Motoring Discussion > Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Auntie Lockbrakes Replies: 22
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 Sat 2 Oct 10 07:01 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Auntie Lockbrakes
TV ads for the new Citroen C3 over here refer to a big panoramic windscreen. Do they mean something like the huge windscreen that Vauxhall crowed about at the launch of the previous Astra? Did any ever sell? The windscreen continued back over the front seats and ate in to about half the roof. Looked amazing! But did they ever sell any, or were there manufacturing problems or something?
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 Sat 2 Oct 10 07:22 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - swiss tony
I'd say gimmick.

At times its bad enough suffering glare from the sun in a normal car, panoramic windscreens must make that problem a lot worse.
Can't say I've driven a car with one, but high screens in vans and trucks can allow glare that sunvisors don't always catch.
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 Thu 20 Jun 13 14:10 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - hawkeye
Mrs H has a C3 with the big windscreen. IMO the tint is about right. The interior roof extends in a second to a 'normal' position and has sun visors attached. Gimmick? Who cares? I like it. Haven't investigated the insurance angle.
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 Sat 2 Oct 10 09:04 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Auristocrat
Someone in our road (Birmingham) has an 07 Astra with a panoramic windscreen - but that's about the only one I've seen. I have sat in the C3 Picasso that has a panoramic windscreen which extends back over the front seats. The sun visors have an extending runner arrangement so that they can slide far enough forwards to provide enough cover - but to my mind this negates the panoramic effect as a lot of the time I would imagine the visors would be in use
Last edited by: Auristocrat on Sat 2 Oct 10 at 09:05
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 Sat 2 Oct 10 10:13 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - bathtub tom
I think the current Meriva's got the option.
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 Sat 2 Oct 10 21:56 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Dave_
Former in-laws' next-door neighbour had an 06 Astra Sport Hatch with the panoramic 'screen. I dreaded to think how much a decent stone chip would cost.
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 Mon 4 Oct 10 10:48 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Boxsterboy
The Citroen C4 Picasso was of course the first car with these panoramic screens. They really brighten up the cabin (aided on the Citroen with very slim A pillars). The screen has a thermal coating on it to reduce heat build up (a bit). Overall I think its a positive design feature.
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 Mon 4 Oct 10 14:24 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - spamcan61
In the early days of the Zafira B I used to see quite a few around with the panoramic roof (easily spotted because the roof has a ridge about a foot wide down the middle on the outside). However I've seen few 56 plates onwards with this roof, maybe not too surprising as IIRC it was over a grand as an option.
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 12:01 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Ben_Mizon
Iv got a 2006 Astra sport hatch with a panoramic screen which i have cracked. Insurance windscreen cover wont pay out, £975 +vat for a new one!
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 12:30 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - ToMoCo
Ouch - I take the Insurance co were not informed it had the panoramic screen and that's why they won't pay for it?
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 12:33 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Clk Sec
>> Insurance windscreen cover wont pay out, £975 +vat for a new one!

I don't think I would accept that. If they have agreed to insure your car, with windscreen cover, then they should pay for the repair or replacement.

In my humble opinion, that is.

Welcome!
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 14:23 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - No FM2R
>>In my humble opinion, that is.

And mine.
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 12:43 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - VxFan
>> Insurance windscreen cover wont pay out

Who are they, so we know to avoid come renewal time.
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 12:57 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Victorbox
It's standard fit from new - you have not modified the vehicle. They would pay for a glass repair to any other part of the vehicle so how can they justify declining to pay for a new windscreen?
Last edited by: Victorbox on Wed 19 Jun 13 at 12:58
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 15:19 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Ted

I'd kick off about that. The insurers knew what your car was when they insured it...you didn't have to tell them it was panoramic...it was in the spec !

Publicity and Ombudsman spring to mind.

Ted
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 15:26 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - ToMoCo
...you didn't have to tell them it was panoramic...it was in the spec !


If that's the case then I really don't see how they can refuse to pay for it.

I thought I would have been more along the lines of an optional extra, the get out for insurance co that they did not know about it, therefore, hadn't insured the 'risk'
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 16:05 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - L'escargot
www.autoexpress.co.uk/vauxhall/astra/16614/vauxhall-astra

"For an extra £850, the Panoramic screen is available as an option on the Astra Sport Hatch range."
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 16:16 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Bill Payer
>> It's standard fit from new - you have not modified the vehicle. They would pay
>> for a glass repair to any other part of the vehicle so how can they
>> justify declining to pay for a new windscreen?
>>
This came up on one of the Merc forums the other day when someone's glass cover wouldn't replace the panoramic roof. It would do if it was an ordinary sunroof, but not a panoramic one.

I think the deal is that they will pay for it - but only as a normal insurance claim, not under the glass cover.

Mrs BP's Jazz has an almost full glass roof, standard on the EX model - must admit I'd never considered if there were any insurance implications.
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 Wed 19 Jun 13 16:30 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - CGNorwich
'not under the glass cover.'

No such thing. It's just part of the accidental damage cover under a comprehensive policy. Only difference is that a windscreen claim does not normally affect your NCB
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 Thu 20 Jun 13 08:17 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Cliff Pope
It's an old fad which comes around every few decades, like most motoring fashions;

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windshield


We'll have flat split windscreens next, or exterior sun visors.
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 Thu 20 Jun 13 13:25 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - L'escargot
>> We'll have flat split windscreens next, or exterior sun visors.
>>

My 1952 Phase 1 Standard Vanguard had both. I permanently removed the exterior sun visor, and the rear wheel spats.
Last edited by: L'escargot on Thu 20 Jun 13 at 13:26
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 Thu 20 Jun 13 11:33 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - Bill Payer
>> 'not under the glass cover.'
>>
>> No such thing. It's just part of the accidental damage cover under a comprehensive policy.
>> Only difference is that a windscreen claim does not normally affect your NCB
>>

It's a separate section in my policy with LV=: Section 5 Windscreen and windows.

It also notes that the cover is limited to £100 if their approved supplier isn't used. So that's different to the Accidental Damage section too.
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 Thu 20 Jun 13 17:51 
 Vauxhall Astra H - Was the panoramic windscreen a gimmick? - PeteW
With the launch of the revised C3 in the UK the panoramic screen has become an option on all but the exclusive model, where before it was standard throughout the range- either a sign that the public didn't really take to it, or that they did and Citroen has seen a way to make more money by making it a cost option now!
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