- Design, science and engineering solutions combine to create warm, quiet vehicle environment
- Advanced materials including laminate glass and sound insulation, as well as high-tech active noise control contribute to feeling of seclusion in today’s Lincoln vehicles
- Lincoln vehicles among the quietest on the road
Clever engineering and thoughtful design solutions help make Lincoln vehicles among the quietest on the road.
Providing an oasis of quiet is something luxury customers increasingly crave. An article in the Oct. 6 issue of Fortune, for example noted how high-end hotels and resorts are putting a greater focus on offering silence as an amenity.
“To attract a new luxury client, we’re elevating all aspects of the driving experience, including an intense focus on providing a quiet interior,” said Scott Tobin, director, Lincoln Product Development. “A combination of engineering, manufacturing and design related actions are being implemented to provide a calm, comfortable environment, and a better customer experience.”
Quiet by design
Even before the engine is started, the interior of a vehicle can be designed to provide a refuge from a hectic world.
Reducing “visual noise” begins with a strong emphasis on horizontal lines and thoughtful interaction between shapes. Shapes work together so that what occupants see convey a sense of quiet – forms and lines are arranged so they are smooth and flowing.
Rich and premium materials are comfortable, of course, but also exude a certain confidence. That confidence can breed a sense of calm, so authentic materials, such as natural woods and metals, combined with high grades of leather, complete the environment.
Hush up out there
Engineering and design elements that are used to create a quiet environment for customers include:
- Sound-absorbing interior trim panels capture unwanted sound within the cabin
- Acoustic-laminate windshield and front side glass help reduce highway-speed noise levels (available with 2015 Lincoln MKC Reserve package)
- Acoustic and aero-designed mirrors are optimized to decrease cabin noise levels by controlling airflow across the side
- Noise-reducing material in the pillars, carpet and trim panels, as well as enhanced sealing below the doors dampens interior noise levels
- “Do Not Disturb” feature on SYNC® blocks incoming phone calls or text messages. Calls are diverted to voicemail, and text messages are saved on the device for later viewing
- Active noise control uses microphones and speakers to analyze and capture sounds, generating inverted sound waves to cancel out unwanted noise
THE LUXURY OF QUIET
Noise, defined as unwanted sound, is just about everywhere. High-end restaurants, luxury hotels and spa resorts are among the many businesses putting a premium on responding to guests’ desire for quiet and solitude.
Drivers of luxury cars are no different, and often see their vehicles as a refuge from busy, connected lives – a place to get away and relax a bit.
To help create a tranquil oasis on wheels, Lincoln uses clever engineering solutions, advanced materials and thoughtful design to create some of the quietest vehicles on the road.
Here’s a look at some of the advanced strategies found in the newest Lincoln, the 2015 Lincoln MKC, the brand’s first small premium utility vehicle.
- Active Noise Control™
Active noise control heightens overall cabin
sound quality by reducing unwanted engine
noises while enhancing desired sound to help
provide a more pleasant driving experience.
Microphones monitor the sound profile of the
cabin, which is then replicated and inverted
by a signal processor to create an opposing
acoustic wave through the speakers. When
the opposing wave meets the original sound
wave, they cancel each other out. - Sound-absorbing interior trim panels
The rear trim panels are designed to
capture unwanted interior sound within
the passenger compartment - Acoustic windshield and front side glass
Highway-speed noise levels are reduced in
part by suppressed turbulence flow across
the side glass; at lower speeds, the cabin
is isolated from exterior noise sources.* - Upgraded engine mounts
The larger long-travel mount system
helps isolate the driver from undesirable
powertrain sounds - Acoustic and aero-designed mirrors
Exterior pedestal-style mirrors are optimized
to decrease cabin noise levels by controlling
the airflow across the side. - Tuned tires
Tires are designed to reduce road-induced
low-frequency rumble. - Larger/upgraded “quiet-tuned” exhaust
Internal muffler design and increased
volume enables enhanced powertrain
sound quality while quieting unwanted
powertrain-induced sounds. - Upgraded sound package
The enhanced characteristics of the material
used in the pillars, carpet and trim panels,
as well as structural damping and enhanced
rocker sealing, reduce levels of interior noise.
*Acoustic side glass available on 2015 Lincoln MKC Reserve.
An oasis of calm
Even before the engine is started, the interior of a vehicle can create an oasis of calm.
Reducing “visual noise” begins with a strong emphasis on horizontal lines as well as thoughtful interaction between shapes. How shapes work together can convey a sense of quiet from a visual standpoint.
To create visual quiet, the forms and lines are organized so they have less interaction and are smooth and fl owing, not screaming for attention.
Rich and premium materials are comfortable of course, but also can convey a certain confi dence and calm. Authentic materials, such as available natural woods and metals combined with high grades of available leather, complete the environment.
- Do not disturb, please
One fi nal way of maintaining your oasis
of quiet comes via the “Do Not Disturb”
feature on SYNC,® standard on each
Lincoln. This feature blocks incoming
phone calls or text messages. Calls are
diverted to voice mail, and text messages
are saved on the device for later viewing.