Leather is a natural product, vinyl is plastic. You don't get a plastic type leather - it is either one or the other. You may have a wafer thin leather surface on a majority synthetic backing but this still makes the surface you sit on leather. This is what VW says in its brochure and this is backed up in the link 2 posts above. Leather contact surfaces, vinyl elsewhere.
Rolls Royce leather is better than VW's - obviously. Still doesn't stop VW leather being a natural product, even if it isn't 100% natural in its depth of construction.
You can't sell plastic and call it leather, end of.
The reason they put leather in as standard on the run out cars is that they were trying to shift a car that had been left behind in the market place as it was overstaying its welcome at the dealers. To shift a £20k + car that was due for replacement, they added a leather seat package that probably only cost them about £100 to manufacture. Bit of a no brainer!
My previous E46 coupe had full leather interior. That was a mass produced car and in its production life was one of the biggest selling cars in the UK. I can guarantee you that the seats were 100% leather - anyone who has owned a BMW with leather can tell you that you can feel the reverse suede side of the leather under the edge of the seat.
Here is a link showing cracked and creased aged leather in a Rolls Royce - exactly what you say cannot happen to genuine leather
http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk/Leather_Car_Interior_Restoration.phpVW MK5 GTI leather may be inferior but it still has a natural leather top layer, not vinyl. This is why I and a number of others on this thread have had no issue with leather conditioner soaking in. It would be pretty obvious if it just wiped off straight away as it does if you try and rub it in the bolster sides which are vinyl.
Anyways - this is getting old, lets agree to disagree! :)
