold in Japan that allows the vehicle to meet unique Japanese safety requirements while enhancing vehicle styling.

Specifically, Gentex is shipping an automatic-dimming interior mirror with an integrated 3.3-inch liquid crystal display that not only shows the view from the vehicle's backup camera, but also, with the press of a button, shows the view along the passenger side of the vehicle from a camera located in the exterior mirror.

In Japan, vehicle safety regulations dictate that all vehicles meet what is often referred to as the "one-meter pole" requirement. It states that drivers must be able to view, either directly or in their mirrors, a one meter tall by 0.3 meter diameter cylinder placed directly in front of or alongside the passenger side of the vehicle.

Often automakers comply with the regulation by using a fender mirror, which attaches to the vehicle's front fender and helps eliminate the passenger-side blind zone. While fender mirrors do offer a solution, they often are not a part of the vehicle's initial design, and can look out of place on an otherwise meticulously planned and stylized vehicle.

The 2013 Mazda CX-5 passenger-side monitor and rear camera display are standard equipment on the CX-5 models sold in Japan.

"It's great to see our mirror display performing double duty as both a rear- and side-view monitor," said Mark Newton, senior vice president of Gentex Corporation. "It's difficult for automakers to design vehicles that comply with various laws and regulations in multiple regions while maintaining the balance between form and function. We were happy to work with Mazda to find a creative way to use our mirror-integrated display."

Founded in 1974, [ Gentex Corporation ] is the leading supplier of automatic-dimming rearview mirrors and camera-based driver-assist systems to the global automotive industry. The Company also provides commercial smoke alarms and signaling devices to the North American fire protection market, as well as dimmable aircraft windows for the commercial, business and general aviation markets. Based in Zeeland, Michigan, the international Company develops, manufactures and markets interior and exterior automatic-dimming automotive rearview mirrors that utilize proprietary electrochromic technology to dim in proportion to the amount of headlight glare from trailing vehicle headlamps. More than half of the Company's interior mirrors are sold with advanced electronic features, and more than 98 percent of the Company's net sales are derived from the sale of auto-dimming mirrors to every major automaker in the world.