In a move that’s equal parts clever marketing and tongue-in-cheek humor, Kia’s Finnish distributor has launched one of the strangest EV transition tools yet — a gasoline-scented air freshener. It’s silly, but let’s hear them out.
Astara Auto Finland, the importer of Kia vehicles into the country, is giving every new Kia EV4 buyer a gas-scented car freshener designed to ease the emotional shift from traditional combustion engines to electric power. It’s a nod to nostalgia, meant for drivers who might miss the familiar whiff of motor oil and gasoline that defined the old-school driving experience. It’s worth noting, new cars really don’t have those smells anymore. The gassy smell came from carbureted engines, which we don’t use in modern car building, but it’s the thoughts that counts, I guess.
“New-Car Smell” Has Taken On A New Meaning
The limited-edition fragrance, simply titled “The Scent of Transition,” was created by Finland’s only perfumier, Max Perttula, who has crafted scents for several luxury brands. Working closely with Kia, Perttula set out to capture what he calls the “soul of the combustion era” — blending motor oil undertones with metallic, mineral, and faintly floral notes to produce something that’s surprisingly wearable, even if it sounds like a mechanic’s dream.
“I picked ingredients that are commonly used in men’s fragrances and in the reconstruction of women’s jasmine flower,” Perttula explained. “It may sound wild, but jasmine contains compounds that naturally remind people of gasoline. We built on that foundation, then added amber, birch tar, and galbanum to recreate the scent of a car workshop.”
Making EVs More Human
The idea, according to Astara Auto Finland’s commercial director Klaus Pohjala, is to make the move to EV ownership feel a little more human. Why is gasoline more human, though? “Giving up the combustion engine can feel like a huge step — just like giving up anything familiar,” Pohjala said. “We wanted to add a touch of nostalgic fun to the transition with a gas-scented car freshener. Of course, this is a bit of a cheeky campaign, but we also want to communicate that we understand the change can be a big decision for many.”
It’s a goofy, lighthearted campaign — but one that still fits Kia’s broader strategy of supporting customers through the electric transition. While the company continues to sell internal-combustion and hybrid models, electric vehicles are taking a growing share of its sales, especially in Northern Europe.
EV Adoption Is Strong In Finland
In Finland, EV adoption is accelerating fast: as of mid-2025, roughly 11.5 percent of cars on the road are electrified, with nearly five percent fully electric. More than a third of all new car registrations in the first half of 2025 were EVs, signaling that the shift toward electrification is no longer just a prediction — it’s happening now. For Kia, over 30 percent of its Finnish sales already come from electric models.
The EV4, Kia’s compact electric crossover, is key to that growth. Designed to be approachable and affordable, it’s also a symbol of Kia’s confidence that drivers are ready for what comes next — even if they need a little whiff of the dino juice to get there.