Torque talk

There's nothing quite as uncomfortable as climbing into an oven-like car. All the sunscreens in the world won't keep your interior cool, but apparently tinted windows reject much of the warmth the sun radiates while cutting out UV rays. The result is that your car is not only kept cool, but your skin is also protected. We caught up with Walid Feghali, the Mena Country Business Leader of 3M Safety Security and Protection Services, which pioneered tinting, to pull back the film on window films.


Why do people get their windows tinted? According to our research, expats say that by investing in window films they experience better heat rejection and improved cooling of their air conditioning. Local people, however, and ladies in particular like to have privacy.

What are the benefits? It has been found that, so long as you also ensure the tyres are correctly inflated and that unnecessary weight is removed from the vehicle, the average motorist can save a month's worth of fuel over the course of a year – and thus reduce carbon emissions.

That is obviously through not having to use as much fuel to cool the car. So can we just get all our windows tinted so they are pitch black or are there limitations? Well, the front shield has to be within Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) regulations, which is less than 30 per cent tint but you can do whatever you want with the other windows. There is a balance though: The darker the shade, the more heat rejection and more UV protection. But likewise, the darker you go, the less you can see so there are dangers, which is why Dubai Police gives tickets if you have a tint of more than 30 per cent on the windscreen.

How much does it cost to tint your average 4x4? We have three different levels of film. For premium vehicles, we have crystalline, which is top of the line and costs about Dh3,000. If somebody cannot afford that, we have an intermediate film, which is roughly Dh1,800. And for entry level we have something that can offer a solution for basic budgets at Dh600-700.

In some countries, tinted windows are associated with modified, "pimped-up" cars. Is that a stereotype you want to steer clear of? I'm not aware of this, but we have light films that are almost transparent and offer not only 50 per cent heat rejection, but almost 100 per cent UV block. You wouldn't even know the car is tinted.

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