Hydrophobic windows?

[Shane731]

Anybody ever heard of hydrophobic windows? It's a feature that Kia is touting on their new 2014 Cadenza (basically Kia's luxury car - Kia Cadenza website (http://www.kia.com/us/#/cadenza/?cid=sem&ppc=y)).


http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_03102.jpg

http://www.autogeekonline.net/gallery/data/500/medium/IMG_03111.jpg


My Kia dealership sold a Cadenza tonight, so I decided to test out the claim of "hydrophobic windows." Note that nothing other than foaming glass cleaner has been applied to the glass by the dealership. This is as delivered from the factory.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRLujaVL0UA]Hydrophobic windows - YouTube[/video]

I am curious, is this a coating on the glass? If you polish it, will it come off? Will applying a glass sealant on the glass cause any adverse effects, such as fogging? Is it permanent, or will it wear off eventually? Why not coat all the glass? Does this "coating" prevent water spots? Just some questions I'm curious about. Anybody else have thoughts on this?

[Setec Astronomy]

Lexus did this on some models, I think it was just the driver window. On another forum, I remember someone having a problem when working on one, I don't remember what the problem was.

EDIT: I found it:

"I have a customer with a Lexus ES350. When I clean the glass after washing, the exterior of the driver's window and ONLY the exterior of the driver's window gets a film on it when I go over it with Quikshine or NXT Glass Cleaner. No problems with the other windows or the interior windows. The owner does not smoke in his car (he does chew nicotine gum though, trying to quit for good). He no longer smokes cigars either.

Anyway, the last two times I've had to polish the glass to get most of the film off and then go over it with a ONR dampened MF towel and follow with a dry one."

[FUNX650]

So now it's Kia that thinks it has found a way to pass the costs of:
Titanium-dioxide-"treated" auto-glass...on to their unsuspecting consumer base.


Anybody ever heard of hydrophobic windows?

^^^Yes^^^...Many homes and office buildings have them


Also:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/65930-why-you-should-seal-your-glass.html

:)

Bob

[Durallymax]

The Asians are catching the Europeans on many things. Detroit is just sitting back and copying both of them.

Pet Peeve of mine, but I spend enough time on the road in a semi, see LED DRLs coming up and think ahh nice car coming, then I see its a Ford or a Honda and get bummed. I see Audi is trademarking their new design so that others cannot copy them again.

Every new Fusion I see I think, "Man there is a lot of Aston Martins, oh wait"

[BillE]

It 'looks' like the way RainX works.

From my experience, RainX on the side windows lasts and lasts, compared to the windshield.

To actually answer your question...ain't gotta clue.

Bill