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Toyota Yaris Gets UV Protective Front Windows

Toyota announced that the front door glass in its redesigned Yaris (Vitz in Japan) reduces ultraviolet (UV) penetration by approximately 99% and claims its use is a world first. The new model is scheduled for launch at the end of this year.

When combining use of the glass with a windscreen that reduces UV penetration by 99% the result is an approximately 99% combined reduction in UV penetration through the front door windows and screen. Toyota claims that the resulting sunburn protection is equivalent to that of wearing gloves while driving.

Windscreens use laminated glass and can be given approximately 99% UV-reduction performance by embedding a UV-blocking film between two sheets of glass in the laminating process. On the other hand, door windows are usually made of single piece tempered glass that is often soaked with an UV-absorbing material and achieve approximately 89% UV protection. To reach an UV-reduction performance closer to 100%, the window glass was coated with a thin layer of high-performance UV-absorbing film to achieve approximately 99% UV-reduction performance.

The little Yaris is the best solution if you want a fuel sipper that is actually bigger than its tiny size suggests, and unlike other Toyota models, it doesn't accelerate on its own. The styling is not that impressive as it has been carried over from the previous model, but styling is not a key feature in the subcompact car, which is better known for its maneuverability and fuel efficiency. Actually calling it 'impressive' would mean seriously over-rating the little car as the UV-absorbing front windows might be the most advanced feature in it. But that will probably change when Toyota releases the 2012 model soon.
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