Animal Lovers, Rejoice! Vegan Car Interior On Its Way

Most car interiors feature a similar array of materials-cloth, plastic, aluminum, piano black glossy surfaces, and leather. The further you go upmarket, the fancier the materials in the cabin become, with wood, Alcantara, and carbon fiber being the main culprits (although the newRolls-Royce Phantomeven lets you insert artwork). While most people's preferences on interior materials develop through aesthetic or practical reasons, some people chose based on morals. For those who wish to live a fully vegan lifestyle, for example, leather is a no-go. Some automakers have already introduced synthetic replacements that mimic leather: Toyota implemented SofTex on the Prius, a faux-leather called Artico has featured across the Mercedes-BenzC-Classand E-Class ranges, and the flashy white interior on the Tesla Model X is actually synthetic leather.

Now a new player is entering the fray: Volkswagen-owned Skoda has revealed the interior of its upcoming Kamiq SUV, and with it a new microfibre material called Suedia.

While a leather option will still be on the table, buyers can pay extra to replace it with this vegan material. The singular image that Skoda released also displays the gigantic 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit that sticks out of the dashboard, while LED ambient lighting and a heated steering wheel, rear seats, and windshield give the Kamiq an upscale persona.

Skoda has also revealed that the Kamiq will have a spacious trunk for its class, some 400 liters or approximately 14 cubic feet.