Commercial cars?

recipio

Fellas,
looking around your average car park there are always a few vehicles with blacked out back windows. Are these the 'commercial' version of the car and how do they differ from the standard vehicle ?
I'm looking at getting a SUV and see 'commercial' options in the dealers but they are a bit light on specifics like tax etc.
Anyone enlighten me ?

Del2005

It's to keep the sun off little people and since our laws are strict on the front windows being tinted most people go for the van look. Sometimes it's also for security to stop people seeing items in the rear, but they just smash a window if they can't see.

recipio

Del2005 wrote: »

It's to keep the sun off little people and since our laws are strict on the front windows being tinted most people go for the van look. Sometimes it's also for security to stop people seeing items in the rear, but they just smash a window if they can't see.

Thanks, so its just to keep the sun out ? !
I note however that the 'commercial' vehicles seem to have blackened glass.
Do they actually have back seats ?

colm_mcm

A lot of commercial jeeps have solid panels on the windows and no rear seats.

If you're seeing jeeps like that, then it could well be a commercial. Jeeps/SUVs tend to fall into higher tax brackets so people buy the commercial versions for lower tax rates.

If it's a 'normal' saloon/estate/hatchback car, then it could be just window tinting for the sake of it.

I drive a Focus Estate and it has the 'van' look at the moment, as I have blackout tints on all the back windows and none on the front (had to remove them for NCT ).

A commercial will be different in that most wont have rear seats (although there's a grey area called a 'crewcab' now, which is a commercial with the rear seats, but to buy one you're supposed to demonstrate a need to transport employees around).

A lot of 'normal' cars, like my own, would be normal cars with the back seats. I tint mine for privacy. I've had 4 cars so far, and 3 of them were tinted. Going forward I'll be tinting them all. A lot of people apparently do it for children in the back (and in fairness, it does act as a sun blocker).

recipio

Thanks, I asked a guy driving a blackened out VW Tiguan recently about it and he told me it was a huge saving but he had no back seats. I don't really see the point of a two seater SUV just to save a few grand.?

Gumbo

recipio wrote: »

Thanks, I asked a guy driving a blackened out VW Tiguan recently about it and he told me it was a huge saving but he had no back seats. I don't really see the point of a two seater SUV just to save a few grand.?

Commercial versions have different tax benefits to companies, benefit in kind tax etc etc it's not always just to save a few hundred on motor tax.