Mine started to detach behind the rear seats so initially I couldn't care less. The sunroof construction would keep it under control but because this wouldn't repair itself I decided to investigate how to take out the sunroof. For me this was the go no go step.
After a while I found out it was very well possible to remove the sunroof through the opening and the rest is history.
If you don't have a sunroof you may basically go for any type of fabric because the thickness won't cause any major issues.
The foam on the backside of the fabric will blend out any irregularities on the roof board.
On the other side the thicker the foam layer the less details you will end up with on the ceiling.
The real challenge is when you have a sunroof. There is no space left for any thicker fabric than the thinnest kind otherwise your sunroof will get stuck.
The factory fabric had a very thin foam layer though but I guess this was thin enough not to jam the sunroof.
So in my case I ended up with the only logical choice alcantara leather which has the feel and apparence of the original material.
It is available in many colours. Another advantage is the installation glue won't penetrate it so no stains afterwards.
Before you install it be prepared for many hours of scrutinously cleaning the old roof board because even the smallest sand grain will be visible afterwards.
Please find attached a comparison between the old and new. I must say the photo is a bit unforgiving, in real life the match is quite perfect.
This alcantara is available at
Hans Reinke in Germany, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland and many more.
