Change from alcantara to cloth on PUP???

[Jason S]

At the detailer's today, another Model 3 was being handed over for a wrap. Saw it had a higher last 4 digits of VIN but was marked for 2017 while mine is lower and marked 2018. The 2017 Model 3 also had the suede like headline while mine did not.

Given a choice, I would've taken the suede stuff. But the other stuff is a fine material too. I don't know if I would pay $500 more for the suede stuff, so I don't think it matters that much to me.

 

[Xminus6]

Nice photo, thanks. This image doesn't look too shabby. Alcantara it aint( ), but that photo helps...Thanks!

No worries. I intend to take some better photos of it in general when I have more time.

 

[insaneoctane]

I've been trying to figure out what term to use for my "expectation" for Alcantara. @Cintoman said it well. I've never owned a vehicle with Alcantara. Because of the way Tesla showed and promoted the Model 3 for almost 2 years now, I thought that I was going to own a car with Alcantara. It turns out that Tesla has decided that won't be the case and I'm disappointed. I don't know that the material is better (probably subjective), but most people associate Alcantara with higher end (I did). I'm sure Tesla chose a decent replacement material, only it's not worth labeling as premium like Alcantara.

 

[RobStark]

Noticed this in some Infiniti's, Lexus', upper level Audi's (A6, A5, A7, A8, and all of the S or RS trim levels present), Maserati's, and even Hyundai's new Genesis brand.

Audi A6 starts at $42.6k and Genesis at $41.75k .

There is nothing "even" about Genesis.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Reading all 41 pages of this thread, I notice some welcome the new textile material, other are indifferent, and others (I'm in this camp) prefer the Alcantara-like material. My suggestion would be to offer both materials: PUP with Alcantara-like material, PUP with premium textile material. Of course that'd be wishful thinking on my part. But one can always hope.

Fair post @Cintoman. Your wish is also how it used to be with Tesla and how, frankly, I believed they "always" planned with Model 3 too. This base cloth for the base model, Alcantara(-like) for the premium interior. Whether that would be implemented through PUP or some other interior selection manner, has historically fluctuated even within Tesla and of course other brands pack or unpack options differently, but the basic idea in your wish is very common in cars and understandable. I wish it were that way again on Tesla as well.

There is definitely nothing wrong with the woven fabric material that Tesla has switched to. Its an extremely common fabric used in car headliners and is considered a mid-level product acceptable for price range of the Model 3. Its often the base offering in luxury cars. Thats the shame about this whole situation. There isn't anything wrong with the material, just the way Tesla handled the bait and switch.

Exactly. IMO out of all the explanations this one seems most likely: Tesla soured a supplier relationship (probably due to delays in Model 3 ramp), is/was at least temporarily unable to acquire the Alcantara(-like) material, hence had to revert to base cloth for the whole range (Model S/X/3)...

And in unfortunately usual Tesla fashion decided to silence and spin their way through it, instead of just coming clean with it, which most everyone here would have understood and shrugged it off.

The base cloth is just fine. Some will be disappointed, sure, but most are disappointed by the way this was handled. Unfortunately this is not the first time Tesla has handled things like that and it probably won't be the last. One can wish, though.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Audi A6 starts at $42.6k and Genesis at $41.75k .

There is nothing "even" about Genesis.

Tesla's change applied to the whole fleet, Model S/X included, so the comparisons can be relevant from that perspective...

I agree if just looking at what Model 3 should offer in isolation, no Alcantara (or the like) in the price class is fine. Had it been this way, for example, from the start, it would of course have been perfectly fine and normal. (Perhaps for Model 3 Performance the expectation would have been to offer it, though.)

Unfortunately they marketed it with it and then decided to spin their way around this issue in a manner a lot of people seem to be uncomfortable with.

Edit: I see now your point was about Genesis. Sorry.

 

[DarkMatter]

I saw that poll, it’s a shame that they don’t have it set up so you can’t vote multiple times with a private browser and a bot, the PR team is working overtime clicking "I couldn’t care less”

Do you have any evidence to support that implication? It is also entirely possible that most of the readers don't care. This thread is huge, for instance, but it has many repeat posters.

 

[AnxietyRanger]

With a poll formulated like that, even I would probably vote I don't care.

In all seriousness I find the poll results legitimate (as legitimate as they can be online anyway). Electrek is a very Tesla positive community of mostly Model 3 waiters with limited historical perspective on Tesla. The pro-Tesla tendency of the site further invites this type of membership as it is not really known as a platform of critical Tesla think.

Also, as a question, it is one thing to care about a headliner as asked - quite another to have a view on this incident. Most just don't care about incidents until they are affected directly. So the Alcantara Gate won't hurt Tesla's Model 3 success, which will happen of course.

But it is still too bad and a lot of respect for some of those more in the know once again IMO unnecessarily lost...

 

[MnInvsve]

Been following this thread since it’s inception, since i was waiting to take delivery this week.

Like many others, I agree that it seems unfair to not notify customers of this change given that it was fake suede/Alcantara on all prior PUP cars which is all we had to go off of when ordering. The flip side is that it’s a relatively small amount of area given the glass roof - and really wouldn’t have negatively influenced my decision about ordering the car if it were textile in the first place.

I had come to terms with expecting a textile headliner since i saw a few cars at the delivery center with serial numbers in 26xx-32xx range (lower than mine) which had textile headliners.

To my surprise, my car (36xx) had the suede material headliner when I took delivery. The only thing I can surmise from that is that the serial numbers of the cars must not sequential. I suspect that my car was built or the parts were sourced prior to those other cars with lower serial numbers that had textile headliners.

Also noted that there were two cars there that had serial numbers in the 38xx and had VINs corresponding to a 2018 model year - and build date of 1/2018.

 

[BioSehnsucht]

Given a choice, I would've taken the suede stuff. But the other stuff is a fine material too. I don't know if I would pay $500 more for the suede stuff, so I don't think it matters that much to me.

I'm honestly not happy to pay $5000 for the PUP as it is - I'd rather have the option to skip some items for a lower price. But if I'm forced to bundle options and include things that are less valuable to me, some kind of synthetic suede instead of textile for the headliner would certainly make me feel less unhappy about it.

After the bait and switch, I am even more unhappy about the forced PUP pricing. The least they could do is lower the price.

One can always hope that by the time I get to configure, I can order PUP options separately, but ... I doubt it.

Though given the option I would much rather have a car with the headliner matching the visors and mirror flaps, regardless of material, than some of those poor unfortunates with transition vehicles ...

 

[Garlan Garner]

Here is one video to end this discussion:

I suppose this video does indeed explain why Tesla isn't communicating. <----sarcasm.

 

[Garlan Garner]

I have not been following, the fact we have 41 pages on this. It’s insane. I’ll keep posting this video every two or three pages.

The video is one persons opinion. Only 1.

Unfortunately if you post it 2 times.....its still only one persons opinion.

Therefore if you post it 3 times..........it magically remains only one persons opinion.

And if you post it 4 times............

 

[Garlan Garner]

Tesla should have offered two different $5000 PUP options.

1. Alcantara, etc
2. I could care less

At least thats what the poll indicates....right? Then everyone would be happy.

 

[RubberToe]

You're the victim of PR spin, it seems?

Uh no, I'm the victim of my glass being half full and not half empty, thank goodness. Every day I wake up and I'm one day closer to getting my Model 3. Biggest smile ever in the shower every morning. Every morning.

RT

 

[AnxietyRanger]

Uh no, I'm the victim of my glass being half full and not half empty, thank goodness. Every day I wake up and I'm one day closer to getting my Model 3. Biggest smile ever in the shower every morning. Every morning.

RT

I have no disagreement about your personal preference, of course.

What I referred to was this:

I for one applaud Tesla for switching to the higher quality textile material. And at no extra cost to boot!

RT

Facts are: Tesla did not switch to higher quality textile material. There was no switch.

Tesla removed the premium Alcantara option from their manufacturing and reverted to shipping ALL cars (Model S/X/3) with their base cloth, which they have used for years for lower-level optioned cars.

There was no switch. There was only the elimination of premium Alcantara (or the like), which now results in premium interior cars in getting the base cloth in addition to base car models still getting the same base cloth, because premium headliner parts no longer exist in new manufacturing.

So everyone just gets Tesla's base cloth headliner now, because Tesla stopped sourcing the premium headliner part for reasons unknown. That's what really happened.

If you prefer the base cloth, then the elimination of the premium headliner part is of course good news for you, and I'm cool with your opinion. It just isn't a switch to a new premium material.

 

[a.void]

Did a short video showing the textile interior:

20180112_142052 - Streamable

Confirmed it's the same stuff that was used in my 08 Civic Si.
Not premium

 

[davidc18]

Bummer. I have the textile cloth in the 70 which is a dirt magnet. I really enjoyed the black headliner in the P90.

 

[Sunshine State]

Do you have any evidence to support that implication? It is also entirely possible that most of the readers don't care. This thread is huge, for instance, but it has many repeat posters.

The only proof needed that you can vote multiple times can be obtained by opening a private browser, going to that site and voting, then close that browser open another and then see for yourself. That’s what I did to learn whether it was truly a reliable unbiased polling tool. That site doesn’t require voters to be actual buyers, potential buyers, or just tire kickers. There are many things that I could care less about and would vote that way if they didn’t affect me. I also feel the poll is biased the way they describe the ultrasuede material as “Fake". I doubt that term was ever used in Tesla’s description of the material when they were offering it in their S and X premium packages.

 

[Moderatefan]

Given that alcantara(-like) does seems to have it faults, such as not wearing well, does another premium material exists in nature apart from alcantara and "premium textile"? Has anyone seen a better material on high end car? Just wondering if we're arguing which of two standard materials is better.

 

[Sunshine State]

View media item 117747

Given that alcantara(-like) does seems to have it faults, such as not wearing well, does another premium material exists in nature apart from alcantara and "premium textile"? Has anyone seen a better material on high end car? Just wondering if we're arguing which of two standard materials is better.

Alcantara in this application wears extremely well, gives a high end finish detail and gives the car a detail above its class. I have never seen anyone on this forum show a picture of their S or X with alcantara or whatever generic faux suede product Tesla has been using. Both our S and X suede looks like new and is beautiful.