EasyLivin

I've heard a few explanations of Mulan leather... What exactly is it ?

Tripjammer

https://www.trunkmonkeyparts.com/what-is-mulan-leather

kitesurfer

I googled it, compared to the other leather offered. it told the difference...my take is Mulan is cheaper.

EasyLivin

Someone explained Mulan Leather to me like it was the chicken nuggets or bologna of leather... Is it bonded particles ? It does look more like vinyl.



I've heard that... I also heard that they don't offer Naugahyde anymore because Naugas have been added to the endangered species list...


Yes it is cheaper... But what is the mystery meat formula ?

JerryU

You'll have a hard time finding any definition from GM or folks selling GM interior "stuff!"

A few years ago a poster interviewing folks at Bowling Green confirmed what most assumed. It's faux "leather!" It's the same as the Chrysler's Corinthian "leather" that took an interview with Ricardo Montalban, the advertising spokesman, (some time after the ad complain) to say it was a "coined name" by their ad agency! Mulan is a GM made-up name. The interviewer at Bowling Green was told it is synthetic "leather" that includes up to 40% ground-up scrap leather as a "filler." Made similar to vinyl with embossing roles to make the surface look like leather.

SIDEBAR
I had an early September 2013 built 3LT C7 Z51. Looked for 3 years to define what was "real" leather and what was the only thing you'll fine GM acknowledging, the seating surface is real Nappa Leather or Napa Leather (both names are used for a specific tanning process.) In fact a forum poster who worked on GM interiors said they had tested different materials for seat bolsters and real leather was not the best choice!

So the 3LT Natural Dipped interior ordered for my C8, all I can be sure is the "seating surface" is real Napa Leather and the other surfaces are "soft touch materials." That is what GM referes to other interior construction materials, either Mulan "faux leather" of vinyl.

One "concern" about Mulan is the dash. A number of posters had said and shown pictures of the dash shrinking from around the vent area to a point it could not be repaired and had to be replaced (expensive.) Some had it done free on warranty, some not! No reports (or perhaps a few) with 1 & 2LT's reporting that issue. So assume the 3LT's used Mulan and the 1 & 2LT's were made of vinyl.

The only justification for making a product with up to 40% ground up leather scraps is it's better than putting all those McDonald's (etc) cow hide legs, head and other scrap leather in a land fill! It appears vinyl is a better material choice! With the same embossing rolls it looks the same!

juanvaldez

Mulan leather = fake leather. What is Corinthian leather?

Cameroni79

Mulan is another word for bonded leather. It typically consists of 5% leather scraps and 95% poly. The covers of most bibles are mulan. It’s a hair sturdier than pure polyurethane “leather” due to the added leather fibers.

Warp Factor

I prefer Mulan leather, because it tends to have more of a random and natural-looking surface character, than a plastic-looking uniformity.
Also, it tends to hold up better than the softer and more supple Napa leather.

My wife's car has the Mulan, and it's still flawless after 75,000 miles, including some time moving furniture, and some with a large rambunctious dog inside. My C7 Corvette, with Napa and only 7500 miles, already has some issues.

AORoads

Using the word leather in mulan leather is accurate, to a point. If you add or render (another word for reduce, as in melt, chop up, make it liquified), leather pieces and bits, and then add that to some form of synthetic substance, that's mulan leather. It has some leather in it, the mix. Then, the whole thing is re-constituted into a sheet of plastic leather, colored, stamped with a pattern (not always), rolled out and cut.

Basically, it's a synthetic fabric, or flexible piece that can be made into a covering. Long way of saying it's probably/possibly a more durable, more easily-cleaned synthetic material, with the touch and feel of leather which has some actual leather in the mix so that the word leather can be used..

EasyLivin

So it's what BMW calls leatherette ?

Cameroni79

If it says top grain you’re getting the top skin of the cow/bull. There’s no patterning done. It just is what it is.

if it is split leather you’re getting the under sheet of skin and they’ve sprayed it with polyurethane and stamped a pattern on it. Both are quality products but that poly coating can certainly come off in high wear areas. It looks awful when it does.

mulan, Corinthian, etc are brand names for various bonded leather. It’s leather scraps glued to the back of poly. It wears a little better but does not have much actual leather in it at all. This is nearly as cheap to produce as 100% poly leather. Do not pay more for bonded leather furniture. Trust me.

Faux is 100% polyurethane. It’s fine, but as soon as as it starts to wear it’ll go downhill quickly.

Warp Factor

I believe you are mistaken. Napa leather tends to come from softer hides, such as those of sheep or goats. Mulan is also natural leather, but most often comes from tougher cow hides. In addition, the napa uses a different tanning process which renders it softer.

It is the "suede" in car interiors that tends to be fake, made completely from synthetics.

Cameroni79

nope.

Dethsupp0rt

They call it "SensaTec", but I'd probably compare it more with "Dakota" leather as far as the actual content is concerned (in that there is some genuine leather content).

Warp Factor

Looking forward to any authoritative references you can provide. I'm always eager to learn.

EasyLivin

Personally I prefer a synthetic... Real leather seems to fade, discolor, crack, shrink and stretch. To me, real leather makes a much sense as real wood in a car these days... As long as the "Mulan Leather" holds up as good or better than the Napa leather I'm good with it. It would be nice though if they gave the Mulan Leather a more honest name...

Asleep@thewheel

For those too young to remember...

Cameroni79

you’re not going to find definitive information. It’s similar to the colonels herbs and spices or the recipe for coke. You can make up a similar recipe but what you get may be a tad different. The low grade leathers all go by names that never identify what the product is. The use non industry terms such as mulan, Corinthian, etc. It all means some form of bonded leather. Nappa, or Napa is a leather industry term. If you want to test this for yourself do what I used to do for my customers. Just buy a small cheap piece of mulan leather off eBay. Get a genuine gm part. Or for that matter Corinthian from Chrysler. Then get any piece of bonded leather from any number of sources. Take some sandpaper and go below the surface. You’ll be able to tell very quickly what you’re dealing with. By contrast Napa is what’s known as aniline leather. You start sanding it and you’ll find more leather. Go deeper, more leather.

golddog

What is Mulan Leather?

Mulan leather is confusing for many reasons. One of them being that Disney released a movie that might confuse people as to why leather is named after any movie or what the leather has to do with the movie at all. Whatever the case may be you may find yourself making a choice between Napa leather and Mulan leather. If you find yourself in this position then you might also have to ask yourself., "do I know the difference between the two and do I or should I care?" We will examine the issue in the paragraphs to follow below.

What one is right for you?

Leather comes in two types. It can come as either Napa or Mulan. Both of these terms are confusing similar to the difference between OEM and aftermarket. If you are experienced in the industry or are a person who has bought their fair share of accessories then you may not have as much as of a problem. However, the beginner, who probably does not know the difference between OEM and aftermarket probably will not know the difference between Mulan and Napa leather.

We have read some people that say that Napa leather comes from the belly of the animal which is softer and accounts for the less grainy feeling of Napa leather. However, we can neither confirm or deny that this is true. We can confirm that Napa leather does tend to feel smoother than its counterpart, Mulan leather. A side by side comparison gives you the full story.
Mulan Leather on the left and Napa Leather on the RightThe amount of graininess becomes apparent when side by side with the Napa leather. The question becomes if the difference is noticeable. The difference is noticeable under two circumstances. 1. The person who is feeling the leather is sufficiently educated to understand that there is a difference in the two leather types or is generally aware that the two types of leather exist at all. 2. The two leather types are close to each other.

The truth is that the choice of leather comes down personal preference and how much, "keeping ahead of" the Joneses the owner is trying to stay. The viewpoint of most aficionados is that Napa leather is better for the sheer fact that it tends to be much smoother than its brethren, Mulan leather. If you are trying to impress gear heads or a car show then you need to get Napa leather. Otherwise, you might find that you prefer the feel of the Mulan leather for a variety of reasons. You might like the texture of the leather. You might have had a parent that liked to wear leather boots or something leather and it was textured. If this is true for you then Mulan leather might be the right choice for you.

Red Mist Rulz

After lots of google searches, the ONLY "source" for the idea that it is bonded leather is....this forum. And all from people who don't cite any source for their "knowledge."

I don't know if it's bonded or not. I do know not one person on this forum has provided the slightest bit of proof that it is beyond "believe me, I know."

One other thing to keep in mind: even with the GT2 seats, only the central seating insert is "napa." Per GM, the side bolsters are still "Mulan." I have Mulan leather in my C7. After 5 years, it looks pretty much like new. At NCM, I compare the "Napa" leather insert in the GT2 seat to the "Mulan" bolster. Any differences in softness and "feel" were minor. There may be good reasons to buy the GT2 seats. The difference in leather, IMO, isn't one of them. If I get the GT2 seats, I'll get the "fake" suede inserts, which offer real advantages in terms of not sliding around on the seat and being cooler in hot weather.