Nissan Employs ‘Smellmasters’ That Get Paid to Smell Cars

Do you know the “new car smell” that we are all fond of? It turns out it is someone’s job to make sure the car smells exactly like that. In fact, automaker Nissan employs people known as “smellmasters” that specialize in this particular field.

Smellmaster Ryunosuke Ino admits that he does indeed have a very interesting job. “People sometimes say ‘I didn’t even know there was a job like this.” But it does require a lot of attention to detail to detect certain aromas, pleasant and unpleasant, in order to acquire the ideal scent to contribute to a passenger’s comfort.

Nissan actually holds a certification test meant to identify certain scents before designating someone with the rank of “Smellmaster.” They need to recognize that when certain materials are exposed to heat, that causes them to emit a certain scent. The same goes for compartments like the glovebox and center console to make sure they are not keeping any unpleasant smells contained.

Ino notes that it’s important that he smells every part of the interior to know what each is supposed to smell like. “Sometimes, the front and rear seats are made with different materials, so it’s very important to check each component individually.”

If that satisfying new car smell isn’t there, it’s the Smellmaster’s job to ensure it meets that standard of aroma before it leaves the factory.

While Ino is in charge of setting the global standard for Nissan’s vehicles, each market has its own regional smellmaster to ensure that the car meets a standard more satisfying to its local customers.