Whatever kind of car you have, there are ways of sprucing it up to make it into a more luxurious ride. Many people focus on the exterior and the appearance of a vehicle, but given that you spend much more time inside than admiring the outside, it’s well worth looking at what you can do to bring that luxury feel inside too.
So, where do you start with this kind of makeover? According to Chemical & Engineering News, which is the weekly publication for the American Chemical Society, there’s one material you need to start with: synthetic suede.
The news provider explained that in years gone by, leather upholstery was synonymous with luxury vehicles. However, synthetic suede is now the material of choice for high-end automakers.
In fact, it’s becoming such a popular interior choice with automakers that some of the main synthetic suede and leather producers are increasing the size of their facilities to enable them to cater for this demand.
Brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus are among those that have made the switch to synthetic leather or suede upholstery, in case you need any convincing as to the material’s luxury qualities.
When you’re looking at creating the perfect bespoke car interior for your motor, it’s worth considering re-upholstering the seats with a more high-end material than what’s currently in your car.
Aside from the luxury appeal, there are other advantages to going down this route. According to the news provider, these synthetic materials are more weather and stain resistant than traditional leather and suede, and they can be manufactured in a greater variety of colours.
If you’re going to be making these kinds of changes you could also explore heated seats and even additional lumbar support, especially if you’re spending a lot of hours behind the wheel.
More automakers are focusing on the quality of their interiors, and this has been sparked by changes to our driving habits.
The rising number of people car sharing, making use of high-end driving services and, in the not too distant future, using self-driving cars means “people who used to have their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel have more freedom to let their eyes wander and their fingers touch the interior of the vehicle they’re sitting in,” the publication stated.
Producing these synthetic materials is a lot more technical than people may expect. It’s taken years of R&D from the companies leading the industry to create the ideal materials for car upholstery.
However if you decide to revamp your car’s interior, you should also ensure that it stays in good condition once you get it back from an auto styling company. That means you need to make use of mobile car valeting services in London to keep your interior clean and tidy.
There’s another reason why we may see more synthetic materials in our vehicle interiors in the future too. Earlier this year design director at Bentley Stefan Sielaff told Robb Report that growing consumer demand for vegan products could impact on automakers’ choices when it comes to the materials they use in their interior design.