[Thermodynamics]

Some cars are Gem machines but claustrophobic. One such example is the VW Ameo, I was extremely impressed by its performance and almost signed the cheque, but had to walk away sadly for this very reason.

Coming to the contrary, my 16 year old Santro zip drive though compact felt very spacious for its size perhaps because of large upright glasses and tallboy design.

[Styler]

I totally agree with this.
I own a Scorpio 2.6 Non-CRDE. The windows are big, seats are high with a good view all around. The rear glass is big and you get an excellent view of the rear even through the rear view mirror.
I also own a Camry 2008. The windows are so high and small, with a very poor outside view for a short person or kids. My kids just don't want to sit in the Camry and say they feel nausea in the Camry. They always want to sit in the Scorpio. Even I love the huge glass windows with the commanding views all around.
I don't know why they have decreased the size of the rear glass view in the new Scorpio.
Now I have got a Grand Vitara which although not as good as the Scorpio is still better than the Camry.
For me whenever I buy my next car this will be an important factor.

[aditya9567]

Although the new age shapes might entail smaller windows and lesser of an airy feeling, we're continually seeing sunroofs make their way into smaller segments. This, if incorporated, should help in reducing the sensation of claustrophobia going forward. Look at the Octavia, City, WRV for ex. - they all feel nice and airy largely aided by the sunroof. Implementation of panoramic sunroofs (whenever that happens) should improve this further

[PrideRed]

The current UV's are an exception and have nice airy view. Innova Crysta, Lodgy, Ertiga, Xylo, Hexa etc. The full size SUV's are not that claustrophobic but not as airy as their predecessor. Sedans and low slung hatchbacks are the most claustrophobic. Mostly it has to do with design as the airy designs are a thing of the past.

[Torqy]

I was really disappointed when Ford Endeavour moved to rounded corners and egg shell shape. That was one vehicle i wanted to have just for the space and the nearest i can get to an Lr4. Aerodynamics seem to be a major reason why the roof slopes down and the 3rd row in SUVs end up cubby-holed. The designers make it even worse by putting an even smaller window for them. The smaller rear windshield also gave rise to the reversing cam and parking sensors, i guess.

[Nohonking]

The least claustrophobic yet contemporary:

IMO, none other vehicle comes close to Honda Jazz in this department. Why?

- Obsessed with glass all around.
- XXL front windshield.
- High rough (1544mm = 5+ feet tall). Meaning, a lot of head room.
- Beige interiors.

The result is, feels really open and airy. You do not feel car sick even after having driven all day on those long road trips.


The Downsides:

- More greenhouse effect.
- Lesser air-con efficiency.
- Hot summer days may irritate with no tinting allowed.
- Maintaining beige may be considered as a task for many.

Cheers!

[gururajrv]

I can relate this topic to my own experience with my mother and wife when we initially planned on switching from Baleno 2006 to the current gen cars. My first choice was the new Baleno for the looks and space it offered for a premium segment hatchback. Soon after we took the TD of the car, mom and wife both complained of having a claustrophobic feeling because of an inclined shoulder line obstructing their view of outside world. This immediately went onto compare the apples vs oranges thing when they compared old Baleno design against the new! Certainly not a fair comparo but they love the flat shoulder lines with bigger windows which previous decade cars had on offer. Somehow they were happy with the design of Brezza which helped me seal the deal!

[LazyGunner]

I never took it seriously when my 9-year-old nephew complained of nausea while going on a long drive in our Ritz or hired cars, which would be mostly Indica or Swift. He used to ask me to switch off a/c and open the window for some time. I thought he was following my dad who took some time to get used to a/c in the initial days of us owning the car and always preferred 'fresh air' through windows. Although sometimes I opened the window for my nephew, I'm also guilty of forcing him to sit through his difficulties while asking him to get it out of his head

But he feels perfectly alright in our new Honda City. I personally feel more space, beige interiors and the sunroof go a long way in keeping the interiors lively especially during long drives.

[ashis89]

I have driven all the new premium hatchbacks available in our market today and IMO, the worst design (in terms of functionality, strictly) is Baleno. Due to the raked windscreen, the projected front windscreen area is very less. Add the IRVM (placed near the driver's face) and the projected area reduces further.

You sit low and hence you view the road much ahead of the car. Look back in the IRVM and you are greeted with even more blindspots. The similar raked rear glass reduces the projected view area. That coupled with thick C-pillar reduce the visibility. Overall, the first time I TDed the car (in a crowded area and night time), I felt like sitting in a bunker. Over time, I have grown accustomed to the design and dimensions but still not comfortable.

On the other hand, Jazz and i20 was much better in this regard.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by Nohonking

The least claustrophobic yet contemporary:

IMO, none other vehicle comes close to Honda Jazz in this department. Why?

In spite of so much glass, Jazz is still claustrophobic to me. Reason is the high set dashboard and thick pillars. Like in many new cars, the pillars tend to come closer (due to sloppy lines and tapering profile) leaving a narrower windscreen, unlike in the boxy cars like Ford Fusion or Forester (Sumos and Quallies do much better )

[VineetG]

Use of beige or light grey definitely can reduce the claustrophobic effects.

But these days, car makers are moving more towards all black interiors.

And in the Indian summers, those black really heat up.

Rgds

[kashif_baig]

I respectfully disagree with the sentiment that safer cars cannot have large glass area.

Subaru is one of the car manufacturers which has always prized visibility in all it cars. Most (if not all) their cars/SUVs/Wagons are IIHS Safety Plus rated.

I read once that this is because Subaru values form over function and that it is the engineers who dictate the minimum parameters for glass area for sight, space inside, crumple zones, etc after which the designers are then let loose to fit their design within these non-negotiable parameters.

This could be marketing spiel from Subaru but it makes sense to me.

Disclaimer - I am a self-confessed Subie aficionado and currently drive a 2016 Outback.

[Thermodynamics]

Video of old Tata Sierra, totally airy.

https://youtu.be/x0pD0LoCGBI

[Subby]

Leave alone SUVs or big cars, so called fluidic design or similar trend makes even small cars of current generation more claustrophobic. Take example of Renault Kwid, New Maruti Alto, Swift, Polo, i20 even so-called SUV: Mahindra KUV. I personally prefer lower dash board and windows bottom line below passenger’s shoulder level; these warrant bigger glass area. During long drive with friends and family, a car with airier interior is always preferred.

Boxy design opens more space, but compromise on aerodynamics. But for city use, boxy design is just fine and serves the practical purpose; example Wagon R, Ertiga, Lodgy, Santro or i10 etc.

One of the reason I personally continue to use Wagon R because of its roomy and airy feeling despite it’s all black interior. May be, that could be one of the reason for consistent sales performance of Wagon R, despite being almost 20 years old brand !