[BMW5and7]

My neighbor was interested in the X7 from the first day he saw mine. He is ready to place an order, and he asked me about the Sensafin leather - however I have no experience with it.

I am seeking feedback for him on the Sensafin leather. Any issues that current owners can report on? Quality? Does it really get super hot in summer (this is the major concern). He is running on a tight budget and trying to only get the options he really needs. Tried to encourage him to get the full merino leather that I personally have, but he's not interested in the cosmetics and wants to invest in quality/functional options only.

I'll share the link to this thread with him, once there are a few answers and feedback; He is not a member here "yet" but hopefully will join the BMW community if he pulls the trigger on this X7.

[Al Pinã]

Sensafin is not leather. It's a synthetic material. Make sure he knows that.

[MancladLA]

I do like the quilting on the sensafin as it follows the new angular design language vs the Merino which has the previous design language quilting. I think this helps with making the LCI feel more cohesive.

[Bigrahizzle]

He can go with sensafin and will not regret it. Doesn't get overly hot. If you car is baking in the sun then yeah but once the car is cool it's fine. It's super soft and everybody who saw it can't tell a difference from leather.

[coolerbythelake]

I ordered an X5 that has Sensafin. I like it a lot. Wrote a post with some pictures about it a few weeks ago:

https://g07.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1947542

[Setllarboss]

Sensafin is great. No one can tell a difference. I think its softer than Napa leather I have on my 7 series.

[wtwo3]

I don't have extended experience with sensafin, but I was at a dealership about a month ago when I first checked out the new X7 and it was specced in Sensafin (oddly enough... considering it was loaded with other options including the B&W stereo).

I was pretty impressed by the feel and look of it. It felt and looked quite premium and I think I made a comment about how I wouldn't fault anyone for opting for the sensafin interior on this car because of how much nicer it was than sensetac from before. The seats were very soft and comfortable, and the dash and door sills were covered in it. Unsuspecting folks would easily mistake it for leather.

That being said... .I personally would have a tough time opting for anything other than high quality leather on a car approaching 6 figures.

[Al Pinã]

The real verdict won't arrive until people have spent a year or two with the material to see how it wears.

I'd imagine BMW did a ton of R&D regarding wear so I'd expect it to hold up, but only time will tell.

[Bigrahizzle]

It's very nice believe me

[MancladLA]

The sensafin does not seem to be available on the M60i - is this correct? Why would it not be? Or why don’t they make the leather stitching / quilting the same as the sensafin as this is the new design language. So odd some of the choices that have been made.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by MancladLA

The sensafin does not seem to be available on the M60i - is this correct? Why would it not be? Or why don’t they make the leather stitching / quilting the same as the sensafin as this is the new design language. So odd some of the choices that have been made.

I dont think these specific choices are odd at all. Sensafin is seen as an entry level option. As the m60i is not the entry level trim, they likely assumed people purchasing an m60i wouldn't opt for the sensafin seats (at least not enough of them to justify offering sensafin as a standard option on the m60i).

In regards to the seat pattern, BMW wants to differentiate between the leather and sensafin. If you make your leather and your sensafin look identical, at what rate does sensafin begin cannibalizing sales of leather?

[MancladLA]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

I dont think these specific choices are odd at all. Sensafin is seen as an entry level option. As the m60i is not the entry level trim, they likely assumed people purchasing an m60i wouldn't opt for the sensafin seats (at least not enough of them to justify offering sensafin as a standard option on the m60i).

In regards to the seat pattern, BMW wants to differentiate between the leather and sensafin. If you make your leather and your sensafin look identical, at what rate does sensafin begin cannibalizing sales of leather?

I am not sure that this is true of the quilting. On the 7 series configurator the Merino leather has the new design language angular quilting. I have attached image.

Also on the BMW UK you can order the x7 M60i with Sensafin. So this does not seem to be a case of using leather in the higher priced models.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by MancladLA

I am not sure that this is true of the quilting. On the 7 series configurator the Merino leather has the new design language angular quilting. I have attached image.

Also on the BMW UK you can order the x7 M60i with Sensafin. So this does not seem to be a case of using leather in the higher priced models.

Look closer. On the 7 series the merino leather and the "veganza" have different quilt patterns on the 740i.

Using a 7 series from a completely different market to make a point is a stretch... each market has its own set of options on offer.. as is typical for most products, not just cars. Those options availability are based on multiple variables including target market analytics. I can also point out how a car like the base 3 series is offered in merino leather in many markets outside the US but is only offered in vernasca leather in the US. It's not until you step up to the most expensive model... the M3 where you get merino leather. It's market dependent.

[MancladLA]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Look closer. On the 7 series the merino leather and the "veganza" have different quilt patterns on the 740i.

Using a 7 series from a completely different market to make a point is a stretch... each market has its own set of options on offer.. as is typical for most products, not just cars. Those options availability are based on multiple variables including target market analytics. I can also point out how a car like the base 3 series is offered in merino leather in many markets outside the US but is only offered in vernasca leather in the US. It's not until you step up to the most expensive model... the M3 where you get merino leather. It's market dependent.

Fair points - I think though this is an LCI anomaly (time will tell) and that when we see a built from the ground up X7 the quilting will follow the design language and sensafin will be offered as an option in all trim levels as it speaks to sustainability and green attributes that are hot consumer topics and marketable. Just my guess…

[MancladLA]

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/globa...rs?language=en

Here is a press release on vegan interiors and sustainability

I think because of such a push it may not be the best PR move to leave such initiatives out of your flagship products.

[MancladLA]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

Look closer. On the 7 series the merino leather and the "veganza" have different quilt patterns on the 740i.

Using a 7 series from a completely different market to make a point is a stretch... each market has its own set of options on offer.. as is typical for most products, not just cars. Those options availability are based on multiple variables including target market analytics. I can also point out how a car like the base 3 series is offered in merino leather in many markets outside the US but is only offered in vernasca leather in the US. It's not until you step up to the most expensive model... the M3 where you get merino leather. It's market dependent.

I do see what you mean re. The quilt pattern on veganza being different to merino on the 7 series. They are though both based on angular designs which is the direction the new design language takes. The sensafin seats in the x7 lci follow this vs the merino which are the same seat pattern from pre lci and follow the flowing curves of the previous design language (as do many elements in the lci) - this is why I think the sensafin design work a little better (little being the key word) as they are a big optic item and so help the other angular elements feel a little less adhoc. All this is just subjective though…

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by MancladLA

Fair points - I think though this is an LCI anomaly (time will tell) and that when we see a built from the ground up X7 the quilting will follow the design language and sensafin will be offered as an option in all trim levels as it speaks to sustainability and green attributes that are hot consumer topics and marketable. Just my guess…

I'm not sure someone buying an m60i with a twin turbo v8 is too worried about sustainability and green attributes

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by MancladLA

I do see what you mean re. The quilt pattern on veganza being different to merino on the 7 series. They are though both based on angular designs which is the direction the new design language takes. The sensafin seats in the x7 lci follow this vs the merino which are the same seat pattern from pre lci and follow the flowing curves of the previous design language (as do many elements in the lci) - this is why I think the sensafin design work a little better (little being the key word) as they are a big optic item and so help the other angular elements feel a little less adhoc. All this is just subjective though…

I do agree the merino leather option will eventually follow the new design language, but it will (likely) always have a different quilt patterns from the sensafin as a way to differentiate itself. I don't know how BMWs corporate structure is setup, but my guess is there's category/product managers responsible for various groups of products, and with sensafin being a new product replacing the previous sensetac, it's easier to offer it in the new quilt design language than it is to adjust what's already on offer for the merino leather, especially considering this is an LCI and not a brand new model generation.

[Married_to_a_BFD]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

I'm not sure someone buying an m60i with a twin turbo v8 is too worried about sustainability and green attributes

But you'd think someone buying an EV would be more likely to be concerned about sustainability, right? So why is Sensafin not offered on the new i7? Only merino leather.

We elected to go with the leather seats for our x40i. We weren't really impressed with the sensatec in the pre-lci models we test drove. There were no vehicles with sensafin available to try out and we couldn't just accept at face value people saying the new vegan material is better than the old. The decider for us was the point made earlier in this thread, that merino leather is standard on the higher trim m60i. And now, given that the Sensafin isn't even offered on their $120,000+ i7, all evidence seems to point to an acknowledgment by BMW that real leather is still better/more premium.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by Married_to_a_BFD

all evidence seems to point to an acknowledgment by BMW that real leather is still better/more premium.

I don't think the argument was ever that sensafin was better or even on par with real leather. I think the question was what are people's impression of sensafin and if quality was lacking to a point that it would warrant an upgrade to real leather. The general consensus is that sensafin is a major improvement over the previous sensetac. From my brief experience with it I can attest to that - it feels far more premium than sensetac ever was.

I also opted for merino leather because that is still the superior product and something about purchasing a near 6 figure car without real leather didn't sit well with me. But I'd still stand by my statement that I wouldn't fault anyone for ordering it with sensafin because of how major of an improvement it is over previous generations.

In regards to your comment on the i7 not including an option for sensafin - again it goes to demographic. People opting for a 7 series want opulence and the best options available - that's typical of ultra-luxury executive sedans. It's also why the Mercedes EQS doesn't offer MB-tex and only leather interiors. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the only executive sedan in this class that even offers a leather alternative is the Lucid Air (and that leather alternative is not available yet, it's coming Q4) - and even that is a single color option alternative. If you want any color in your car, you have to get the leather interior.

[Married_to_a_BFD]

Originally Posted by wtwo3

something about purchasing a near 6 figure car without real leather didn't sit well with me.

We had the same thought, but I certainly would understand someone going with the Sensafin. It seems like not a bad choice at all.

My sense is that premium vegan leather is getting closer to being sufficiently indistinguishable from leather that putting real leather in cars would truly be wasteful if such a high-quality vegan alternative is available. One reviewer suggested that, with the sensafin, BMW may have already reached that point (

at 5:20). His argument was pretty compelling; but the more compelling fact for me was BMW's omission of sensafin from higher trims.

[wtwo3]

Originally Posted by Married_to_a_BFD

We had the same thought, but I certainly would understand someone going with the Sensafin. It seems like not a bad choice at all.

My sense is that premium vegan leather is getting closer to being sufficiently indistinguishable from leather that putting real leather in cars would truly be wasteful if such a high-quality vegan alternative is available. One reviewer suggested that, with the sensafin, BMW may have already reached that point (

at 5:20). His argument was pretty compelling; but the more compelling fact for me was BMW's omission of sensafin from higher trims.

Again that omission from higher trims in my mind makes sense. People spending money for higher trims still prefer the real deal for their money (you and I both alluded to this by saying we had the same thought that something about fake leather in a 6 figure SUV didn't sit right). It's literally THAT same mindset that you get with individuals opting for higher trim or more expensive cars.

What I could see happening going forward is that real leather becomes more and more expensive while leather alternatives begin flooding the model lineup. But there will always be an appetite especially in the more expensive models for genuine leather. There's a reason Rolls Royce offers sheepskin floor mats instead of cloth...