Autoblog

That envious "new car" smell, the unique scent that makes all of your friends jealous as they check out your new ride, is actually quite toxic. The potent brew of freshly released bromine, chlorine, lead, and other heavy metals are responsible for a variety of acute and long-term health concerns that adults, and especially children, should be concerned about. That being the case, the Ecology Center has released its annual consumer guide to the most toxic (and cleanest) new cars on the market. Taking the tallest podium as the worst offender is the Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider GT. Following in second is the Suzuki Reno, while the BMW 128i Convertible lands third. The least offensive new vehicle, as researched by the Center, is the Acura RDX SH-AWD. The Smart Pure Coupe and Chevrolet HHR LT take second and third cleanest, respectively. While the Ecology Center is quick to point out that the offenders aren't as bad as last year's group, they offer little information as to how consumers can limit their exposure... short of not buying a new car.

[Source: HealthyCar via The Car Connection]

While some people love "that new car smell", others are more worried about the health dangers of breathing in the noxious VOCs. Oddly enough, not all noses are created equally. It seems that, like their cars, European sniffers are tuned a bit differently than the schnozes in Korea. Accordingly, before Kia introduces new models into the European market, interior components are sealed up in jars and sent to Europe to be smell-tested.

The ideal Euro-smell is apparently difficult to define (we imagine it assaults the nostrils like a hunk of Limburger), but Kia has "developed odors for the car's interior that were pleasing to Europeans," according to David Labrosse who hails from Kia's European Research and Development Center. If an objectionable odor is found, a sample is heated up to locate the source of the sordid scent, at which time, the offending ingredient is eliminated. This is certainly a case where the nose knows.

NOTE: Despite being sourced from a UK news outlet (again, the Brits are known pranksters on this particular day of the year), we actually don't think is an April Fools joke.

[Source: What Car]