Leather or Faux

[ScoFair]

Any chance i could receive some info please regarding the red seats in my F-Sport. We are sure that the lad in the Lexus dealership who sold us the car stated that the seats were a premium grade of leather, although after a couple of weeks of ownership, i'm not sure now that they are actually leather. The feel of them and the grain doesn't look quite right.

Are the some form of faux leather?

The main reason for asking is so i can work out what the best cleaning product would be.

[LenT]

6 hours ago, ScoFair said:

Any chance i could receive some info please regarding the red seats in my F-Sport. We are sure that the lad in the Lexus dealership who sold us the car stated that the seats were a premium grade of leather, although after a couple of weeks of ownership, i'm not sure now that they are actually leather. The feel of them and the grain doesn't look quite right.

Are the some form of faux leather?

The main reason for asking is so i can work out what the best cleaning product would be.

These style of seats seem to be a feature of the F Sport, as embossed on the head restraints.  Wherever they crop up in the online brochures and Lexus specs, they are described as ‘Flare Red leather seats’.  And sometimes as a smooth leather.

So unless another owner knows to the contrary, I suggest your sales guy speaks true!

Just out of curiosity, did you get an old-fashioned printed brochure with the car?  That would detail the options available with each level of spec.

[duotone]

Your seats are described as leather.

[royoftherovers]

If the word "genuine" does not appear before the word "Leather", it is synthetic.

Even the covering of the seats in the TAKUMI version is synthetic.

Ask the Salesman to provide you with a document from his Employer stating that your seating is covered with GENUINE LEATHER and report back to us your finddings please.

[NemesisUK]

Interestingly the build sheet for my RX states seat material is "natural leather" and the door trim is "artificial leather". Seems unambiguous to me.

The build sheet for my RC read the seat material was "smooth leather" and door trim "artificial leather".

Regarding the cleaning of the seats I would simply use a damp cloth for routine cleans and then use Dr Leather wipes for a more thorough clean.

All modern automotive leather is PU sealed so doesn't benefit from conditioning in it can be detrimental by leaving a surface that attracts dirt and grit that eventually erodes the surface causing cracks.

The artificial leather can be cleaned the same way. The leather wipes leaves a nice aroma, bonus!

[ScoFair]

Having now paid a bit more attention to an online copy of the 2019 UX brochure, it make no mention of the seats being leather .... only the steering wheel.

I have googled further and discovered that Exus offer 'Nuluxe' on their premium models, which apparently is a synthetic leather.

[Stompe]

Just throw into the mix, The Japanese find the smell of Leather offensive, That's why you. never smell it in a Japanese car. 👍🏻

[ColinBarber]

2 hours ago, ScoFair said:

Having now paid a bit more attention to an online copy of the 2019 UX brochure, it make no mention of the seats being leather .... only the steering wheel.

I have googled further and discovered that Exus offer 'Nuluxe' on their premium models, which apparently is a synthetic leather.

 

 

No point looking at US spec sheets or names, they aren't the same as Europe/UK.

Nuluxe is called Tahara and Lexus always state if it is Tahara or Leather in this country.

 

The F Sports seats with the Premium Plus pack or Takumi pack is leather.

[Marlinleg]

If I may offer advice my farther was a self employed upholster for over 50yrs he had a 18 month waiting list . He told me the biggest threat to leather seating in a car was grit remedy wipe with a damp cloth every month if you look close on my avatar photo pure leather seats in my ex BMW 530d the drivers seat had 22 switches yes you really could get comfortable 

[royoftherovers]

On 8/28/2022 at 9:00 AM, NemesisUK said:

Interestingly the build sheet for my RX states seat material is "natural leather" and the door trim is "artificial leather". Seems unambiguous to me.

The build sheet for my RC read the seat material was "smooth leather" and door trim "artificial leather".

Regarding the cleaning of the seats I would simply use a damp cloth for routine cleans and then use Dr Leather wipes for a more thorough clean.

All modern automotive leather is PU sealed so doesn't benefit from conditioning in it can be detrimental by leaving a surface that attracts dirt and grit that eventually erodes the surface causing cracks.

The artificial leather can be cleaned the same way. The leather wipes leaves a nice aroma, bonus!

Taken from an August 2016 Lexus Newsletter.

 

4. F Sport seats

Like the IS and NX F Sport, RX F Sport has a front seat constructed using an integrated foaming method. This is where liquid foam is injected into the upholstery and allowed to set to reduce the likelihood of air pockets appearing between the foam and upholstery. The benefits of this is improved support and comfort, as well as an increase in the leather’s resistance to wear by cracking.

The Tahara leather used in Lexus F Sport models is our alternative to leather. It weighs half as much, generates 65 per cent less CO2 and gives off no volatile organic compounds.

[NemesisUK]

Is that newsletter US or North America based?

I believe they used artificial leather far more commonly than here in the EU.

Strange that Lexus differentiated the models by seat materials.

I have nothing against artificial leather, as long as it's not passed off as real leather, the likes of MBTex was extremely hard wearing, if not particularly 'leathery' unless compared with army boots!

The leather seats in my RC and these in the RX are far softer than any leather I experienced in my Mercs (except the nappa retrim I had in the C class).

I checked  out an RX Takumi with semi-aniline leather seats and that was very sumptuous and similar to my nappa seats in the C class.

[royoftherovers]

5 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Is that newsletter US or North America based?

I believe they used artificial leather far more commonly than here in the EU.

Strange that Lexus differentiated the models by seat materials.

I have nothing against artificial leather, as long as it's not passed off as real leather, the likes of MBTex was extremely hard wearing, if not particularly 'leathery' unless compared with army boots!

The leather seats in my RC and these in the RX are far softer than any leather I experienced in my Mercs (except the nappa retrim I had in the C class).

I checked  out an RX Takumi with semi-aniline leather seats and that was very sumptuous and similar to my nappa seats in the C class.

I have Nappa in the Eclass and they are basically unmarked after 20 years and more than one quarter of a million miles. If I remember correctly MBTex was MB`s term for its artificial leather ? It was Vinyl or Plastic, I think.

In an effort to resolve the question of Leather in Lexus models, I have emailed Customer Services and I will share any response I receive.

[Ala Larj]

On 8/29/2022 at 10:21 AM, Stompe said:

Just throw into the mix, The Japanese find the smell of Leather offensive, That's why you. never smell it in a Japanese car. 👍🏻

Interesting. I’ve a GS300h premier with semi aniline leather and wondered if it was genuine as it doesn’t smell as nice as an old vanden plas 1300 I had many years back which smelt wonderful if you could ignore the rotten wood scents!

[NemesisUK]

Apparently the Japanese dislike (find offensive) the smell of leather, so their cars don't smell 

[ColinBarber]

15 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Taken from an August 2016 Lexus Newsletter.

 

4. F Sport seats

Like the IS and NX F Sport, RX F Sport has a front seat constructed using an integrated foaming method. This is where liquid foam is injected into the upholstery and allowed to set to reduce the likelihood of air pockets appearing between the foam and upholstery. The benefits of this is improved support and comfort, as well as an increase in the leather’s resistance to wear by cracking.

The Tahara leather used in Lexus F Sport models is our alternative to leather. It weighs half as much, generates 65 per cent less CO2 and gives off no volatile organic compounds.

John, there are options on these vehicles.

As we are specifically talking about the UX in this thread then the F Sport as standard comes with fabric/Tahara (fake/vegan) leather combo seats in black with a red flash down the centre. In 2019, the £2,300 Premium Plus Pack option changes this to smooth leather (real/from a cow) seats in either red with a black flash, or all black seats. Given the OP has a red interior there is zero debate, the seats are covered in leather.

 

If Lexus state the vehicle has Tahara or Tahara leather then it is synthetic leather, if the just state leather (they don't use the word genuine before or after) then it is real leather.

The term 'genuine leather' is mainly used in the clothing/shoe industry and essentially means it is made of the cheapest leather available, possibly not even cow leather (but at least it isn't plastic).

[Rabbers]

3 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

Apparently the Japanese dislike (find offensive) the smell of leather, so their cars don't smell 

Which I guess is why I tend to go for leather cleaning products which, at least for a few days, add the smell of old-fashioned real leather.

[Huwge]

I use this. Smell is very personal though. Some say it smells of leather and others disagree. 

 

I think it smells like leather, just more like shoe leather rather than upholstery unfortunately

[NemesisUK]

 

I post the below on behalf of @royoftherovers

On 8/31/2022 at 11:40 PM, royoftherovers said:

In an effort to resolve the question of Leather in Lexus models, I have emailed Customer Services and I will share any response I receive.

Good afternoon John, 

Thank you for your patience, whilst waiting for a response from our Product Marketing Specialists. 

I have been advised that the the categories of Leather are as follows within particular models, please be advised that the below table just refers to the seats: 

I hope this above information provides you with the information you were looking for. 

Thank you for contacting Lexus UK. 

Kind regards

Claire 

Claire Stevens
Lexus Customer Relations Case Manager
Toyota (GB) PLC - Lexus Division
Distributor of vehicles, parts and accessories for the UK

[Navnan2]

Hi Peter, was Claire responding to the new 2023 spec model?

[NemesisUK]

I have posted the email in it's entirety but as it only mentions the RCF and not the RC300h (it is discontinued) I would hazard it's the current model line-up. It would seem the UX is only available with artificial (vinyl) leather?

[ColinBarber]

58 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

It would seem the UX is only available with artificial (vinyl) leather?

Yes, if you go by the nonsense Lexus CS provide. Clearly wrong and the main page of the UX on the Lexus GB website even promotes the MY23 leather option:

 

and the latest MY23 brochure states the option:

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, NemesisUK said:

I have posted the email in it's entirety but as it only mentions the RCF and not the RC300h (it is discontinued) I would hazard it's the current model line-up. It would seem the UX is only available with artificial (vinyl) leather?

I too understand that it is the current line up.

[Chris UXe]

Hi All,

I asked for clarification on whether the 'leather' was imitation or not on the UXe Takumi and the dealer investigated, went to the same product team and I got the same response as John- that it was fake.

I'm still not convinced though as the 2021/22 MY brochure for both the UXh and UXe clearly stated the F-Sport and Takumi had genuine leather!

Regards,

Chris   

[Rabbers]

I haven’t had business dealings with the U.K. for many years now, but there used to be something called the Trade Descriptions Act which aimed to protect consumers from demonstrably false product claims, and was generally taken seriously by sellers and buyers alike.  It seems to me that any formal contradiction by one of its own representatives of Lexus’ published description of a product as being genuine leather would constitute grounds for a customer complaint under law.  To what extent the customer might want to economically exploit the complaint (by which I mean go through the hassle of doing so) is of course entirely up to them, bearing in mind that the manufacturer might have reserved the right, if so stated, to modify its published specifications at any time and without notice. 

[NemesisUK]

52 minutes ago, Rabbers said:

bearing in mind that the manufacturer might have reserved the right, if so stated, to modify its published specifications at any time and without notice. 

I had this when I purchased my second RC. The brochure and online info stated the car came with adaptive headlamps but on collection it became evident what Lexus actually meant was automatic high beam.

When pointed out to Lexus CS I was told all their promotional information was published E&OE (Errors and Omission Excluded) and were not contractually binding. They did offer me free car mats and boot liner as compensation (I declined, already had them...)