Sunroof is one feature that Indians love a lot, despite the fact that it’s actually of no or little use in a country like ours where climate is mostly hot. But anyway, people like it and as a result a lot of carmakers are offering these on some of their cars.
Recently Tata Motors announced a dealer-level sunroof fitment/accessory for its compact SUV Nexon, and as expected it attracted a lot of eye balls. But is it safe to install an aftermarket sunroof, let’s find out!
1. Aftermarket sunroofs are dangerous for your safety
First understand that the roof of a car is a vital element of the overall structure. And any alternation made to it will affect the rigidity and integrity of the car. So when you simply cut a portion of the car’s roof to fit the glass panel, you are not only playing with your safety but everyone who will be traveling with you. Remember the roof bears a lot of structural load, so it can get really dangerous at the time of a crash.
When a company fits a roof, it’s a perfectly engineered roof with no compromise on the rigidity of the panel as they add additional support. Read – Five affordable Cars with sunroof in India
2. They are not successful in longer duration
Though several aftermarket sunroof makers claim that their unit would last as long as a factory-fitted one, but honestly they can never be successful. There have been several instances when such sunroofs start leak-aging and rattling – something that would become a problem for the lifetime. So it’s better to avoid such a fitment that would require frequent visits to service centers. Also See – Customised new Maruti Dzire with panoramic sunroof
3. It might affect the resale value of the car
While it may look like a fancy fitment to you, the people/used-car dealer who’s buying it from you may find it useless. And many like me who knows how unsafe these can be would never buy such a vehicle. So it’ll be difficult for you to get the best-possible value of your car.
So According to me, it makes no sense at all to get the aftermarket sunroof fitted on to your car. If you really want sunroof, better buy a car that comes with factory-fitted one.
