Ever sat down in your car and bounced right back up again due to the hot material on the seat? No matter what seat and trim material you use, sunlight will heat up dark surfaces to scalding temperatures in the enclosed cabin. The near-infrared sun waves heat up the material, which absorbs the radiation. Automotive World writes about a coating technology for leather that get this issue out of the window though. Report by One 4 Leather.

The seating in the new Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet has been outfitted with sun-reflecting leather (not to be confused with white leather). This prevents the heating up of the material, keeping it cooler by up to 13 degrees Celsius in the sun, with the top off and on. The special pigmentation and coloring do not affect the aesthetic value of the interior. This only goes to illustrate range of properties that are available in the automotive leather industry. Leather that keeps cool is nothing new. Many automotive leather makers have already offered leather with this technology for many years. Leather has reactive properties to different climates, which is in the very nature of the material. The added ability to reflect UV, not just withstand it, makes automotive leather more durable and thus increases interior longevity.

Due to safety issues, sun-reflective gloss surfaces are rarely used in car interiors. Instead most OEMs opt for matte-coated materials to limit the risk of blinding the driver. The technology used for this model allows the brand to espouse once again on the functional properties that make such a unique surface material, best suited for the interior of your car.

Read the full article about this leather innovation.