Cleaning Our Long-Term Genesis G70's Leather Seats Was Easy
It says a lot about how reliable new cars have become when the biggest issues we’ve faced in five months’ ownership of our long-term 2019 Genesis G70 3.3T have been an occasionally blurry head-up display and a discolored leather driver’s seat. In truth, both ought to be filed under First World Car Problems.
The G70’s head-up display was fixed under warranty by our local dealer, and it only took about 10 minutes to restore the driver’s seat to its original appearance. Here’s how to do it:
The Problem
Our G70 has light-gray Nappa leather upholstery that’s part of its optional $2,500 Prestige Package. In well under six months, the driver’s seat developed a blue tinge, predominately on the side bolsters. A result of the color transfer from clothing, we’ve dealt with this issue in a previous long-term test car, and it was especially noticeable with the G70’s light-colored upholstery.
- ${price_badge()}
- ${battery_badge()}${ev_report_link()}
- ${hot_car_badge()}
- ${award_badge()}
- ${cpo_badge()}
${price_badge_description}
The EV Battery Rating is based on this vehicle's current expected range relative to the vehicles expected range when new. ${battery_badge_text}
Certified cars are manufacturer warrantied and typically go through a rigorous multi-point inspection.
This car is likely to sell soon based on the price, features, and condition.
${award_blurb}
${award_two_blurb}
Shop the 2019 Genesis G70 near you
The Solution
We reached out to Genesis for a recommended cleaner and were told to use a leather cleaner and conditioner from Meguiar’s. Available at big-box retailers and auto-parts stores, it cost about $7.
Cleaning the seats is a straightforward process. I applied the cleaner spray to a clean towel and then rubbed the towel on the driver’s seat. The bluish discoloration immediately began to disappear, and it didn’t take long before the bolsters returned to their original color. From there, I moved on to other areas that had discolored, careful to avoid applying the cleaner too thickly on the seat’s perforated sections, which allow airflow for the G70’s ventilated-seat feature.
More From Cars.com:
- Bass Model: We Test the 2019 Genesis G70’s Lexicon Stereo
- 6 Features Our Genesis G70 Doesn’t Have That We Wish It Did
- How Well Do the 2019 Genesis G70’s Active Safety Features Work?
- 2019 Genesis G70: 6 Things We Like, 3 We Don’t and 1 Big Nothingburger
- Genesis Serviced Our G70 Without Us Going to the Dealership
Going Forward
Our G70 hasn’t lived an especially hard life — daily commuting along with the occasional road trip — so I wouldn’t be surprised if the driver’s seat looks discolored again in four or five months.
That said, cleaning the seats is a small enough job that it could easily be added to a spring or fall interior cleaning along with wiping the windows and vacuuming the floormats. It doesn’t take long, and the results are worth the effort.
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
