There’s nothing quite like that new car smell and while consumers in China don’t like it, Audi makes sure each and every new car it produces smells just right. The German car manufacturer is so determined to make cars that smell nice that it employs a ‘Nose Team’ (or Nasenteam in German) to get the smells just right. No, this isn’t a late April Fool’s Day joke.

Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ has been in place since 1985 and looks to ensure the smells of materials and chemicals used in the production process of each car are as neutral as possible.

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The team of five people working at Audi’s Bavarian Quality Center grade smells on a scale from one (‘odorless’) to six (‘unbearable’), The Drive reports. Materials such as glass, ceramics, and metals are often graded as a one while other materials used need to be rated below a four (‘irritating’) to pass testing.

One key member of Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ is Heiko Lüßmann-Geiger who has been making sure new Audi models pass the smell test since the early 2000s. He says the smell of a vehicle is a pivotal comfort feature that can influence the ownership experience of a car.

“At the tip of this hierarchy pyramid is the well-being of the customer, right at the base is the smell,” he says. “If the customer is now irritated by this odor from below, he will no longer correctly perceive all the other positive comfort properties of the vehicle. He is too irritated by the stress brought about by the odor.”

Not only do new Audi models need to pass the smell test but the German car manufacturer often pulls random production vehicles into its laboratory to make sure they keep smelling fresh even after leaving dealerships. If they don’t smell so great, the team will look for changes in the manufacturing process that could have had an impact or look to see if a parts supplier is using new materials.

Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right
Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right
Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right
Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right
Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right
Audi’s ‘Nose Team’ Spends Its Day Sniffing New Cars So They Smell Right