If you have driven a classic car, or something that has been stripped of its sound deadening, you'll have an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into to keeping modern cars quiet on the road, and it's about to get even better.
Hyundai recently revealed the 2020 Genesis GV80, which is the brand's large luxury SUV that's set to take on the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Mercedes-Benz GLE, but this Korean-built entry comes with a new piece of tech.
That tech comes from a collaboration between Harman and Hyundai, and is described in the release as “the world’s first active road noise cancellation system for a production vehicle”.
Dubbed ‘Road-Noise Active Noise Control’, or ‘RANC’, the system reportedly reduces around 50 per cent of the unwanted road noise in the cabin, and works just like noise-cancelling headphones.
Numerous sensors sit along the GV80's chassis and suspension and send data to the RANC processor, which then predicts what will make it into the cabin, and generates anti-noise waves to protect the occupants.
Microphones embedded in the seats detect errors around the cabin, and sends data back to the RANC processor, which actively adjusts the noise emitted.
The GV80 looks to be an extremely impressive SUV, and should have no trouble taking on its European-built counterparts. A raised centre console, freestanding infotainment system, and the two spoke steering wheel are just a few of the luxuries offered in the cabin.
Three engines will be offered including a 2.5-litre turbocharged petrol, a 3.5-litre V6, and a 3.0-litre turbo diesel. Interestingly, the GV80 will come rear-wheel drive as standard, but buyers can opt for all-wheel drive if they wish.
Due to the small number of Genesis models offered in New Zealand, we doubt that this GV80 will make it our way, but that could be set to change.