Another comment to the OP mentioned a hose from the exhaust being used to apply heat to the windshield. Prior to the adoption of pressurized recirculating engine cooling circa 1930s, which allowed for internal heaters, some automobile manufacturers offered instant heating of a deadly variety: direct metal ports off the exhaust manifold. Often it was a matter of just sliding open a door to get the hot air circulating. What could possibly go wrong? A bit of corrosion, a cracked weld, and suddenly the folks inside got very, very sleepy...
EDIT: I just remembered my dad's old VW Beetle had manifold-heat ducts down by the shifter. We had another Type 3 VW that had a gasoline-powered heater mounted in the front compartment just ahead of the passenger front seat. Consumer safety was not their high priority back then, it would seem.
My previous car had electric heating in the windshield. Took a minute or two to clear the ice. Still had to remove the snow though. Usually I started the car and then cleared snow starting at the roof and working down. When I came to the windshield I could basically just push the snow off. I do the same with cars without heating in the windshield, it just takes a bit longer.
Well, try that in a diesel, you'll be waiting 20 minutes before any hot air starts coming out and blowing on the window. I've had several and they were all a nightmare in winter, literally no warm air for ages unless you started driving, but how can you start driving with 3 inches of snow on the window.
(but yes, now I have a car with an electric heated front window and it's the best thing ever)
I have a diesel car with electric heating (via wires) in the windshield and rear window. I get warm air within seconds and the electric heating wires obviously also heat up immediately. It's part of the "winter" package.
I think you're comparing new vs old cars, not diesel vs electric.
Well depends how "old" is old for you - my last diesel was a 2016 1.6dCi Nissan Qashqai and that car was hopeless in winter - it would honestly take the better part of 30 minutes for hot air to come out if you were just sitting there idling.
That sounds like whatever car you have has an additional electric coolant heater, if the warm air comes out "in seconds". I think some Mercedes cars have that? It's definitely not a standard everywhere.
It's a 2016 Ford S-Max (2015 edition). The electric windshield heating was, I think, part of the "winter" package and not standard issue but it's an option available in many models from many different car companies. I'm not sure how the electric hot air works but I'm guessing it's part of the A/C (likely literally just a heating coil that is turned on if the supplied intake air is colder than the A/C setting).
The only issue with electric windshield heating is that the wiring in the windshield makes them more expensive and thus more expensive to replace. It's definitely more common in temperate to colder places (for context: I'm in North Germany).
Switzerland here: you can get fined for letting your car idle in the driveway. Before you ask, yes, there will be some friendly neighbors or passersby to rat on you (although usually first step they will warn you).
That said, that frost he removed with a baggie, would just wipe away with windshield wiper fluid and wipers.
(Winter wiper fluid is good to -40C or more, and will melt ice on its own).
Frozen snow or ice is different.