GTI interior - Is leather the easier everyday choice?

[SRGTD]

What about the art velour option, will the fabric pile look a bit flat and washed out after a while?  In my mind the leather option I pictured was from the MK5 days but it seems a little different now, ideally I'd prefer to not have the red piping either.

The oldest Mk7.5 GTI’s with Art Velours trim will only be a few months old, so it’s probably too soon to know how well this trim option will stand up to everyday use. Is it worth paying £750 for? Very much a personal thing, but to my eyes it’s not worth £750 more for manmade suede and vinyl seat coverings over the ‘free’ standard tartan seats.

........do you feel relieved that child vomit can be wiped up instead of soaking into the tartan cloth!

I don’t think the alcantara fabric will be too easy to clean if it gets subjected to child vomit though!

[Mag_Pie]

I don’t think the alcantara fabric will be too easy to clean if it gets subjected to child vomit though!

I did start to think that after I posted.  Part of me feels that going from GTD tartan to GTI tartan could feel very samey, but then again the money saved from dropping leather could be put towards DCC or just in my pocket.  Brescias feel essential at the moment from the pictures, rear view camera and possible 95% tints although the standard tints are subtle enough, all depends on the colour choice I suppose.

[fredgroves]

Hard to say about art velour, it's only been available for about 5 months...

[Gnasher]

I specced it on mine due to a hatred of the standard check material and glad I did. It's got 20k miles of wear on it mostly from short journeys and is still perfect apart from one small crease on the bolster where I get in and out. Would spec it again in a heartbeat.

As an aside, a while ago I spotted a neighbours Seat Leon Cupra where the windows had been left open in reasonably heavy rain. It had leather and the water had pooled on the seats. I mopped it up and it was fine, whereas if it had been cloth, I reckon it would have been a mass of watermarks.

If you're worried about spillage, would it be worth thinking about getting the fabric coated to repel liquids at all?

[Guzzle]

The only time i've ever felt like I wanted leather was when VW did their free giveaways on runout models. It includes the heated seats, so that saved you from having to order the winter pack to get them. However now the heated seats are standard, I can't really see the appeal in paying nearly £2k for it. Especially as others have pointed out the leather isn't of particularly high quality.

Do people still bother putting scotchgard on their upholstery? I often thought about paying for it but in the end didn't bother.

[fredgroves]

I bought some stuff but never got round to using it lol

[JoeGTI]

I have it in my R.
TBH, I'd agree with the overall sentiment that it's too expensive for what you get. Mine is wearing very well though in fairness. The driver's seat is a little "baggy" but only a little. I find a bit of leather conditioner once in a while restores the nice matt finish.

I'm sorry cloth lovers, but I think the standard cloth in the MK7 is very very poor. Especially around the door cards, armrests and sides of the seats. Naff, cheap scratchy material that stains and ages badly imo.

The ideal for me is what I had in my MK7 GTI. I don't think it was ever offered as an option in the UK, but it was half tartan / half pleather / alcantara. So the aforementioned really nasty bits get a far nicer finish. I don't think that new "Art velours" is anywhere as nice personally.

[Bullfinch]

I'm more than happy with GTi tartan as it's part of the heritage.  As others have said spend the money on the PP and DCC instead.
IMHO VW Leather will be a fairly low grade plus it's only available in black.  I used to have a Mk1 Audi TT and that had very nice silver/cream leather which went well with the Moro Blue exterior colour, I then bought a new Mk2 Audi TT in Silver which had dark red leather and that was a great combination.  My 7 year old 911's interior is still spot on but then I'm sure Porsche leather comes from a better quality cow than a VW one 

[davyk31]

The leather seats in my GTD heated up very quickly and needed pushed back to setting 2 after just a few minutes. If yours are taking 15 mins to heat there is a problem.

[fredgroves]

When is that mk8 GTi coming ?

Announced probably November 2019, released for production maybe June 2020, actually with UK owners October 2020?

Maybe not a GTI as you know it though