I had a new 2.0TDI Elegance Estate delivered last Friday to replace my previous 1.9TDI Elegance Hatch.

The new motor looks really smart and is the Face-Lifted model so is a bit different than the previous car which was 4 years old (05 reg).

What I diddn't notice straight away was that the steering Wheel and Gearknob feel plasticky, quite hard and slightly rough. Not like the smooth and slightly soft feel of the previous car.

The new car must have non-leather wheel and gearknob, but when I first noticed I thought it must be due to a change in spec on the face-lifted cars.

However, I have just checked the Soda website and the brochure and they both state 4-spoke leather steering wheel,gearknob and gaiter.

Has anyone else received an Elegance model with the standard trim in the last couple of months? If so have you got the leather stuff?

Yep. I've got an Elegance, collected it last week. Handbrake and steering wheel are leather. Think the (DSG) gear knob and gaiter may be fake leather.

Yep. I've got an Elegance, collected it last week. Handbrake and steering wheel are leather. Think the (DSG) gear knob and gaiter may be fake leather.

Thanks for the info - I'll ring the dealer tomorrow and see what they say.

I have to say that I'm a bit unsure whether the steering wheel is leather or not. It has a differnt feel to the leather one I had on my VW Passat and doesn't look like leather as it's more smooth and evenly textures like plastic. However it and the gaiter is stitched like leather is and if it was plastic I think it would have just been continuously moulded.

Although it says in the brochure 'four spoke leather steering wheel, gearknob and gaiter' if you have opted for one of the optional multifunction steering wheels it doesn't mention the word 'leather'.

Well can you see the stitches?

is there any stitching?

Well you can't cast leather so there must be some form of stitching to keep it all together. The preFL wheel had it, and also you could see where on the rim the pieces of leather joined each other, it's 3 or 4 segments I think.

I suppose it's possible to use some type of plastic sheet instead of leather and still stitch it but I wouldn't have thought they'd go to the trouble of doing this when it would be cheaper to form the plastic instead.

Can't believe nobody else has said this, but try sticking your nose to it and having a good sniff

Sniff, but don't inhale

My Elegance has leather wheel, handbrake and gaiter. Smells lovely too.

Could be a "mis-build". Ring the supplying dealer and if it is the case they will take it up with Skoda UK to organise replacement items.

Can't believe nobody else has said this, but try sticking your nose to it and having a good sniff

:eek:

Sorry - what are we talking about here?

:naughty:

Can't believe nobody else has said this, but try sticking your nose to it and having a good sniff

But they can treat plastic with an artificial leather smell from Laminated artifical leather and method of making - Patent 4504536

A further object of the present invention is to provide a structure of artificial leather which have hand-feeling of natural or genuine leather and is made of PVC sheet material with one side ground and not on the other, wherein the sheets are treated with leather smell flavor to imitate that on natural leather.

These sites may also be of interest :

How to distinguish Genuine leather and artificial leather

New Car Smell

How to Get Rid of Leather Smell - HowToGetRidofStuff.com

They haven't given you an SE have they? better check the rest of the Elegance extras - duel zone aircon etc

They haven't given you an SE have they? better check the rest of the Elegance extras - duel zone aircon etc

It is definitetly an Elegance - it has dual-zone climate control, Cruise Control, Rear-Parking sensor, front-fog lights, jumbo box with Aux socket, auto-dimming interior mirror, electric mirrors and variable boot floor.

The steering wheel does have Stitching but doesn't smell of leather to me. The gear-lever gaiter is definitely leather.

I didn't ring the dealer today because, now I'm not sure if it is leather or not. It just seems different to the previous car. It looks like leather but it dosn't feel like it to me.

They've probably just done away with any padding in it so it isn't cushioned.

Post a pic of the steering wheel

I'll have a go tomorrow.

Here are some Photos. I even managed to find one from the old car (Octy2 05 reg). As you can see both cars have the optional Maxidot. The old car also had the Multi-function wheel.

There is a differnce in colour as well as feel - the old wheel is definitely black and quite shiny whereas the new one is more dark grey and matt finish.

Looks like leather to me.

Looks like leather to me.

I agree - it looks like leather. But it doesn't feel or smell like it.

That doesn't just look like leather, it is leather.

Yep, looks like leather to me. Give it some time and it should get nice and supple. A regular wipeover with warm water on a microfibre cloth will work wonders too

I agree - it looks like leather. But it doesn't feel or smell like it.

I know what you mean as mine is similar but I think it is actually leather (maybe it's of such high quality that it is particularly fine grained and blemish free )

id love to be able to stop mine going shiney with age and keep it like brand new

id love to be able to stop mine going shiney with age and keep it like brand new

Like I said above, a damp microfibre cloth keeps leather supple and like new! The shiny-ness is grease from your hands, you mucky pup! :P