You should know about older Jaguars in detail. So are you saying that the leather on my 2017 XF is not bonded? I still don't understand your use of the "bond grain leather" term. Is it solid sheet grain leather that's been embossed for a specific look? I would love to be convinced I have grain leather....of any type.

 

I don't understand. All XFs that are Premium package have leatherette and that's a volume seller model. It's not real leather. In my 2012, it was. But not in the 2016.

You get real leather in the Prestige.

 

For MY '16 & '17 Prestige it was listed as "Leather Seating Surfaces" and for MY'18 it says "Grained Leather Seats". I may be reading too much into the configurator verbiage but to me there's a reason why they are listed that way.

 

I don't know how much more clearly (or how many more times I can say this; Jaguar in some model year brochures uses the term "Bond leather" - and again, please note the capital letter, because this is how it is written by Jaguar. Bond leather is leather embossed with a grain texture tha Jaguar has decided to call "Bond"; perhaps "bond pattern" would be more clear for this explanation. Leather can be and very often is embossed with different sorts of grain patterns - or, with no embossing at all, in which case the grain will vary from car to car or seat to seat. Consistency (assuming that is desirable) demands that a pattern be embossed. "Bond leather" does NOT mean "bonded leather". Oy....yes, embossed for a specific look.
The attached photo shows a VDP seat in Connelly Autolux leather (their highest grade) such as I described before: the pleated section has a rather heavy grain, the yoke has virtually no grain at all - a very smooth and soft finish. I hope the distinction is visible in this photo. The leather on the door armrest is in the heavier grained pattern.
The car is a 1992 Series III XJ, a V12 Vanden Plas, #92 of the last 100 built.

 

OK, now it makes sense. Jaguar "Bond" grain leather is the manufacturer's designation and has nothing to do with being bonded leather. Jaguar "Bond" grain leather is not available on the MY '16 or '17 XF Premium or Prestige. Only bonded leather comes with the Prestige for seating surfaces. The Premium and the rest of the cars...bolsters, dash, doors come with leatherette (generic term for seat covering imitating leather but contains no leather). If anyone is confused on this thread it was you since it's about XF 260 '18 interiors. It seems things have changed at Jaguar in the last couple of years with the quality of their interior material.