[chaosengine]

I personally would not mind having a sunroof per se, but my feelings towards this feature have changed over time.

Initially, I was repulsed by how most automobile journalists used to mention "No sunroof" as a cons of a car, but for a country like India, it really does not have a functional value I'd say. With time, I started taking "expert opinions" of automotive journalists with a pinch of salt and decided for myself what true value features are and how relevant they are to us here in India and formed an opinion of it myself.

It isn't something I must have, and definitely not something I'd pick a higher variant for. However, if I must buy a variant that makes sense and has a sunroof (like Honda City VX over the V), I'd definitely not mind taking it, and I might find myself using it on rainy evenings or foggy mornings over time. However, I would really not invest an additional 40k or so to get a variant of a car just for the sunroof (like the Slavia Style with sunroof vs. Slavia Style without). Then again, panoramic sunroofs just scare me - I feel it's just too much of an open space and I seem to have some (possibly irrational) fear about it. I like my car to be spacious but also make me feel protected and cozy if anyone can relate.

Originally Posted by ChevyTeddy

I've been seeing the sunroof on the wishlist of many people everytime there's talk of a car getting a new facelift/trim. In India, especially in the plains which are sunny most of the time (and foggy at others), does a sunroof really have utility value?

I also read a comment elsewhere that sunroofs offer a way to rescue people when there's a crash and the doors are jammed. But doesn't that ignore the fact that the glass / fiber panels of these sunroofs might shatter on impact, creating an even bigger risk during rescues? Not to mention the loss of structural strength since there is a larger section with glass instead of sheet metal?

[itsmeparvathy9]

I feel sunroofs are not at all a necessity in a country like ours, it's just a novelty and once you use it a few times, it loses its charm and then remains shut most of the time. I would personally prefer to have other features over a sunroof and would love if manufacturers offered all Variants including the top end with and without sunroof, so people like me can get the top end models without having to deal with a sunroof.

I am appreciative of what Skoda has done with the Kushaq and the Slavia by offering a non-sunroof variant on its Style trims. I also like the idea of the Nissan Magnite and the Renault Kiger not offering a sunroof at all.

[specialist1968]

I faced coconut (tender, small size) fall on my car roof twice (in Kerala, in the last 10 years). That makes me so fearful of sun roofs. I may reject a particular variant, just for the fear of a broken sun roof.....

[rishi.roger]

NO.
1. Leakage potential.
2. Adds more electronics parts in the car.
3. I have never seen anyone mentioned this before anywhere but I have a feeling this is another entry point for thefts and break-in.
4. Glass over head doesn’t inspire confidence to me, but in some cases it can actually help as exit point when all doors are wrecked.
5. Extra premium ?
6. Kids and some grown ups as well may end up popping their head out of it, thus it is not a safe thing in Indian roads plus I assume it’s not legal either.
7. Things falling from top like a stray stone etc may end up shattering the glass, already have 5x glass panels to worry about. I wonder how does the sunroof glass panel hold up during intense hail storms, can they break or shatter ?
8. Dirts and debris can jam the roof doors/mechanism causing malfunction and leakage. Plus it’s just one more item in the list of things to maintain.

Advantage:
1. Seems fancy and gives good airy feeling.
2. Helps in quicker cooling of car during extreme summers when parked under shade.
3. Easy to make videos and photos from centre of the car while it’s moving. For e.g. mounting GoPro, sending drones.
4. Kids love it, but this is a serious hazard unless the vehicle is standstill or going slowly.
5. Can see the rain falling over head, it’s amazing until it starts leaking.

[clevermax]

A sunroof adds more complexity and failure points to the car for sure. That is the same case with a car door and its window glasses. If cars were not to have any doors, the structural integrity would have been much better and because of fewer failure points, cars would have been more reliable, but it would surely have caused some inconvenience in getting in and out of the car

I like sunroofs, and in my 5 years of ownership of a car with a sunroof, I use them to this day. When I say I 'use' them, it doesn't always mean that I keep the sunroof fully open. Most of the time I slide the opaque roof lining backward and enjoy more light and a better feel in the cabin. Sometimes I drive with the sunroof slightly open upwards to let fresh air in through the AC. The moment the sunroof is opened, ACC system senses that, and recirculation is turned off.

Every feature that offers more creature comfort may introduce more failure points in the whole system. Why hate sunroof alone? Say no to infotainment systems, touchscreens, and whatnot!

[itwasntme]

Very much yes ,although I have suffered in both my Octavia and 330i.

In my unfortunately blunt opinion, most people in India who 'complain' of sunroofs either cannot afford it or choose some other options package (where available). Mind you, I am not saying anything about those who have it and don't use it. That is a personal choice.

I use my sunroofs daily. :-)

[vharihar]

Originally Posted by rishi.roger

NO.
6. Kids and some grown ups as well may end up popping their head out of it, thus it is not a safe thing in Indian roads plus I assume it’s not legal either.
7. Things falling from top like a stray stone etc may end up shattering the glass, already have 5x glass panels to worry about. I wonder how does the sunroof glass panel hold up during intense hail storms, can they break or shatter ?

Very dangerous for people to stand and look out the sunroof, have seen several parents/drivers allow this on highways. Can get ejected in case of an accident, or far worse things can happen in a rollover, God forbid.

Regarding things falling in, spot on. Even poop and piss from trains when passing under a rail overpass, is a possibility.

When in India, solpa adjust maadi and live like Indians. Sunroof is a creature comfort that's ill-suited to India.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Most people in India who 'complain' of sunroofs either cannot afford it or choose some other options package (where available).

No offence but isn’t this a bit harsh?

I am sure a person buying one car from the wide range of cars available between 10 Lakhs to 60 Lakhs OTR can afford an i20, for ₹10 Lakhs OTR with a sunroof, the cheapest car in India to get a sunroof.

Eg: An Innova/ A Fortuner buyer can for sure afford a car with a sunroof! But then there will be some reason right that they are not falling head-over-heals for the sunroof!

It’s upto the person whether or not he wants the sunroof and if he prioritises it above other creature comforts! I have a sunroof equipped car and it would be the last thing I would choose in an add-on features list, if given an option!

I would also like to hear what do people who cannot afford a sunroof-equipped car complain about?

[motorworks]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Very much yes ,although I have suffered in both my Octavia and 330i.

In my unfortunately blunt opinion, most people in India who 'complain' of sunroofs either cannot afford it or choose some other options package (where available). Mind you, I am not saying anything about those who have it and don't use it. That is a personal choice.

I use my sunroofs daily. :-)

We are in 2022 and there are ample affordable cars with sunroof. Almost all new cars being launched these days have sunroof as an option and it’s not just limited to the top variant like earlier. So it’s not a question of affordability we are discussing here. The question is, whether it’s something which will make or break one’s buying decision or if it’s something which is simply nice to have, but not on top of the list.

Unfortunate that your view is so one-dimensional and a bit snobbish.

[IamNikhil]

Always thought that once the initial novelty wears off, the sunroof remains shut for most of the time. Hence none of our cars till now were models with sunroofs.

In our recently purchased XUV 700 though, the sunroof is quite the charmer, considering the sheer expanse of it. Been loving the drives with just the curtain rolled back, especially now in the monsoon season.

Sunroof is just a cosmetic feature, which doesn't add any value to the car, but rather is a liability considering the possibility of leakage and a massive headache if it malfunctions. Personally speaking, would have preferred a model without sunroof, since none of us actually open the pane and peep out of it; at most only the curtain is opened for a skyview. These days all top-end models of vehicles come with the sunroof as a default feature; was considering the Creta earlier before we finalized the XUV 700, panoramic sunroof was a feature you had to live with, if you wanted the top-end model.

In all these years, across multiple vehicles that we've had, never once did I miss not having this particular feature. It's a strictly Western fad; but abroad it's maybe a utility and also conducive considering the weather conditions there; unlike in our part of the world where heat and scorching sun is a constant almost through the year.

[harry10]

Sunroof is practically useless for us, the drivers. We can never enjoy it as our vision has to be always straight. However, my wife and kid enjoys the sunlight it brings and especially in rainy season the droplets on sunroof gives a pleasing visual. It is also useful when parked under direct sun for long duration as opening it let's the hot air out quickly.

I am fine with sunroof if I don't have to pay extra just for it. However, most manufacturers cleverly keep other important features tagged with sunroof as they know majority of Indians won't pay extra just for the sunroof.

[Bhodrolok]

Voted No;

I have owned a car for 7 years with a sun-roof, it never had any issues such leaks but I doubt having used it more than a couple of times.

In fact it is one of my pet peeves with Indian cars at this moment, the propensity to put in sun roofs instead of basic safety features. The Virtus is a good example, I would take a 360 camera over that sunroof any day. Also I am not sure how much of structural integrity is compromised the way sun roofs are being plopped on poorly built bodies.

Finally one reason I am absolutely against sun roofs in India is the number of clowns who take their kids for joy rides with their heads out of the sun roof which gives me shivers as a parent even looking at them.

[PetrolRider]

To be frank, never been a fan of Sunroof.

• My normal dwelling in the hotter part of India, where summer goes beyond 40 degree C and when it rains, it would rather be bulls and buffalo than cats and dogs. In my current car, I wouldn't remember opening window glass more than twice or 3 times in last 4 years. Why I need one more window in a rather unconventional place?

• More moving parts means more mechanical and electrical parts to maintain. Trouble free doesn't mean maintenance free.

• I would never even in my dream would allow any kid to stand through the roof opening. But, seeing others my kid may wish to stand through it which would eventually cause heartbreaks and gloomy moods in long drives.

• As we are still struggling with little privacy we have in a tint free glass days, least I would like someone in a bus gazing my bald head in a traffic jam.

Nah, if I don't need it, I wouldn't rather have it.

[shankar.balan]

It would be lovely, sure, to have that open air feeling which a convertible top or a sun roof or the removable top gives. Ideally our friends at Mahindra, when getting ‘inspired’ by the Jeep Wrangler, during the design phase of the new Thar, ought to have also taken inspiration from the Freedom Top in the hard top version, along with the fold and tumble rear seats as well. This open air driving experience is especially lovely in the hills, mountains, beaches and countryside in India but for various obvious reasons, it is a decided disadvantage in the cities if kept open.

One day I will buy and own a convertible. Or lets see if one say I can aspire to buy an used Jeep Wrangler with its freedom top and go anywhere ability.

My vote is at odds with what I posted.
But I wanted to remain neutral because of our practical considerations in India, as mentioned in the piece about open tops in the cities.

[Maverick Avi]

When I had Maruti 800, I used to think why on earth companies introduced power windows when it was so easy to manually roll up your windows. Similar thoughts ran through my mind when I saw features such as steering mounted controls, auto folding ORVMs and all other creature comforts. But now when I have cars with these features I have never looked back and would pick a model with them anyday.

On similar lines right now I don't see any use of sunroof in my car specially living in Delhi. I would never use it even in spring and autumn months due to excessive dust and pollution. But would I buy a car model once this feature becomes more or less standard? I would say yes. It wouldn't hurt to open up the skies above you once a while on those hill station trips to Uttarakhand or Himachal.