In September of 2020, GM Authority exclusively revealed that General Motors had filed to register two trademarks – Earthluxe and Inteluxe – intended to label vehicle upholstery, including seat covers. Both were both filed with the United States Trademark and Patent Office (USPTO) on August 26th, 2020.
GM Authority has now learned that Inteluxe will be used to brand the leatherette seats on future models, starting with the 2022 Cadillac XT4 luxury crossover.
On the 2021 Cadillac XT4, leatherette seat upholstery is standard on the Luxury and Sport trim levels. Leather seating surfaces are standard on Premium Luxury and optional on Luxury. Leather seating surfaces with mini-perforated inserts are optional on Premium Luxury and Sport.
| Trim Level | Standard Seating Material | Optional Seating Material |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury | Leatherette* | Leather |
| Premium Luxury | Leather | Perforated Leather |
| Sport | Leatherette* | Perforated Leather |
- * Leatherette will be called Inteluxe for the 2022 model year
We understand that the Inteluxe term will be introduced on the Cadillac XT4 simply as a branding change to replace “leatherette”, possibly because it sounds more 21st century and less 1950s than the term it’s replacing. The material is likely to be exactly the same as the one that has been used on the XT4 since it was introduced for the 2019 model year.
It remains to be seen what GM will do with the Earthluxe moniker, though it’s very possible that it (along with Inteluxe) will be used on future Cadillac models. The terms would seem to be right at home when it comes to Cadillac’s upcoming onslaught of electric vehicles, which are forecasted to make up half of Cadillac’s product range by the end of 2025, if not sooner.
The first of those EVs will be the Cadillac Lyriq crossover, which recently begun real-world testing. It will be followed by two more crossovers called Optiq and Symboliq, another vehicle known so far only as the “low-roof” EV, the Celestiq flagship luxury sedan and electric versions of the fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV full-size SUVs.
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Comments
Leatherette/inteluxe/vinyl. Call it whatever, but sure isn’t leather!
Just call it cheap ass vinyl from the 60’s!
With slightly less cracking.
I don’t have any experience with GM/Cadillac leatherette, but I have had a MINI with leatherette and a C Class with leatherette, and it’s far from old school cheap vinyl at least in those vehicles. Makes me question getting leather. With leather seats you end up with cracks, wear spots, possible staining and fading, denim color transfer, etc. In the MINI and the C Class after 50,000 miles they were still clean, held their shape, no noticeable wear, no cracking, and didn’t get shiny like leather. I would prefer and choose high quality leatherette over leather and save the money.
Exactly. The new artificial leatherette materials are often better than the real thing.
Those who think otherwise need to educate themselves and stop living in the 50s.
You still have to treat and detail leather & leatherette with a conditioner w/ a cleaner. The seats in the B6 Passat had leatherette and held up greatly over time but I always took good care of them. However, I had cracking in the armrest. So both have advantages and disadvantages.
Leather only gets shiny because it’s dirty or you used wax conditioner like armerall. If you use a actual cleaner and conditioner on leather it will never be shiny
Can anyone say Naugahyde?
Naugahyde.
The Earthluxe is likely a fabric / artificial leather made from recycled materials which is what is expected by prospective buyers in the electric car segment these days. Tesla’s “vegan leather” is made entirely of plastic and no one complains about its quality.
You mean the vegan leather is a product of fossil fuels?
The interior is 87% of why I hate Tesla! pure crap. I have to spend an hour in the car to go grocery shopping, and 3 hrs in the truck to go feed the cows. I don’t was a damn touchscreen sitting there causing glare in my eyes, and collecting dust and smudges. Have been very excited to see the EQS, however, the new dash is pathetic! Now we are patting ourselves on plastic seats? When is Fisher-Price going to get into PowerWheels Pro and start selling cars to adults via Walmart?
Yes. (Ahem. Harumph) “Naugahyde!”
All the brands have some form of this. MB had Benz-tex way back in the day. But others on here are right when they say it’s not like the vinyl of the old days. My CT4 has the leatherette and my s60 Volvo has leather. Almost impossible for me to tell the difference. However, I would not have gotten the black leatherette in the Volvo because it’s really cheap looking.
Probably not to the extent of Cadillac!! How many MBs, BMW top line large suvs have vinyl/leatherette seats? Probably none. But Cadillac’s halo vehicle, the new Escalade Luxury has luxurious, attention to detail leatherette upholstery! Situations like this seem to indicate Cadillac has no interest competing with the real luxury competitors but allowing folks who aspire to own a Cadillac the opportunity to buy a lower quality product to park in their garage!
You can fine flagship Mercedes and BMW with leatherette on the lower entries also. Escalade Luxury is used as an entry point no one buys anyway.
BMW X5 & X7 V8 models all leather, only 6 cyl have one available plastic/vinyl. MB is the same, all V8 models have leather only six cylinders have pretend leather.
Better know as more degrading of the Cadillac name using cheap crap, go GM.
know as more degrading of the Cadillac name using cheap crap.
Everyone is going doing it and most people can’t even tell the difference.
Bring back the deluxe cloth seating surface more comfort and grip than leather, slide bolsters can stay leather, great comfort winter and summer, and better support for spirited driving.
My Lincoln MKC lease is up soon and I am considering the XT4.The MKC is being replaced with the Corsair. I’ve read about road noise, leatherette seats, etc., on the XT4, I’m wondering if this is a good move.
Girls! Girls! You’re all pretty…now stop and play nice.