I know here in the US all Summits come with black olive ash real wood steering wheels and related wood trim on the dash and door panels.
Or so I thought..... I just had a dealer send me a typical (not Actual) 2012 window sticker for the specific Summit I'm looking to buy.
Under the Summit edition 24R option package (MSRP $3600.00) it lists;
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT Customer Preferred Package 24R $ 3,600 Summit Edition Group 20-Inch x 8.0-Inch Bright Polished Aluminum Wheels Black Olive Ash Applique Bright Grille and Fog Lamp Bezels Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection Adaptive Speed Control Forward Collision Warning 5.7-Liter V8 VVT Engine with Fuel Saver Technology $ 2,195 220-Amp Alternator Anti-Lock 4-Wheel Disc Heavy Duty Brakes Dual Bright Rear Exhaust Tips Electronic Limited-Slip Rear Differential Heavy Duty Engine Cooling Quadra-Drive II 4WD System Trailer Tow Group IV
Does that mean Black Olive Ash "wood" is an "applique" not real wood?
I'm sure the steering wheel is real wood but what about the dash and door "wood" trim" ? Is this something new or different from the 2011 Overland Summits?
No manufacturer uses "a chunk of wood" for their trim applications. Typically in a "real wood" situation, a thin veneer is bonded to a piece of aluminum or composite. Why??? No splintering in an accident. Seriously.
Not always true because our range rover supercharged had real solid wood for the dash trim. Most are thin veneers because it is flexible and can be shaped easily for manufacturing costs and efficiency.
It does not. I had one of those too. If you chose to take apart the trim, you would see it is a laminate. Again, it IS real wood, but very, very thin. Just enough to replicate the "depth" only real wood can provide.
MB actually developed the process back in the 70's.
So you had the late generation range rover supercharged and verified that it wasn't solid wood? You can even see the two pieces where they join by adhesive. So I call bs.
OK you two. Step apart.
I would think veneer is used because it is cheaper than solid specialty wood and less likely to dry crack.
Now you may continue fighting.
Call it what you want...then use your head...think of the liability a manufacturer would incur if you got a piece of splintered wood in your eye upon impact as a result of your real wood trim...
Would you like the VIN# of the RR? Gawd knows it appeared on enough RO's...
Ive seen a Bentley Conti GT in a shop after an accident, they were clearly veneers. Everybody uses veneers. Just because there isnt a solid piece of timber in your dash doesnt make it cheap. Some wood veneers are extremeley expensive and in many places their export is tightly controlled (Brazil and India for example.L
OK, I admit that I was wrong, the range rovers use a wood veneer. Our RR supercharged had the cherry wood option and they just looked so0 real with the satin coating on top not a polished lacquer finish, that I thought they were real this whole time.
here is an example of what I was talking about, nonetheless a veneer...
The wood on your Range Rover looked real because it WAS real.
Look, even a Bentley or Rolls Royce uses a wood veneer. The reason for that is not only cost savings, its because a solid piece of wood can crack and split with changes in temperature. Just because its a veneer doesn't mean its not real.
Easy mistake to make, especially in a Range Rover because the way the end pieces and "spears" on either side on the center console are shaped...its quite convincing.