Mumbai: A craze for cars with a view is helping break the ‘class ceiling’. What was once restricted to luxury wheels, the ‘glass ceiling’ has caught the attention of mass-market car buyers who are willing to loosen their purse strings for visual appeal. Sunroof’s penetration in India has jumped five-fold in five years, forcing companies that supply these sleek glass panels to carmakers to invest in new plants to meet demand.
One in every four cars sold in India today has a sunroof.
What is driving demand given that most of the country has unfavourable weather conditions and many of you may not really stand up through a sunroof—unless you are a neta or a ‘reel-maker’?
The sunroof’s appeal lies in the unconventional view it provides—think Vistadome train coaches and glass-bottom boats. It lightens up a car’s cabin while heightening its owner’s social status.