Leather fades in luxury SUVs: pricing and new materials
Automakers pivot from leather to sustainable SUV interiors
Leather fades in luxury SUVs: pricing and new materials
From Jeep and Infiniti to BMW and Mercedes, carmakers are phasing out leather or charging extra. Explore recycled fabrics, MB-Tex, Sensafin and a pricing shift.
2025-09-01T08:19:17+03:00
2025-09-01T08:19:17+03:00
2025-09-01T08:19:17+03:00
Leather, once the default material for premium car cabins, is steadily fading into the background. A number of automakers are either dropping it altogether or restricting it to select trims. For example, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee offers no leather at all, even in the top Overland specification.Jeep isn’t an outlier. Most 2026 Infiniti QX60 models now come trimmed in TailorFit, a material made from 65% recycled content. Only the range-topping QX60 Autograph retains semi-aniline leather.Others are not pushing customers into change, but are widening the choice of upholstery. Land Rover offers Ultrafabrics for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, while Polestar buyers can opt for MicroTech or WeaveTech wool upholstery.These are just a few examples, yet they show how the market has moved on from the old leather-or-fabric binary. The picture is nuanced: some shoppers may feel shortchanged if leather seats are off the table or priced as an upgrade. Taken together, these moves look less like a passing trend and more like a recalibration of priorities.That last scenario is common at BMW and Mercedes. Despite a $62,250 base price, the 2026 Mercedes GLE 350 is fitted with MB-Tex seats; choosing leather costs an additional $1,620. A similar story plays out with the $67,600 BMW X5, which is delivered with Sensafin upholstery for $1,950. At these price points, the leather surcharge is likely to feel like a sticking point for a share of buyers.
From Jeep and Infiniti to BMW and Mercedes, carmakers are phasing out leather or charging extra. Explore recycled fabrics, MB-Tex, Sensafin and a pricing shift.
Michael Powers, Editor
Leather, once the default material for premium car cabins, is steadily fading into the background. A number of automakers are either dropping it altogether or restricting it to select trims. For example, the 2026 Jeep Cherokee offers no leather at all, even in the top Overland specification.
Jeep isn’t an outlier. Most 2026 Infiniti QX60 models now come trimmed in TailorFit, a material made from 65% recycled content. Only the range-topping QX60 Autograph retains semi-aniline leather.
Others are not pushing customers into change, but are widening the choice of upholstery. Land Rover offers Ultrafabrics for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport, while Polestar buyers can opt for MicroTech or WeaveTech wool upholstery.
These are just a few examples, yet they show how the market has moved on from the old leather-or-fabric binary. The picture is nuanced: some shoppers may feel shortchanged if leather seats are off the table or priced as an upgrade. Taken together, these moves look less like a passing trend and more like a recalibration of priorities.
That last scenario is common at BMW and Mercedes. Despite a $62,250 base price, the 2026 Mercedes GLE 350 is fitted with MB-Tex seats; choosing leather costs an additional $1,620. A similar story plays out with the $67,600 BMW X5, which is delivered with Sensafin upholstery for $1,950. At these price points, the leather surcharge is likely to feel like a sticking point for a share of buyers.
