M842 BGJ

[Dieselman]

All car leather is aniline pigmented leather which has a sprayed on PVC coat of paint for the colour and finish. The grades refer to cosmetic imperfections only.

[russ92xmsed]

I see....

[xmexclusive]

I believe the grading of bulk supplied leather and how that leather is selected and used by the car manufacturer are two different matters.
Over time manufacturers have changed and automated practices requiring more consistent material supply.
A difficult task with the variability that comes with genuine leather.
Citroen's methods with leather trim at the start of XM production are well covered in the XM book.
Manual selection of leather and trimming was standard for Level 3 and 4 cars.
For the XM it was Citroen's stated policy to apply four different trim levels to Mk1's and three trim level to Mk2's.
For the early Mk1's Trim level 4 cars got leather to the standard that I described earlier as Grade 1.
Leather was standard for these upmarket cars, cloth a requested option.
Many of the later Mk1's were Trim level 2 cars with fancy names and extras thrown in to help them sell.
Where these got leather it was typically to the standard I described as Grade 3.
This may well explain why late Mk1 leather is seen to be harder than that on the early Mk1's.
The Mk2 Exclusive cars were Trim level 3 cars and got leather to the standard I described as Grade 2.

John

[CitroJim]

All car leather is aniline pigmented leather which has a sprayed on PVC coat of paint for the colour and finish. The grades refer to cosmetic imperfections only.

Well that explains why sitting on modern leather seats is akin to sitting on thin cardboard. I went out in some Audi thing a while back and the seats were supposedly leather but compared to the XM and Xantias they were hard, plasticity and appeared very cheap. Same when I went out again in a high-end VW and then a similar Skoda.

Yet another good reason to preserve our 90s Citroens...

[Dieselman]

This is why leather seats make you sweaty...because you are sitting on vinyl.

[Eddie nuff]

It does look quite nice but would not be practical with our three kids!!

You forsook cream leather for three children...something not right there Matthew...

You allow the kids in the car??? Bloody world's gone pc mad!!

[Dieselman]

LOL.

[Richard2cv]

I went out in some Audi thing.....a high-end VW and then a similar Skoda.

Those are all the same cars with different badges.

[CitroJim]

I went out in some Audi thing.....a high-end VW and then a similar Skoda.

Those are all the same cars with different badges.

And all have the same awful cardboard seats...

And a bloody awful ride. Travelling in one is purgatory...

[russ92xmsed]

Audi is notorious for harsh riding cars. Why do they do it. We haven't got the roads for them!
Actually a car I was surprised by was...and Vince will no doubt agree...the Nissan Qumquat.
Very good ride.