New Car

Permanent ID: smellbook:smell:new-car · updated 2026-10-06, revision 5

Character EDITORIAL

A new car smells clean and synthetic, with a soft plastic note, a faint leathery or fabric warmth and a slight sweetness.

Words: clean, synthetic. Families: Fresh and clean.

Met in: Car.

Evidence

Scientific evidence

Volatile emissions inside new vehicles (CLM-NEWCAR-001). Ruihua Guo, Xiaofeng Zhu, Zuogang Zhu, Jianhai Sun, Yongzhen Li, Wencheng Hu & Shichuan Tang, Evaluation of Typical Volatile Organic Compounds Levels in New Vehicles under Static and Driving Conditions, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022.
Odorants in new car cabins (CLM-NEWCARODOUR-001). Florian Buchecker, Adina Baum, Helene M. Loos & Andrea Buettner, Follow your nose ‐ Traveling the world of odorants in new cars, Indoor Air, 2022.

Molecules named in these claims: naphthalene. A molecule listed here is named in a VERIFIED claim about this smell. It is not presented as the cause of the smell; each claim says what its source supports.

Cite

SmellBook. (2026). New Car (revision 5, 2026-10-06). SmellBook Public Atlas. smellbook:smell:new-car. https://smellbook.com/smells/new-car

Scan for the SmellBook record: https://smellbook.com/id/smell/new-car