Active exhausts and variable sound damping have allowed the sound of a car to blend effortlessly with the marketing specialists' requirements for the brand. Marketing and engineering in harmony. The same with the tactility of the vehicle, the way the doors close, the feel of the materials. But could vibration become a marketing tool as well? As one of Europe's leading test centres, Millbrook is well positioned to notice the trends.

Over the last couple of years, Millbrook's test engineers have noticed a significant move amongst many European vehicle manufacturers to use NVH as a tool to delight their customers: not through silence and refinement, but through matching the experience to the brand. “It's no longer just the level of NVH that is important. Increasingly for European vehicle manufacturers it is the quality of the NVH” highlights Julian Bryan, head of strategic marketing at test and development specialist Millbrook. Most significant vehiclemanufacturers selling into

Western Europe have already conquered NVH. “But silence is strangely bland,” says Brian. “It doesn't excite. For many brands, that's just wrong.”

Millbrook is already seeing this new ethos reflected in the type of work commissioned by its customers. After years of pounding tracks attempting to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, a little is now being allowed through, but in a very controlled way. “Everything the occupant touches and hears plays a vital role in determining his perception of the vehicle. The most successful vehicle manufacturers understand this and are spending a little more on items such as seats and pedal assemblies, where there are significant inputs to the body. It's a very cost-effective way to increase perceived luxury and emphasise the brand characteristics of the vehicle.”

The result has been big investments by the most forward-looking vehicle