[Blue Sky]

Those that have them, what’s the verdict so far on Veganza? Comfy, durable? Anything noticeable odd like additional offgassing from the material clouding the windows in the summer since it adds a lot of plastic to the interior?

How are the M sport seats with the alcantara bits? They look nice in the picture, but I haven’t encountered them in real life. Seems like the alcantara is just for looks, since there isn’t enough of it to glue a person to the seat, but maybe enough on the shoulder patch to slow ingress/egress.

[SkykingUSA]

I've had black Veganza since mid-March in my car and am happy with it. I have not noticed any off-gassing and there is no smell at all from the seats that I can detect. They feel soft to the touch and if I didn't know it wasn't real leather, I couldn't tell (apart from the zero smell part). I have not noticed any unusual wear and tear or marks anywhere. My car has about 3200 miles on it so far. The seat ventilation works well in the southern California heat and I have no complaints. The ventilation works so well that my wife gets cold and I had to turn it off for the passenger seat because she'd notice it almost every time, even on the lowest setting.

You should definitely check it out at a dealer lot though - to make sure you like it (or don't like it) before ordering/buying.

[BMW5151]

The Alcantara bits are just for looks. The G60 really isn't much of a sport sedan like 5s of the past, so you don't really need to be held in your seat for cutting through canyon roads any longer. I'm settling for the 550e coming from an M550i, which had just a touch of sport sedan left in it with proper options added. Going to the 550e will be a downgrade, but I understand and accept it. Need the larger car to ferry around clients. Next time might be an M340ix if it is offered.

[RichardInCA]

Agreed with Skyking’s write up - the Veganza seats are really pretty good, zero odor, no sign of any off-gassing (I think they’re made of a plant protein rather than a fully synthetic base) and have remained supply and soft to the touch. Very happy so far.

I will say that the side bolsters do a pretty good job in my M60 seats, including the “pinch” they give you when you select sport mode. Not M sport or alcantra trimmed in my case.

[kaotiko]

I looked at the black-atlas Merino vs Veganza at my dealership and couldn't tell much difference in the look'n'feel. When I asked about the long-term prospects, the guy however admitted that we can't know how Veganza is going to hold with time. The previous incarnation of the faux leather interiors wasn't particularly good.

Veganza did smell a bit weird to me, even though my nose is not very good. I was mainly concerned about the two-color combination of the current Merino option since I prefer uniform black interiors. It turned out good to my eye, so I went with Merino. Just in case.

[nacs]

Originally Posted by kaotiko

I looked at the black-atlas Merino vs Veganza at my dealership and couldn't tell much difference in the look'n'feel. When I asked about the long-term prospects, the guy however admitted that we can't know how Veganza is going to hold with time. The previous incarnation of the faux leather interiors wasn't particularly good.

Veganza did smell a bit weird to me, even though my nose is not very good. I was mainly concerned about the two-color combination of the current Merino option since I prefer uniform black interiors. It turned out good to my eye, so I went with Merino. Just in case.

Near similar response I originally wanted brown interior but the mix w/ gray was not pleasing to my eye, my wife's and even our SA thought the interior configuration picture was glitching......So went w/ Merino black w/ gray as that at least flows.....

[Scrapula]

All fake leather seats have either polyurethane or PVC unless they are mushroom based. Veganza doesn’t seem to have an odor, so it probably has less plastics. Mushroom would be an expensive option and the veganza is standard. I’m not sure where this vegan kick came from. The seat material won’t biodegrade for 500 years, so it’s not really more eco friendly than leather. But, since it won’t biodegrade, it should hold up just fine.

[Blue Sky]

I couldn’t find a definitive answer to what veganza is composed of, but the articles from a couple years back indicate BMW was sponsering and contracting two material manufacturers. Desertex is mentioned frequently with a cactus base. Although it never says, the implication from the timing is that veganza is the roll out of a plant based material, while the earlier sensatec/sensafin stuff was just PVC pleather.

CO2 emissions is the main target for this work, secondary would seem to be reduction of animal products in the vehicles. Raising cattle and then tanning and processing them releases a lot of CO2, apparently a high percentage total per car given current manufacturing processes at BMW. So eliminating cowhide and switching to a manufactured material apparently produces much less CO2e, plus BMW get would credits for the CO2 absorbed by the plants used in the material growing at the supplier plantations.

[Scrapula]

They will just kill more cattle for pet food and the skins go into a landfill. Merino is sheep, though

[Blue Sky]

A company like BMW isn’t trying to save the world, or make the world a safer place for cows and sheep, they are looking to reduce their carbon footprint to meet the current and future carbon emissions regulations. Apparently the vegan non-PVC alternative material does this for them, and quite probably costs less or at least will have more insulation from market price fluctuations. A side benefit is that the animal-free interior is of increasing interest to contemporary buyers.

[dsgs]

I have the Veganza seats. They seem pretty durable, the feel is soft and a bit more grippy than real leather. I don’t think anyone who has been in the car has noticed or cared that it’s not real leather. There is no smell. So far it has held up well to being under a child seat in the back.

[mariopl]

For me Veganza is more durable.
After almost 10.000km there is no sign of usage on white veganza (no jeans etc).
However, in hot days my backs are sweating (no seat ventilation).
Consider taking ventilation with veganza.

[Blue Sky]

Thanks everyone for your responses

[AiredaleDad]

I ended up going for the Black Veganza. I wanted the Black M Alcantara/Veganza option, but for some reason you can't get that in the Luxury Seating package. And I did not like the Atlas Grey/Black Merino leather option. I just don't like that 2 tone interior. For some reason it didn't look right to me. Had there been an entirely Black, Merino Leather option I probably would have gone that route. I just hope the interior is well put together, and the upholstery is tight. It looks great in the renderings. But I have seen other new cars where the upholstery is kind of loosely attached or the sewn panels are too big for the seat in corners and other places. And looks like a seat cover and not like a tightly wrapped seat.

[scLA]

I've been really surprised how nice the seat ventilation is on these seats. I tried ventilated seats previously in an i4 and they just made a weird vibration in the seats with no noticeable benefits. The i5 ventilated seats actually have a cooling effect!

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by scLA

I've been really surprised how nice the seat ventilation is on these seats. I tried ventilated seats previously in an i4 and they just made a weird vibration in the seats with no noticeable benefits. The i5 ventilated seats actually have a cooling effect!

I find the same thing - you can really feel it. So much so, that my wife asked me to disable it on her side because it's too cold for her, even on the low setting. They work well!

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

I find the same thing - you can really feel it. So much so, that my wife asked me to disable it on her side because it's too cold for her, even on the low setting. They work well!

Out of EVERY current and past BMW with ventilated seats, the current/new 5 Series is the O N L Y BMW ever where the ventilated seats feel cool and actually work.

I agree....1st time in any BMW, where I had to turn my i5 M60 ventilated seats down or off!

[COBodom]

One of many things about G60 that are unequivocally bet0ter than those in G30, are the seats. I had nappa multi contour seats in G30 and luxury veganza seats in G60 are exponentially more comfortable.

I finally sit in the seat and not on the seat.

For the aficionados of soft and delicate feel; this gorgeous black plastic that I have feels very soft. Dare I say it, softer than nappa I had on few previous occasions.

Cherry on the cake - BMW has finally figured out how ventilated seats should work.

[Blue Sky]

Yep, in my old 5’er the fan blows but there’s not much happens. Can’t perceive it unless sitting in a sweaty T-shirt with the seat fan on high. And I even coded it to be cooler (i.e. set the temperature for the 3 settings to be lower). The seat materials just don’t let enough air through.

[1987illini]

Veganza is A material made from powdered cactus fibers and a bio-based polyurethane matrix

[Vitoco]

I have the cooled sport seat with Veganza Espresso - best seat ever, all categories. Veganza is awesome, no sense in going for the leather or comfort seats unless its for aestethic reasons.