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-   -   Why no sliding doors in Indian MPVs? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/198489-why-no-sliding-doors-indian-mpvs-3.html)

Why can't we have sliding doors in regular cars too?

It would be more comfortable to get in and out, and safe for other road users too, since so many accidents happen due to opening doors without checking at the back. Also, vehicles and can be parked close to each other, making good use of the space.

And I do not think overall the car would look any bad either, when the doors are kept closed. With so many advancements in automotive sector, it would be any easy task to conceal the channels of the doors wheels/ bearings.

The front doors can slide forward (just like rear doors in a van slides backwards) till the edge of the sides.
Pardon me for that weird image that you have in your mind right now. I have the same lol:

Drawback - I can only think of the visual thing. Will it have any impact on overall cost of manufacturing of the car?

Apart from the added cost, the added weight of all the electric motors required to open/close the sliding doors. A by product of added weight would be lower fuel efficiency & slower performance/acceleration.

To add to all that, since it frequently rains (heavily) in India, expect the electric motors to frequently fail due to water ingress & replacing them will be (another?) costly affair.

The only advantage of sliding doors (electric or manual) is that it’s extremely useful in tight spaces. The cons far outweigh the pros, in my opinion.