[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?

[V.Narayan]

Sun roofs and heat ventilated seats are two features that really don't belong in a hot climate like India. They belong to temperate latitudes. Sunroofs are sold here needlessly as a 'desirable feature' basically because OEMs don't want to modify their designs for this market. I will confess that as the feature is there I do open it occasionally to let more light in. If it weren't there I won't miss it. But it could be of use to some drivers.

[lurker]

actually sun roofs are useful even in India. We all know that hot air always rises up. So whenever 3 or 4 people are sitting in a car there is bound to be a lot of hot air created and infrequent gassing. So on long drives if one can open the sun roof for a bit then the air that hangs above is given a quick dispersal and fresh air can come in through the windows. Makes the car/suv kinda fresh for next half-an-hour and then repeat.

[apachelongbow]

It's a desirable feature to have. Helps ambient light in, elevates your mood, makes the car airy. Is it a required feature? No. But then nor do we need led headlights, mood lighting, music systems, giant touchscreen controls, internet inside or rear seat video screens.

[corvus corax]

Sunroof is also helpful for folks who smoke, as they can open it and let the fumes out sitting in the comfort of a/c. ��
Gone are the days where people used to strike out a car from their wishlist because it lacked sunroof. Now they are doing it because the car lacked a 'panoramic sunroof'. Seriously?
The way I see it, sunroofs are yet another headache from a maintenance point of view. Rust, worn out rubber, jammed pivot point and sliders etc.
The fact of the matter is many see the roofs as a bling factor than a utility thing. Something for their kids to poke their heads out and feel the air.

[lonetraveller89]

Originally Posted by lurker

there is bound to be a lot of hot air created and infrequent gassing.

Your use of 'infrequent gassing' just made me realise how sunroofs could relieve other passengers when one of them suffers from a 'Delhi Belly' on a long trip. Sometimes even rolling down all four windows isn't enough.

[androdev]

I never sat in a car and wished it had a sunroof. Equally importantly, any time I sit in a car with sunroof, it gives me +ve vibes. I don't think it affects safety that significantly but greatly improves the in-cabin feel especially for people in the back.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Sunroofs are sold here needlessly as a 'desirable feature' basically because OEMs don't want to modify their designs for this market.

I agree with you that it is not that beneficial in our climate but in premium cars with multi-zone A/C, etc. it is not such a disadvantage.

There are some brands in India (like Porsche) where sunroof is a paid option and almost all customers include it. In fact, dealers allow you to select very limited paid options in Macan (to keep it under lower customs duty limit) and majority of the owners pick panoramic roof as the paid option over any other option. It's not a cheap option and they have to give up all other options in order to have pano roof.

Safety: neutral
Comfort, Ambience & Aesthetics: positive
Maintenance & repair: negative (rattles, leaks, mechanical failures)

[Dr.AD]

I am neutral to sunroofs. I had it in one of my past cars and I also have it in my current car. I do use it occasionally (especially in early morning and late night drives), or sometimes even during the day for a quick refresh of air. However, I am not a big fan of sunroofs and would not miss it if a car did not have sunroof.

Further, I am not even sure it a climate thing. Even in the US, I used the sunroof only as occasionally as I use it in India. The reason is that the sunroofs are only useful (if at all) during slow city speeds, or for a quick burst of open and close for fresh air at highway speeds. Regardless of the country or the climate, you can not keep sunroof open during the typical highway speeds. It causes way too much noise and turbulence, and practically becomes an annoyance at highway speeds.

Originally Posted by ChevyTeddy

Not to mention the loss of structural strength since there is a larger section with glass instead of sheet metal?

This point is not true. The structural rigidity is not compromised by the sunroof as there are other high strength members in the roof which take care of the rigidity. Below article explains this well:

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/sun...ce-and-safety/

Quoting a few relevant lines from this article:

Cars these days are specifically designed to absorb huge amounts of energy, spreading it throughout the body shell to reinforced areas, especially the A, B, C and D pillars. These pillars are made from ultra high-strength steel and do a fantastic job of absorbing any forces being applied on the roof.

Smaller lateral strengthening beams also span the car’s roof for added structural integrity but have to deal with very little force due to the dissipation to the main pillars. It is between these beams that a sunroof sits, essentially just replacing what would be sheet metal with a pane of retractable glass.

With this in mind, a sunroof has no tangible effect on the structural rigidity or strength of a car, even during a rollover. The pillars and beams absorb almost all of the forces induced during a roll. This also means that even in the hardest of cornering manoeuvres, the stiffness of a car is not affected by a sunroof in the slightest; no tangible amount of flex will occur in the body to warrant not having one.

[Rajeevraj]

I personally have not owned a car with a sun roof so am pretty neutral about it. I guess it would be one of those 'nice to have' things that come with modern cars. If you have a car with one, you in all probability will want all your future cars with it, if you don't have one it will not be a deal breaker for the next one.

[itwasntme]

I'm a sedan person and always prefer a sunroof. Multiple reasons:
Lucky enough to stay outside BLR where I can keep it open during my errands.
Keeping the sunshade open with the roof closed on early mornings & evening runs.
Makes a big difference to rear seat passengers with more light and a sense of motion for shorter kids.
Lightens the atmosphere bigtime if the interiors are black.
Amazing in heavy rain .

[400notout]

Isn't there already a thread for this?

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...l-gimmick.html (Sunroofs & their usage - Still a gimmick?)

[Akshay6988]

My mom loves sunroofs, so much that we considered cars with sunroof only ! I do use it in early morning hours or evening. Sunroof greatly improves cabin ambience, no doubt about it. Now that temperatures are rising, I just pop it up for a minute or two and viola, cabin is cooled down !
If I'm spending north of 15 lakhs, I will definitely think if the car has sunroof or not. After all it is still considered as "premium" feature by many. A person who's shelling out this much money, would surely like to have all these features and stuff (looking at you, Toyota). Those who don't like this feature , just don't belittle other's choices

[TrackDay]

I guess most folks (those driving) will not really support the need of a sunroof. Reason : most of them are in the drivers seat. I feel sunroofs, or in this context panoramic sunroofs are good for those seated in the back. It can get claustrophobic especially with dark interiors. Those in the front have the luxury of the open view from the windshield. Whereas for those in the rear the panoramic roof can give an airy feel. Usually the roof glass is on the darker side, so no issue from the slight sunrays and pulling the shade back can make the journey blissful.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by ChevyTeddy

does a sunroof really have utility value?

Yes and no, both.
They surely reduce the claustrophobic feel of some cars having all-black interiors and have that general feel-good factor while driving at nights or in monsoons.
Beyond that, don’t think there is any other utility.

I have never owned a car with sunroof so far, that’s because not with intention, but simply due to the general lack of market trends back then (2015 for e.g)
And I didn’t give it a second thought as well.

But am sure whenever I upgrade next for a top end model of virtually any car, this feature would be present by default, meaning I have to accept it even if I don’t give it too much priority.

[TheMrSidey]

Whilst stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, for hours, a sunroof (with the pane shut, but the cover drawn) provides good enough distraction to bored passengers . I submit meekly that this will make sense largely during evening commutes. I trust sunroofs to have sufficient heat absorption to render them useful during daytime too. They do make the interiors cheerful. The broader argument being, this is as much an emotive subject as it is practical. Cars overall, can be emotive