Cloth, leather and water-repellent are the three seat surface options customers will have when looking at the redesigned 2020 Subaru Outback that arrives this fall.
The water-resistant option comes on the midsize crossover as part of an Onyx Edition XT gray, two-tone interior. But there's more to that design package than looks.
The front and rear seats are finished in a urethane material that is the key new surface ingredient. If an occupant gets into the vehicle soaked from being caught in the rain or has been in the damp outdoors, the seats won't absorb the moisture.Subaru is calling the durable, lightweight material StarTex, which the automaker said does not include any animal component in the material manufacturing process, making it vegan-friendly.
Additionally, the material does not contain polyvinyl chloride, phthalate or chlorine. The material's backing contains 25 percent recycled polyethylene terephthalate.
The soft-touch seats are also easy to scrub clean, should occupants track mud and other outdoorsy debris into the cabin.
MATERIAL SCIENCE REVOLUTION: New market challenges are sending researchers back to the lab to explore different materials to build vehicles. These automakers and suppliers are commercializing the innovations.Send us a letter
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