New car smell: unmistakable.
But how is it created?
The smell inside a new vehicle is an important factor that contributes to the overall experience of those on board.
By creating an emotional bond between driver and vehicle, the “new car” smell is developed and fine-tuned to ensure perfect balance and a pleasant olfactory experience.
A very particular figure is that of the "Odor Engineer", an 'odor engineer'.
Peter Karl Eastland, (Odor Evaluation Lead Engineer at Nissan Technical Center Europe) reveals information about his particular work, from nose calibration to olfactory testing of the new premium materials used during the development of the new Nissan Qashqai.
The evaluation process is both objective and subjective and ends with a rigorous part that leaves no stone unturned in the search for the "new car smell". “The smell of a new car is not just a consequence of the production process. During the development phase of the new vehicle there are months of work dedicated to carefully analyzing the use of materials and chemicals, such as seat fabric, adhesives and polymers, to ensure that they do not melt and that they do not generate an unpleasant odor ", said David Moss, Senior Vice President, Region Research & Development. In collaboration with the engineering and manufacturing teams, Peter Karl Eastland and his team test all materials under different conditions, bearing in mind that their chemical properties - such as theodor - can change according to the temperature. When it is discovered that a potential new material or chemical could adversely affect the overall cabin environment, Peter and his colleagues identify viable alternatives. He is not the only expert in olfactory matters of the brand: he also has colleagues in the other technical centers in Atsugi, Japan, and Farmington Hills, in the United States.