A long time ago, in (I believe) an issue of Car Magazine from the mid-1990s, the designer Gordon Murray shared his thoughts about a possible four-door follow-up to the McLaren F1.
Road cars weren’t really his thing. Until then, his career had been focused on Formula 1 car design, and he brought that sport’s obsession with weight savings with him. Were he to design a sedan, he’d trim the interior with textile, not leather. After all, wool made fine suits and coats, Murray reasoned, and it would save weight.
A four-door McLaren never happened during his tenure, nor has one appeared since. Murray now runs his own boutique hypercar company, which also builds no sedans. But the idea that high-end cars could use something other than leather has stuck with me, especially after driving BMW’s i7, which debuted in 2022 with a premium cashmere wool interior. More recently, new EVs have experimented with interesting textile alternatives to leather. Two good examples are the BMW iX3 and the Audi A6, though neither can be ordered with these textile options in the US.
It’s hardly the first time US-market cars have had different options. Our Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards insist on features like side reflectors, which Europe doesn’t need, and we maintain somewhat old headlight rules. You’re also unlikely to see any of the smaller-engined versions of luxury cars from German brands being offered for North American consumption. But it did make me wonder why we’re being left in the cold.
Here’s what they said
We’re used to American Audis being a bit different. We couldn’t have the R8’s laser high beam headlights or the A6’s OLED animated taillights, and we’re not getting the station wagon version of that car, the A6 Avant, at all. Or the A5 Avant. I reached out to the automaker to ask why it didn’t think its American customers would go for the textile trim.
An Audi USA spokesperson told Ars that “while we applaud the sustainable factor of cloth seats, customers continue to prefer leather/leather-like seats in luxury vehicles and note that it is easier to clean… [and] easier to get into and out of (i.e., ingress/egress as clothes sometimes cling to fabric seats).”
Similarly, BMW doesn’t always bring its good stuff across this side of the Atlantic. There was no Z1, and the E36 M3 had a much lesser engine thanks to federal and Californian emissions regulations, just to pick two (admittedly old) examples. BMW told me that, like its counterpart Audi, its customers are mostly fine with synthetic leather-like alternatives to animal hides.
“We continuously evaluate market trends, industry developments, and customer feedback when considering new features and materials,” a BMW spokesperson said. “Currently, our customers are very satisfied with our animal-free materials such as SensaTec and Veganza as well as our traditional leather options. While there has been some interest in textile materials, the demand has focused on more premium options like Alcantara and microfiber rather than traditional cloth. Accordingly, we have been expanding our range of these premium textile materials in recent years.”
Think motorsports-inspired interiors and perhaps more plushness like in that i7, but it seems we shouldn’t expect eco seats woven from recycled plastics, unlike in Europe.
What do US car buyers want?
Every year, AutoPacific surveys more than 18,000 people planning to buy or lease a new car to gauge their interest in dozens of potential new features to pin down what American car buyers really want in their next vehicle. The market research company asked survey respondents about upholstery, though leather and animal-free alternatives were the options.
“Expectedly, among shoppers who would consider buying a luxury vehicle, demand is the strongest for leather, followed by upgraded leather that may have quilting, accent stitching, or other seat design enhancements,” said Robby DeGraff, manager of product and consumer insights at AutoPacific. “When we shift away from real leather over to the alternatives and imitations, demand begins to fall, but not by much. For example, of those who said they would consider buying an Aston Martin, 32 percent want genuine leather or upgraded leather, while 31 percent of them would be a-OK with leatherette or a sustainable leatherette material.”
“Dipping a bit more down the price ladder but still within the luxury space, there’s greater differences in demand for real leather versus imitation leather (sustainable or not), among future Cadillac buyers, Lexus, buyers, as well as future Porsche and Mercedes-Benz buyers,” DeGraff said.
Indeed, Cadillac has always had a particularly American approach to the luxury car, and in its new Optiq electric crossover, that approach includes some cool textiles made entirely from recycled materials. It’s about meeting customers’ expectations, according to Jennifer Widrick, director of global colors, materials, and finishes at General Motors Design.
“Cadillac specifically uses fabric as a distinct element to reinforce quality detailing, a connection to fashion, and interior design trends,” Widrick said. “Fabric provides added depth through multiple color yarns in precise constructions on surfaces that would otherwise be one color. Customers recognize these details as synonymous with quality and modernity.”
You shouldn’t think of it as one material versus another, Widrick said. “Rather, the layering and customer appreciation of detailing is more discerning. In addition to the depth that fabric textures can bring to the surface of automotive interiors, they provide opportunity for a more conscious material approach,” she said. “Fabric has evolved for Cadillac in that it is no longer just a seating material but an element that is reaching out into other areas of the vehicle. It’s an exciting shift to see known materials placed in reimagined ways that create fresh interaction experiences for customers.”
Harmony is key. “Shape, scale, haptic, and proportion are taken into consideration to tailor the fabric for a premium impression. Fabric can work in harmony or be used as a design element to move your eye throughout the interior,” Widrick said.
Bring me the sheep
At least one OEM understands the brief. “Take Volvo’s wool, which not only looks incredible—it feels truly incredible to sit in a seat engulfed in it. That’s a sustainable, inviting, and remarkably premium alternative to common leather that I wish more automakers would explore,” AutoPacific’s DeGraff said.
“At Volvo Cars, we believe that good design, quality, and sustainability are inherently connected. Recycled and renewable materials aren’t just an option for us, they’re essential to shape a better future,” said Rekha Meena, head of colors, materials, and finishes at Volvo Cars. “Our responsibility is to blend these elements seamlessly, creating a sense of luxury and timelessness, all while ensuring that our products stand the test of time.”
Like Widrick at Cadillac, Meena wants Volvo interiors to have a sense of harmony, and that’s on good display with the EX90. “When it comes to textiles, we see the versatility and strong potential to deliver all these qualities combining warmth, tactility, and refined expression in a way that enhances both the driving experience and the emotional connection to the interior,” Meena said.
Textiles have a long tradition in Scandinavian design, where “luxury is about simplicity, honesty, and attention to detail,” Meena told Ars. “When developed with care, textile upholstery can feel refined, modern, and long-lasting. Textiles allow us to create softness and depth in ways other materials cannot, resulting in interiors that feel calm, thoughtful, and welcoming.”
As for when to break away from leather, that’s up to the experience the design team wants to create for drivers. “We do not view textiles as replacements for leather or vinyl,” Meena said. “Each material has its own strengths, and customer choice remains paramount. What textiles offer, however, is something distinct: greater variation, a richer sensory experience, and a more human, approachable character.”
That sense of harmony is achieved with the tailored wool blend option for Volvo’s EX90, and all four of the trim options for the affordable EX30 feature some degree of textile trim on the seats and door panels. Indeed, Volvo’s distinctive and somewhat left-field style is now as much part of the brand as its stated commitment to road safety.
That’s all to say that I think it’s time for more luxury brands to get bold with their materials. A sofa or lounge chair doesn’t need animal hide to be considered stylish or luxurious, and neither does a car interior. It just needs good design.
Guida d’inverno? Ecco la dash cam che vede tutto (davvero) e registra in 4K