Oh yeah another seats thread.
Does anybody have experience with old vs new performance seats? The upgraded ones.
I have quite slim butt and torso but broader shoulders, so I loved the old ones with airbags, I maxed them out and I was very well fixated. Would I float in the new design without airbags? Are they any different in other scenarios like long drives?
Thanks in advance

EDIT: by airbags I mean inflatable side bolsters, that the newer performance seats does not have.

 

I've got the performance seats in both my '18 XE and '24 F. My body shape sounds much like yours. I've not been in an older F, but comparing both my cars, I'd say the seats in the F do a much better job of keeping me fixed in place. In the F I feel as though I'm strapped in place, whereas in the XE I can still shift about a bit, especially in the tighter corners. Overall I'd say both feel great, but the seats in the F are better. Longest drive I've done in the F so far is only about 120 miles, and I seemed to get even more comfortable the longer I was planted in it

 

Don't forget that the earlier ones also have adjustable side bolsters on the torso section so you can make them really grip if you choose.

 

That is what I meant. Sorry for confusion, by airbags I meant air side bolsters.

 

If you can, why not pop into the nearest Jag dealer and take one with the new seats out for a test drive. That would solve any questions you have.

 

Yeah I would have to but they won't let me drive - ie experience any forces. But probably the best I can do.

 

Whereabouts are you? Maybe a local member will let you try theirs. Have you tried the UK forum? https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/index.php

 

OK so I have tried new sports and performance seats in new cars at the dealer and I can say that the new seats are much wider than the original performance seats. I could slide right and left on them just sitting in them a bit, especially in the bottom area.
If I look carefully at pictures, the original perf seats are tapered at the back-bottom while the new design is more rectangular.
Personally for a slim statue I think the original seats with air adjustable bolsters are significantly better and the with the new ones I would have to get them somewhat re-upholster with added material. I guess this would get tricky.

 

Have tried both (have a 2016 and did a drive in a 2020 - the former seats hold a lot better, at least for me...the newer seats are lighter in weight and at the time the big deal was that they allowed an extra inch or so of leg room....less depth). The older seats seem to have a more "needs to be broken in" leather than the newer seats. Not sure if that means anything but my car with 65k miles has near mint seats...they look like new, remarkably so.

I once looked them up and the old seats are made by Lear as in Lear jet. Likely just recycled boat anchors (jk). https://www.lear.com/technology/seating

The new ones are ventilated and heated...the old ones are just heated. My guess, given the stitching and leather quality, is that the older ones were better made.....how it felt to me. Bias due to the leather quality/feel and just the feel.

The new ones look "newer" but if and ONLY go with how well the seat holds you, the older ones are simply better. I've come to love them....once broken in. The side bolsters are amazing and well worth not having ventilation. You cannot be too wide so to speak in the older ones....

My opinion only.


Hope that helped.


Jeff

 

Bear in mind that the heated and cooled seats have to be perforated for the air flow from the Peltier cells, while the heated-only ones don't as they rely on electric pads, resulting in thinner leather, hence the difference in feel.

 

Good information, thank you. In my experience alcantara, or perforated alcantara is much better in summer than full leather, so I guess the old performance seats with alcantara would be the top pick, but they are veeeeery rare. But I would be willing to modify the original seats to perforated alcantra.
Now the problem is that in EU majority of V6s are with sports seats. Now the question is, if I find a car with adjustable bolsters sports seats (full door module), can I swap them with performance ones with all function remaining. I know some people here tried seat swaps but IRC those went in-between-generations.

 

I sincerely doubt you could swap seats between generations and expect them to be plug-and-play, even with the corresponding door cards. Enough changes were made (other than seats) that the wiring harnesses were almost certainly changed as well. You could bolt them in, yes, but you'd have to add in your own wiring.

 

I don't. I want to swap from pre-facelift sport to pre-facelift performance.

 

One another observation - I am not sure, but I have a suspicion that the post-2017 performance seats have shorter seating area.

 

The seats were thicker before and now the seats are thinner.

Using less material, saves JLR money.
Cutting corners in my opinion. That's their motivation and that's why they changed the seats. Your getting less seat with it's required materials, including leather.