Are car manufacturers secretly switching to synthetic leather?

If you've been to a 4S store recently, you might have noticed that the leather seats in new cars feel smoother, yet the prices are more affordable. This isn't just your imagination—the procurement managers at the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have indeed come up with some new tricks.

A supply chain manager from a joint-venture brand revealed that they are now using a “three-layer composite process” to replace traditional top-grain leather: an ultra-fine fiber surface layer, an eco-friendly base fabric middle layer, and a recycled leather bottom layer. This reduces costs by 40% while maintaining the same tactile feel. Even more impressive is the mold stamping technology—like making cookies, it increases the utilization rate of the entire leather sheet from 60% to 92%, with scrap material repurposed into steering wheel covers.

However, the most disruptive innovation is “digital inkjet printing.” A supplier in Guangzhou demonstrated this cutting-edge technology, which can precisely replicate Hermès-style patterns on synthetic leather, even fooling seasoned craftsmen. However, industry experts caution that cost reduction must not compromise quality. The national standards now include eight additional abrasion resistance tests, so manufacturers attempting to use inferior adhesives should be wary of facing penalties!

As a professional manufacturer and supplier, we provide high-quality products. If you are interested in our products or have any questions, please feel free to contact us.