Solarbay, the smart panoramic roof of Renault that protects you from the sun in a unique way

David Lopez @espacionblanco 11 January 2024 2 min.

Solarbay is a panoramic roof that Renault fits to the new Scenic and Rafale, featuring characteristics that make it unique

In 2023, Renault had a busy year, presenting several new generations of its models, such as the new Scenic E-Tech, which is already available on the Spanish market, and models that have just joined the French brand’s range, such as the Rafale, which will soon be available. Both will share some equipment features, such as one we are going to tell you about below.

More and more vehicles, whether as part of the standard equipment of some trim levels or as an option, are fitting a panoramic roof. Unlike an electric sunroof, this element stays fixed and cannot be opened, but in return it lets far more light into every corner of the cabin. Having so much glazed surface can be a problem for occupants’ comfort because of the sun’s glare, a problem that manufacturers are increasingly solving with technology.

On the Renault Scenic and Rafale, an intelligent roof called Solarbay is used. It was developed by Renault itself together with glazing specialist Saint-Gobain, who have made the opaque blind that was previously used on these roofs to shield occupants from the sun and high temperatures obsolete thanks to the technology of this glazed roof.

If the Solarbay roof is part of our equipment, we can choose from inside the cabin, simply by pressing a button on the front of the roof or using a voice command, how much light enters the cabin, while keeping brightness or making it completely opaque, in just five seconds, with a subtle progressive wave that appears and disappears across nine segments. But pay attention, because the Solarbay roof can adopt four positions, the last of which is very useful if we travel with children in the rear:

Fully transparent
Fully opaque
Opaque at the front and transparent at the rear
Transparent at the front and opaque at the rear

These are the main advantages of the Solarbay roof in terms of how it works, but it also has others, such as ensuring that the cabin always stays at the same temperature regardless of the outside temperature. In addition, occupants gain 3 centimetres of headroom, since with this roof there is no need to fit the traditional opaque blind, and by not fitting it, along with its mechanism, it saves around 6 to 8 kilograms of weight, slightly improving consumption.