When I mentioned the auto/intermittent function they are one and the same in terms of what is on the stalk and what is on the page. The handbook page I attached above was from a 2011 version and the book still does not mention the rear wiper exists anyway, like you said .
The windscreen sensor decides, if you have the setting on auto/intermittment switched on, when to kick the wipers on and the timing can be calibrated by Nissan, or possibly the sensor can play up so as not to work as you might expect and that would be a replacement job.
Looking at your pic above, when you turn the dial with the graduations on (in the middle of the stalk) that detrmines the wiper frequencey when it is on the auto/intermittent setting - yes? To its right the single marking and the 3 options including OFF relate solely to the rear wiper operation.
But has your car got the Sat Nav - seeing the note in (1) on the page I posted, as that does say the speed on auto/intermittent does not vary on those cars without it?