Pros and Cons of Variable Light Control roof option

[Tsingtao]

Im in a MY21 so it was not available and I was PO’d when I learned about it. Very cool feature indeed. Initially I thought it would be just like the windows on the Boeing 787s but that is apparently some sort of gel-tech stuff that is very difficult to produce on a curved piece of glass. It is nevertheless a nice feature as is that will make backseat passengers very comfy — even if it looks a little strange when the car is parked.

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[W1NGE]

I haven't seen it on the UK configurator but the cost of it would put me off, plus the limitation of not being able to have the front section 'open' whilst the rear is shaded seems like a missed opportunity to me.

On GTS saloon only currently for UK market.

 

[W1NGE]

Im in a MY21 so it was not available and I was PO’d when I learned about it. Very cool feature indeed. Initially I thought it would be just like the windows on the Boeing 787s but that is apparently some sort of gel-tech stuff that is very difficult to produce on a curved piece of glass. It is nevertheless a nice feature as is that will make backseat passengers very comfy — even if it looks a little strange when the car is parked.

Maybach had it from launch (2002) so really not new tech - enhanced perhaps.

 

[masmole]

On GTS saloon only currently for UK market.

Same for the US market. On the US configurator, only the GTS sedan (saloon) can be built with the VLC roof for the time being.

 

[cometguy]

I see that it's now on the USA configurator for GTS sedan, but not for GTS Sport Turismo. It looks like the GTS sedan comes standard without a panoramic glass roof, and the charge here is USD $1490 for the glass alone, and $4760 with the pano roof plus electrochromic glass -- so that's $3270 extra for the electrochromic glass. That hefty price tag surprises me, because you can get electrochromic glass now in a Toyota Venza (and is apparently supposed to become available across the entire Toyota line-up), as a $1400 option, so it can't be that expensive to install (yes, I know all about Porsche's big mark-ups on options, as a long-time Porsche owner, but this seems more Ferrari-like mark-up than Porsche-like).

The electrochromic glass is not available yet on Cross Turismos on the US configurator, but since they come with pano glass standard, it seems likely that the electrochromic glass will be a $3270 add-on option, if it sticks to what they've done with the GTS. For that money, they should have allowed the option to go to opaque (as you see in Boeing 787 Dreamliner windows, for example), not just translucent (as is apparently the case now).

 

[Robertoacardoso]

Has anyone tried to add privacy glass or dark ppf to make the appearance better when parked? Can you share pictures?

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