VE leather seats are really only inserts, aren't they?

[hithere]

Hey,

Got my VE SS-V a week ago and loving it. IMHO, it is a big step up from VXII SS in terms of refinement. It rides softer than stock VX SS yet corners flatter. Overall, very happy with the car.

I was giving the leather seats some TLC with AutoGlym Leather cream treatment and realised (maybe) that only the perforated section (the bit that you can get in colour) is leather and all else is vinyl of some sort.

I remember reading in the Holden broucher that said 'Leather INSERT' but for the price of $2,500 upgrade price for SS (not SS-V), I would have thought you get more leather than that!

Someone tell me this isn't so! Tell me modern day leather seats (I haven't had leather since VN Calais days) look deceptively like vinyl!!! OR did Holden accountants got to this as well? The material used as door inserts appear identical to the 'non-leather' portion of seats so I am guessing either Holden put leather in doors OR :bawl:

It must be an art to be able to produce a nice car and keep on pulling $ out of it. It's like those kids games where you keep on pulling coloured plastic bits out of the 'tower' until the whole thing collapses. I am sure this have to back fire on Holden one day... just like the decision to cut cost and go with Korean car maker for their small cars.

[CSP]

What are you smoking? They most definitely are leather and don't look or feel anything like vinyl!!!

[GODSMACK]

What are you smoking? They most definitely are leather and don't look or feel anything like vinyl!!!
Good question Kris, and i want some of what he's smoking!!

[hithere]

What are you smoking? They most definitely are leather and don't look or feel anything like vinyl!!!

:D ...but you got a HSV. I am using the term 'vinyl' to indicate anything 'man-made' and not leather. I will be very happy if I am just high from AutoGlym leather cream and I am seeing things but...


Good question Kris, and i want some of what he's smoking!!

No worries! I will make it available for everyone on the forum! We can have a real party!! :dancenana: :jester: :goodtime: :lol: :bounce: :shock:

[701let]

mate i think you will find that the ssv leather seats and the 'upgrade' leather seats for the sv6 and ss are different. I had a sv6 loan car and i definately thought those seats were more like vinyl.. they look like it as well, maybe its that the ssv seats are perforated but they definately werent the same.

[hithere]

...maybe its that the ssv seats are perforated but they definately werent the same.

Okay so... leather in SV6 & SS might look cheaper but the question remains... is the SS-V "leather" seat entirely made of leather? OR leather for the perforated/coloured section and the rest in not-leather material? I am hoping someone here knows! ...any leather experts here?

[CV860L]

I was wondering why they call them "leather faced seats".
I'm guessing it is probably just the inserts and not the entire seat otherwise why would they refer to them as leather faced?????

[hithere]

I was wondering why they call them "leather faced seats".

Where did you read that mate?

[CV860L]

Where did you read that mate?

That's what they refer to them as on the Holden website.

[Ron SS]

hithere .... yes you are correct, the definition of "leather" has changed and it now is constituted "mainly" of leather. I chose an SS because the leather in the SSVs is not really 100% leather ... if it is, it comes from Plastic Cows. The leather used now has a plastic type backing and is not as good as the leather coverings of old. It is also more slippery and gets hot in summer. This makes the SS cloth seats a better deal in my view. You will also find that each manufacturer also uses this cheaper version of leather. Perhaps the more you pay the closer you get to real 100% cow hide. It's the way it is nowadays! Once you own it for a week you will not even notice the plastic seats though ... the driving experience is fantastic. Enjoy.

[hithere]

Holden Accountants wins again! :rocket:

[Logie]

hithere .... yes you are correct, the definition of "leather" has changed and it now is constituted "mainly" of leather. I chose an SS because the leather in the SSVs is not really 100% leather ... if it is, it comes from Plastic Cows. The leather used now has a plastic type backing and is not as good as the leather coverings of old. It is also more slippery and gets hot in summer. This makes the SS cloth seats a better deal in my view. You will also find that each manufacturer also uses this cheaper version of leather. Perhaps the more you pay the closer you get to real 100% cow hide. It's the way it is nowadays! Once you own it for a week you will not even notice the plastic seats though ... the driving experience is fantastic. Enjoy.

were can i find 1 of these "plastic cows' so i my skin him for my seats:D

[EddieVE06]

man made leather has a technical term which i cant remember. careful if using leather cleaners, nourishers etc as getting the nourisher i believe on the man made leather will make it shiny and will not be absorbed while applying to the genuine leather will be absorbed and go back to original colour.

Might be worth a try to test on a small area no one can see to check whether it is absorbed or remains like a shiny wet look.

By the way dont stress, my father in law has had a few mercs and the last one he got was a 2002 180K. had the thing detailed a few years ago and asked for the leather to be treated and Damian from Final Inspection said save your money its not real its man made. Same goes for my cousins 159 Alfa the whole interior is the same.

It will though last a lot longer and i believe can withstand harsher treatment.

[hithere]

It will though last a lot longer and i believe can withstand harsher treatment.

...well, as long as there are some benefits!! :sleep:

[zacaxel1975]

man made leather has a technical term which i cant remember.

Pleather??

[EddieVE06]

Its called Alcantara, man made fabric. Maybe a search on the net will help those who have it find an easy way to keep it clean.

Dont use leather cleaners or nourishers, they wont work properly may leave shiny residue or streaks.

[Ned_Flanders666]

As an example if you look at the inside of the vynal vt-vx map pockets (Don't know about VE) you will see a white backing which is not found on genuine leather as it is man made although some imitation leather has the same coloured backing. Genuine leather has the same colour backing as the top of the leather and a kind of "furry" feel underneath and it does not stretch like vynal does. If you go to a trimmer they can show you their leather samples and compare it to their vynal ones. I can take pics of the two samples over the weekend if you are keen and illustrate my point. But in your case without pulling the seat apart or finding a suitable part of the seat to have a look at it is harder to tell.

[BlownLS7]

i have had my Calais for 4 mths now and addressed the problem day one,i ordered napa Leather (aftermarket) it comes from Italy, it took 10 weeks.and 2 weeks to make seat covers.now my whole car is Black Napa,instead of the Bali style leather that was orginally in Car.
i feel the quality of the orignal Leather was a disgrace,for a Luxury Car.however now im wrapped ,(BTW old skins are for Sale on Classifyed Forum.

cheers Paul

[planetdavo]

Surely Holden could afford to put in leather supplied by organic grass fed, free range cows given a daily yoga class for their mental well being, all for the hideously expensive price they charge for these?

[CalaisRider]

Pleather??

My Calais-V is genuine leather throughout

[Wonky]

Pleather??
:lmao: :lmao:

I think you'll find that the part you sit on and the back rest is genuine leather but the sides and surrounds are "pleather". :lol:

[hithere]

As an example if you look at the inside of the map pockets (Don't know about VE) you will see a white backing which is not found on genuine leather as it is man made...

Can't even do that! Holden accountants got to them too (map pockets on the back of front seats)... in SS-V, $50,000+ car, you get NET pockets!! :cussing:


i have had my Calais for 4 mths now and addressed the problem day one,i ordered napa Leather (aftermarket) it comes from Italy, it took 10 weeks.and 2 weeks to make seat covers.now my whole car is Black Napa,instead of the Bali style leather that was orginally in Car.
i feel the quality of the orignal Leather was a disgrace,for a Luxury Car.however now im wrapped ,(BTW old skins are for Sale on Classifyed Forum.

Show off!!! :bow:

...how much did something like that set you back? Just in case I want to do down that path one day...

[clubbie]

Pleather??

Ha ha ha ....classic.

Definition - Pleather: It's like leather only it's better:rofl::rofl:

Leather Facings or inserts simply refers to the part you sit on as being leather and not the full seat including backing etc.

Clubbie

[Marco]

How come the side parts etc still smell like leather if they're not?

(And am I wasting my money looking for a good leather conditioner if that's the case?)

[hithere]

How come the side parts etc still smell like leather if they're not?

(And am I wasting my money looking for a good leather conditioner if that's the case?)

I can not comment on the leather smell on side parts as when I had a sniff, I couldn't smell leather. However, would you agree that door inserts are made of same material as the 'side parts'? If so, do you think it is more likely that we got leather in door inserts OR we didn't get leather in 'side parts'? I think you know the answer deep down but in denial!! (like I was...) :)

[Jag530G]

Its called Alcantara, man made fabric. Maybe a search on the net will help those who have it find an easy way to keep it clean.

Dont use leather cleaners or nourishers, they wont work properly may leave shiny residue or streaks.

No, Alcantara is fake suede, it's used on the lower strips along the door trims of VT-VZ Calais.

What others are nicknaming "Pleather" is in fact called "corrected grain" leather, basically cheap grades of leather with a plastic coating on it to hide any scars in the hide. Holden use this on all leather equipped cars. HSV do as well, apart from the recent model Senator/Grange which used Nappa "full grain" leather.

Mass makers like Holden use "corrected grain" leather, apart from being cheaper, becasue they can use more of the hide without having to muck around arranging the patterns to avoid scars in the hide. With full grain leather, like Connelly or Nappa, you have to inspect for scars and lay your patterns around them.

Cheers, Matthew

From memory HSV started using "full grain" leather on the Senator

[hithere]

"Pleather" is in fact called "corrected grain" leather, basically cheap grades of leather with a plastic coating on it to hide any scars in the hide. Holden use this on all leather equipped cars.

G'day Matthew,

Sounds like you know your leather... just in regards to what you said above... I am not sure if you had a look at VE SS-V seats but would the whole seat be made out of pleather OR the perforated/coloured section is real leather and the non-perforated part is the pleather?

[Wonky]

G'day Matthew,

Sounds like you know your leather... just in regards to what you said above... I am not sure if you had a look at VE SS-V seats but would the whole seat be made out of pleather OR the perforated/coloured section is real leather and the non-perforated part is the pleather?

I believe the part under your bum and behind your back is real leather, the rest isn't.

[Marco]

I can not comment on the leather smell on side parts as when I had a sniff, I couldn't smell leather. However, would you agree that door inserts are made of same material as the 'side parts'? If so, do you think it is more likely that we got leather in door inserts OR we didn't get leather in 'side parts'? I think you know the answer deep down but in denial!! (like I was...) :)

Yeah, I'm hoping it's real leather everywhere but I suspect you might be correct :)

It might be this plastic-coated leather stuff that one of the other posters mentioned, though. I'd be happy enough with that. All I need to do now is get around to ordering some Gliptone so I can have that full leather smell!

[Space Pope]

The SSV's seats are leather ....just not particulalry nice leather. I would have been happier with cloth to be honest. Leather should be optional and the money put into other refinments

[Bazza76d]

Hiya all,

I have just read this thread and am amazed that this could be the case. I jumped on the Holden website and it clearly states leather faced.

I bought my SSV in Sept 2006 and although I cannot state with 100% accuracy I am almost positive back then on the website there was no mention of leather faced and in fact it read in my case 'leather onyx'.

This raises 2 questions in my mind. Do you think perhaps when they first released the VE they actually used leather on the entire seat? OR perhaps have their been complaints/questions asked hence why they now advertise leather faced.

One other thing I noticed the RRP of the SSV is $52,790 for the manual. Has this increased because I am sure the RRP when I bought mine was $51,990.

Cheers
Baz

[RyanIAm]

Something else that is strange - when you spec an SS Ute on the Holden site it is 'leather', when you spec an SS Sedan it is 'leather inserts'? :1peek:

[vicarious]

Can't even do that! Holden accountants got to them too (map pockets on the back of front seats)... in SS-V, $50,000+ car, you get NET pockets!! :cussing:



Show off!!! :bow:

...how much did something like that set you back? Just in case I want to do down that path one day...

in my sv6 ute i got the nornal vinyl rear map pockets

[Jag530G]

To the previous posters, Holden use the corrected grain leather, don't fret about it, it is really leather, just with a plastic coating to hide the scars. If you want to see/feel whole grain leather have a look at Bentley/ Rolls Royce/ Jaguar XF/XJ/XK models for the real deal.

The difference between Leather and leather facing would be the with leather facing, only the surfaces on top of the cushion and front of the back rest is leather, the rest would be vinyl. The only VE I have been in is a WM statesman and that is leather everywhere, just like my V2 Monaro.

A previous poster mentioned his Mercedes Benz not actually having leather. that is correct, Mercedes used Vinyl, even in top line S - SL class models. They called this vinyl "MB Tex". Not sure if they use it still.

If you want to find full grain leather in a Holden, you will probably have to back to the days of the FX where even the base model had leather. I have seen an EH Premier with factory optional leather buckets seats. the use of corrected grain leather is just one of those cost cutting exercises.

If you want to see really el cheapo corrected grain leather, check out a Hyundai Sonata or Granduer. Nasty!

Cheers, Matthew

[Brandonsdad]

No, Alcantara is fake suede, it's used on the lower strips along the door trims of VT-VZ Calais.

What others are nicknaming "Pleather" is in fact called "corrected grain" leather, basically cheap grades of leather with a plastic coating on it to hide any scars in the hide. Holden use this on all leather equipped cars. HSV do as well, apart from the recent model Senator/Grange which used Nappa "full grain" leather.

Mass makers like Holden use "corrected grain" leather, apart from being cheaper, becasue they can use more of the hide without having to muck around arranging the patterns to avoid scars in the hide. With full grain leather, like Connelly or Nappa, you have to inspect for scars and lay your patterns around them.

Cheers, Matthew

From memory HSV started using "full grain" leather on the Senator

I have seen a couple of HSV's advertised lately quoting "premium leather". So you can only assume that there are the real leathers around and the cheaper alternative that theyre still getting a pretty penny for. Makes me glad Ive never wanted leather ever since the SV88 I had.

[Bazza76d]

I just went to the glove box and pulled out the colour brochure I received in 2006 when I ordered the VE.

I have flicked through it and under the specs/features section in the seating portion it states the SS-V has 'leather trim seats with leather door trim inserts'.

Baz

[redvxr8clubby]

I had an Alfetta years ago (78 model), it had what Alfa referred to as leatherette - seemed more like a good quality cloth backed vinyl, probably same as the "corrected grain" leather referred to earlier.

[Space Pope]

Leatherette is just another name for regualr old vinyl regardless of how well it's made . The term is more common in the UK than here.