Do you remember the smell of your car when it was new? I vaguely remember mine, as my truck has clocked in more than 20,000 kilometers already in just a year. Talk about mileage! I recently got reunited with the new car scent in the form of a relatively low-mileage Montero Sport test unit lent to me by the good people at Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, who have been very nice and accommodating hence the number of Mitsubishi topics in my blog lately.

The new car scent has got to be one of the most expensive scents there is, as you need to buy a new car to get one. It is also interesting to note that scent or odor preferences are not the same in all markets. As revealed by Volvo, Asian markets generally like a more neutral scent to their new cars, while European markets prefer a stronger scent for their new cars.

Scent is such a factor in cars, that Volvo actually has its own “smell team” composed of 8 specially selected individuals with standard noses which guide designers in their choice of materials and production methods the environment of a car’s interior, a place which you will probably spent most of your life in because you’re a car enthusiast. More recently the “smell team” has been doing its part in helping make cars safer by helping identify harmful emissions in order to help engineers reduce these.

But take caution, the best scent in the auto industry may not exactly be safe for you as what you are sniffing might be toxic chemical gasses emitted by the mixture of plastic, lubricants, carpeting, paint and chemical adhesives used in the production of your new car. It is however good to know that some manufacturers are taking the initiative of lowering the levels of toxic chemicals in its vehicle interiors.

Even those new car scent products are not exactly safe as some might think. Some of them can contain artificial leather odor, plus aldehydes, ethers, esters, ketones, which may be organic or chemical compounds – according to fragrance industry experts.

Even though there are dangers involved, you do have to admit that you will miss that new car scent each time you get into a new car, because nothing says new car better than “the scent”. It is however nice to know that car manufacturers are doing something about making them safer.

Tags: brand new car, montero sport, new car scent, volvo