New research reveals UK's top 20 favourite unusual smells

The poll found Brits’ other favourite unusual smells include nail polish, tarmac – and tennis balls with other popular aromas including the scent of rain, newspapers, shoe polish and TCP antiseptic cream.

To celebrate the uniquely popular scent of ‘new car’, Fred has teamed up with the UK’s largest automotive platform for new and used cars Auto Trader, who commissioned the research, to create the list of distinctive scent profiles for various car brands.

These smelling notes capture the essence of each brand, from the earthy richness of Land Rover, to the nostalgic blend of British oak and tobacco leaf in Vauxhall.

The research, also found 21 per cent would also like the ‘new car smell’ to last for the entire time they owned their new vehicle.

Additionally, a quarter of those surveyed said they would specifically opt for an electric car so they can avoid fuel smells with an additional 14 per cent also wanting to go electric to have the ‘new car smell’ last longer.

However, there is some coyness about people’s love of weird smells, a fifth confess they’re sometimes embarrassed about the unusual smells they like, which also includes chlorine and wet dog.

In terms of the unusual smells that people like the most, Brits are more likely to prefer natural scents to those made synthetically (68 per cent compared to just five per cent). In fact, citrus scents were voted the best smell category by 34 per cent, followed by woody (33 per cent) and floral (32 per cent) aromas.

Many of these preferred scents correspond with the scents Fred picked out when compiling the new car smelling notes. The full list of smelling notes are:

● Renault – Combining comfort and style, Renault brings out fresh mountain breeze fortified by warmer tones of aromatic embers, complemented by soft textures of sandalwood and clean pine needles.

● Ford – Imploring an athletic design, Ford’s focused interior styling is exploding with earthy oak hues, stabilised by the refreshing herbal notes of fresh-cut grass and lighter flower blossoms.

● Hyundai – Hyundai’s design philosophy of "Sensuous Sportiness," brings vibrant mix of sweet apricot and clean cotton, moderated by the warmth of honey and vanilla with subtle exposure to notes of polished metal.

● Land Rover – Designed to encompass revolutionary luxury, Land Rover maximises the unique polished metal aromatics with a robust fusion of rich leather and cedarwood, accented by the fresh scent of rain-soaked wood and a hint of wildflowers from the open countryside.

● Audi – Based on Audi’s urbansphere design concept creating “a lounge on wheels”, the complex smell notes feature undertones of pine with subtle hints of black pepper and cedarwood, alluding to earthy tones that are cut through by the scent of clean metal.

● BMW – With the immaculate BMW Individual fine-grain ‘Merino’ leather used, this creates an aroma of lighter, sweeter citrus-like hibiscus notes, grounded by the smokier feel of candle wax and hints of rich leather.

● Vauxhall – Built to be bold and pure, Vauxhall paints a nostalgic blend of liquorice and smoky tobacco leaf, with brighter notes of eucalyptus and the calming scent of beeswax.

● Mercedes Benz – Iconically desirable and aesthetically appealing, Mercedes-Benz embraces luxury with rich senses of suede with deep undertones of hazelnut and vanilla, lifted by the subtle sweetness of lavender and a whisper of freshly cut hay.

Fred Siriex said: “Some people might not like to admit that they enjoy unusual scents. But taste is subjective, and one person’s rose might be another’s seaweed – we don’t like to judge. If people are getting their joy from the aroma of a brand new car, who are we to say they are wrong?”

Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Auto Trader added: “People often find themselves drawn to unusual scents because they evoke strong emotions or memories.

“When you hear the term ‘new car smell’, you can instantly imagine what that smells like. It’s a very evocative smell that can bring joy, pride and relief the moment you step into your new vehicle and we had a lot of fun trying to pinpoint exactly what those smells are with the help of Fred’s discerning nose.”

Whilst the new car smell is loved, it isn’t the only reason people end up choosing a new car over a used car. The biggest perceived benefit is knowing that everything is new and therefore less likely to need replacing (43 per cent).

For those looking to purchase a brand new car, there are thousands available to buy now from Auto Trader at every budget with no wait time, so you can have them immediately. Visit the Auto Trader website for more information.