Toyota Rav4 Leather Seats: Does It Have Them?

Leather seats are what some would call a luxury upgrade in a vehicle. It’s also what some would say is an unnecessary feature in a vehicle. Either way, people opt for leather because of its superior quality compared with other materials as well as its ability to help a car maintain its resale value.

The Toyota Rav4 basic trim levels come with standard cloth upholstery while the upper trim levels of the Rav4 come with either the standard option or the additional package of synthetic leather seats. Real leather seats are not offered as an option in any of the Toyota Rav4 models and trims.

Leather seats don’t come cheap and most vehicles that offer leather seating as an upgrade option, or even as a standard option, are the upper trim levels on that vehicle model. For example, Toyota does not offer leather seating as a standard option on any of its basic car models.

Read on below to find out more about the interior seating materials offered in a Rav4.

Does the Rav4 Have Real Leather Seats?

No, the Toyota Rav4 does not offer real leather seats in any of their trims or models and the Rav4 has never offered leather seating.

Basic Rav4 trims come with standard cloth upholstery and the upper trims are offered with synthetic leather seats and a synthetic leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Synthetic leather, also known as artificial, vegan, imitation, or faux leather, is a man-made substitute material for real leather. Synthetic leather is used in numerous well-known car brands and according to cnet.com, multiple car manufacturers are making the switch to synthetic leather to both keep the manufacturing costs low and to uphold sustainable credentials.

Some of these car brands include:

• Toyota
• Range Rover
• Velar
• Jaguar and
• Tesla

Although Toyota does not offer leather seating, they have created a faux leather material called SofTex and are implementing this imitation leather in many of their vehicles today. Find out more about Toyota’s SofTex below.

Here are the various other Toyota vehicles that also offer SofTex leather seating in their upper trim levels:

• Toyota Prius
• Toyota Avalon
• Toyota Prius
• Toyota Sienna
• Toyota Corolla
• Toyota Yaris

Which Toyota Rav4 has Leather Seats?

There are no Toyota Rav4 vehicles on the market that offer leather seating as either standard or optional with upgrades.

Toyota Rav4 has synthetic leather options, also known as SofTex, and here is a list of the Rav4 models and trims that you can purchase with faux-leather seats:

• The LE and the LE Hybrid can only be purchased with Toyotas cloth upholstery
• The XLE and XLE Premium come with a standard cloth fabric but can be upgraded to SofTex
• The XLE Premium comes standard with SofTex leather seats
• The Rav4 Adventure trim level also comes standard with SofTex trimmed seats
• The XSE Hybrid has standard SofTex material seats and also offers additional colors
• The 2021 XSE Hybrid has standard SofTex leather seats but is offered in a different color to what it was in 2020
• The Rav4 Limited and Limited Hybrid models also come standard with SofTex interior seating
• Toyota Rav4’s TRD Off-Road model comes in a standard one-color black SofTex design

The SofTex material offered in the Rav4 seating is for both front and rear seats and comes in multiple colors for the driver to choose from.

SofTex became available on the Toyota Rav4 from its 2013 model which started the fourth generation of the Rav4. In line with Toyota’s numerous advantages features, Auto Week named the comfortable synthetic SofTex leather seats in the 2013 Rav4 the third best feature of the Rav4 that year.

The interior and extremely comfortable seating came in behind the rear backup reverse camera technology and the spacious cabin space for the front driver and passenger seats. 

What is Toyota’s SofTex?

SofTex is an interior material designed and implemented for Toyota vehicles. Toyota SofTex is a superior faux-leather material that is resistant to stains, spills, and leaks and is a durable and easy-to-clean material. A great option for those with younger kids.

There are no animal-based products used in the making of Toyota’s SofTex and it is an ideal replacement for real leather.

Here are a few things to note about Toyota’s SofTex interior seating material:

• SofTex is soft
• SofTex is an environmentally friendly alternative to leather
• Produces fewer emissions in the manufacturing stage
• Feels and looks like leather but needs far less maintenance
• Does not retain as much heat as real leather and is therefore not as hot to touch on hot days
• The special coating applied to SofTex makes it more breathable than real leather
• SofTex reflects UV rays and absorbs less heat
• SofTex is dirt resistant

You could almost say that Toyota’s SofTex design is a vegetarian-friendly material and is a good option for drivers who have sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in mind.

According to Vehicle History, one of the main reasons people buy the Rav4 is because of its fuel economy and lower emissions compared with other vehicles, along with the superior Toyota technology and safety features. So, Toyota’s SofTex “leather” seating option could be the right choice for you.

The SofTex material created by Toyota is designed to handle a lot of wear and tear and has proven to be more resistant than real leather.

Here is what Toyota has to say about their SofTex design:

• It’s easier to clean
• SofTex weighs about half as much as genuine leather
• SofTex generates 85% fewer emissions when being made
• SofTex Does not include any animals-based material

SofTex is a smart and sustainable alternative to genuine leather and many car manufacturers are making the switch to synthetic leather upholstery and interiors for its many wonderful benefits.

Which Toyota vehicles have Real Leather Seats?

If you’re after real leather seating in a vehicle, for a superior type of luxury Toyota has numerous other vehicles that might suit your needs.

While real leather material seats are not offered in the Toyota Rav4, take a look at these other Toyota vehicles that do offer leather seat trims:

• The Highlander Limited and Platinum models have real leather seats
• The Toyota Camry XLE, XSE, XLE V6, and XSE V6 have leather seats
• The Toyota Land Cruiser also boasts a leather interior front and rear leather seats.
• Toyota Tacoma upper trims, the Limited and the TRD Pro come standard with real leather seats
• The Toyota C-HR has leather-trimmed seats

If you’re in the market for an SUV and this is why the Toyota Rav4 appeals to you, the Toyota Land Cruiser is a larger SUV, it’s also more costly, but it does come with an almost perfect reliability rating for over 60 years. If leather seats are important to you, you might consider the Toyota land Cruiser as an option.

Conclusion

If you’re in the market for a new or used car and are trying to decide which interior seat material is right for you, you’ve probably come across cloth upholstery, real-leather upholstery, perforated leather, and faux leather options, among numerous others.

All options have their benefits, but Toyota’s SofTex design is an environmentally friendly option designed to withstand the torture that children put our cars through and is extremely soft and comfortable.

If leather was on your list but you’re considering a Rav4, you might find yourself very impressed with the benefits of Toyotas SofTex option over real genuine leather. Toyota does not offer genuine leather seat material in the Rav4, and considering how good SofTex leather is, we’re ok with it!