--- title: "Volvo Wants to Put Wool in Every Car, and Not Just the Seats" date: "2026-01-29" modified: "2026-01-29" authors: - name: "Adam Ismail" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/adam-ismail" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/volvo-wants-to-put-wool-in-every-car-and-not-just-the-seats" categories: - "Car Tech" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Volvo News" tags: - "Electric Vehicle" - "luxury" - "suv/crossover" - "Volvo" --- # Volvo Wants to Put Wool in Every Car, and Not Just the Seats ![Volvo EX60 interior]() *\Volvo\* Our concepts of luxury change over time, and automotive history offers a convenient way to survey that shift. Ornate instrumentation gave way to natural materials, the onset of technology in the cabin, and, today, minimalism and screens. It’s up to tastemakers like [Volvo]() to decide what the next generation of automotive luxury looks like, and the Swedish automaker is putting its money on wool. *The Drive* had an opportunity to chat with Sara Erichsen Susnjar, Volvo's Senior Design Manager for Color, Materials & Finish. At a time when many classify Tesla's austere and featureless interiors as luxurious, Volvo is trying to inject a different perspective into the market—one that relies not merely on leather, but also intricate textiles central to its Scandinavian heritage, including wool. The [2027 EX60's]() dashboard melds wood and wool, allowing tactility you'd expect to find only on the vehicle's seats to permeate its walls, creating a warmer atmosphere. And although it's less conventional than leather and Alcantara everything, it looks great. ![]() ![]() ![]() "We, as Volvo design, we always want to work with natural materials," Susnjar said. "So, wool is like the most premium material that we can think of, like, in furniture design and interior design, and it's actually a very durable material. So bringing it into the car, it has such nice characteristics, the material—it's soft, it's durable, it's premium looking." Susnjar explained how wool has become a "brand-building" material at the Swedish automaker. Back in 2019, it employed full wool upholstery for the XC90's seats, a first for the marque. "I don't think any other brand has got that," Susnjar said. "I know Land Rover, they have inserts, but not the full wool seat. So we are quite alone with that. And now we are trying to get that into every car. because we really think it is a premium material." ![]() ![]() ![]() One of the other benefits of wool is that, at least compared to leather, it is more sustainable. (Admittedly, a low bar to clear.) "You have to shear the wool for \[sheep\] to survive," Susnjar added. "And also, it's a biodegradable material." It should be said, however, that wool is far from devoid of an environmental cost. A [2023 *Vox* story]() cited data from a study on wool production in Australia, the world's biggest exporter, indicating that "the wool required to make one knit sweater is responsible for [27 times more]() greenhouse gases than a comparable Australian cotton sweater, and requires [247 times]() more land." Car interiors, it seems, leave their mark one way or another. ## So, Where Does Automotive Luxury Go From Here? Ultimately, Volvo is committed to natural textiles that are somewhat alternative in the space of luxury cars, where leather has always been the mainstay. I recall having an early look at the [Volvo EX30]() in 2023—you know, back when we thought we were getting that thing in America for $35,000—and being quite impressed at the use of materials derived from flax and denim, giving a pop of life and youthfulness to an otherwise spartan interior. It was to be Volvo's cheapest product, after all, and not *really* luxurious. I think that's the real challenge for automotive interior designers these days. The industry backed itself into a corner with minimalist "airy" cabins, copious screens, capacitive buttons, and soft-touch plastics. The tastemakers erroneously attributed luxury to those characteristics. After all, the absence of anything—choosing not to fill a space that would otherwise be occupied by a dial, or a button, or a piece of trim—saves money. ![]() *Yeah, I know it's pretty old by this point, but I'll never stop being impressed by how far above its weight the Mazda3's interior punches. Even its physical gauges—a characteristic that some would consider dated today—have aged so gracefully. *Mazda** That's made the modern sense of luxury pretty ubiquitous, which is why a $70,000 Audi genuinely doesn't feel *that* much nicer than a Mazda that costs half the price. And that's not as much of a knock at Audi nor a compliment to Mazda as it might seem. We're headed for a future where getting a real, naturally aspirated engine powered only by gasoline is [about to be a delicacy](). Physical buttons will [suffer the same fate if we're not careful](). So companies like Volvo need to find other ways to stand out, and incorporating materials like wool beyond seat upholstery isn't a bad solution. Texture invites touch, and many cars today actively discourage drivers from touching anything except the steering wheel and maybe a big sheet of glass. The companies that build them want you to use your voice instead of turning a knob. Your physical interaction with the vehicle is limited, and it's easy to feel siloed off from it despite the fact that you're literally *sitting* in it. ![]() ![]() This isn't to say that Volvo's final execution here is flawless, or exponentially more inviting than its competitors'. I'd still like more buttons, a slimmer infotainment screen, and vents I can move with my hand. But there is a distinction to that tiered wool dash you want to run your fingers over, and the intricate Bowers & Wilkins tweeter that sits atop it. It draws the eye, and remember when luxury cars used to do that? So Volvo will apparently lean on natural elements like wool, bringing them into all of its products. I hope it doesn't stop there, and continues to find ways to add intrigue to its cars, rather than continually chipping away at it like it seems so many design teams are determined to do. It reminds me of an adage a good friend recently told me, from the late graphic designer Paul Rand: "Simplicity is not the goal—it is the byproduct of a good idea and modest expectations." *Have any thoughts on the state of modern automotive luxury? Email the author at adam.ismail@thedrive.com*[]()[]()[]()[]()[]()[]()[]() ## Author Adam is a Senior Editor at The Drive, concentrating on curating and developing the site's slate of daily journalism, from initial pitch to final copy edit. When he's not at his desk researching leads and working with writers, he's testing vehicles or reviewing racing games, new and old. He joined The Drive in 2023, following seven years of covering consumer technology and cars. A car lover and gamer since his earliest memories, Adam came to know the automotive world through video games. First it was Daytona USA, Sega Rally, and Ridge Racer; then came Need For Speed, which inspired an encyclopedic knowledge of '90s supercars, and, of course, Gran Turismo. If not for them, he'd assuredly be doing something else right now. Adam is based in the suburbs outside Philly, where there are ample roads for his hot hatch to stretch its legs. In his car, he's probably listening to indie rock, drum and bass, or Yankees baseball. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()