In principle, it is not difficult to achieve such a temperature difference; it is enough to install an air conditioner in the car. But the device is not cheap, and it is somewhat capricious in maintenance. You can manipulate the window panes, but it is unlikely that you will achieve the optimal result. A small crack has no effect, and a well-opened window lets the wind in – there is no time for a temperature difference of 6-7 degrees, especially in winter.
A sunroof can be a compromise solution. It is thanks to it that you can significantly improve the microclimate of your car.
When moving, the air flow speed above the car is quite high. Inside the cabin, it is practically absent. Accordingly, the air pressure in the cabin is higher. But as soon as you open the hatch a little, the air from inside will start to be drawn out. This can be easily verified by lighting a cigarette in a "hatched" car. The smoke from the cigarette will start to flow out in a stream, leaving no smell in the cabin. And this cannot but affect the microclimate inside the car (both literally and figuratively), especially when there are smokers and non-smokers in it.
Due to the fact that there is an intensive air exchange in the car interior with a sunroof, the heater also works more efficiently here in winter, providing the necessary temperature balance.
In addition to all of the above, one more important thing can be noted. In the event of an accident, when exiting the car through the standard doors and windows is difficult or impossible, the hatch can be used as an emergency exit.
By the way, have you noticed? The strange, in the opinion of linguists, word "zalukovanny" has entered the lexicon of motorists quite thoroughly and no one is puzzled anymore. As, incidentally, is the hatch in the roof of the car itself, which was initially considered the height of luxury and an accessory only for very expensive foreign cars.
What types of hatches are there?
Conventionally, they can be divided into two classes. The first is hatches that are installed on the car at the manufacturing plant. They are usually opaque (although there are exceptions), and in the open position the cover hides under the ceiling trim. There are especially "tricked out" ones, consisting of two halves and providing several operating modes: air intake, exhaust, reinforced exhaust. In most cases, their drive is either mechanical (manual) or already electrified.
The second class includes mortise hatches. They can be seen on most imported and domestic cars. They usually differ from the "branded" ones by a transparent cover and one position, in which the interior air is extracted from the car. (Although there are models that allow you to completely remove the cover and enjoy the open sky above your head. But more on that later.)
What is so good about mortise hatches? Their indisputable advantage is that they are unified: this miracle can be installed on any car, from a Cadillac to a Zaporozhets. The installation process does not take much time, of course, if you have the skills. It takes a specialist an hour and a half to two hours. The hatch kit includes a paper template, according to which a window is cut out in the ceiling. Psychologically, the procedure is, of course, not very pleasant - on a new car, they open the roof like a tin can. However, not even on a new one (and this is exactly the "democracy" that mortise hatches are distinguished by). But the mental discomfort should overcome the anticipation of the advantages of this simple device.
After the "foam" is removed, the roof reinforcement is removed, or rather, the part of it that got into the "window" opening. It is later replaced by the hatch frame, which copes with its duties no worse. The penultimate step is to remove part of the ceiling trim. And finally - the installation of the hatch, which is vaguely reminiscent of assembling a hoop for embroidery on fabric. After this, it is not recommended to use the hatch for three days: the sealant used during installation must harden. (If you have ever encountered "lids" - as hatches are called in slang - that leak, then this happens precisely because the last requirement has not been met.)
What types of mortise hatches are there? The choice here, as well as the range of prices, is great: from the simplest, opening to one position and costing their owners $180 including installation, to "tricked out" electric ones for $700 with the same installation.
But the best option, in our opinion, is to install a hatch that opens discretely, in several fixed positions, and provides the most suitable open angle in a particular case. Usually these "lids" have from two to four fixed positions or a mechanical drive in the form of a rotating handle.
Most hatches are made of tinted glass. But sometimes even this protection is not enough, especially when the sun is at its zenith. In this case, sun blinds, which are included with some "lids", can help.
There are hatches that not only provide air extraction from the cabin, but are also removable. This option will suit safari lovers. You can stick your head out of the open hatch with either a gun or a camera. Only in the car you need to prepare a place for the removed "cover" in advance. Although it is made of tempered, and sometimes reinforced with microwire, glass, it still requires careful handling.
The most expensive and labor-intensive to install is an electric hatch. If it is not sliding, then its operating principle is no different from others, it is just that the opening process is entrusted to an electric motor. By and large, it is a pampering, but with a branded alarm system (ensuring that all windows are locked when the system is armed) you will no longer forget to close the hatch, it will do it itself.
The sliding hatch provides owners with much wider possibilities. You could say, the sum of all of them together. Only when it is slid, it vaguely resembles a fairing on a mainline tractor. Although this can be a convenient addition for a car that often has to tow a trailer-dacha. It is not hot in the car, and the fuel economy is obvious. Press the button - and it's ready. True, the price of $700 bites a little. However, everyone is free to choose. Moreover, a healthy microclimate in the car is not a luxury, but a necessity.
Hatch options
| Name | Country of origin | Design Features | Price with installation (USD) |
| Nakita | Hungary | 2 positions open-closed. | 180 |
| Nakita Extra | Hungary | 3 fixed positions, removable glass | 220 |
| Air Light | Italy | 4 fixed positions, removable glass | 260 |
| Iceland | France | 4 fixed positions, removable glass | 270 |
| Galileo | France | rotating handle, removable glass | 280 |
| Galileo | France | rotating handle, removable glass, curtains | 300 |
| Brezza | Italy | electric drive | 700 |