[SanjayDalal]

I prefer to have and use front fog lamps. The first car I owned with factory fitted front fog lamps was the Maruti Wagon R VXI . And, for a low cost car, they were fantastic. I used them ( at night), all the time when I drove slowly in the narrow lanes around my neighbourhood.Used headlamps only on the highway. Five years later bought a Ford Fiesta 1.6SXI which also came with a reasonably good pair of foglamps. Again continued to drive in a similar fashion, with headlamps on during highway runs.
A few years later, added a Hyundai Eon Magna+. to my garage. Sadly, fog lamps were not standard ( they were, on the 'Sport' version). I paid around 4,500 at the dealer level for the pair. And I was totally disappointed. The illumination was 3rd rate, beams unfocused and to add insult to injury, the dealer fitted a separate switch ( like those on old Premier Padminis, older tbhpians will remember!!!) Further, to add salt to the wounds, the switch was placed low down near the the fuse box, which meant I would be groping in the dark if I wanted to use it. Naturally, I never used them, after trying them out.
Recently, I disposed of the Wagon R , and bought a Honda BRV V . This has a pair of fog lamps , but have not as yet driven it in the dark, so can't say at this point.

I do not want to comment on high end cars with multi segment LED etc.
But I sincerely hope that good quality low mounted fog lamps continue to be made available in low and mid range cars.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by CarLoverJosh

Also, what colour fog lamp do you suggest for the rear? Because as far as I know, red has been the standard for many years now.

I just said red because it IS red. Of course you can't have yellow or blue in the rear. I meant red as an adjective(?)

Originally Posted by CarLoverJosh

Well, I am one of those idiots with a Rapid who drive with their fog lamps on because they actually help in illuminating the road in front of you and not just for aesthetic purposes and yes they do look good in the late afternoons with the parking lamps on as well.

Woah Woah... I crossed the line when i said 'idiots'. Apologies though I have said "no offence" in advance.

I too drive with the foglamps on in narrow streets and in rural roads. Helps to see more of a lateral vision, what with our stones, slabs what not lurking in the roadside.

But I stand by my statement of Vento/Rapid owners driving with their rear fog lamps on. AFAIK, you can turn ON either the front foglamps only or both the front/rear fog lamps in VAG cars. Those owners who drive with the rear fog lamps switched ON in trafficked roads are on the same level as those who drive with high beams ON in city roads. Inconsiderate to other road users.

Other than conditions where heavy fog necessitates the rear fog lamps as a life saver, in other conditions (even in heavy rain) ordinary rear lights are more than enough for rear visibility.

Cheers.

[skyrocket003]

It is a little strange that Carmakers have started doing away with the front Fog lamps. IMHO, they do help in 2 different ways if not more.
1. Enhance the look of the car and in some cars, they actually define the personality of the car (Ignis, KUV100 for example)
2. Help light up the lower immediate area which is a boon especially when you know the roads are broken and you are expecting a surprise any second.

I like the Fog Lamps on my Polo for that matter and would never even want to get rid of them.

In fact, when I had a Chevy Spark in Mumbai, I made sure to get them added at an accessory shop. Majorly for additional lighting during monsoons.

[greenhorn]

I do most of my driving in the city, and in the deep south, so have not really used fogs for their true purpose much - mostly for driving around in the city without annoying people

But i did come across some pea soup fog when returning from our bhutan road trip in WB. visibility was like a meter or so. If you turned on your head lights, esp high beam, you would end up blinding yourself instantly, because the fog between you and the road gets lit up like a tubelight. The fog laps, by virtue of being closer to the ground, were able to illuminate the ground (a few meters) without illuminating the fog too much itself.

I doubt how a high mounted LED headlight, even with all the directivity in the world, can avoid this issue?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I doubt how a high mounted LED headlight, even with all the directivity in the world, can avoid this issue?

They are not relying on visible light to solve this problem. IR/Radar/Laser,etc. are already mainstream in luxury cars. Unfortunately all the R&D happens with developed markets in focus and we end up getting stuff we don't need or that doesn't work for us. We will soon have rough-road package for 3rd world countries that includes headlights

[heydj]

I find fog lamps adding to overall look of the car. I personally find them useful as I find stock headlights inadequate and don't want to put high powered bulbs that are not legal or can blind the opposite driver.

[pankajthere]

Can't imagine driving my Superb at night without those. The way they turn on at turns is so helpful at our roads. The beam levels are automated and at dark corners the fog lamps illuminate and make up for that. DRLs just add to the visual appeal of the car and actually do not have any utility. If not given, doesn't make any difference. Fog lamps are a necessity.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by condor

But these fog lamps actually help here in India - they help light up the immediate front - and hence help us better see the state of road (surface) immediately ahead of the car. The fog lamps may not make much difference in other countries with their good roads. But our roads have so much broken surfaces, that the fog lamps actually help.

If your headlights are designed in a way that they fill the foreground very well, you do not need the fogs. Projectors allow for very good light distribution. Check out how a high end cars projectors illuminate the road right next to the car and you will know.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

... ... ... check out how a high end cars projectors illuminate the road right next to the car and you will know.

If headlight technology actually replaces fog-light functionality, illuminating near, low and wide, then I have no objection to losing the fog lights. But I want that functionality, at least as good as, or preferably better.

[kpzen]

If the stock fog lamps are as pathetic as MS Suzuki Scross then I don't see any functional use in having them.

[vnabhi]

I use fog lamps on my Fiesta and Figo often. They not only light up the area immediately in front of the car, but also provide lateral throw beyond what is provided by the headlamps. This lateral throw is of immense help in judging how far the unpainted divider is, especially on rainy days.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by kpzen

If the stock fog lamps are as pathetic as MS Suzuki Scross then I don't see any functional use in having them.

Bit on the dim side, perhaps, but they are doing what they are supposed to do, and lighting up the two or three metres directly in front. That is without headlights, right? The light up the bit that the headlights shine over and miss. And to the side. Yes, I'd like to see a bit more light on that wall, if I were you. We want to not dazzle people, but dogs will have to live with it

I don't think the Polo fogs can be turned on without headlights already on, but I would never have tried. Adding them to the headlights makes a noticeable and useful difference.

Upgrading car lights is such a huge subject that I tend to leave it alone, but my headlights were upgraded by the previous owner. And the fog lights are still a good add-on.

.

[condor]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

If your headlights are designed in a way that they fill the foreground very well, you do not need the fogs. Projectors allow for very good light distribution. Check out how a high end cars projectors illuminate the road right next to the car and you will know.

So what;s the percentage of high-end cars in India, and what percentage of Indian drivers can ignore the fog lamps due to this reason ?

All fine in niche segments, but for many others here, it's a big help.

[Nissan1180]

Fog lamps help to illuminate the sides of the road, as has been pointed out already. They may not make sense when people drive on highways that have lane markings, but they are very helpful for in-city driving. It is very dangerous to drive in the dark on village roads in India- you never know if someone's goat, chicken or even their child's toy is near your car when you are driving on a dark narrow potholed road with fields on one side and a group of villagers buying vegetables from roadside vendors on the other.
In fact, they are so useful on the Nano that they should be made a part of the standard equipment.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by condor

So what;s the percentage of high-end cars in India, and what percentage of Indian drivers can ignore the fog lamps due to this reason ?

All fine in niche segments, but for many others here, it's a big help.

Isn't this thread about high end cars ditching fogs? I see most others still offer fog lamps in higher variants, as always was the case