Luxury vehicles are often defined by their craftsmanship, and the choice of cabin materials can play a significant role in the passenger experience. As such, Cadillac offers a range of different seating surfaces to choose from, including the newly introduced Nouveauluxe upholstery. Which begs the question – what exactly is Nouveauluxe seat upholstery?
Cadillac Escalade IQ with Nouveauluxe upholstery
Following the debut of Inteluxe simulated leather, Cadillac is now rolling out Nouveauluxe, which makes its first appearance in the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ and 2026 Cadillac Vistiq. Critically, the cabins of both all-electric SUVs do not include any leather:
“Both Escalade IQ and Vistiq offer a leather-free interior,” General Motors tells GM Authority. “Inteluxe is PVC and Nouveauluxe is Polyurethane. Noveauluxe is a more premium product, which looks and feels more luxurious. This is why it’s offered on upper level trims.”
Breaking it down, we find that polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) synthetic leather differ in texture, durability, and the general manufacturing process. PU synthetic leather (Nouveauluxe) is softer and more flexible, making it more durable, more resistant to cracking, lighter, and more breathable. PU materials are made by coating a textured release paper with PU pulp and then peeling the paper off, and the material does not require plasticizers, meaning it remains soft over time.
By contrast, PVC leather (Inteluxe), is harder and less flexible, and may become relatively brittle over time. PVC materials are made by coating fabric with melted plastic particles, then adding foaming agents.
With regard to the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, Nouveauluxe is standard on Luxury 2 and Sport 2 trims, while Inteluxe is standard on Luxury 1 and Sport 1 trims. The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq runs Nouveauluxe as standard on Premium Luxury and Platinum trims, while Inteluxe is standard on Luxury and Sport trims.
For customers who expect a high degree of luxury inside Caddy’s latest all-electric vehicles, both the Nouveauluxe and the Inteluxe materials should satisfy. However, when it comes to going the extra mile, Nouveauluxe looks like the one to get.
Comments
It was called “vinyl ” back in the day
I know you think that your post is clever, however, with advances in material science, you are probably wrong. Its far much more complex engineering process to produce Nouveauluxe than vinyl.
Nouveauluxe might begin with a blend of bio-based or nano-engineered precursors., it uses plant-derived polymers (like PLA from corn starch) combined with synthetic nanoparticles or graphene for enhanced strength and flexibility. This step requires precise chemical reactions in controlled environments. The reactors require specific temperature and pressure settings to create a robust molecular structure.
Looks like they still have a LONG way to go to give AI a sence of humor.
Sorry. With a $100000 vehicle I want REAL LEATHER.
$170,000*
And the cow the leather came from.
That’s a lot of words to say “it’s not leather.”
Curious if GM did extensive consumer testing before rolling this out, I work for a competing luxury automaker and our clients have consistently iterated they do not want synthetic leathers, I would think Escalade buyers would feel similarly spending 130-160k. Theres also a lot of new research coming out that synthetic plastic based leathers are not as healthy for occupants as you are breathing in small amounts of particulates inside the car, vs leather which is natural and durable. It does age over time but can be repaired unlike the synthetic materials, which likely end up in a landfill at end of life bc they can’t easily be recycled.
My guess is their demo is different from your demo although the products may be priced competitively. GM has likely determined that the folks they’re targeting won’t be turned off by vinyl as long as they get the big screen and other items that “delight” as Barra is fond of saying.
You think Cadillac buyers don’t consider the likelihood of sitting in a cloud of plastic vapors? They probably don’t, that’s why the potential ones that do buy other luxury cars.
Sorry, but I can’t understand how you can possibly call Tanned Leather “Natural”
Is that French for Naugahide?
Cadillac’s interiors have been a weak point for a long time. CT6, for example, had a wonderful lightweight structure that was beautifully styled and used pioneering construction techniques but it was let down by a cheap interior not at all befitting a luxury car. Obviously Escalade IQ continues that interior cheapness and perhaps takes it to a new level.
No matter what words are applied to it, as was always the case with MB-Tex, this is still a man-made upholstery material in a class of vehicle where natural materials are the standard. Instead of high grade leathers and other premium materials, GM is giving customers a gigantic screen.
In a recent ABC News interview, the design chief of Mercedes-Benz, Gorden Wagener, stated “screens are not luxury.”. I completely agree. In fact I think wall-to-wall screens in a vehicle are about as impressive as seeing a massive TV in someone’s home surrounded by microfiber reclining sofas. I’m actually very unimpressed by that.
I read once that the higher ones IQ is, the smaller their TV will be. The notion is that high IQ individuals surround themselves with books and place an emphasis on reading. Whereas lower IQ individuals typically do no reading but prize giant screen TVs.
I’d much rather see beautiful traditional materials like wood and leather and a screen sufficiently sized to do the job than a massive monitor and something called Intelux, made out of polyvinyl chloride in a factory. But then I know the Escalade IQ isn’t a vehicle designed to appeal to me.
@Rocket3: I’m totally in agreement with you here. However, not sure I want a huge vehilce driving down the road while it’s occupants are surrounded by books and reading them. haha.
I truly feel that the luxury brands need to get back to focusing on true luxury and stop this over-sized rims/tires, huge wall to wall screens and fancy haptic buttons instead of good old buttons and knobs. And yes. To me, a real luxury vehicle must have real leather or a very high quality cloth material. I may be old fashioned, but I’ll take the classy velour seats in older Cadillac’s way before this fake leather stuff.
Just say what it is, plastic! Now that’s classy in a $100,000 vehicle.
That and not having a glovebox 🙄
Gentlemen prefer leather!!!
You can call it whatever you want, it’s still vinyl. If I’m paying that kind of money for a luxury vehicle it had better have real leather!
In the new Volvo’s, they call their fake leather Nordico now. It’s ok, but to me I feel like I’m sitting on a seat that’s been covered by a wet suit for surfing. It’s very rubbery.
I don’t care what anyone says. Give me some high quality cloth (velour) or give me high quality leather. One thing I can say is that my 1986 Cadillac Seville and 1988 Cadillac Cimarron both have very comfortable seats in very nice real leather. In 30+ years, I doubt this Nordico or Cadillac’s Nouveauluxe materials will be anything close to my Seville’s.
Just give me dead animal hide. We are eating the cows anyway, so not using their skin isn’t saving them.
Just saving GM money at the cost of prestige to pretend they care about vegans who wont buy their cars anyway.
I wonder if this is GM’s way of saving more money and giving the customer less for more?
I want velour 😊
Same. I hate leather. Give me old cloth seats ANY DAY
My ideal car is a CT6-sized S90 competitor with Lyriq looks and wool seats, only natural materials inside. I’ve had leather my whole life, I’m over it. I do not want pleather.
Cadillac should offer REAL leather, wool/textile, and this fancy pleather option.
So it’s a plastic imitation leather substitute.
So PLeather. Haven’t we been down this road before?
Not with $150,000 cars
I’m an upholsterer. Polyurethane is junk and cheap. Won’t hold up. PVC lasts a lot longer and top layer doesn’t peel off, but leather is what should be used. Fire everyone who made this decision
To align with the names of new Cadillacs, call it Plastiq!
Should at least have offered real leather as an option! I’d even pay more. 150k car should not be limited to naugahide seating. The leather in my 2005 XLR are holding up just beautifully!