Leather/Leatherette/Faux Leather ?

[Yowsah]

I drive a 2021 Touring Sport GR Sport. The seats are part fabric and part something else which looks like leather although some places describe the material as leatherette or faux leather. I think the steering wheel is leather but can't be certain. Can anyone throw some definitive light on this subject please.

[TonyHSD]

Fake leather indeed on the seats, not sure about steering wheel but most likely same. 👍

[Chippy01]

Toyota calls it Vegan Leather.

I'm guessing it's a plant based manufactured leather.

[Big_D]

4 minutes ago, Chippy01 said:

Toyota calls it Vegan Leather.

I'm guessing it's a plant based manufactured leather.

Isn't this only in the newer models, particularly the new C-HR??

[Cyker]

My Mk4 has the artificial vinyl-y leather too; I'm not sure if it's the same stuff the RAV4 can have, which is supposedly better than leather!

 

[Chippy01]

22 hours ago, Big_D said:

Isn't this only in the newer models, particularly the new C-HR??

Not sure. Online searches says that Toyota has been using it since the early 2,000's, but doesn't really pin down where it was used.

According to Toyota.ie, it is used in the new C-HR, Prius, Plug in Rav 4, and BZ4X.
Any other models with leather (like my Corolla Cross), just states that it is leather - (not faux, vegan, etc)

[Big_D]

In the blurb I was reading about the new C-HR, they specifically state that "The All-New Toyota C-HR introduces the use of a new animal-free material as an alternative to leather for the steering wheel cover and elements of the seats". I'm not sure about the other models

[Yowsah]

I suppose it would be ok to clean whatever it is with leather cleaner.

[Big_D]

I use a leather cleaner on our cars. Alternatively, wipe it over with a warm damp cloth

[TonyHSD]

I use leather wipes from dfs which are designed for real and fake leather as my car has both. Another ok cleaner for all interest parts is dettol antibacterial spray on microfibre cloth works best for me, clean well, leave no shine and make all plastics and fabrics, leather etc look like new. For steering wheel best I found are wet wipes pampers particularly.