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Japanese, European carmakers use engine sound to promote car’s image
South Korean automakers are taking note as world auto manufacturers move into a new era of ‘noise marketing.’ While traditionally carmakers have tried to reduce engine and road noise in the cabin, they are increasingly exploiting engine noise to appeal to rev-happy consumers and underscore a vehicle’s sporty brand image. Before launching sport utility vehicle Veracruz last year, Hyundai Motor Corp. put its focus on reducing engine noise, as domestic market surveys showed drivers picked silence as a must-have feature of a luxury car. So, to reduce engine noise, Hyundai Motor’s research and development team adjusted the timing and level of fuel injection and added insulation in the frame. Ssangyong Motors is making similar moves in developing a sport utility vehicle using diesel fuel, with the aim of reducing the car’s level of noise to that of a gasoline-powered vehicle. Ssangyong’s 2006 Chairman sedan was also designed for noise reduction, especially in its engine and its door areas, according to a Ssangyong official. But Hyundai Motor’s reported benchmark of quality - Japan’s Toyota Motor’s Lexus line, known for its hushed interiors - has taken a new direction. Toyota’s LS460 model was designed to make a louder, sportier engine sound than its predecessors, reflecting feedback from a European consumer survey that found that Lexus cars are "not fun to drive" because their engines are too silent. In fact, Japanese automakers have studied noise over the past 40 years, by investing more in their quest to find an ‘optimal’ level of sound in an automobile. Their years of research are shown in their advanced automobile sound technology. For instance, Honda Motor Corp. unveiled last year a new noise-control technology, named ‘Active Noise Cancellation,’ in its luxury-line Acura Legend sedan. The technology offsets engine and road noise by having interior speakers emit counteracting sound waves.European carmakers, too, have focused on finding an ‘optimal sound’ for each car brand, rather than merely reducing noise. Before launching a model, BMW produces a digital model of what would be an ‘ideal’ sound for the car’s engine. It then tries to tune the actual engine to match that sound as closely as possible. But rather than jumping on the ‘optimal sound’ bandwagon that might include a throaty engine rev now and again, Korean manufacturers have to answer to the domestic market, where silence is still golden. Along with durability, experts say sound is one of the most important quality standards for Korean consumers. Kang Cheol-goo, an official at the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, said, "South Korean consumers are particularly sensitive to noise, so our automakers are among the top class in the world in terms of noise-related technology." Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]
