When you think of Scandinavian design, natural materials are usually part of the conversation. So it should come as no surprise that Volvo is looking to make wool a much bigger part of its vehicle interiors.
The automaker’s upcoming 2027 EX60 already features wool upholstery on the seats and dashboard. According to Sara Erichsen Susnjar, Volvo’s Senior Design Manager for Color, Materials & Finish, that’s only the beginning.
Speaking with The Drive, Susnjar said wool deserves a lot more credit as a premium automotive material.
“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.”
While a handful of automakers have experimented with wool trim and seat inserts, Volvo has taken things further by upholstering entire seats in the material.
“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.”
That’s a notable departure from an industry that has long associated luxury with leather. For decades, leather has been the benchmark material for premium interiors, but Volvo sees things differently.
Beyond its appearance and feel, Volvo also views wool as a more sustainable option. According to Susnjar, wool offers environmental advantages while avoiding some of the concerns associated with leather production.
“You have to shear the wool for [sheep] to survive,” Susnjar added. “And also, it’s a biodegradable material.”
Of course, wool is not without its own environmental footprint. A 2023 report from Vox cited research on Australia’s wool industry showing that producing enough wool for a sweater generated significantly more greenhouse gas emissions and required far more land than producing a comparable cotton sweater.
Still, Volvo appears committed to expanding its use of natural textiles and challenging long held assumptions about what luxury should look and feel like inside a vehicle. If the company gets its way, wool seats could become a signature feature across its lineup in the years ahead.
Whether consumers embrace full wool seating on a larger scale remains to be seen, but Volvo is clearly betting that luxury buyers are ready for something different.
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