What is Alcantara suede? Is it worth it?

I What is Alcantara suede?

It may look like suede, it may feel like suede, but Alcantara is actually a synthetic textile made from a blend of polyester and polyurethane. It’s a trademarked, proprietary material (hence why the first letter of word is capitalised) that was developed in the 1970s by a Japanese chemist, and has been manufactured by the Italian company Alcantara ever since.

Similar fabrics with different names and made by other firms are available – if you come across UltraSuede or MicroSuede on an options list, these are comparable – but Alcantara made such an impact on the car industry that, as with Hoover, Kleenex and Thermos, the brand name has become shorthand for suede-like synthetic microfibre textiles.

II Where is Alcantara used in car interiors?

Alcantara found favour as a covering for racing car steering wheels and gearlevers, and these are places where the fabric is commonly found in road cars featuring the material. But Alcantara can appear anywhere in a cabin: seats can be upholstered in Alcantara, dashboards can be covered in the material, while arm rests, door cards, transmission tunnels, sun visors and headliners (a car’s ceiling) can also be shod in Alcantara.

III What are the pros and cons of Alcantara?

1 Pros

The reason Alcantara found favour on race-car gearlevers and steering wheels is that it provides much more grip than conventional leather or plastic. This is of huge benefit in hot, sweaty and oily race-car cabins, as is the fact its matte finish means it does not reflect sunlight back onto windscreens, or into the driver’s eyes.

Alcantara can be made flame retardant and is lighter and harder wearing than an equivalent suede leather. Plus, unlike leather, no animals are involved in its production, and it is vegan friendly. It’s soft texture and sporting heritage, meanwhile, mean Alcantara is perceived to have a premium image.

2 Cons

No material is perfect, and Alcantara is no exception to this rule. One of the most noticeable issues with Alcantara is that it can wear quite noticeably, which is something of a disadvantage given it is often fitted on areas that are touched and handled frequently. When it’s new, Alcantara has a soft, slightly fluffy look and feel – technically known as ‘nap’ – but over time it can become flat, and lose its softness. Badly worn Alcantara loses much of its visual appeal, and can feel hard and grainy or greasy to the touch. This is partly as Alcantara absorbs oils from your hands, and dirt from your clothes.

Regular cleaning of Alcantara can mitigate or prevent this, and while cleaning is relatively straightforward, Alcantara requires gentle cleaning solutions and brushes – check your car’s handbook or any product instructions before attempting to clean Alcantara.

The nap of Alcantara also means that sitting on seats covered in the material makes the fabric’s piles lie in a different direction from piles that have been untouched, resulting in what appears to be different shades of the material. This may not bother you, but it may irk more fastidious owners.

IV How does Alcantara compare to other car interior fabrics?

Alcantara is harder wearing and more moisture resistant than suede, while offering higher levels of grip than conventional leather or traditional fabrics. It’s not as hardy a material as traditional leather or fabric, though, and requires more regular cleaning. It also tends to either be offered as an optional extra or as part of a higher trim level. 

Alcantara used to be the preserve of the most expensive performance cars, but the cost has come down significantly in recent years, so it now turns up in more mainstream cars, as well.

A large number of manufacturers use Alcantara somewhere in the interior of their sporty models. Some also use it in high-spec, non-sports models, as it looks and feels more expensive than cloth.

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