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Is the leather actual real leather in the Ioniq 5? Wondering about which leather protection to get...

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faux leather leather leather protection leather substitute polyurethane leather
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43K views 67 replies 29 participants last post by  Bafatt Vahetere  
#1 ·
The spec sheet says the following:
Leather appointed seats
Leather appointed steering wheel
Leather appointed centre console armrest w/real stitching
Leather appointed door armrests w/cloth inserts & real stitching
then in the fine print it says the following:
"Finishes specified as leather may contain elements of genuine leather, polyurethane leather (leather substitute) or man-made materials, or a combination thereof."

I don't mind what it's made of - I just want to know which is the best leather protection (or artificial leather protection) product for these seats/steering wheel etc
Any thoughts or in depth knowledge appreciated.

Kits - All DIY Products | COLOURLOCK Australia
 
#2 ·
Yardankerty said:
The spec sheet says the following:
Leather appointed seats
Leather appointed steering wheel
Leather appointed centre console armrest w/real stitching
Leather appointed door armrests w/cloth inserts & real stitching
then in the fine print it says the following:
"Finishes specified as leather may contain elements of genuine leather, polyurethane leather (leather substitute) or man-made materials, or a combination thereof."

I don't mind what it's made of - I just want to know which is the best leather protection (or artificial leather protection) product for these seats/steering wheel etc
Any thoughts or in depth knowledge appreciated.

Kits - All DIY Products | COLOURLOCK Australia
Click to expand...
The used leather is Vegan leather so artificial and the best treatment is like you already showed is COLOURLOCK, advised by most professionals.
See COLOURLOCK Kunstleder Pflegeset | Lederzentrum - Spezialist für Lederpflege, Lederreparatur, Beratung
For quick cleaning of small dirty areas, best is to use simply baby wipes. This works the best.
 
#28 ·
Ioniq 5 with the higher trim seats with footrest has natural leather, not plastic or vinyl. You can feel it immediately as well, and it is especially easy to see on the perforated seats.
How someone could think it is artificial is beyond me...

Probably unpopular opinion, but it's also much better this way. I'd much rather have cloth seats than faux plastic leather made from petroleum products (new word "vegan" to make "plastic" sound better). This faux stuff just doesn't breathe and you end up with swamp ass.
 
S
#3 ·
According to the Norwegian brochure all the main leather is real;

“Seat cover in environmentally friendly treated leather” and “The seats are upholstered in organically processed leather that is dyed and treated with vegetable oil extract from flaxseed..”

“Leather steering wheel with heat”

You can’t call something “leather” here without it being real.
 
#4 ·
SpoonFC said:
According to the Norwegian brochure all the main leather is real;

“Seat cover in environmentally friendly treated leather” and “The seats are upholstered in organically processed leather that is dyed and treated with vegetable oil extract from flaxseed..”

“Leather steering wheel with heat”

You can’t call something “leather” here without it being real.
Click to expand...
We mean with real or natural leather, leather produced from the skin of animals, so the seats of the Ioniq 5 are mostly made of plastic bottles, which may be called synthetic or artificial leather.
 
#5 ·
I have no reason to think that the leather in my Ultimate did not come from a cow. That said, all mass produced leather these days is heaviliy treated with chemicals, dyed, and coated, so the outer face probably has more polymer molecules than cow dead cells... and BTW, I too recommend Colourlock leather products, not cheap but very effective, in my experience.
 
#8 ·
It depends on the market. In Canada ( and I believe the USA) it is called "leatherette".
This is another way of saying vinyl seats. In my humble opinion, fake leather is a downgrade from cloth.
If you are a vegan, and won't wear leather shoes or belts, I get and respect that.
Otherwise, it's just plain cheap, covered up by virtue signaling.
 
#11 ·
OK now I am really confused... haha

in the first video she says -
"these plush leather seats are made with an eco-friendly processed leather that uses flaxseed oil instead of animal products"

in the second video he says -
"Fabric made from the recycled plastic bottles is used on the Ioniq 5's seats and door armrests. When the seat leather is dyed, flaxseed oil is used instead of animal oil."
 
#17 ·
Good - I bought it on the understanding that the seats were REAL leather, & it always pissed me off when they said other parts of it were made from old plastic bottles!
If I wanted my transport to be Green - I'd get on the Bus {even if they're all diesel around here}
 
#18 ·
So far in the US we don't get any seats - real or fake leather. Still waiting for prices and availability. :mad: Our Features sheet clearly states for the US we will get Leatherette (Artificial Leather) Seats on the SEL and Limited model - maybe, sometime, whenever ??????????????
 
T
#21 ·
Yes the US spec sheet specifically says "Leatherette (Artificial Leather)". As for other areas? The maintenance manual has this:
Leather (if equipped)
• Features of seat leather
- Leather is made from the outer skin
of an animal, which goes through a
special process to be available for
use. Since it is a natural product,
each part differs in thickness or
density.

The 'made from the outer skin of an animal' is unambiguous so apparently there are some places that have cars with real leather seats.
 
#29 ·
My previous Tucson had real leather seats, and I could smell that it was real. My understanding is that the Ioniq 5 also uses real leather, although it may well be a combination product where a thin layer of real leather is bonded to a manmade base layer. I would be happy with that. I'm also happy with the idea of other materials being made from recycled bottles - much of my sports clothing is made from such materials and they have excellent properties.
 
#30 ·
I do believe that the leather in my UK-spec Ultimate is real leather, but on a general note, it isn't very difficult to treat fake leather with chemicals that smell like real leather, so going by smell alone can be misleading. You can even buy yourself one of these and 'freshen-up' any old vinyl-clad car:

www.autobriteinc.com

AB810-Leather Scent Odor Bombs

www.autobriteinc.com
 
#34 ·
I really appreciate everyone weighing in on this question. Love this forum. Unfortunately we are far from a consensus.
I have asked colourlock directly if there is going to be any huge issues if I use the ARTIFICIAL LEATHER & VINYL Kit on actual genuine Leather and the CLEAN & PROTECT KIT For New Leather on artificial Leather. We shall see what they say.
Has anyone on here used "Leather" Protection on their Ioniq 5? If so what have you gone for?
 
#35 ·
Regardless of whether it is a cow (vegan or not - cows dont eat meat!) at the base or old PET bottles, all leather upholstery in cars (except the most luxurious ones) is mostly a bycast always covered with some top paint layer or PU coating or similar. So treat the surface as vinyl or other plastic. A mild cleanser and then conditioner / balm, no lether grease/oil as the surface is not as absorbent as a bare leather.

Leather types
Aniline is a through-dyed leather without topcoat or surface varnish. Natural marks such as manure stains and barbed wire marks remain on the leather to retain as much of the natural feel as possible. Aniline has extremely high comfort and breathes a lot, but is also sensitive to spills and stains. If you own a piece of furniture in aniline leather, it is extra important with maintenance so that the leather always has full protection and ages beautifully.
Semianiline is an aniline leather that has been surface treated with an extra protective layer to increase resistance to stains. The natural marks found on an aniline leather are in some cases also present on a semianiline. This leather generally has a good comfort and good breathability.
Cover-colored leather has, as the name implies, additional protection and color on the surface. Breathability and comfort are somewhat limited by the surface treatment, but it instead provides a resistant and durable leather.
Bycast is a split leather that first applies a polyurethane surface, ie plastic. Bycast is shiny and very modern. The leather is usually resistant to stains but has limited comfort and breathability.
Nubuck is polished aniline leather that is completely open. It has a suede-like feel and is extremely sensitive to spills. Nubuck is not a suitable material for a piece of furniture that is used frequently.

An example;
Note: For use on automotive leather only, unsuitable for household leather and clothing.
www.autoglym.com

Leather Clean & Protect Complete Kit

Clean, moisturise, nourish and freshen up leather and faux leather surfaces with our pH neutral Leather Clean & Protect Complete Kit.
www.autoglym.com www.autoglym.com
 
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#40 ·
Yardankerty said:
The spec sheet says the following:
Leather appointed seats
Leather appointed steering wheel
Leather appointed centre console armrest w/real stitching
Leather appointed door armrests w/cloth inserts & real stitching
then in the fine print it says the following:
"Finishes specified as leather may contain elements of genuine leather, polyurethane leather (leather substitute) or man-made materials, or a combination thereof."

I don't mind what it's made of - I just want to know which is the best leather protection (or artificial leather protection) product for these seats/steering wheel etc
Any thoughts or in depth knowledge appreciated.

Kits - All DIY Products | COLOURLOCK Australia
Click to expand...
I used Renapur Leather Balsam sparingly on my steering wheel and it gives a great feel. Details here....https://renapur.com/car-interiors/
 
#41 · (Edited)
Update! - here is the response from ColourLock themselves:

"Congratulations on your new electric car, the new breed of today's eco friendly cars are keen to lower the impact on our environment and we are now seeing Vegan Leather, Faux Leather and artificial leather in increasing numbers.
Hyundai "Eco Processed Leather" is indeed a genuine leather but the tanning process is "vegetal", following protocols that have a reduced environmental impact to protect workers and consumers.
Therefore the correct product to use is = Colourlock Leather Shield Kit for new leather. For your car I would select the "Mild Leather Cleaner" option."

So I think that seals it... ;)

COLOURLOCK Leather Shield - Clean & Protect Kit
 
#43 ·
I have read the posts above, but is this truly real leather? I have had my Cyber Grey Limited for two weeks and noticed that the material scratches verrrrrry easily, and the scratches do not come out at all---even with the standard buffing that one can ordinarily do with leather. I am a male (with short fingernails) and I inadvertently grazed the leather door rest with the edge of my fingernail when pulling the door shut. I used a microfiber cloth to gently polish out the scratch, but it did not disappear at all. This doesn't behave like any leather that I have ever seen before.
 
H
#44 ·
US does NOT get real leather ANYWHERE as FAR as I understand.
SOME EU countries do get real LEATHER SEATING surfaces and maybe steering wheels, but nowhere else. So, your "door rest" will not be leather covered ANYWHERE as far as I know. I would not have minded cloth seats on limited trim if I can get couple $K off as vinyl seating is NOT durable especially the ones that are made to resemble leather - the cheap vinyl seats tend to be VERY durable though - think school buses/greyhounds. :)

My '06 Honda Odyssey with leather seating still look quite good even after my 2 boys grew up in it for last 16 years.
 
#55 ·
My Ioniq 5 Ltd purchased in SW USA Feb 2022, has the following line in the window sticker:
Leatherette-Trimmed seats; Heated and Ventilated front seats.
Also stated on the window sticker is INTERIOR/SEAT COLOR: DARK GREEN/DARK GREEN
The color choices online are black or 2-tone gray. So, I was expecting a black or gray seats in the "coming soon" I5 I'd put a deposit on. When it arrived, however, the seats are bone white, dashboard top and top of doors is dark green. I've used the seat heater but not the ventilation, yet. For me, the ventilated seats feature has most appeal and the fake leather looks fine. We'll see how it looks in 10 years.
Image
 
A
#59 ·
It is not "Leather", but leather care products will work just fine (source: I specifically asked the high-end detailing place what they recommend... there is no such thing as "vegan leather cleaning" products).

See my post here for my suggestions for cleaning & care:
www.ioniqforum.com

Cleaning white vegan leather seats

I just bought a limited in Shooting Star grey and I was wondering if any of you had advice about cleaning the white seats. Before I run out and buy a bunch of products, I’d rather know what you all have tried. TIA
www.ioniqforum.com www.ioniqforum.com
 
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